The Bears and Broncos are Very Bad Football Teams

We are now three weeks into the NFL season and two teams look very, very bad right now. Anything can happen, things can change, injuries could happen and these teams could go on a winning streak at any moment, but right now, the Broncos and Bears look like the worst teams in the league. I thought the Cardinals and Texans were going to be the bottom of barrel in the NFL. But they have at least been competitive and won a game a piece. The Cardinals have held a lead in all three of their games. The Texans seem to have young pieces that they can build around. But the Bears and Broncos look like they have a long, long time before they are even competitive.

I'll start with the Bears. Look, I'm no fan of them, but it has to be incredibly painful for their fans to watch this team. They look absolutely hopeless on both sides of the ball. The defensive coordinator just resigned. He said it was to spend more time with his family, but more and more stories keep coming out claiming there is much more to this story that we don't know. The offense cannot get it together. Justin Fields looks shell shocked. He had a press conference in which he essentially blamed the coaches for his miscues, only to recant those statements near minutes later. That is wild. They cannot move the ball nor can they stop teams from moving the ball. The Packers beat them yet again in week one in Jordan Love's first start. I understand that the Packers own the Bears, but this seemed like a great opportunity to get a win over their rivals to start the year. They then laid an absolute egg against the Buccaneers in week 2, prompting the comments from Fields. Yesterday the Chiefs demolished them in KC. The final was 41-10, but it was 34-0 at the half. The score did not indicate how much of a blowout this game was on the field. The Bears will have to make some changes if they want to get back to relevancy. Maybe that means the staff, maybe it means the players. Right now I'd lean towards the staff. They seem like a deer caught in the headlights. They seem to have little to no urgency or will to compete when they step on the field. The Bears are a bad football team.

The only team that may be worse is the Denver Broncos. I followed the Broncos offseason coaching search because Jim Harbaugh was considered a prime candidate. I believe he had multiple interviews. I bet he is happy he didn't take that job now. Sean Payton seemed like a homerun hire. He is an offensive and quarterback guru. He had massive success in New Orleans. He seemed like the perfect guy to step in for Nathaniel Hackett. And in weeks 1 and 2 the Broncos looked competent enough. They didn’t win either game, but they were a 2 point conversion away from tying the Commanders and barely got beat by the Raiders, another very bad NFL team right now. But yesterday was incredibly eye opening. This Broncos team is in a very, very bad spot right now. Their defense gave up 70 points to the Dolphins yesterday. I understand that the Dolphins are very good and have a very explosive offense, but 70 points? Are you kidding me? I mean, that is absolutely wild. I went and watched some highlights, I have Raheem Mostert on my fantasy team, and the Broncos defense looked helpless. They were taking awful angles. They couldn't stop a pass at all. Tua was a perfect 16 for 16 in the first half. Yikes. At one point Mostert took a screen pass and basically went untouched for a TD to push the score to 42-13. And on the screen pass plenty of Broncos had a shot at him and missed as poorly as I have ever seen an NFL team miss tackles. Their offense has looked inept in two of their three games as well. They only managed 16 points against the Raiders. And the 20 they scored yesterday was all garbage time. Russell Wilson looks bad. He looks cooked. He doesn't seem to have it anymore. Javonte Williams barely sees the ball. They are usually down so bad that they have to throw. Jerry Jeudy isn't getting passes thrown his way. The o lineman look and sound depressed. Sean Payton looks like a dinosaur in the modern NFL. This team is hurting in a bad way. They need to do something drastic. I don't know if that means to move on from Wilson or to give Payton the hottest seat in all of football. Either way though, the Broncos may be the worst team in the NFL.

The Bears and Broncos are two teams need to make some changes. Something different needs to happen if they want to be relevant again. Time will tell, hell, maybe they will both win the rest of their games and this will all be moot. But at this moment, this early in the season, the Bears and Broncos are far and away the two worst teams in the entire NFL. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: A Warm RC Cola on a Hot Summer Day Edition

Welcome to day two of my preseason NFL rankings. The teams are getting a bit better, but not much.

At number 28 I have the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have not had a formidable QB since Andrew Luck shockingly retired a few years back. Jacoby Brissett was the best that they had in that time, and he did lead them to the playoffs, but that is not saying much. I do really like the Anthony Richardson pick. He is big, athletic and has an absolute cannon for an arm. He should definitely start from day one and I believe he will. But he is a rookie QB, and rookie QB's usually start slow. He will have to learn the NFL, but I think he has a bright future ahead. It will need some time to work itself out though. Johnathan Taylor, their best offensive player, has requested a trade and has been sent home from minicamp. That is never good. They need him if they want any chance at the playoffs. I have not heard of any of their receivers or their tight end. Whatever happened to TY Hilton also? Who will be Richardson's top target? These are things that need to be figured out soon, but I don't think it will be soon enough. The o line has some dudes, and they have been good at run blocking. But with Taylor wanting out, who besides Richardson is going to be the benefactor of this line's blocking? That is a mystery as well. The defense is full of unknown guys. I loved Kwity Paye when he was at Michigan, but he is coming off injury. Deforest Buckner had a moment, but that feels like such a long time ago. I have not heard of a single guy in their secondary. That seems to be a running theme for me with the Colts, and I bet a bunch of other people would agree. I love the Richardson pick, and think it will pan out in the future, but that will not lead to many wins this season. They need time.

At number 27 I have the Chicago Bears. It feels like the Bears are a year or two away from being in my top 10 though. I think Justin Fields is awesome. He can run and sling it. He needs to throw more, but that will come as he plays more and more. But the dude is their guy and they need to keep him around. Running back is iffy here, but with Fields they get the best of both worlds. I love the DJ Moore pick up, and it has looked good in the preseason. Chase Claypool, when healthy, is a solid wideout. Cole Kmet is a decent tight end. The o line is good enough. The offense is in good hands. What hurts the Bears is their defense. They cannot stop anyone. They give up big plays and the offense has to perennially play from behind. They have some names, like Yannick Ngakoue and Tremaine Edmunds, but they feel far past their prime. Jaylon Johnson can be a solid corner, but he needs work. They don't have the players to stop teams. They are the opposite of the Buccaneers. They will score, but they will not stop anyone. Once they shore the d up, watch out though.

At number 27 I have the Atlanta Falcons. I am lower on them than other writers I have seen. I do not have the most faith in Desmond Ridder. He has won everywhere he has played, but that was due to the defense and some playmakers around him. A lot of people are super high on Bijan Robinson, and while I think he will be good, I do not think he is going to be the world beater that some expect. Once teams start to gameplan for him it will be tough. He is going to be facing a ton of eight man fronts, and he is not built like Saquon Barkley yet. I do not think he is ready to handle that type of load as a rookie. Kyle Pitts keeps getting pumped up, but this seems to happen every year since he was drafted, and maybe he is who he will be for his career. Drake London is a fine receiver, but I don't think he strikes fear in opposing secondaries. And the o line is very blah. The defense is very blah as well. Calais Campbell has not been a backfield wrecker for a while now. Bud Dupree, who I loved coming out of college, has not figured it out. Jeff Okudah was told to not let the door hit him on his way out of Detroit. Grady Jarrett doesn't jump off the page for me. The defense doesn't strike me as being very good. Their best feature is the division, and Robinson. But I think they will have a tougher time trying to win enough games to make a playoff push.

My final team for the day, at LA Rams. They were my number one team last year. They have truly fallen off. Matt Stafford is back. Who cares? He seems to have phoned it in after winning a ring. I don't know who the running back is going to be. ESPN's website has Cam Akers, but I thought he was on the Raiders. Cooper Kupp seems like a Wes Welker type, but with less success. And I have no clue who Van Jefferson or Ben Skoworonek are. Tyler Higbee gets hurt far too often. And the o line is old and getting older. The defense, outside of Aaron Donald, is full of unknowns. I truly could not tell you one thing about the names of the starters I see on ESPN. This team had Von Miller a few years back. They had one of the best linebacking corps in the league. Jalen Ramsey patrolled their secondary. All those guys are gone and replaced by players like Christian Rozeboom, Ernest Jones, Jordan Fuller and Russ Yeast. Who even are those guys? Jordan Fuller is the only name that sounds vaguely familiar. The Rams are not great, but at least they got their ring I guess. But right now, going into 2023, they are not very good.

That does it for day two. Come back for day three tomorrow. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty’s 2022 NFL Preview - Warm Natural Light Division

The next two weeks are going to be football focused. I'm going to be counting down the NFL teams from worst to best. Then I will make postseason predictions and awards. Then, next Friday I will do my massive college football preview. This is one of my favorite times of year because it means football is right around the corner. So sit back and enjoy some football talk for the next few weeks. On to the countdown.

