Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: A Fountain Coke at McDonalds Division

Welcome to day eight, the final day of my 2023 preseason NFL rankings. Next Monday I will do playoff predictions and my picks for award winners. And Tuesday will be my massive NCAA football blog. But today we wrap up the final four. These are the best of the best. These are the four teams that, barring massive injuries, should be in it all season long.

At number four I have the San Francisco 49ers. Don't like this team. I never have. I don't think Brock Purdy is all that great. But the team around him is absolutely loaded. Christian McCaffery is the ideal modern running back, when he is on the field. He is a great runner and maybe even a better pass catcher. He is awesome. Deebo Samuel is doing things at wideout that I have never seen before. He can line up anywhere and he is a threat to score at any time. Brandon Aiyuk gets better with every passing season. Jauan Jennings is one of these guys I've never heard of, but will be as consistent as they get. George Kittle is mildly overrated, and needs to let go of having hair, but the dude produces. The o line is nasty and mean. The defense is very good, maybe the best in the NFL. Much like his brother, I cannot stand Bosa's off field issues, but Nick Bosa may be even better than Joey Bosa. I still don't like either of them though. Arik Armstead has proven to be great. Fred Warner is one of the best linebackers in the league. Dre Greenlaw is no slouch either. The secondary, led by Tashaun Gipson, is as good as it gets in the NFL. The 49ers are loaded everywhere except QB. That shouldn't matter though. They can grind on offense and dominate on defense. They are a very, very good football team.

At number three I have the Philadelphia Eagles. They are much like the 49ers, except their QB is legit. Jalen Hurts is magnetic. I liked him in college and I like him even more in the pros. He is like a poor man's Mike Vick, and that is a compliment. Hurts is so finely tuned to run this offense and he does it at the highest level. I think they may miss Miles Sanders more than they are letting on, but D'Andre Swift is still very capable. Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Gainwell will get plenty of reps as well. They are the deepest backfield in the NFL. DeVonta Smith is amazing. He is everything they could have ever wanted him to be. This kid is going to have an incredible career when it is all said and done. AJ Brown is no slouch as well. He has thrived since being traded to the Eagles. The o line is the best in the NFL. No question. They are nasty and disciplined. The defense is elite as well. Brandon Graham is still getting a bunch of sacks in the twilight of his career. Jalen Carter may be the biggest human being I have ever seen. Fletcher Cox is still one of the best d lineman. Nakobe Dean looks to be the real deal, if he can stay on the field. Hasson Reddick should thrive here. Darius Slay leads an absolutely dominant secondary. The Eagles are here to stay and they may very well end up winning it all this year.

At number two I have the Cincinnati Bengals. Who would have thought they'd be this high? Not me. Joe Burrow is the second best QB in the league. The kid is a total gunslinger and he puts up numbers. Ja'Marr Chase is one of my favorite players to watch and I am thrilled the Bengals drafted him when they did. Joe Mixon has off field things to sort out, but on the field he is pretty dynamite. Chris Evans is a solid backup. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd form a dynamic wideout trio along with Chase. Good luck trying to lock down all three in one game. Their o line has vastly improved since they were in the Super Bowl. Even the defense has gotten better. Sam Hubbard is a turnover forcing machine. He can also bring them back for six. Dax Hill should be even better in year two. Trey Hendrickson is a force off the edge. Chidobe Awuzie will have a good year. The Bengals are here to stay as long as they keep this young offense together. The d is not at the level of some of the other teams up here, but that offense is so good, they are the true team that can outscore anyone at any time.

As for number one, you all know it is the Kansas City Chiefs. Who is better than them? Who has a better offense? Who has the best QB? Who has the best tight end? Who runs the best plays? The answer to all of those questions is the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is a hall of fame player already. He is going to go down as one of the best to ever play the game. He does some of the wildest stuff ever, and it works. He is amazing. Isiah Pacheco has slid right into the starting running back role with ease. They also have Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire to take some carries and make catches out of the back field. Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore may not be big names, but everyone will know who all three are when Mahomes starts slinging TD's their way. Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the league right now, and may be one of the best to ever play. He is magnificent. He and Mahomes form a deadly duo. The o line does just enough to give Mahomes the time he needs and to open up holes for the run game. The defense is meh, but it doesn't really matter. Chris Jones is their best down lineman, but he is currently holding out for a big contract. I agree with his decision. George Karlaftis may end up being a good edge rusher. Nick Bolton is a very solid linebacker. Trent McDuffie is young, but he may be their best cover guy. And Justin Reid is a fine enough safety. When you look at the Chiefs roster it doesn't jump out with a ton of big names, except two, Mahomes and Kelce. That is all they really need to win a lot of games and titles. They have proven time and again that they are the new class of the modern NFL. There is no better team than the Chiefs right now.

Okay, that is my eight day ranking of all 32 NFL teams. I'm sure a lot of people disagree with some of the picks, but that is what lists are for. I want to have a conversation about why I am wrong or right. Come back next week for two more football blogs. It is nearing the most wonderful time of the sports year. 

Ty

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

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Some Thoughts on the Eagles Chiefs Super Bowl Matchup

The Super Bowl is set. I was wrong in my prediction. I figured the Bills were going to win based on their talent and them playing for Damar Hamlin. But, as I said last week, the Bengals went into Buffalo and rolled the Bills. Yesterday was not the same though.

I was rooting for the Bengals. Full disclosure folks. I wanted them to win for a myriad of reasons. I like Joe Burrow and Jamarr Chase. I like how boisterous they are. I love that they went to Buffalo and trounced the favorites. I like how much trash they talked after they won. They are a fun team to root for. I also wanted my nephew and brother to be stoked for a return trip to the Super Bowl.

That didn't happen. They looked worse yesterday. They played as poorly as they have all year. And they still had a shot. But Kansas City, who has so many injuries and hurt players playing, toughed out a victory. Travis Kelce played pretty well with as injured as he was reported to be. Patrick Mahomes played on one leg and looked as dynamic as he normally does. The Chiefs defense, long their achilles heel, played one hell of a game. They had two interceptions and something like eight sacks. They put them in the position to win the game. But it was a good game. It wasn't a blowout. Both teams traded blows. The Chiefs went up 10 and the Bengals came right back. The game went down to the wire. The Chiefs kicked the winning field goal with 3 seconds left. It was, for someone who had no real rooting interest, a good game.

The NFC title was not. The 49ers, who I could not have been more wrong about at the start of the season, luck ran out. Brock Purdy got hurt right away. Then Josh Johnson got hurt. The Eagles imposed their will. I have to admit that I loved seeing the Eagles run the ball right down the "vaunted" 49ers defense. They did what they wanted when they wanted. Miles Sanders scored twice. Gainwell had a nice TD run. Jalen Hurts proved even further that he should be the MVP. This game was over at halftime, and the 49ers did nothing in the second half to make that change at all. I get that they were down to Christian McCaffery at QB, but at least try to throw the ball. Philly barely had to prepare for any adjustments in the second half. This game was a wash and the correct team from the NFC is going to the Super Bowl.