Coming in dead last I have the Houston Texans. I like Lovie Smith. But that hire was out of nowhere. I love Nico Collins. But he is only in year two and he still needs time to develop. Davis Mills was a nice surprise last season. But defenses will be ready for him. There will be no more surprises. Derek Stingley has potential. I was so high on John Metchie, and I know he will beat cancer. But that is devastating for him. I hope he gets better soon. Outside those guys this team is very, very mediocre. Marlon Mack is washed, as is Brandin Cooks. Pharaoh Brown is out of position at tight end. The O line is not great. The defense is full of youth and no name guys. Jerry Hughes used to be good, but when that is your best signing, that is a bad, bad sign. This team is in full rebuild mode and they will be for sometime. I hope they give Lovie Smith time to turn it around, but they probably won't and that stinks. I assume they will win 2 to 4 games, at best this year. They will be in the hunt for one of the top QB's in the 2023 draft. The Texans are not a good football team.

At number 31 I have the Atlanta Falcons. This team has really fallen off since they blew a 25 point lead in the Super Bowl however many years ago that was. Matt Ryan is gone. Julio Jones is gone. Todd Gurley didn't work out. They fired the coach who led them to the Super Bowl. This team is still rebuilding. They signed Marcus Mariota and drafted Desmond Ridder. I was way off on Mariota. He has not been good. I would not be surprised if Ridder, who I really like, starts at some point this season. They have a receiver starting at running back. Cordarelle Patterson is fine, but he is not an every down back. I think Drake London will be good when the Falcons get a competent QB. Same with Kyle Pitts, who has the ability to be one of the better tight ends in the league. The O line is mediocre. The Falcons defense is a lot like the Texans. I do not know who most of these dudes are on the roster. I recognize Casey Hayward. He is an okay corner. As is AJ Terrell. But the dudes on the D line and the linebackers, I am drawing a total blank. They got scored on a ton last season, and I see much of the same this year. The Falcons will win 3-5 games this season and they will be picking early in the 2023 draft.

At number 30 I have the Chicago Bears. It is no secret that I despise this team. I have never liked the Bears. I think they are overrated. Every year they look like they are going to take a leap and then they fall flat on their faces. I do like Justin Fields, I think he can be very, very good, but this team has absolutely no weapons for him at all. Fields has all the tools in the world to be great, but he needs solid teammates. Every single receiver is hurt. N'Keal Harry is out for the year. Byron Pringle is hurt. So is Cole Kmet. I mean, they have no solid wideouts on this roster. David Montgomery is an okay running back, but he is not someone the offense can lean on. The O line is bad and riddled with injury as well. And the defense is not much better. Khalil Mack has been traded. Robert Quinn wants out. So does Roquan Smith. He just asked for a trade and I believe he is holding out of camp. From there it is rough. This is a roster full of has beens or never was guys. It is going to be a tough year in Chicago and Justin Fields is going to bear the brunt of it. This team is in the bottom of the league. They will win maybe 3 games all year. Fields needs weapons and maybe they will draft someone in the next year's draft with the high pick they will have. We will see.

The final team for the day, coming in at 29 I have the New York Giants. They have a new coach. They have a new GM. They have what looks to be a direction they are settled on. But they just don't have the talent yet, or the team is way too young. Daniel Jones is a bust. He doesn't have it. It is more than apparent that they need to move on. As much as I root for Saquon Barkley, he just looks timid and not fully healed. He doesn't look the same as he did before tearing his ACL. I like Wan'Dale Robinson, but he is a rookie. Kadarius Toney may be asking for a trade. Kenny Golladay had one good year and that was it. The O line is not good, but they got a guy that looks like he could be awesome in Evan Neal. They should build the line around him. The defense is also not great. I absolutely love the Kayvon Thibodeaux pick, but much like Robinson, he is a rookie too. Leonard Williams is oft injured. Blake Martinez is not great anymore. Adoree Jackson is on his second team in not so many seasons. I mean, the defense, outside of Thibodeaux, is not very good. The Giants are on the verge of yet another 5 win season and their fans will be losing their minds. I do think the team is going in a better direction, but they need a new QB, to build the D around Thibodeaux and get Evan Neal some help on the O line. Then they will win some games. But this year is not even close to their year.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.  

Ty Ranks the 2021 NFL Teams - Better Luck Next Year Division

Welcome to day 2 of my NFL countdown. Let's get right to it.

At number 28 I have the New York Jets. This team has not seemed to figure it out yet. They continue to make bad decisions in the front office and at the draft. They let guys go or guys ask to leave. They do not want to stay there too long. I do like the hiring of Robert Saleh, and if given the time, I think he can turn it around. Just not this year. The issues at QB have not been addressed, even with them taking Zach Wilson second overall. I do like that they are going to let him play through the rough stuff, but there is going to be a lot of rough stuff this year. He is not ready, but he will get the playing time. Tevin Coleman was good about three years ago, but with the Jets, he is their best option at running back. They let their best receiver walk, and now they are left with guys that have not shown they can be consistent. The O line is very blah, but it will not matter much because this team doesn't have the skill guys to do much with the ball. I do think the defense will be better because that is Salah's calling card. They do not have many guys, but they do have CJ Mosley, Byrce Hall and Quinnen Williams. Those are solid building blocks at all three levels of the defense. The rest of the guys are so so, but Saleh will coach them the hell up. They will be better on that side of the ball than they have been in awhile. In the end, the Jets have no offense, but a defense that will help them hang around and maybe even win three or four games. Give Saleh time though and the Jets could be a playoff team in three years.

At number 27 I have the Chicago Bears. The Bears finally moved on from Trubisky, and I love the Justin Fields pick, they just do not have much else. The Bears have needed to rebuild for years now, and they look like they may be on their way to doing just that. Also, Fields should be the starter. This whole Nick Foles and Andy Dalton dance is the dumbest thing I have seen. They need to give the keys to Fields and let him ride. He is the future at QB. Running back is not great with Tarik Cohen being hurt and having David Montgomery as their starter. He's fine, he ran for 1,000 yards last season, but I do not see a repeat of that this year. They were able to re-sign Allen Robinson, which will help Fields, but the rest of the receivers are not great. They also need better tight ends, especially if they are going to be a play action team. The O line is fine, but not great. The defense is not what it was two years ago, but they do still have Khalil Mack. That dude is awesome. He is probably the best linebacker in the NFL. He just doesn't have much help. Danny Trevathan is always hurt. Akiem Hicks hasn't really panned out. Roquan Smith needs to stay healthy. Tashaun Gipson is not great. They just are not at that elite level anymore. They seem to have fallen off a bit. The Bears are not the playoff contender they were two and three years ago, but they have done the right thing moving on from Trubisky. Now they have to let Fields run the damn thing. It won't equate to many wins, but it would be a step in the right direction.

At number 26 I have the Denver Broncos. This is another team that had an elite defense, a Super Bowl winning defense, but the offense is really, really bad. They should be starting Teddy Bridgewater. He more than deserves that role. He has come back from a gruesome injury and seems to be as good as he looked at times with Minnesota. Starting Drew Lock would be a major mistake. They need to move on from him now. He is not the answer, clearly. They let Phillip Lindsay walk and they are going with Melvin Gordon. Gordon was great at times with the Chargers, but he has not been the same with Denver. He bet on himself, which I have mad respect for, but it has not paid off. I like Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler as a wideout duo, but Hamler has yet to put it together and Jeudy is a rookie. Courtland Sutton seems to be a one season wonder too. The O line is fine, but again, not elite. They should let Bridgewater start, but we will see where they go from here. The defense is solid, but as we saw last season, when they spend all game on the field, it is rough for them. Von Miller is awesome, an all timer, a hall of fame player. He is legit. I also really like Bradley Chubb. He has more than lived up to the hype. Kyle Fuller is a solid defensive back. And Ronald Darby can play. But they spend way, way too much time on the field. They cannot win many games that way. I saw that with Michigan football two of the past four seasons. It is not a recipe for success. The Broncos could win five or six games with Bridgewater, but if they go with Drew Lock, it is more like three or four wins.

The final team for today, coming in at number 25, I have the Atlanta Falcons. First things first, my hat goes off to the Falcons for being the first team to be 100 percent vaccinated. That rules. I think that is great. They did the right thing as an organization, and they will reap the rewards. This is a big win for them. For the on field play, that is going to suffer. Matt Ryan is still the QB. He was good, an MVP a few years back, but he has been on a downward trajectory for the past three seasons. He just hasn't found the magic from his MVP year. I thought they were going to draft a QB, but they didn't, and now they have Ryan, AJ Mccarron and Feliepe Franks. That is not great. Todd Gurley did not have a great year, and they let him walk. That bums me out. I thought he could turn it around. They now have Mike Davis, and while he is a great fantasy player because he bowls guys over the TD's on the goal line, I do not know if he has the ability to be a full time starter. He is good though. They traded Julio Jones and that is a big blow to their offense. He was that guy that could go and make something out of nothing. Calvin Ridley is fast, and that is it. Their other receivers, I have never heard of. They drafted Kyle Pitts number six overall, and if you go back to my draft preview, I think he was very overhyped. He is very tall and physical, but he is also a rookie. There will be a big time learning curve. The O line is fine. The Falcons have struggled mightily on defense ever since their Super Bowl run. There is no one that stands out. Maybe Dante Fowler will find his groove, but he hasn't yet. Maybe he is what he is as an NFL player already. The secondary is filled with questions, the linebackers are blah and the D line looks like it will give up tons of big running plays. The Falcons had the chance to be a perennial playoff power, but since blowing that lead to the Patriots, they have never recovered. The team is past its prime. Again, I love love love that they are all fully vaccinated, and they should be rewarded for that. But this team will not win more than five games this season.

Come back tomorrow for the next four teams. We are getting to the better teams soon.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Ranks the 2019 NFL Teams: Sausage and Green Pepper Pizza Division

Day 7 of my NFL countdown kicks off with my number 8 team, the Indianapolis Colts.

I want to start off right away and tell all the Colts fans to chill out about Andrew Luck's health right now. Last year, right around this same time, he couldn't throw anything except a Nerf football. Then when the season started, he went on to have a great year, and the Colts were back in the playoffs. I'm sure whatever this calf injury is right now will be fine. Also, remember how good the Colts were last year? It was supposed to be a down year. They were supposed to be bad again. They had Josh McDaniels flake on them, then had to hurry to hire Frank Reich. And all of that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Luck came back, and as I said, was great. They found a platoon run game that worked for them. They got shifty and reliable receivers. The offense was all about crossing routes and check downs and grinding clock. The o line coalesced when it needed to. And their defense became very formidable. They could cover and stop the run. They looked like a real football team by about week 4, and then a playoff contender halfway through the year. Well, it is all pretty much the same this year. Luck is back. They have a stable of backs. They added Devin Funchess, while not great, still good, to a good group of receivers and the defense is pretty much intact. I kind of look at the Colts like the NFL's version of the Portland Trailblazers. They tend to get overlooked, and then they are 8-2 before anyone takes notice. I feel like they struck gold in having to settle for Frank Reich as their head coach. He is a QB's coach, and he installed a perfect offense for this phase of Luck's career. As I said, I think Luck will be fine, and with the core of this team back, I do not see how they don't win their division, and even get a first round bye in the AFC. The Colts are an easy double digit win team for me, probably 11, and as long as Luck is their QB, they will continue to be a playoff threat. Good for you Indy. You got 2 transformational QB's to run your team when you needed it most.

At number 7 I have probably my second least favorite team in the NFL, the Chicago Bears. Look, they won the lottery when they traded for Khalil Mack. That guy is the best defensive player in football, and when he was added to an already good defense, that put the Bears above the top for me. They had it all on that defense, except a pass rushing, run stopping wrecking ball of a linebacker. Then they got Mack. He was astounding last year. Again, I despise that team, but seeing Mack play football is pure joy. It is like watching the Spurs play basketball. It is perfection. Yes, Adrian Amos left in free agency this summer, but he is all they have to replace on one of the best defenses in football. The Bears defense is worthy of making them a title contender. Where I find fault, and why I don't have them in my top three, lies within their QB. Mitch Trubisk, right now, is not a very good NFL QB. Sure, he made a few plays here and there last year, but the Bears won because of their defense and run game. I should know, I had Tarik Cohen on my fantasy team. The offense was good in spite of Trubisky. They won games because they could grind out the clock, and let the defense come in and close things out. The biggest question, and what could make or break this team this year, is if Trubisky can make the leap. I don't think he can. I don't think he is very good. Being a Packer fan, the fact that Trubisky is their starting QB gives me hope that the Packers can stay in it every year he is behind center. Matt Nagy proved to be a capable coach, and he has pretty much everything you need to be a contender, except at QB. The fact that Trubisky is still such an unknown really makes me think twice before I put the Bears in the conversation as a Super Bowl contender. They will still win 10 plus games, and be in the playoffs, but Trubisky is what is holding them back from being a 12 to 13 win team, and a lock for the division.

At number 6 I have the LA Chargers. The Chargers are a team in flux at the running back position, Melvin Gordon just asked to be traded, but I don't think that matters. The Chargers are just like the Colts to me, except with a better defense. Sure, Phillip Rivers is a billion years old, but he has Keenan Allen to throw to. He also has Antonio Gates for another year. The Chargers also played fine without Gordon last year, when Austin Ekeler took his place. They also have a very solid o line. And that defense will get after you. They can rush the passer with the best of them. They can also cover, and they have a heavy hitting secondary. They can outscore you, or win in a slug fest. But, what I always, always, always go back on with this team, is their tendency to sleepwalk through a good portion of the year. They are not consistent with their level of play. Also, when they do have the goods, they have blown it in the past. That is why I do not think they will win, or even be in the Super Bowl for the foreseeable future. I also think Rivers is starting to trend, just a little bit, into Eli Manning territory, and they don't really have a replacement for him yet. But, the Chargers will win 11 or 12 games, and easily be in the playoffs this year.

My final team for the day, coming in at number 5, is the Super Bowl runner up, the LA Rams. The Rams are a very, very good offensive team. They play fast and loose and can run and pass. They are a much better run team because they have Todd Gurley. I know he was injured during the playoffs last year, but even in his few snaps, you could tell that opposing defenses were worried. He has had a full offseason to heal, and I feel like he can go to a whole other level, which is scary. I don't think Jared Goff is a Hall of Famer, but I do think he is a solid game manager, and Sean McVay's offense suits him perfectly. He is like Alex Smith was in KC before Pat Maholmes took over. He can dink and dunk the ball all over the filed, and when he needs to go deep, Brandin Cooks can get that separation. The o line is also great. The defense is the problem, but it isn't much of a problem because they have Aaron Donald. Aaron Donald is amazing. He is the best d lineman I have seen since I watched Reggie Smith when he joined the Packers. Aaron Donald can do it all. He can rush, stop the passer, and I bet he can even guard backs out of the backfield. After Aaron Donald, it gets a bit thin. They have solid guys, like Dante Fowler, Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, but they did get burned a bunch last season. They played in a lot of high scoring games, due to their inability to get off the field. And while Wade Phillips has done a solid job, let that dude he retire. He is so old. Like fragile old. But, the Rams are in a crummy division, with Seattle being their "toughest" opponent, and that means they can sleepwalk their way to 11 or 12 wins, and be back in the hunt to play in a second straight Super Bowl. Time will tell.

That's it for today, come back tomorrow for the final four teams in my countdown.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty misses the days the Rams were in St. Louis and the coach was Jeff Fisher. Nothing says excitement like 7-9 season after 7-9 season.

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: Gas Station Cappuccino Edition

Before I get into day 4 of my NFL preview, I need to say RIP to Aretha Franklin. She was one of, if not the, greatest souls singers of all time. She had a magnetic voice, and I loved every song she sang. Her version of "Respect" is wonderful. Her "A Change is Gonna Come" is fantastic. She was amazing, and she will be sorely missed. Rest in Peace Aretha Franklin, you are a legend.

Okay, lets get into my NFL preview.

Today I have teams 20- 17. Some people may see these teams and think, why are they so high or low. It needs to be stated that I think none of the teams I mention today are playoff contenders or hopefuls. These teams will win 9 games at the very, very best. Okay, on with it.

At number 20 I have the Chicago Bears. I view the Bears pretty much the exact same way I view the 49ers. I know I had the 49ers at 21 and the Bears at 20, but they are pretty much interchangeable. Both teams have a QB that is getting a ton of hype. I don't believe in Jimmy Garropolo, as I stated yesterday, but I really don't believe what is being said about Mitch Trubisky. I do not think he is good at all. He is a bust. I pretty much have no doubt about that. He is inconsistent and, for being considered a dual threat, kind of plodding. Playing out of shotgun may help, but I don't think so. Some may think he will have a Jared Goff type jump in his second year, but I don't. Also, Goff has a hell of a running game behind him, which leads me to what I actually like about the Bears. They have a great 1-2 punch at running back. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen are perfect compliments for one another. Howard is more the traditional type bac, and Cohen can run and make catches. They are good. I don't really believe much in their pass game, mostly due to Trubisky. But, they don't really have many solid receivers. They lost their best one last year, Alshon Jeffrey, and they never really replaced him. The Bears defense is okay, but not great. Their best player is a rookie that they just signed. Roqoun Smith is awesome, and I have mad respect for him for fighting the team until he got what he wanted. But outside Smith, the Bears defense is thin. They will give up points, and the offense won't be able to utilize their best aspect, the run game, as much as they should. 7 wins seem like the ceiling, and that is sad because I bet Bears fans would kill for 7 wins.