I'm pretty pumped, again I have no rooting interest for this matchup. I think the two best teams are playing for the title. They have both been consistent and played well enough to get where they are today. This matchup is great. The Chiefs have a high powered high flying offense. The defense is coming along nicely, but make no mistake, the Chiefs go as Mahomes goes. He is the key to winning the title. The Eagles are awesome on defense, can run the ball which controls the clock and have been consistently the best team in the NFL all year. Jalen Hurts is a star. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are two of the best wideouts in the game. Miles Sanders is an elite running back. That D line, with Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat is amazing. Hasson Reddick is a bull coming off the line on the pass rush. Darius Slay is one of the best corners in the league. The Eagles are as complete a team as there is in the NFL. The Super Bowl is strength on strength. The Eagles defense is one of the best in the league and the Chiefs offense is elite. The Eagles have a very good offense as well, but the Chiefs D just played a humongous game and look to be heavily improved. I cannot wait to watch. I have a feeling it could be a classic game with a memorable ending.

In the end I will take the Eagles to win and Hurts to take home two MVP awards this season. 

Ty

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

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The Bengals and Cowboys are Two Franchises Going in Different Directions

I was watching the NFL playoffs with my son yesterday and I found that I had some new and interesting insights.

First off, the Bengals looked fantastic. I assumed with all the Damar Hamlin love and the talent that the Bills would be playing with more oomph. Maybe they did, but the Bengals matched and surpassed it immediately. They jumped out to a 14-0 lead. The refs took a TD away from Jamar Chase, he definitely caught that ball, but it still didn't matter. They got a field goal on that drive and took a 10 point lead into half. Then they only gave up 3 more points en route to a 27-10 victory and a second straight AFC title game matchup with the Chiefs.

What I noticed about this game, besides the thorough beatdown, was the confidence this team has. They play with a swagger. Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, Joe Mixon, Dax Hill, Sam Hubbard, Semaji Perine, they have this unmatched confidence. They never play like an underdog. They go into these games expecting to win. The Bengals have been a pretty moribound franchise since their existence. Not anymore. These guys are good, they know they are good and they have proof of winning big games to be considered good. I was in awe of their performance yesterday. I did not watch much of any regular season NFL so maybe this is new to only me. But I was highly impressed with this team. I was impressed with Burrow and Chase the most. They need to sign those two to big contracts because they could be the face of the league as soon as next year. The Bengals seem very legit.

As for the Cowboys, well, they have some soul searching to do. The Cowboys did what they do now. They have one good season sandwiched in between multiple mediocre seasons and their fans go nuts. They always think they will win the Super Bowl that season. I constantly hear the whole "How bout them Cowboys!" on ESPN during the regular season. And then they get in the playoffs and choke it away. That final drive was so frustrating, and I have despised this team my whole life here on Earth. I just couldn't figure out what was going on. Then I remembered that Mike McCarthy is their head coach and it all locked into place.

What struck me personally was how I felt afterward. I used to get all into the trolling of teams I don't like on social media. I'd always have something to say. I haven't done that these past two years and I continued to not do it yesterday. But I read comments. Boy oh boy were some of those comments frightening. But what I got from all of it was how bad I felt for these guys as individuals. Dak Prescott played a bad game. He has definitely regressed the past couple seasons. But who else do the Cowboys have at QB? Who else is going to get them into the playoffs? I mean, they are not very good to begin with, but to now question if Prescott should be the guy is laughable to me. Hopefully he can go somewhere he is appreciated because Cowboy fans don't deserve Dak Prescott. He is too good for them. Tony Pollard broke his fibula. He was clearly taking over for the overrated Ezekial Elliot, and then this happens. I mean, that is brutal for him. The NFL is unforgiving enough, and it is even worse to backs who have injury history. That kicker got the yips. There is no doubt about it. But it is not his fault they got beat. He made two field goals after missing four extra points. I mean, yikes.

This all really goes down to how poorly McCarthy manages the clock and the team in big moments. He did the same nonsense in Green Bay. The Packers were loaded with talent and he only got one ring, which he tried everything he could to not get it. The way the last two seasons have played out for the Cowboys with McCarthy leading the way should terrify the fans. He is a poor game manager.

That was how I felt watching these games yesterday. One team is ascending while the other is still looking for the heyday of the 90's. That is life in professional sports I guess. At least we got the two best matchups in the conference title games next week. Those four teams are very deserving. 

Ty

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

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2022 Top Five - Sports

Today I come to you all with my top sports moments of 2022. This has been a good sports year for me as a fan. I have not had much to complain about, but being a true fanatic, I have found stuff here and there. My list is all football and basketball. Well, there is one baseball thing. But those are the sports I watch. I do not watch hockey, soccer, NASCAR or even boxing anymore. I understand that the World Cup just happened, but I didn't watch a second of it. And RD and Tina do all the tennis talk for the site. I just wanted to give you all a heads up. On to the countdown.

At number 5 I have the final season of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. I am not the biggest MLB fan, but being a native St Louisian, and a Cardinals fan, this was a very important sendoff. Pujols came back to play his last year here. Yadi is a lifelong Cardinal, and in my opinion, the greatest catcher of all time. To see them play their final season together where they started was magical. What unfolded was even better. Yadi did his thing. He was consistent. He gunned wannabe base stealers down left and right. He hit his usual .270. He had clutch plays. He was as good as ever. Pujols started off slow but something happened to him after the all star break. He found his power. He started to bomb homeruns. He got to a point where 700 seemed like it was possible. And when he hit that magical number it was euphoric. I was stoked. The kids I coach in baseball were stoked. It was so cool to see the whole city get behind Pujols on his run to 700. The Cardinals won the division and looked like they could make a deep playoff run. The Phillies had other plans though. Even though they choked, seeing Pujols and Yadi finish their careers in St Louis, on a relatively high note, was pretty damn cool. They are two of the best to ever do it and two of the best Cardinals to ever do it. 

At number 4 I have the Cincinnati Bengals going on their incredible playoff run all the way to the Super Bowl. I could not believe what I was seeing while it was going on. Sure, one win seemed like it was possible. But to run through the AFC the way they did, and then beat the Chiefs to make the Super Bowl, it was great. I am not a Bengals fan at all, but my nephew is and my brother has lived in Cincy for a bit now. I was happy for them. I was stoked to see guys like Jamaar Chase and Joe Burrow show up big time in big time games. I like those dudes. And the Bengals did not disappoint in the Super Bowl. They may not have won, but they had a chance. They had an open guy on the final play. They stayed in the whole game. The Rams were bought to win a Super Bowl. The Bengals were built to win one. They are playing great this year. But that run, and all the texts between RD and myself during their run, that was pretty rad. I like the team and I wish them nothing but success in the long run.