At number 19 I have the Cincinnati Bengals. Sorry RD, I don't know if this is too high or low (ed note: Way too high), and that is the problem. Also, I cannot believe they brought Marvin Lewis back. (ed note: ughhhh) What has he done to continually get contract after contract after contract? It's confounding. He's an okay coach, but he has done all he can do with this team. Which leads me to the rest of the team. They are, for the most part, just like Lewis. Andy Dalton is trash, and he will never be the franchise QB they thought he was. How have they not cut him yet. Their run game is as bland as baked chicken. Gio Bernard is not nearly as good as he was that one year. Also, Joe Mixon shouldn't be in the league. Tyler Eifert is going to get hurt. The only solid player they have is AJ Green, and he deserves so, so, so much better. They should trade him, but they won't, or if they try, they will find a way to screw it up. The Bengals defense is dirty, and not good. Vontez Burfict is already suspended. They have no secondary. This team is just dry and boring and not very good. I feel like they will win, maybe, 6 games, but somehow that will be enough to get Marvin Lewis another extension. Sorry Bengals fans, you guys are in some type of awful purgatory. Maybe it will end soon.

At number 18 I have the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders were like the Buccaneers to me last year. In fact, I had them in the AFC title game. Boy was I wrong. They imploded last year. Derek Carr totally regressed. They had no real run game, even after signing Marshawn Lynch. Amari Cooper dropped every pass that was thrown his way, except for the one game that I sat him on my bench in fantasy football and he went off. Their O line, their supposed strength, was not great. I don't know how they remedy all that this year. And on defense, they are in the dumbest kind of stand off with their best player, and team leader, Khalil Mack. Mack is a great, great linebacker, and the Raiders are being so dumb with the contract negotiations. Also, they have no one, and I mean NO ONE, that is near his talent level. They need Mack if they want any semblance of a defense. They have an old secondary, an even older D line and only Mack at linebacker, who they will most likely trade. Also, they gave Jon Gruden a 10 year 100 million dollar contract to be their coach. What the hell?! That is nuts. He was never really that good a coach. Yes, he won a Super Bowl, but that seems lost in the wind. Besides that one year, he was worse than average. And he has been away from the game for a decade. Jon Gruden will not be a viable head coach. The Raiders are a mess again. They had their window, and it seems like it has already closed. Please trade Mack to the Packers. That would be awesome.

My final team for the day, at number 17, I have the Los Angeles Chargers. I need to get this out of the way first, I'm sick of every other football writer, for what seems like the last 3 or 4 years, saying that the Chargers are their "sleeper" team. The Chargers always shit the bed, so why is this year any different? Well, they do have a very good defense, with some young, super talented guys. That defense should be enough for a couple wins. They have an exceptional pass rush as well. No, the defense is not the problem. What the Chargers lack, and what will continue to hold them back from being a "sleeper" team, is their QB. While I think Phillip Rivers is better than some other guys out there, namely his draft mate Eli Manning, he has never, in his entire career, played in a big time playoff or regular season game. Sure, he puts up numbers, throws for 4,000 yards a year and 25 plus TD's, but it all feels hollow to me. He is old. He has taken too many hits. He talks too much shit for a dude that has never won an important game. He blames everyone around him. Rivers is old, and I feel like the Chargers need to move on. As far as the rest of the offense goes, Melvin Gordon had a much better second year, but he is not the player the Chargers thought they were getting when they drafted him top 15 two years ago. He also fumbles a lot. They do have Keenan Allen, but he is a few concussions away from being out of the league. Oh, and Antonio Gates is back again, but he isn't a quarter of the guy he was 5 years ago. The Chargers are a lot like the Bengals on offense. They are stuck back in time, and have no intentions of changing. That will continue to hold them back. Phillip Rivers has done all he can for this franchise, which is nothing, and they need to find his replacement now. I'm sure other writers will still call them a "sleeper", and claim that this year they will finally "make the leap". Well, I don't buy it. 8-8 looks like their best case scenario.

That does it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams. We are getting oh so close to real playoff contenders.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has way too much faith in the Cincinnati football team. Winning is bad for the Bengals. That means more people will come to the Queen City and see their terrible tax payer funded stadium. The Bengals don't want that.

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Ty Ranks the 2017 NFL Teams: The "Attack of the Clones" Edition

Football is almost here. We are about 2 and a half weeks from the college football season and about 3 weeks from the NFL kickoff to the 2017 season. The next 2 weeks are going to be all football from me. I did my politics yesterday and I will still do mini recaps of "Bar Rescue", and any movie or music I may hear the next couple weeks, but for the most part, it is going to be football all day, everyday. As I did last year, I'm going to count down the teams from 32-1. I will give a few sentences as to why I put the teams where I put them, and move on to the next one. At the end of my countdown, I will do predictions and award winners. The next day, I will do my NCAA football preview. Alright, lets get to it.

Coming in at number 32, the worst team in the NFL will be the New York Jets. The Jets are an absolute train wreck, and it has nothing to do with Todd Bowles. I actually think he is a decent coach, but that front office has left him with nothing to work with. They let Eric Decker, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, David Harris, Darelle Revis and Brandon Marshall leave and got nothing in return. Their receiving core is a joke. They have no one of any importance. Bilal Powell is a good running back, but when teams load the box every down, he will be lucky to average 3 yards a carry. The line is older, and worse. Their QB is Christian Hackenberg. That should strike fear in all Jets fans across the country. As far as all accounts from preseason training camps, where everyone is supposedly doing great, he couldn't even break a huddle properly. The 7 year olds I coach in flag football know how to break a huddle. He is going to stink. As far as their defense, they still have Sheldon Richardson, but he may get suspended like he has the past 2 years, and I don't think he is 100 percent engaged in football. They got rid of David Harris, their mainstay middle linebacker, without telling the coach. Their secondary is a joke too. This team is a disaster. I wouldn't be surprised if they go 0-16.

Coming in at number 31, I have the Chicago Bears. How can a team that finally got rid of Jay Cutler get worse? They can trade a bunch of picks to move up one spot and take Mitch Trubisky. Also, enough of this, "he looked great in their preseason opener against Denver". Denver was playing fourth string guys and were running completely vanilla coverages. Blake Bortles did this same thing as a rookie in preseason. Anyone still on the Blake Bortles bandwagon? I didn't think so. The Bears also went out and gave Mike Glennon a 3 year 45 million dollar contract. That was not a typo, you read that right. Oh, and they also signed Mark Sanchez. Yeesh. As far as the O Line, does it really matter with this team. They are going to be awful no matter what. They let Alshon Jeffrey walk, and their "top" receiver, Kevin White, has played in maybe 4 or 5 total games his NFL career. They have a decent run game with Jordan Howard and Jeremy Langford, but how much good will that do when they are always playing from behind. The run game will be moot. Their defense is not much better. They can't stop the run or the pass. You need to be able to stop both of those to win a good amount of football games. This once great franchise is at a very low point right now, and I don't think Trubisky or Glennon or Sanchez are the guys to dig them out. They will be cellar dwellers for awhile.

Coming in at number 30, I have the San Francisco 49ers. This is the team that fleeced the Bears, hence why they are one spot ahead of them in my countdown. Look, I actually like their defense a little bit. They made a great pick, when they had to move down one spot, and got Soloman Thomas. He is a great D-Lineman to build their run stop and pass rush around. They also have decent, young players in the secondary and at linebacker. The problem with this team is their offense. I think Carlos Hyde is one of the more overrated players in the NFL. People always mention him as a good fantasy player, or as a sleeper that can have a big year. I don't buy it. Their line is weak. Their receivers are worse than what the Rams have. And they wouldn't even try and resign Colin Kaepernick, who led them to a Super Bowl. They instead decided to sign Brian Hoyer. Why does Brian Hoyer keep getting jobs? He is not that good of a QB. I wouldn't even want him as a backup. They also hired Kyle Shanahan as their head coach after letting Chip Kelly go. Shanahan is a great coordinator, but how will he do as the top guy, and how will he recover from that epic collapse in the Super Bowl? Time will tell. And if they give Kirk Cousins an enormous contract after this season I will lose my god damn mind. Cousins is not some great QB that people, including Kyle Shanahan, keep saying he is. The 49ers are in the midst of a deep rebuilding project. At least they got one over on the Bears at the draft. That may be their biggest win of the 2017 season.