At number 3 I have the Warriors-Celtics NBA Finals. It was an incredible series. I was rooting for Golden State because of my disdain for the Celtics. But it was cool to see Jayson Tatum, a STL native, play on the biggest stage. And I was certain that the Celtics were going to win after going up 2-1. It seemed inevitable. But then the Warriors woke up and looked amazing. Klay Thompson was coming off two ACL tears and started to look like himself. Draymond Green got back to playing top notch defense. Kevon Looney became a very poor man's Tim Duncan. Jordan Poole was getting points in limited minutes. Andrew Wiggins was locking up Celtic after Celtic. But it was Steph Curry who willed this team to victory. He did not want to be beat and it showed. He scored at will. He hustled on defense. He proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that he is one of the best to ever play. He earned this title. He was the well deserving MVP. He said this one felt best and it showed. I was in awe of his performance from game four to six. He was on a mission and it was beautiful to watch. This was a great finals and the best team won.

At number 2 I have the Michigan Wolverines football season. The new year started off rough with Georgia crushing Michigan in the CFP. I didn't know what to expect from the team going into this season, but they did not disappoint. They handled their cupcake of a non conference schedule. Then when they got into Big Ten play they opened with a tough win over Maryland. They then went on to crush every opponent until Illinois. They beat Penn State by 28. They put Michigan State into submission. They sacked Indiana QB's eight times. They ran over everyone. Illinois gave them a scare. Michigan did not deserve to win but they found a way. They then went to Columbus and won there for the first time in 22 years. Not only did they win though, they dismantled the university of Ohio State. They ran up and down the field on them. They made CJ Stroud look pedestrian. Blake Corum, the team's heart and soul, was hurt the week before and barely played. It didn't matter. They had the next man up mentality. They used this momentum and throttled Purdue in the Big Ten title game. They have a date with TCU coming up and I am terrified as always. But this team has proven me wrong all year. They have figured out ways to win games. Guys like Mike Morris, Mike Sainristil, Blake Corum, the entirety of the O line, Will Johnson, DJ Turner, Cornelius Johnson, they all deserve this. They have all earned this. I am hopeful as a Michigan fan for the first time in a long time.  I hope it doesn't bite me in the butt, but time will tell. As of now I am a hopeful Wolverines fan.

At number 1 I have a very personal sports moment. My son started playing football this year. Let me rephrase that, he started to play tackle football this year. I was nervous. I told him horror stories. I tried to convince him otherwise. But he was adamant and we relented. It was wonderful. He got better and better everyday as a football player. He was taught the right way to play the game. He seemed happy at practice and at games. He really looked like he was in his element. As the season went on the team continued to get better. They started to win more. They were really beating teams up. And my son lived in the backfield on defense and pancaked would-be tacklers on offense. It was a shock, in a good way, to see him progress the way he did. They won enough to make the fifth grade playoffs and it got even better. They won their first game handily. They had a tough test in the second game, but they ran away with that one as well. The championship was on a very windy and cold day. And they even gave up an early field goal. From there on out they scored 30 unanswered points. They destroyed the team that made it to the finals. They hammered them. And my son was smiling all the way. He loved every second of football. And I loved watching him. I am so glad I didn't coach also. I got to enjoy it from the stands. I am always proud of him and this is another notch in his belt. I was so happy to see them win and to watch him play all year. That is the best a sports dad can ask for.

That is it for sports. Come back tomorrow for my final top five, top five podcasts of the year, 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 - Cold Beer on a Hot Christmas Morning Division

Today is the final day of my 2022 NFL countdown. I will be back tomorrow with playoff predictions and award winners. And Friday will still be my NCAA football preview. But today I have my final four teams. These are the teams that have the best shot to win it all this year. These are the four teams I believe in the most.

At number 4 I have the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs looked a little off last season. It never really came together. And they still had a shot to go to the Super Bowl. They were almost there. In a down year. Patrick Mahomes is still there. He is still, maybe, the best QB in the NFL. He makes some of the craziest throws I have ever seen. He can pretty much do it all. He is the modern QB that every team wants. The Chiefs have him. If he can stay healthy, Clyde Edwards Helaire is a great double threat out of the backfield. He can run and throw. He is also hard to bring down. Tyreek Hill was traded, but so what. They got JuJu Smith Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to replace him. They still have a speedster in Mecol Hardman. They also have the best tight end in the league in Travis Kelce. Mahomes has all the weapons he could ever want. The O line also did get better. If you remember, in the Super Bowl against the Bucs, Mahomes was running for his life. They got better last year and they should be okay this season. The defense has always been a bit shaky, but it is okay enough. Chris Jones is still wreaking havoc in the backfield. Frank Clark is a solid D end. Willie Gay and Nick Bolton are servicable linebackers. Justin Reid and Trent McDuffie are pretty good secondary guys. The Chiefs will bounce back. Again, they were off last season and still almost made it to the Super Bowl. They are a 13 win team and a definite playoff team and Super Bowl contender.

At number 3 I have the Buffalo Bills. I am not, nor have ever been, a fan of the Bills. But this team is good. I was very wrong on Josh Allen. I still don't like him and he is still problematic, but the dude can sling it and run it. He has been a solid NFL QB so far. Devin Singletary is a good runner, but I wouldn't be surprised if rookie James Cook supplants him at some point. He is a good runner and has great hands. Stefon Diggs is one of the best wideouts in the league. The dude is so fast, such a good route runner and has tremendous hands. The rest of the receiving corps is as solid as they come. Dawson Knox is turning out to be a threat from the tight end position. The O line is mean and nasty and good. The defense is even better. The D line is stacked. We have Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver on the line. Those guys are incredible. They somehow were able to convince Von Miller to sign with them. He is one of the greatest linebackers of all time. Tremaine Edmunds is also amazing. This secondary is wonderful. Tre'Davious White is a ball hawk. Jordan Poyer is a heavy hitter. And Micah Hyde is as consistent as they come. The Bills are very, very good. They could win as many as 14 games this year and they are a true threat to get to the Super Bowl.

At number 2 I have the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals appear to be back everybody. They had a chance to win the Super Bowl last year. They made it there against all odds and had the ball with a chance to win. That is amazing. Joe Burrow is legit. He is every bit as advertised. He is the kid that won a ring at LSU. Joe Mixon, while problematic himself, has kept his head down and done an amazing job as the lead back. Ja'Marr Chase is that guy. He is so, so, so awesome. He is fast, has great hands and has a kinship with Burrow. Tee Higgins looks good. Tyler Boyd is fast and a perfect slot receiver. The O line, which was not great last year at all, made some big upgrades. I'm curious to see if it works. The defense is full of no-name guys, but they stepped the hell up last season during the playoffs, and they should be better this year. They have a solid D line led by Sam Hubbard. He is a freak. The linebackers can tackle and cover. The secondary is great in coverage and they get a lot of turnovers. Von Bell is awesome. I also love the Dax Hill pick, obviously. The Bengals should be a perennial playoff and Super Bowl threat as long as Burrow and Chase are there. They are a 13 win team for sure.

The final team, coming in at number 1 is the returning champs, the Los Angeles Rams. First off, screw Stan Kroenke. He is a miserable, horrible, awful human being. I hope he is miserable. Okay, back to the good stuff. Matt Stafford was everything the Rams needed. He was the anti Jared Goff. He won games. He can throw that ball. He just needed real playmakers around him. Cam Akers is a very serviceable running back. He does all that is asked of him. Cooper Kupp is a very good wideout. He has tremendous hands. They got Allen Robinson, which was a nice upgrade. A big, tall and fast receiver will only help this team. Tyler Higbee had a ton of big moments in the Super Bowl. The O line is very solid. The defense, well they have the best player in the NFL in Aaron Donald. There is nothing he cannot do. He is so good, so big, inexplicably fast and as determined as they come. While Von Miller left, they have Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd at linebacker. I mean, those dudes are awesome. The secondary is pretty great as well. Jalen Ramsey is the best corner in the league. Taylor Rapp is as good a safety as there is in the NFL. Troy Hill is good. The Rams seemingly have it all. They don't need picks or young guys, they have a veteran laden team that won a Super Bowl. There is no reason they cannot repeat this season. The Rams are the cream of the crop in the NFL.

There you have it, my 2022 NFL countdown. Now let's see how all of this plays out. I cannot wait.

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 Watches the 2022 Super Bowl

I watched the Super Bowl last night, obviously, and I was happy that we got yet another close, down to the wire playoff game. As I say all the time now, the NFL is gross and disgusting and abhorrent and racist, but damn if these playoffs weren't fun as hell. I wait until the playoffs to watch the NFL regularly, and I was very, very pleased with the outcome this season. Going into the Super Bowl, I was not a fan of either team, but I do not actively dislike either team. Each team has dudes I like and dislike. Each team is kind of fun in their own way. Each team has some solid dudes on the team. So watching the game last night, it was fun to see a good game and not have any real stakes involved. I was simply watching as a fan of football. And the game itself did not disappoint.

In the first quarter it looked like the Rams might run away with the game. They scored an easy TD on their first drive, and OBJ had a dope ass TD celebration. I'm not a big fan of celebrations, but when OBJ busted out the moonwalk a smile came across my face. The Bengals answered with a field goal. But just a few drives later the Rams scored yet again, with Matt Stafford hitting a wide open Cooper Kupp in the endzone to push the lead to 13-3. The Rams did miss the extra point, but it seemed like they had all the momentum. But then the Bengals did what they have done all playoffs. They put together a real solid drive. They mixed the pass and the run. Joe Burrow found guys open. Joe Mixon was hitting holes. JaMarr Chase and Tyler Boyd found open spots in the zone defense. And then they ran a trick play, a running back toss pass, and Mixon hit Tee Higgins in the back of the endzone. We had a game. They went to half with the Rams up 13-10.

The halftime was everything I hoped it would be. I am 39 years old, I have listened to hip hop since I was 10, so this halftime show, I feel, was made for someone like me. Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg opened with their classic hits. I was already on board. Then Mary J Blige came out and busted some of her classics. Then we got my favorite, Kendrick Lamar, and he was the cream of the crop for me. And then we got Eminem and Dre doing their thing. It was rad. They crushed. I loved that Eminem took a knee while Dre played piano. When they all joined the middle stage to close the show, I was extremely happy with what I just witnessed. It was one of the best halftime shows I have seen, It kept my attention and I was fully enthralled the entire time. It ruled. Then the second half started.

The Bengals came out and scored on, I believe, the very first play from scrimmage. Burrow hit a wide open Tee Higgins for a 75 yard TD. The replay showed Higgins getting away with an incidental facemask, and he waltzed into the endzone. The Bengals had the lead. They had turned the tide. They would go on to intercept Stafford about two plays later, and they looked like they were going to go up double figures. The Rams defense had other plans. This was when they started to attack the O line and Burrow. They stopped the Bengals on three straight plays and held them to a field goal. That was a big boost for them at that moment. The Bengals could have been up 24-13, but the Rams held strong and it was only a 20-13 lead. Both offenses kind of stalled out for a bit, with the Rams able to muster a field goal to make the score 20-16. The fourth quarter was very fun. There was only one score, but the stakes made each possession fun to watch. The Bengals would drive, but stall. The same could be said about the Rams. There were punts, but with each drop back or run, it felt like something big could happen. With about six minutes left the Rams had the ball and they were down 4. They proceeded to march down the field. I was actually frustrated with the Bengals because they were not really guarding Cooper Kupp, and with OBJ out, the Rams were force feeding Kupp the ball. They abandoned the run and it seemed like Stafford was told to only throw to Kupp. And it worked. They got down in the red zone and this was when the refs decided to get involved. They made a very bad pass interference call on a third and goal. They then called bad offsetting penalties. Then they penalized the Bengals again for a very minor PI call. It was rough to see the refs decide, this late in the game, that it was time to get involved. They let them play until that moment. After the third straight penalty, Stafford dropped back on second and goal and connected with Kupp yet again to take the lead. It was a good throw and an even better catch. It was wild. But the Bengals did have time and two timeouts. They got the ball and made their move to midfield. With under a minute left Burrow connected with Boyd for a 9 yard gain. They ran on second and 1 and got stopped. They then went out of shotgun and ran again and Aaron Donald stuffed the running back. On fourth down, with a short yard needed, I figured they would try the QB sneak. I understand their O line is bad, but I figured they could get the three necessary feet easily. Instead they went in shotgun and called a pass play. And of course Aaron Donald grabbed Burrow and forced him to make a wild throw that fell incomplete.

The game was over. The Rams were the champ. They sacked Burrow seven times. They got the stops when they needed to. They brought in and signed all kinds of big name guys. Cooper Kupp was the rightful MVP. It worked. The Rams turned into the Yankees, and this season it paid off. My hat is off to them. It is also off to the Bengals. These teams more than earned their spot in the Super Bowl, and they played a great game on the biggest stage. I had a blast watching the game, and with the added awesomeness of that halftime show, this was a very good game. Congrats to the Rams, and hopefully we will see both of these continue to be contenders for the next couple of seasons because they are both fun teams. With all this being said, this was a good close to the football season. Now we wait until the fall for more.

Ty

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

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Seedsing's Super Bowl 56 Predictions

Who Dey

The Super Bowl is two days away, and I am kind of excited. As I have said before, the NFL is abhorrent, but these playoffs have been an absolute blast. There have been upsets, super close finishes, many overtime games and two new teams.

I did not see the Bengals or the Rams being here, but hey, that is why you play the games. The Rams seem like less of a surprise, but the Bengals are way, way more fun. They are young, confident, fun and easy to root for. The Rams are a team that has bought and paid for super star players. They are in it to win it this year. They are the Yankees of the NFL. I am actively rooting for the Bengals. I want them to win. I want my nephew to feel the euphoria, I want long suffering Bengals fans to gloat, I want to see Joe Burrow and JaMarr Chase win the damn thing, I just want the Bengals to win. But I am a little nervous that it might not happen.

When looking at these two teams they could not be more different. The Rams, as previously stated, were built to compete right away. They have the big names. They have the "sexy" head coach. They got a legit QB. They have a solid defense. They play modern football. The Bengals are different. They are young, They are inexperienced. They did not expect to be here. They are essentially playing with house money. They are fun.