Coming in at number 29 I have the Cleveland Browns. I really can't grasp what this team is trying to do. They went out and signed some good O-Lineman this offseason, but does it really matter when Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler or Deshone Kizer are the QB? Also, who is their running back? I have no idea. That is not a good sign. They also let Terelle Pryor walk, and he was their best receiving threat since Josh Gordon. I cannot figure out what they are trying to establish as their identity on offense. It is maddening, and I do not even like this team. And on defense, I know they gave former Patriot, who was traded in the middle of the season, Jamie Collins big time money, but is he really a cornerstone for any defense? They also reached big time for Jabrill Peppers in the late first round. I love Peppers, he was electrifying for Michigan, but I do not see how that translates to the pros. He is too small to play linebacker and not a good enough cover to play corner. I hope he proves me wrong because I want all Michigan players to succeed, but I do not see it yet. As far as their D-Line, it is very ho hum. They do not have any single pass rusher or run stopper that really excels. Same thing for their secondary. It is incredibly average. Hue Jackson deserves better than this, but he willingly took this job. The Browns will continue to be irrelevant until they get some competent players.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for my next 4 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He will always root for a former Wolverine int he NFL, unless they play for the Rams. Screw that team and their terrible owner.

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The Idiot Bears Liven Up a Competent NFL Draft

Artist Depiction of Bears fans today

This past Wednesday I made a bold claim and assumed that the Browns would make another horrific draft mistake. It is in their nature to screw things up. They have not been relevant or even competitive pretty much since they came back to the NFL.

In a big time shocker, the Browns made the right choice and took Myles Garrett number one overall. I was surprised, but the pick also gave me a little bit of confidence that maybe Hue Jackson and the Browns front office are possibly going in the right direction. Later in the first round they took my guy, Jabrill Peppers, and to be honest, I like this pick by them. I liked it even more when I heard Hue Jackson say that they will most definitely use him on offense. They also took David Njoku, who was the second best tight end in the draft, a few picks after Peppers. The Browns actually made competent choices that could benefit them in the long run.

With that being said, there were some head scratchers for sure in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. The receiver from Western Michigan, Corey Davis, going number 5 overall to the Titans was weird. They could have gotten him easily at 18. Then there was a run on receivers in the first round, which I thought this class of receivers was very thin. Mike Williams went at 7 and John Ross went at 9. That was crazy. I thought, contrary to a lot of NFL "insiders", that McCaffery going at number 8 was a bit of a reach. I do think he will be good, but number 8, I do not get it. Sure, he is a decent fit in Carolina, but he still has a ways to go before he is a real threat all over the field.

As far as some good things I liked from the first round, OJ Howard to Tampa was incredible for both parties. Howard gives them what they need at the tight end position, and I think he immediately makes them a perennial playoff contender. Leonard Fournette to the Jaguars is great. I'm sure they will get a QB in later rounds to usurp Blake Bortles, but for the time being, they have Fournette, and I think he is going to be an All Pro from day one. Jamal Adams to the Jets was a sound pick. He was my personal favorite non Wolverine in the draft, and I think he will fit in well in New York. I also liked both the Chiefs and Texans trading up to get their QB's of the future. Mahomes should fit in nicely in Kansas City, and he will get to learn for at least one year. Deshaun Watson to the Texans is a homerun. The Texans need a QB, and I think they found one that will help them become a real threat to the Patriots in the AFC. The Titans did make a great pick, taking Adoree Jackson at 18. He's an awesome cornerback and a great returner. He will help them immediately. I also really like Jarrad Davis to the Lions. He is a good linebacker and will help that defense get much better.

All of this leads me to the biggest surprise of the night. First off, I love Solomon Thomas to the 49ers. He was the best interior defensive lineman in the draft, and he will be the cornerstone for the 49ers young defense. And, all they had to do was trade down one spot to number three to get him. You may be reading this and asking, why did they only have to trade down one pick? Well, the Bears had their hearts set on a player, and they gave up a whole lot to the 49ers to draft this certain player. The Bears gave up a lot of future picks, let John Lynch fleece them and made just a horrible, terrible, stupid and appalling selection at number 2. They gave up all of this to take Mitch Trubisky.

You read that right.

The Bears gave up the farm to take Mitch god damn Trubisky. I am on record, both on the podcast and the site, saying that I think Trubisky will be a bust of Ryan Leaf proportions. Also, why did the Bears even need to take a QB? They gave Mike Glennon a 3 year, 45 million dollar deal this offseason, signed Mark Sanchez and I believe that Matt Barkley is still on their roster. I know those guys aren't the best QB's in the world, but Glennon was once a starter, Mark Sanchez has fallen on rough times, but was a capable QB at one point and Matt Barkley looked halfway decent at the end of last season. So I ask again, why give up so much to draft Mitch Trubisky at number 2 overall? This is bafflingly stupid. I loved the reactions that were all over the internet last night of Bears fans reacting to this pick. It was as funny as some great comedies that I have watched in the past couple of years.

The Bears are absolutely going to regret this. The fans that like this pick will make their voices known very loudly at home games to put Trubisky in, no matter how well any of the other QB's on their roster are playing. The front office will push to make him play because they will want to see their high pick on the field. Trubisky is going to stink when he does get in there. He is simply not ready for the job of being a starting QB in the NFL, let alone the starter for a once proud blue blood NFL franchise. This was stupefying, but also made for some great laughs.

Being a Packers fan, I'm thrilled that one of their chief rivals made a pick this bad. But, for friends and family that are Bears fans, I feel for you guys and girls. This will not wash out the bad taste of Jay Cutler, and if I were one of the other QB's on the roster, I'd be very pissed, especially if I were Mike Glennon. This was, by far, the worst draft decision I have seen since Ryan Leaf was taken second overall by the Chargers in the 1997 draft. What an abomination.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has a bag of beans for the Bears if they are still interested in boneheaded trades. 

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Ty Ranks the 2016 NFL Teams: The Dumpster Fire Edition

Football is right around the corner people. The preseason starts next Sunday, and the regular season is a little over a month away. For the next 8 days I will countdown the teams in the NFL, 4 teams a day, going from worst to best, in my opinion. On day nine, I will do my postseason picks, including the Super Bowl winner, and I will also pick all my award winners. I will stick to some of my other, regular blogs, i.e., the "Bar Rescue" updates and some greatest American band picks, but for the most part, the next two weeks will be NFL heavy. I will also do a college football preview at the end of next week. So, hopefully everyone is ready for some football talk, because I'm ready to watch some football. I will break down the teams to the best of my knowledge and tell you why I have them where I have them in my rankings. 

Okay, let's get to the countdown.

Coming in at number 32, the worst team in the league this season will be the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are an absolute dumpster fire. They did some good things this offseason. They fired their old coach, they dumped Johnny Manziel, finally, they hired what seems to be a decent head coach, but other than that, this team is not very good. Their defense is very, very below average. They have no one on that side of the ball that can strike fear in any opponent. Their defensive line gets no pressure, their linebackers are mediocre and their secondary is subpar. They will give up a ton of points. Unfortunately for their defense, their offense won't be able to put up too many points. They have an okay receiver in Josh Gordon, but he hangs out with Johnny Manziel, he's been suspended multiple times for violating the leagues drug rules and, when he is in there, he doesn't have a very good QB throwing him the ball. The only 2 QB's worth anything on their roster are Josh McCown and Robert Griffin. McCown is not good enough to be most teams third string QB and we all know about Robert Griffin. He's a prima donna that cannot stay healthy and forced his way out of Washington. He had a great rookie year, but he has been oft injured and, when he is healthy, he has been pretty awful. They don't have any good running backs, so the run won't scare anyone. Their offensive line is subpar at best as well. The Browns stink. If they win 3 games this year, I'd be shocked. Hue Jackson is a good coach, but it is going to take some time before the Browns are anything close to an 8 or 9 win team. I say they finish 2-14 this year.

Coming in at number 31, I have the San Francisco 49ers. You may see that and think, they were a contender only 2 years ago, well, a lot has changed in 2 years. They put all their eggs in the Colin Kaepernick basket and he has proven to not be that good. He has no accuracy, cannot throw the deep ball and abandons plays way too early and relies on his legs too much. Then, people may say, well they hired Chip Kelly, way can't he turn the 49ers and Kaepernick around. First off, Kelly is not a good NFL coach. His zone read does not work in the very fast paced NFL. Chip Kelly is a college coach that somehow got two NFL jobs. He is not a competent NFL coach. They just lost their best receiver, Anquan Boldin, and they have no running game, Carlos Hyde is not that good. They lost all their good defenders a year ago to, mostly, retirement. This team can't score and they can't stop anyone. They are only slightly, very slightly, better than the Browns. I think the 49ers will go 3-13 or 4-12. They are not very good and until they overhaul the whole team, and get a new head coach, they will continue to be bad.