The Rams are favored, and they should be, but do not get it twisted, the Bengals earned this spot. But the Rams seemed destined to win this game. Matthew Stafford is playing the best football of his career this season. He has been on the mark. He is in control of the offense. He is getting a world of help from his O line, Cam Akers, Sony Michel, Tyelr Higbee, Cooper Kuup and Odell Beckham Jr. He had one of the greatest to play in Detroit when they drafted Calvin Johnson, but this is the best collection of offensive talent he has been around. And the Rams defense may be even better. Aaron Donald is the best D lineman in the league. Hell, he may be the best player in the NFL. He is going to be a hall of famer, and he is the GOAT D lineman right now. They were able to trade for Von Miller, and that has only cemented this team as quite possibly the best pass rushing team in the league. And then they have Jalen Ramsey in the secondary to absolutely lock down the other team's best receiver. They have dudes all over the field that just know what they are doing, and they do it at a very, very high level.

The Bengals have some of the best young talent. Joe Burrow is the future at QB. He will be the face of the league at some point. JaMarr Chase has shut everyone up, including me, and is the best young receiver in the game. Teaming him up with Burrow was genius. They have a ton of options out of the backfield. They are a good offense that can be explosive. Just ask the Chiefs. The defense does not have any big name players, but they do their job to near perfection when their backs are against the wall. They shut down Mahomes in the second half and overtime. They would not let Ryan Tannehill or Derrick Henry go off. They have done what is necessary to keep them in games, and eventually win them. But their O line is a disaster. The Tennessee Titans sacked Burrow nine times a few weeks ago and the Chiefs were able to get to Burrow quickly. The Rams pass rush is much better than the Chiefs. I fear that Burrow will be running for his life on Sunday. The Rams also have a better coach. Sean McVay has been to a Super Bowl. He got owned, but it seems like he has adjusted. Zac Taylor is a nice story, but he is not the reason the Bengals are winning games. He isn't some genius play caller. The Bengals are here because of Burrow, Chase and their D coordinator.

For those reasons that is why I think the Rams will win. The game will be close, maybe even go into overtime. That is how these playoffs have been. But because the Rams have a ferocious pass rush, the super star names and a much better head coach, I think they will win. If you want a final score I will say, let's see, 21-17. And I think someone not on offense will be the MVP. I will go with Von Miller to get his second one in this game. With all that, I do want to say, one more time, go Bengals. But I just have a gut feeling the Rams will pull it out. I hope I'm wrong, but I just think the talent is a hair better in LA. Enjoy the game everyone.

Ty

Another view

I’m here in Cincinnati so I will pick the Bengals to win, but this is not a homer pick. Here is what the Bengals will do on Sunday to secure their first Super Bowl title.

The defense will let LA score in the first half, they will shut them down in the second half.

Burrow and company will not get much done in the first half, they will get a lot done in the second half.

The Bengals will keep it close and drain the clock in the second half with their running game.

The Rams will throw a killer interception in late in the fourth quarter

A field goal with no time left will win the game.

I know this will happen because that is how the Bengals got here. Patience and no mistakes. Plus the Bengals are way cooler.

Who Dey

RD Kulik

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

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Ty Watches the 2022 AFC and NFC Title Games

I got a couple of Seth Rogen pieces I will be doing tomorrow and Wednesday but I have to talk about the NFC and AFC title games.

Once again the despicable NFL gave us some wonderful and exciting games yesterday. I think they have been fun for me because I have no rooting interest. I am a Packers fan as you all know, but screw Aaron Rodgers and I am glad that he played like garbage and they got beat right away. But sitting down yesterday after running with my buddy, I assumed we would not get games anywhere near as close as last week. Those games seemed too good to be surpassed. But the NFL gave us two absolutely wonderful and down to the wire conference title games.

The day started off with the AFC game. This was an interesting one for me to watch. My brother, his wife and, most importantly, his son, have adopted the Bengals because they live in Cincinnati. Then we have the Chiefs, and because of Stan Kroenke's punkass, more on him in a bit, people in Saint Louis have adopted the Chiefs because, technically, they are based in Missouri. But, again, I have no allegiance to either team. If the Bengals won, great for my family. If the Chiefs won, great for my friends that are fans. But truth be told, I was pulling for the Bengals. I want my nephew to be happy. I like Joe Burrow. I am a big time JaMarr Chase fan, just go back and read my pre draft stuff on him. I like the young up and coming team. And it is not like I dislike the Chiefs, they are in it all the time, and they will continue to be as long as Patrick Mahomes is their QB.

The game did start off looking like the Chiefs were going to cruise to the Super Bowl. They were up 14-3 after the first quarter and 21-3 at halftime. They were doing all the right things. But then the Bengals woke up. Burrow started to make plays. Tee Higgins was getting open. Their defense was stepping up and shutting down KC. It was amazing to see them come all the way back to tie the game. But when they went ahead by only a field goal with about seven minutes left, I was nervous that that was far too much time for Mahomes. And at first it looked like he was going to make them pay. The Chiefs cruised up the field and got it into the red zone with ease. It looked like the game was a done deal. But then Mahomes made some of the worst decisions I have ever seen him make as a pro. I said at one point to my son, "it looks like Mahomes is point shaving". He did not get the reference, but he knew it meant Mahomes was not playing well. The Chiefs settled for a field goal to go into overtime and they even won the toss. But then Mahomes threw an awful pass that got picked and the Bengals easily moved the ball into the red zone and their rookie kicker nailed a field goal to win it and send the Bengals to the Super Bowl. I immediately texted my brother. I was shocked in a good way. Again, I am not a fan, but I was excited for this young team to break through. It was nice to see. This is a big deal for a franchise that has not done much in close to thirty years.

Then we had the nightcap of San Francisco and the Rams.

First off, I don't really like either of these teams. Ever since I was a kid I disliked the 49ers. They always beat the teams I liked. They were the Patriots before the Patriots. And recently, I do not like their "star" players. Joey Bosa is a racist asshole. Jimmy Garroppollo is supremely overrated. Fred Warner is dirty. Kyle Shanahan is a bro in every sense of the word. I just do not like that team. The Rams, well, I do not like them because their owner is a piece of trash. He is maniacal and greedy and only does stuff that will better himself and no one else. He stole the Rams from Saint Louis and never made qualms about it. He is despicable and incapable of acting like a regular human being. That being said, I do like some of their star guys. Odell Beckham may talk a lot, but when he backs it up, he backs it up. Aaron Donald is a beast. Cooper Kuup seems like a genuinely good dude. And Von Miller is one of my favorite NFL players ever. So I was kind of rooting for the Rams. But they started off pretty listless. They scored first, but the 49ers put up 17 unanswered points and looked like they controlled the game. The Rams kind of woke up late in the third when Stafford hit Kuup for a TD to cut the 49ers lead to 3. The Rams immediately got the ball back and tied the game. The 49ers got the ball and some people thought that "Jimmy G" was going to lead them to a game winning drive. Instead he threw a terrible pass that was easily picked off. Again, Jimmy Garroppollo did what Jimmy Garroppollo does. He is not the closer people make him out to be. He was riding an excellent defense and a superb performance from Deebo Samuel, who is awesome. The Rams drained the clock and kicked an easy field goal to win the game. It was fitting for both teams. Also, maybe Kyle Shanahan is a tiny bit overrated. I'm just saying.

So now we have a Rams-Bengals Super Bowl, and I'm pretty stoked about it. I will do a full preview the week before the game. And I am hoping the Super Bowl is as competitive and close as most of the NFL playoffs have been lately. Fingers crossed.

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 2021 NFL Teams - "With the first pick in the 2022 Draft..." Division

With football season coming down the hatch I'm going to be doing my countdown of the NFL teams and a college preview. It should take about ten days to do it all, so strap in for football talk. Last year was different because of the pandemic, and while it is ongoing, both the NFL and college football look like they are plowing ahead. I did write about the NFL's new policies regarding vaccines, and how much I love what they are doing, so we know they are going to get a season in. I think college will be the same. With all that, for my NFL countdown I will do four teams a day, going from worst to best, in my opinion. Take this with a grain of salt because my watching of the NFL has gone way down since AT&T took away the Red Zone network from my TV. I still know what is going on, but college football is still my main squeeze. I will do predictions as I always do every preseason as well. Anyway, let's get to this countdown.

Coming in at number 32, my last ranked team is the Houston Texans. Man oh man do they have problems on and off the field. We all know what is going on with Deshaun Watson. And even though he is at camp and practicing, who knows how many games he will play, and if all of them are with Houston. If he leaves or misses time, this team is even more boned than previously thought. They have seemingly gotten rid of every good player they have had and are now in a rebuild, even if the front office guys won't admit it. They have the ghost of Mark Ingram and one season wonder Phillip Lindsay in the backfield. The O line is a mess. The receivers are very blah, except for Nico Collins. I watched him at Michigan, and I think he is going to be a good pro. Outside Whitney Mercilus, who may be past his prime, this defense is not good. It is filled with has been and never was players. They are going to get shredded. The Texans should be getting prepared to pick first overall in the next draft. They may only win two or three games all year.

At 31 I have the Washington Football Team. They need to get a name already. I'm glad they got rid of their racist name last season, but the time has come to pick a team name. I also really like Ron Rivera. I think he is a solid head coach. That is the only like I have. This team has the lowest vaccination rate, a terrible roster, an old roster and not a very good team. Ryan Fitzpatrick is their starting QB. When will his whole gimmick be thrown away? He is not that great a QB. His record as a starter is well below .500. I'm over him. Running backs are very boring. Receivers, outside Terry Mclaurin, are injury prone or not that good, and I don't think Fitzpatrick will hit them in stride regularly. Logan Thomas is so bland at tight end and the O line just let their best player walk for almost nothing. The defense is better, but not by much. Chase Young and Montez Sweat are a formidable d line duo. They are both young and good and this team should build around those two if they want future success. Then it gets a bit scary. Landon Collins was past his prime two years ago. The corners are not great. Linebacker is so suspect. They just do not have the guys. I would have loved it if they went hard after Cam Newton, but that did not happen, and here we are. Washington is better than Houston, but by a tiny, tiny sliver. They will have the same amount of wins, but Washington will look more competitive because of Young and Sweat.

At number 30 I have RD's Bengals. They would be higher if Joe Burrow wasn't coming off a shredded knee, and if all those stories of bad practices were coming out. If he can get out of his own head, and back to looking like he did before he got hurt last season, this team will be good in about two years. This season is a wash though. I do like some of the offensive talent. Burrow, if he can recover, is a good QB. Joe Mixon is an abuser, so forget him. But Samaje Perine was great at Oklahoma and Chris Evans has been turning heads in preseason. They have a good stable of young backs. I really like their wideouts too. Tyler Boyd is coming along slowly. I love Tee Higgins, and was stoked when they picked Ja'Marr Chase this year to reunite him with Burrow. The O line needs work, which always seems to happen with the Bengals, but man do they have some good, young talent at the skill positions. The defense is a mess, and why they are so low on my rankings. The starters are so mediocre for NFL players. They got Trae Waynes from Minnesota, but when was the last time he was a difference maker? I haven't heard of six or seven guys listed as starters. The D line is not great. They are going to get destroyed on that side of the ball. Opposing offenses are going to feast on them. They should have high scoring games, but they will not win many of them. This is a five win ceiling for this team, but they will probably win three or four games. I hope Burrow gets out of this funk too.

The final team for today, at 29, I have the Jacksonville Jaguars. Look, it is no secret how much I despise Urban Meyer, and their preseason game the other night looked like the Washington football team when Steve Spurrier was the head coach, but after everyone figured them out. But Meyer has made a TON of questionable decisions so far, and he looks a little over his head in the NFL. It was a no brainer for them to take Trevor Lawrence, and he has the tools to be great. I am flabbergasted that they haven't named him the starter yet though. Is Gardner Minshew really pushing him right now? I cannot imagine he is, and I would be stunned if Lawrence isn't starting week one. I also think they need to let Carlos Hyde and James Robinson know that they are moving ahead with Travis Etienne. He was Lawrence's teammate in college, he is younger than both players ahead of him on the depth chart and they need to stop with this nonsense of him at receiver. Let him be the guy and go through the growing pains with Lawrence. The whole Tim Tebow experiment needs to end. He is not good and should not make this team. I like Laviska Shenault Jr out of Colorado at wideout, but DJ Chark is oft injured and Marvin Jones is well past any prime he may have had. The O line is bad and they will have Lawrence running for his life a ton. The defense is not much better. They overpaid Shaquill Griffin. K'Lavon Chaisson had a very up and down rookie year. Myles Jack has been a bust. Josh Allen is misplaced at linebacker. They just do not have the guys to put together consistent stops. This team has too many holes and a head coach who seems to be out of his element. Lawrence and Etienne will push them to three or four wins, but that is it. I wonder how soon until Urban Meyer starts to have "medical issues" in his first season. That seems to be his MO.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4. It will get better everyday.

Ty

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

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I'm Worried About Joe Burrow

NFL training camps are full go right now and everyone is reporting on them. One day has a great throw, the next a brawl, the next a contract dispute, the next a trade demand and as always, injuries. The most recent injury update I saw was on Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow.

Burrow came out of the gates like a QB on fire last season for the Bengals. After a historic run to a title at LSU and winning the Heisman, Burrow was the number one pick by the Bengals in the 2020 draft. He was the surefire, can't miss prospect. He was the new Andrew Luck, but with more speed. He has all the tools to be great. And he was showing flashes during his rookie year. He was making deep throws, stepping up in the pocket to avoid pass rushers, pulling it down and running for 10 plus yards, he looked like the real deal.

Then he tore his ACL.

It looked bad at the time, but after his surgery all the reports were how well he was healing, and how fast he was healing. Things seemed to be good. But yesterday I saw a story from a reporter who said that Burrow has not looked good in camp. He is short-arming throws. Passes are being easily broken up or picked off. And the worst thing this reporter said was that he is "sticking his leg out to avoid getting even touched". I guess it seems like he may be scared of reinjuring his knee.