Coming in at number 29, I have the Tennessee Titans. I have liked what they have done in the draft the past couple of years, but Mariota is still only a second year player and he has little to no weapons around him. The Titans receivers are good, but very young and very unproven. They still need a few years. The backs are mediocre, but they can get better. The offensive line is not very good, save for Taylor Lewan, but he still gets far too many personal foul penalties. They have decent tight ends, but when the QB has very little time to find them, it doesn't matter. The Titans defense is not very good. Even when they play bad teams, like the 49ers and Browns, they still give up 20 to 30 points. This team also tries to run some kind of hybrid read option/west coast offense that looks very bad at times. Mariota still needs another year or two before he reaches his possible potential, as do the receivers and the backs. The defense needs to get a whole lot better before they are competitive. They can get better through the draft, which seems to be the way Titans are rebuilding right now. The Titans may win 5 games, but anymore than that would be a huge surprise to pretty much everyone, Titans fans included. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say they finish 5-11.

At number 28, I have Mike Wilbon's favorite team, the Chicago Bears. This may surprise some people, the fact that I have the Bears this far down on my list, but they are a very, very bad football team. They let their best offensive weapon walk last year, Matt Forte, to the Jets. They have no good receivers. I don't care that they have names like Alshon Jeffrey and Kevin White, neither are that good. Hell, Kevin White didn't play a single snap last year because he got injured in camp. They don't have Martellus Bennett anymore, so they have no tight end threat. They got rid of Forte, as I mentioned earlier, and their consolation prizes are Jacquizz Rodgers and Jeremy Langford. Then they have one of the worst, most overrated, most annoying, most self inflating assholes at QB in Jay Cutler. I don't understand why people think he is a good QB. He didn't win in college. He has been very subpar in the pros. In fact, the lone time he has been to the playoffs, he got "hurt" and missed most of the Bears loss to the Packers. Jay Cutler may be the most overrated, non deserving players in the entire NFL. As long as he is the Bears QB, they will continue to be very mediocre on offense, especially since Matt Forte is gone. The Bears defense is not very good either. Sure, they signed Danny Treveathan away from Denver, but he will not turn this unit around on his own. They have no defensive line, and don't listen to the nonsense that has been coming out of Kyle Long's mouth recently, he is out of his mind. They can't pressure the QB and they can't stop the run. The linebacking unit, save for Treveathan, is subpar. The secondary in not good at all. The Bears are bad. The only reason they are ahead of the three teams before is, they always find some way to miraculously win a game or 2 that they should have no shot. They will either go 4-12 or 5-11. The Bears stink and they need a new QB.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for teams 28, 27, 26 and 25 and a "Bar Rescue" update.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The teams he listed above would cause him to change away from the NFL RedZone network. These are teams with nothing worth watching. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Buddy Ryan and Pat Summitt - Legends who Defined their Sport

RIP both Pat Summit and Buddy Ryan. Both were phenomenal coaches in their respective sports. Buddy Ryan was one of the fiercest, most competitive defensive coaches that the NFL has ever seen. He was the guy behind the vaunted 85 Bears defense. Ryan may have been the greatest defensive minded coach of all time. He would get into it on the sidelines as well. He would yell and scream and even get into fist fights if he believed he was right. Buddy Ryan was a legend.

Then there's Pat Summit. Talk about a winner who's life was cut way too short. Summit had almost 1100 wins as a head coach. That is jaw dropping. Tennessee women's basketball was dominant for the majority of Summit's career. She is the John Wooden of women's basketball. She had one of the greatest basketball minds to ever grace the Earth. She was fiery as well. She was also flat out great at her job. Summit is one of the greatest basketball coaches ever, men's or women's. Summit is a true legend.

RIP to these two great sports minds. You'll both be missed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.
 

Ty Needs to Change his Super Bowl Picks: NFL Midseason Redo

Ty made some cookies to apologize about the Colts pick

Much like my blog yesterday, I'm going to tackle the NFL at the midway point.

Week 8 just ended and most teams have played 7 or 8 games. You can definitely get a sense of who is a legit contender, and who are the bottom of the barrel teams. I'll go over my previous division winners and I'll pick who I think will win their division now, and the wild cards from each conference. I'll also pick the MVP, coach of the year, offensive and defensive player of the year and offensive and defensive rookie of the year compared to my season preview.

Let's start with the AFC. The AFC East is being led by the New England Patriots at 7-0. The Jets are 4-3 and the Bills and Dolphins are 3-4. I was wrong about this division, picking the Dolphins. They've kind of gotten back on track, but they were just destroyed by the Patriots and they were a mess before firing Joe Philbin. The Jets and Bills are both middle of the road, but the Jets are playing much better than I thought with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. The Bills are a typical Rex Ryan team. They play good defense, have a subpar offense and blow games. The Patriots are clearly the class of this division. They're on a war path since the stupid "deflate gate" bull shit and Tom Brady and Bill Belichek are playing and coaching with anger, and they thrive that way. I don't think they'll go undefeated, but Tom Brady is playing like the MVP and they'll win this division easily. I shouldn't have doubted them. In the AFC North, the Bengals are leading the division with a 7-0 record. They're playing lights out defense right now, but they have to prove it in the playoffs before I trust them. The Steelers are 4-4 and just lost LeVeon Bell for the rest of the season, they're toast. The Browns are exactly what everyone, save for ESPN, thought they'd be. They're mediocre on offense and defense and people still talk about Johnny Manziel like he's an important player. The Browns stink. The Ravens are a shockingly bad 2-6. They've blown games that they should've won, and they look pretty bad on defense without Terrell Suggs. They're the most disappointing team in the NFL in my opinion and they just lost their best receiver for the year with Steve Smith SR tearing his ACL. The Bengals will run away with this division, no problem. The AFC South is a joke and this division made me look like a moron with my preseason preview. The Colts are in first place, but they're tied with the Texans at a dreadful 3-5. Andrew Luck is clearly hurt and their defense stinks. Screw you Indy for making me look like an idiot. The Texans are terrible. Their "vaunted" defense can't stop anyone, and their offense is bad and just got worse with Arian Foster going down with a season ending injury yet again. The Texans stink. Jacksonville and Tennessee have three wins combined. They're playing as everyone thought they would. Blake Bortles may not be that good of an NFL QB and the Jags defense is not good. The Titans are being led by a rookie QB, I know he's missed the last two games, and they may not win another game all season. Mariota is going through growing pains and he has no weapons on offense and their coach is pretty bad, and just got fired. I'm still picking the Colts to win this division, but they may only win 6 or 7 games and they will get crushed in the playoffs. The AFC West has been surprisingly competitive. The Broncos are still the best team and they're undefeated. Something is going on with Peyton Manning, but the Broncos are winning with their league best defense. They're lock down on that side of the ball. The Raiders are 4-3 and in second place. Derek Carr is a star in the making and now he has Amari Cooper to throw to. Their defense is playing halfway decent led by ageless wonder Charles Woodson. The Raiders may actually be good. The Chiefs had a brutal schedule to start the season and started 1-5, but they've won their past two and look better, even with Jamaal Charles out for the year. They have a good tight end in Kelce and a deep threat in Jeremy Maclin. Their defense is good as always. Unfortunately for them, they dug themselves to deep a hole and they won't be able to get out of it. The Chargers are a team in flux. They don't know if they're moving to LA, and they have no fan base. Phillip Rivers is on the back half of his good playing days, and Melvin Gordon hasn't lived up to the hype. The Chargers aren't a threat anymore. So, the playoff teams from the AFC will be division winners, Denver, Indy(UGH!), New England and Cincinnati. The Wild Cards will be the Jets, I can't believe I just wrote that and the Raiders, I really can't believe I just wrote that. I was wrong on Miami and Pittsburgh has suffered some brutal injuries, but other than that, I think I did okay. The Patriots are coming out of the AFC with little push. Denver is the only team that can compete, but they won't be able to beat New England in Foxborough. The Patriots will represent the AFC again in the Super Bowl. 