I get it, I would be hesitant too. But I am not an NFL quarterback. This can all be worked out, especially given Burrow's age, but this could also just be another in a long line of Cincinnati Bengals that end up having their careers cut short, or dampened by injury. Burrow is not the first Bengal that this would/could have happened to. There are too many to count in fact. When I was reading about this training camp experience the first name that came to mind for me was Carson Palmer. He got his knee absolutely exploded, illegally I might add, in a playoff game against the Steelers. The Bengals actually looked like a real contender that year, but when Palmer went down, their chance to win the Super Bowl was gone. Palmer came back the next year, but he wasn't the same. Even when he looked like he had rebounded with the Cardinals, you could still see the effects of that hit. He was still timid. His long ball wasn't going as far as it used to. He had much less pocket presence. He seemed to bail quicker on plays. I also thought of Ki Jana Carter. He was the next great running back in his draft class. He was an amazing college football player. He had all the tools. He was going to usher in the next era of great NFL running backs. Then his knee got destroyed. His ACL tear was bad too. It looked bad in real time and even worse in slow motion. He never returned after that. He was done. He was out of the league within five years. He had no comeback from that injury. It was brutal too. I may not have liked him, he went to Penn State, but the dude was incredible to watch in college. Then he tore his knee up and was never the same. We could also talk about AJ Green. He had a few great years with the Bengals. He was their Calvin Johnson. Then he got hurt, missed a ton of time and is now gone to a new team but isn't expected to do much because of past injuries sustained with the Bengals. The same thing happened to Ickey Woods after his lone great season in the NFL. Everyone knows him from the "Ickey Shuffle", his touchdown dance, but he was a key to their run in the playoffs. Then he gets hurt a year later and then is out of the league a few years after that. Anthony Munoz is a hall of fame offensive lineman but his career was cut short due to injury. He was as dominate as an offensive lineman could be, but he had shoulder issues and knee problems and concussions and had to walk away before he may have wanted to.

Look, I am not a Bengals fan. I don't actively root against them but I also do not watch their games. But this team seems to have horrible luck with draft picks and injuries. I feel like it is a bit unfair to their fanbase, of which is rabid. Those fans are aching for a perennially good team and things have looked like they could get there with recent picks. Then the injury bug strikes and that sets everything another couple years. It is a bummer. From Munoz to Green to Palmer to Carter to Woods and now Burrow, it just feels like the Bengals are not allowed to draft guys with humongous potential and see them live up to said potential.

I hope Burrow is okay, I hope he gets over the yips he may have right now. But if history has told us anything, when it comes to injured Bengals, do not count on it.

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 2019 NFL Teams: Cheese Pizza Division

Day 4 of my 2019 NFL countdown starts off with our founder and head editor of the website RD's hometown team, coming in at number 20, the Cincinnati Bengals.

Sorry RD, but the Bengals are not very good. They finally let go of Marvin Lewis, but they replaced him with the LA Rams QB coach. What the hell. This dude did not do enough to me to prove that he is ready to be a NFL head coach. But, this is just a new thing where, if you are on the staff of a coach that is considered a "football genius", you will get a job. I do not think this dude will do that well. He has a lot to prove. Then there's the whole Andy Dalton thing. I think the period of time on him being a franchise QB was over about 2 years ago, if not longer. He is just an average NFL QB, which is fine. But, you will never win a Super Bowl with him as your starting QB. The whole running back situation disgusts me because they are relying on a known abuser. In fact, companies like ESPN praise this Joe Mixon, and that makes me sick. He hits children. They just lost their only real offensive threat because they decided to practice on a college field, and he tore up his ankle so bad that he needs surgery. AJ Green was the one guy they couldn't afford to lose, but they did just that. He is going to miss some regular season games, and that is a bummer for this team. I don't know much about the o line, and the defense, while finally shedding Vontaze Burfict and Pac Man Jones, did not do too much to improve themselves. They are bland as white toast, and way less exciting. The Bengals were a good team with Marvin Lewis as the head coach. They were a playoff team. But, the time had come for a change, they just picked the wrong guy. And as long as Andy Dalton is your QB, and AJ Green is missing games, 6 wins is the best you can hope for. Again, sorry to RD and his family that they have to root for this franchise.

At number 19 I have the Cleveland Browns. You may see that and think I am nuts. Well, I think all the other pundits are nuts. What did they do that makes them a sudden division favorite, and a surefire playoff team? I know they traded for Odell Beckham, and that is great. How many playoff games has he been in, and was a contributing factor in? I'll tell you. He's been in one game, he was dreadful and the Giants got thoroughly beaten. I love the way he plays, the flair he brings to the game and the catches he makes, but come on, he has never done anything of real importance in the NFL. The same can be said for Jarvis Landry, although he is not nearly as good as Beckham. Landry is an excellent slot receiver, but again, he has never really won anything in the NFL. He's good, but he's not that good. I like their run game, but the backs are only going into their second year. And all I can see when I watch Baker Mayfield is Robert Griffin, with less athleticism. He was great at the end of last year, but that was against teams that didn't really care what happened. I just do not see what other people see in him. He is not Russell Wilson or Drew Brees. He is more Derek Carr, or if he gets injured, Jimmy Garroppollo. I do like their defense, or Myles Garrett at least. That dude is good. He could be the next Von Miller if he keeps this up. They also have a good secondary. But, for people to be out here proclaiming that the Browns "are destined for greatness", and that " this is the start of something big", calm down. Lets see them do it for a full season, and if they are lucky enough to make the playoffs, make a run before they are the next dynasty. They are more Seattle Mariners than New York Yankees to me. I see them as an 8 or 9 win team at best.

At number 18 I have the Tennessee Titans. This team is boring and dull and a pain to watch and I just don't really care for them. That being said, they win games and make the playoffs. I do feel like this is the make or break year for Marcus Mariota. Either he takes the next step, or it will be Ryan Tannehill time. That is scary. I like Derrick Henry as their running back, and the kid they took from Western Michigan last year in the draft started to break out a bit last year. But, they lose their best lineman because he decided to take a banned substance. That stinks for Mariota. Taylor Lewan has been a selfish player since I watched him at Michigan. And now he does this. The defense is okay, and led by a bunch of no name guys that play hard. They keep this team in games. That is the Titans M.O. They play low scoring games, and sometimes, they win them. It is just unfortunate for them that they play in the same division as Houston and Indianapolis, 2 teams I am pretty high on this year. That will be the reason they don't make the playoffs this year. That, and if Mariota doesn't take that step. I see them as a .500 team this year.

The final team for today, just outside of the playoffs looking in, at number 17 I have the Pittsburgh Steelers. This team got worse on offense this offseason. The fact that they let Antonio Brown go for nothing means they really wanted him gone. They also let LeVeon Bell sit out a whole year and he is gone., And the o line has regressed. Oh, and they gave Ben freaking Roesthilberger another extension. What the hell?! This dude is well past his prime, and is a known sexual assaulter. Why he get chance after chance after chance, I will never understand. James Connor and Ju Ju Smith Schuster were the reason I won my fantasy league last year, but now, they are the focal point of the opposition's defense. They will be keyed on when facing other teams. That will be much harder than being the second option like last season. The defense is old. I love Devin Bush, obviously, and I feel like he is going to be great, but outside of him, they are old, or thin on depth. They are not as strong a unit as they used to be. They will make a stop here or there, but they will get burned just as much, if not more. The Steelers are about to regress, and regress hard. This pleases me because I don't like them, but I wish Devin Bush was playing on a winning team. I think this year he may get lucky, and the Steelers will win 9 games. But after that, they will be a lower tier NFL team.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for my next 4 teams. We are getting to the playoff teams here very shortly.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does not know that in Cincinnati we do not root for the Bengals. We just sit and wait for the season to be over, just like one would with a bad cold.