To the NFC. We will start with the NFC East. This division is a joke. The Giants are leading it with a 4-4 record, and they just gave up 52 points to the Saints. One week they look good, the other they look bad. The Eagles and the Washington professional football team have matching 3-4 records. How they got there is different. The Eagles play awesome defense, but their offense is bad. Chip Kelly is supposed to be an offensive genius, but he doesn't use DeMarco Murray properly, he relies on Sam Bradford too much and he has no real receivers. The Eagles are bad. Washington is lucky to be where they are. Kirk Cousins got way too riled up after a comeback victory over Tampa Bay. He's a terrible NFL QB, but who else do they have? Their defense is not very good either. Basically, they got very lucky three times and that luck is going to run out. The Cowboys have been plagued by injury and stupidity. Tony Romo and Dez Bryant missed multiple games. Joseph Randle is facing punishment for drugs and they're now starting Darren McFadden. Greg Hardy is a lunatic and doesn't belong in the league. And Jerry Jones, boy is he going nuts. The Cowboys may be the best team in this division, but that's not saying much and they are too far behind at 2-5 to win this division. The Giants will win the division and they will probably do it with only 8 wins. The NFC North is led by my beloved Packers at 6-1. They've looked pretty bad on offense the past couple of weeks though and the Broncos just throttled them on Sunday night. They'll fix what ails them, but they need a quick fix. They also need to use Eddie Lacy more, if he's healthy. The Vikings are playing pretty well, with a 5-2 record. But, let us not forget why their star player, Adrian Peterson, was out all of last season for beating a child. Announcers seem to have forgotten this, but I haven't. He's a monster. The Vikings are winning with good defense and the emergence of rookie receiver Stefon Diggs and smart QB play from Teddy Bridgewater, not child abuser Adrian Peterson. The Bears and Lions are equally bad. The Bears are 2-5 and as long as they have Jay Cutler at QB, they'll continue to be mediocre. The Lions are a dreadful 1-7 and they can't catch a break. They're also poorly coached and Matt Stafford is not a franchise QB, he's barely a starting QB. Calvin Johnson deserves better than this. The Packers will win this division. The NFC South has been surprisingly decent. The Panthers are 7-0 and playing awesome defense and Cam Newton is playing fantastic football. They also have a really good run game. The Falcons are 6-2, but they're not that impressive, save for Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman. Those are the catalysts of this team, not Matt Ryan. He's been erratic all season. The defense is serviceable. The Saints are 4-4 and Drew Brees is beginning to look like his old self, but he doesn't have any real weapons. Mark Ingram has been solid, but he's not a star and Ben Watson has been playing good at tight end, but that's it. And their defense, woof, they're bad. The Buccaneers round out this division at 3-4. They've played better than I thought they would and while Jameis Winston has looked bad at times, he's had his moments and Doug Martin may be turning his career around. But, they are still a bad team led by a rookie QB. Carolina will win this division. The NFC West has been as competitive as I thought it would be. The Cardinals lead it with a 6-2 record. Carson Palmer has been lights out and so has Larry Fitzgerald and Chris Johnson. They have a potent offense. Their defense is still really good too. Barring injury, this team should be considered a legit contender. The Rams are 4-3 and they look good one week, but bad the next. The emergence of Todd Gurley should definitely help this team out. He's been awesome. And their defense is still one of the league's best. The Seahawks are 4-4 and they've looked very unimpressive. Russell Wilson is not living up to the contract he got. Marshawn Lynch can't stay healthy and they don't know how to use Jimmy Graham. He's the best tight end in football, save for Rob Gronkowski, and he's only getting 4 or 5 targets a game. Their defense is giving up fourth quarter leads as well. They do not look like the "dynasty" that a lot of people predicted them to be. The 49ers are a total mess. They're benching Kaepernick in favor of Blaine Gabbert. WTF! He's a terrible pro. They have no running game, they traded away Vernon Davis and they can't get the ball to Torrey Smith or Anquan Boldin. Their defense is okay, but when you're on the field for 45 minutes of a 60 minute game, you get tired and when you get tired, you give up points. The 49ers stink. Cardinals win this division. So the NFC playoff teams will be division winners, New York Giants, Green Bay, Carolina and Arizona. The two wild Cards will be Minnesota and Saint Louis. This means I was wrong about the Eagles and the Seahawks. Neither will make the playoffs. I'm torn between Arizona and Green Bay, but Arizona will suffer some kind of injury and the Packers will figure out their offensive problem and they will win the NFC.

So, that gives us a Green Bay and New England Super Bowl. I'm going to stick with the Packers. They're the one team that can beat the Patriots. As far as the awards go, I was wrong on almost all of these. First of all, the MVP is Tom Brady. He's torching this league and he's on a mission. I picked Aaron Rodgers, but he's struggled lately and Tom Brady has not. Brady will also win offensive player of the year. Defensive player of the year will be Charles Woodson, not Ndomakong Suh. Woodson is still playing at an elite level and he makes the Raiders a real threat. Winning this will put him in the conversation as greatest defensive back of all time. Coach of the year is still Jeff Fisher in my opinion. He'll lead this team to a Wild Card spot and that alone gives him the award. I picked Melvin Gordon as offensive rookie of the year. He's been not so good mid way through the season. However, Todd Gurley looks to be a beast. He's setting records and rushing for a lot of yards on a good Rams team. Gurley is, hands down, the offensive rookie of the year. I picked Bud Dupree as defensive rookie of the year, but he has just blended in with the Steeler defense, he hasn't really stood out. Marcus Peters, however, has been a pretty good cornerback for the Chiefs from day one. He's my pick for defensive rookie of the year.

So, there you have it, my mid way NFL picks, Some are the same, some are different. Tell me why I'm wrong and give me your picks in the comment section.

Thanks

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He thinks Tom Brady is over inflating footballs just to screw with the NFL. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik

You Would Not Take Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers in Your Fantasy Draft.

NFL scout deep in thought

Last night I watched the Packers play the Chiefs on "Monday Night Football".

The Packers, and most importantly Aaron Rodgers, shredded a pretty good Chiefs defense. I know that the Chiefs have some injuries in the secondary and they start a rookie back there, but Rodgers looked invincible last night. Throws were on target. He hit receivers in stride. He moved around the pocket with a mastery I haven't seen since Brett Favre. Basically, in my opinion, Rodgers has surpassed Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as the best quarterback in football.

On the other sideline, the Chiefs have a very different situation at quarterback. Now, I'm an Alex Smith fan. I think he's a serviceable quarterback. At his best, he's a decent game manager. But, last night, he looked lost and scared. His offensive line could not block the Packers defensive line last night. When he did have time, he danced around in the pocket and usually ended up scrambling for small to no gains. When he had open receivers, he either under threw or flat out missed them. The Chiefs did break their streak of no passing touchdowns to receivers, but by that point in the game, it was moot. Jamaal Charles played well, he always does, but the Chiefs need Alex Smith to do more if they want to compete in the AFC. Jamaal Charles can only do so much, he needs help from his quarterback.

The game and the Packer win is not the point of my column today. While watching this game last night, the commentators for ESPN(the god awful team of Jon Gruden and Mike Tirico) brought up the fact that Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers were in the same draft class. One of them was the first overall pick in the 2005 draft, the other was the 24th overall pick. Watching this game, you'd think that Rodgers was clearly the first overall pick, right? Well, you'd be wrong. Alex Smith was the overall number one pick in that draft by the San Francisco 49ers. After the 49ers took Smith, 22 other teams passed on Aaron Rodgers. He had a funky delivery and he didn't have a ton of highlights as the quarterback of the Cal Bears. At least, that's what the "geniuses" said on their scouting reports. Rumors also surfaced that the Packers picked him out of spite. They didn't want the Chicago Bears to draft him, who had the next pick, which they then immediately traded after the Packers took Rodgers. People in Green Bay and fans of the Packers all over the world were furious that the Packers took Rodgers, my father and I included. We didn't want a quarterback, we had Favre. And if they were going to take a QB, why Rodgers? We all thought he wouldn't amount to much of an NFL player. He would also have to sit behind Favre until Favre was done playing. The pick didn't make any sense to anyone, except for the editor of this website, RD. He called me and my dad after the pick and said that the Packers got the steal of the draft, and that Rodgers was going to be a star. We told him he was nuts. He had no idea what he was talking about.

I'm glad that I was wrong. I'm thrilled to have Aaron Rodgers quarterbacking my team. But, Rodgers did have to sit for the first four years of his career and learn from Favre. The same couldn't be said for the first overall pick, Alex Smith. He was going to be the savior of the 49er franchise in the early 21st century. His blend of athleticism, he ran the spread at Utah before almost every team was running it in college football, was going to change the position. Unfortunately, the 49ers were not a good team and Smith's first five years were rough. The 49ers lured Jim Harbaugh away from Stanford in 2011 and that changed Smith's NFL career, for one and a half seasons. In Harbaugh's first season, he needed Smith to be a manager of the game, and that's what he got. Smith became a guy that didn't turn the ball over and could move the chains with short passes and his legs. He led the 49ers to the playoffs for the first time in a long time. During that same season, 2011, Aaron Rodgers coming off a Super Bowl win in 2010, won the MVP. He was no game manager, he was a game winner. The very next season, the 49ers had one of the best starts of any team in the NFL, and Smith was leading the way. He suffered a concussion midway through the season, and lost his starting job to second year "phenom" Colin Kaepernick. As athletic as Smith was, Kaepernick was younger and more athletic. Harbaugh rode Kaepernick all the way to the Super Bowl, the Ravens beat the 49ers, and Smith was relegated to back up duty. Meanwhile, Rodgers was putting up huge numbers, won a title, won two MVP awards, was a constant on All Pro and Pro Bowl teams, winning division titles with ease and playing in the playoffs every year. Their careers were on completely different paths. Rodgers was playing like the first overall pick, and Smith, he may as well been a fourth round pick. The 49ers traded Smith to the Chiefs the season following their Super Bowl appearance. The Chiefs have been an okay team under Smith, but they haven't had anything near the success the Packers have enjoyed with Rodgers at the helm.

Just to give you guys a taste of some of the players picked between Smith and Rodgers, names like, Cadillac Williams(out of the league), Braylon Edwards(out of the league), Cedric Benson(out of the league), Ronnie Brown(I think he's out of the league), Shawne Merriman(retired and also a women abuser) and David Pollack(out of the league due to a neck injury and a huge chauvinist). Guys who are still playing that were picked before Rodgers include some good players like Derrick Johnson(linebacker for the Chiefs), Damarcus Ware(linebacker for the Broncos) and Adam "Pac Man" Jones(DB for the Bengals). These guys are good, but I'd much rather have Aaron Rodgers. I know that not all teams need a QB when it's draft time, or that the draft is a total crap shoot, but Rodgers is, by far, the best player taken in the 2005 draft. Watching the game last night and hearing that they were in the same draft class was so shocking to me. I thought Rodgers was older than Alex Smith because he's so much better than Alex Smith. Rodgers has mastered the quarterback position, and Alex Smith struggles to be a game manager. The fact that the 49ers thought so highly of Smith and that Rodgers wasn't even on their radar is bewildering to me. I'm sure they wish they had taken Rodgers, but I'm sure a lot of teams in the 2005 draft wished they'd taken Rodgers. I guess you never truly know what you will get out of the draft, but last night, Aaron Rodgers was one thousand times better than Alex Smith, and Rodgers was picked 23 spots later than Smith.

Truly, head scratching.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He gives the editor too much credit, I just thought the Packers were being asses to the Bears. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty's NFL Preview 2015: NFC

Game is on, get ready to...why is Ty's drink still green?

The NFC is also made up of four divisions as well, the East, West, North and South. The NFC East is made up of the, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, the team from the region of Washington DC and the New York Giants. The Cowboys completely shocked me last season. I didn't see them playing that well at all, especially on defense. DeMarco Murray was awesome, but he's gone to the Eagles and Dez Bryant is good, but he's got Tony Romo throwing him the ball. That's a bummer. Jason Witten is reliable, but old. The defense will take a step back for sure. The offensive line is good, but as I mentioned before, DeMarco Murray is gone and Darren McFadden won't ease the loss. The Cowboys are going to take a big step back this season and probably only win 9 games. That may be enough to win this division. The Eagles have had a very odd offseason. Chip Kelly traded away a lot of great players like, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin and Nick Foles. The only one he really "replaced" was McCoy by signing Murray. Sam Bradford seems to be their starting QB, but he CANNOT stay healthy (I am from St. Louis, I know this). He's a liability. They also brought in Tim Freakin Tebow. That guy is not an NFL quarterback, he's just not good. The Eagles defense is pretty good and should keep them in games. They will either win 11 or 5 games, who knows. I will split the difference and say they get to 10 wins, but barely. The New York Giants aren't a very good football team, and the recent news that Eli Manning wants to be the highest paid player in football is laughable. Sure, he's won two super bowls, but what have you done for me lately besides lead the league in interceptions and stupid faces. They have no running game. They do have Odell Beckham JR and Victor Ortiz, but that doesn't matter when Eli is throwing it to the other team. Their defense is not good either. They will be lucky to get to 7 wins this year. Until they are willing to change their name, the team from Washington will get no love from me. They stink anyway and 4 wins would be a shocker. The Eagles will win this division and get the pleasure of being blown out by whoever they play in the first round of the playoffs.

The NFC West is one of the best, if not the best, divisions in the NFL. First, you have the Seattle Seahawks. They have the best defense in the league and it's not even close. All three phases are lights out, and while I may not like the players in the secondary, they are shut down corners and the safeties are heavy hitters. The offense is run by the overrated Russel Wilson. That offense is truly run by Marshawn Lynch. He's the current best running back in the league. He's truly a beast. They don't have great receivers, but they traded for Jimmy Graham this offseason and that will only make them better. They will easily get to 11 wins this year. The St.Louis Rams are up and coming, but I don't know how they'll play with expectations. They also have a great defense and one of the best defensive lines in the league. They drafted a great running back in Todd Gurley and replaced the oft injured Sam Bradford with Nick Foles. He's an upgrade at QB. The receivers are small, but explosive. If they can put it all together, they won't be able to challenge the Seahawks yet, but they could win 9 or 10 games. The Arizona Cardinals are another good team in this division. If Carson Palmer can stay healthy, they should be good on offense with him throwing to Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald. The running game was in flux, but they just signed Chris Johnson to a one year deal. If he can do half as good as when he was with the Titans, they should be set. Their defense is awesome led by cornerback Patrick Peterson. They are really good, but they seem to get bitten by the injury bug every season. They should win 10 games, barring any big injury, but someone will inevitably get hurt, so they'll probably only get 8 or 9 wins. The San Francisco 49ers round out the division. This team seems to have gone into rebuild mode. They changed coaches, lost Frank Gore, Patrick Willis retired along with a lot of players on defense and Michael Crabtree left in free agency. They still have Anquan Boldin and Colin Kaepernick, but this team is going to take a huge step back. They will only get 5 or 6 wins this year. This division will be won by the Seahawks again, but it will be very tough.

The NFC South is the exact opposite of the West. This division could be won by a team with 8 or fewer wins. The teams are, the New Orleans Saints, the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints still have Drew Brees, but he's old and they got rid of his best weapons. Their defense is terrible as well. 6 or 7 wins would be ideal for them. The Falcons have Matt Ryan,  Roddy White and Julio Jones, but they have no running game and they don't even try to run the ball and this is a team with another pretty bad defense. If Matt Ryan plays well and gets the ball to either White or Jones, they could outscore teams on their way to 8 wins, but 6 wins seems more likely. The Panthers do have Cam Newton and while he's inaccurate, he has a big arm and he's hard to tackle when he's in the open field. They have a so so running game led by DeAngelo Williams and they have upgraded at receiver with Kelvin Benjamin and rookie Devin Funchess. They do have a decent defense led by linebacker Luke Kuechly. They could win 9 games this year. The Buccaneers are still in rebuild mode and will be led by rookie QB Jameis Winston. Rookie QB's struggle and while he does have Vincent Jackson and the big receiver from Texas A&M, they have no run game and a god awful defense. 3 or 4 wins is the bar for the Bucs. The Panthers will win this division with only 9 wins this year.

The final NFC division, the NFC North should and will be won by the Green Bay Packers. The defense improved last season and will take another step in the right direction this season. They have the best QB in the league in Aaron Rodgers and he has weapons on offense like Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. They also have a good running game led by Eddie Lacy. The Packers should win 12 games and the division easily. The Minnesota Vikings will be better. They get child abuser Adrian Peterson back and, while he hits little children, he's a good running back. But, he's a terrible person. Teddy Bridgewater looks like he's going to be good and if he can get some help from receivers the offense could look good. The defense is decent, but nothing to write home about. They could get to 9 wins this season. The Detroit Lions will continue to baffle me. Matthew Stafford is so inconsistent, but when you have a receiver like Calvin Johnson, he'll make you look good. They got a great running back in the draft in Ameer Abdullah. He'll immediately be better for them than Reggie Bush was. The defense lost Suh and Nick Fairley, so they'll take a step back. 8 or 9 wins seems like their destiny. The Chicago Bears round out the division and they're a total mess. They did hire John Fox, but he won't be able to fix the mess that is the Bears in one season. They have no defense, no receivers, a shitty QB in Jay Cutler and poor Matt Forte can only do so much. The Bears are like a worse version of the Chiefs. At least the Chiefs are competitive. The Bears will be lucky to get 5 wins this year.

So, the NFC playoff teams will be the Seahawks, the Packers, the Panthers and the Eagles, the four division winners. The two wild card teams will be, I'm going to go out on a big limb here, and pick the Rams and the Vikings. I even see the Vikings beating the Eagles in the first round and the Rams fighting, but losing late to the Panthers in the playoffs. The Vikings will see their season end at the hands of the Seahawks and the Panthers will get mercy killed by the Packers. This sets up a rematch of the NFC title game from last year, and the Packers will avenge their loss with a big win and advance to face the Colts in Super Bowl 50. 

Coming up next, Super Bowl and awards.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and co-host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The editor appreciates his hopes for the Vikings. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.