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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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The NFL is Pretty Terrible Right Now, and Other Thoughts

Can you smell what the NFL is giving you?

There will be no Emmy talk from me today. I saw that people like Donald Glover won some awards and "Black Mirror" got its due respect, but I did not watch one single second of the show last night. Also, "Legion" didn't get a single nomination, so who cares.

Second, I cannot sit here and type about the horrific judge's ruling here in Saint Louis this past weekend. I'm embarrassed, ashamed and saddened to be a Saint Louis resident after last Friday. That police officer killed a kid in cold blood and was ruled not guilty. It is the 21st century yet people are still racist and blind. The police all over this country are becoming, if they weren't already, horrible, power hungry monsters.

Instead I want to talk about something that I feel like I am pretty well versed in, and that is the NFL. Now, don't expect this to be some lovey dovey ode to the NFL. This is going to be quite the opposite in fact. I have 2 games in my mind that show how far the NFL has fallen off in the past couple years.

The first game was the Texans-Bengals atrocity  that the NFL fans had to bear witness to last Thursday night. That game was an abomination. The two teams playing in that game played some of the worst offense that I have ever witnessed by "pro" football players. The Texans kind of have an excuse. They started a rookie. Sure, they traded up very high to get Deshaun Watson, but he is still a rookie, and this was his first start, and the game was on the road. Yes, the Texans offensive line is horrendous and they have no real running game, but Watson was fine, for a rookie, and at least he got the ball to DeAndre Hopkins, something Brock Osweiler couldn't do last year. That being said though, the Texans offense was just horrendous. I didn't think the Bengals would be worse, but damned if Marvin Lewis and Andy Dalton didn't prove me wrong. I'm sorry RD, but the Bengals may be worse on offense than any team in the NFL, including the Jets.(Ed Note: The Bengals stink) In 2 games the Bengals have 9 points. I say again, they've played 120 minutes of football and they have scored 9 total points. They haven't put the ball in the end zone yet. I found it funny during the offseason when some people called the Bengals a "sleeper" team and thought that Andy Dalton could "take the next step". If anything, they have taken a major step back and Andy Dalton is never going to be any better than his rookie year. That seems much more likely to me. There are stories coming out today and yesterday that a bunch of current Bengals want the team to sign Colin Kaepernick, and I think that may be the best thing to happen to this team. They won't do it, but they should. The final score of that game on Thursday night was 13-9 and the best player on the field was a rookie QB that ran the ball 49 yards for a score. That game was a disgusting display of coaching and playing. It was bad all around.

I thought we had seen the worst game of the week, possibly the year, but when I got home on Sunday, I turned on my favorite channel, the "Redzone Network", and watched games all day long. One game they kept going back to for some inexplicable reason was the Seahawks-49ers game. I know that the Seahawks have some "big name" players, and the 49ers have some young talent and a new head coach, but this game was just as bad, if not worse, than the Texans-Bengals game. Neither team could do anything on offense at all. Some blamed it on the weather, but that excuse needs to be tossed out the window. Teams play in bad weather games all the time and they never play as poorly as these 2 teams play. The Seahawks apologists will say, "the 49ers always play them tough", but the Seahawks have destroyed them, especially at home, since Russell Wilson has been their QB. I think these fans were thinking of the Rams, and that is not much better. But, like I said, "Redzone Network" kept going back to this game to show me a 2 yard gain here, a big hit there and nothing but field goals or punts. It was a big time test of my patience. There were some other good games going on at the same time. The Buccaneers were pounding the Bears during their first game of the year. I want to see if this Buccaneers team is for real. The Patriots were filling up the scoreboard against the Saints. The Steelers were pounding the Sam Bradford less Vikings. Hell, even the Browns and Ravens were playing a better game. The Raiders were putting it to the Jets. All these games would have been so much more entertaining to watch. But, they kept cutting to this terrible Seahawks-49ers game with the hopes of something big about to happen. Nothing big ever happened. It was 6-6 at halftime. The second half was not much better. They kept going to the host, I believe his name is Chris Hansen, and he kept yelling as if he was Gus Johnson anytime Russell Wilson scrambled for 10 yards, or whatever 49ers running back was running would go for an 8 yard gain. He was really trying to sell this game to the viewing audience. When the 49ers went up 9-6 you would have thought that this was the Super Bowl. Hansen was pulling out nonsense stats left and right. The Seahawks eventually scored a TD, only to miss the extra point, and win the game 12-9. It was a joke of a football game. I know it is only 2 weeks into the season, but for all the people that picked the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl, they may want to rethink that prediction. The Seahawks cannot protect Wilson and they have no one, and I mean NO ONE, that is a threat on offense. Their defense is great, but their offense could be their downfall. They have scored a combined 21 points in 2 games. That's more than the Bengals, but not that much more.

The NFL has been pretty rough for the first 2 weeks. The QB play last week really showed this, and these 2 particular games only magnifies it more for me. It has been rough to watch for 2 weeks. I'm almost to the point where fantasy football is the only reason that I will even pay attention to the NFL. As I said last week, football on Saturday's is so much better than football on Thursday, Sunday and Monday. The NFL is slowly but surely turning into a horrific product. And I do not know if they can fix it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The Head Editor wants to once again say that the Bengals stink, because they really do stink. Stink.

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Ty Ranks the 2017 NFL Teams: The "Revenge of the Sith" Edition

On to day 3 of my 2017 NFL countdown. We are still talking about some miserable teams, but it is getting better. In fact, none of the teams I talk about this week will be playoff teams, unless they have incredibly magical seasons, but I promise, next week, we will get to the good teams. You've got to suffer through the worst to get to the best. Enough preamble, lets get to it.

At number 24 I have the Los Angeles Chargers. Again, I almost wrote San Diego. The fact that LA has 2 pro football, basketball and a million baseball teams is just crazy to me. But, that's commerce for you I suppose. Anyway, some people seem to think that the Chargers will be a sleeper this year. That is nuts to me. I do not know what these "experts" see that I don't see. I think the Chargers would play way over their heads if they won 7 games this year. First off, they still have Phillip Rivers as their QB. How long does his career have to go before we see him as the player he truly is, which is average. Rivers has never struck me as a QB that you can build around. He is fine. He goes for 4,000 yards a year and 25 to 30 touchdowns, but what has he done to earn his "big time" status? Why is he talked about as one of the top QB's? I don't see it. The Chargers do have a few decent skill players. I like Melvin Gordon. He really rebounded after a tough rookie year and was great last year. He looks like the guy that the Chargers should build around, not Phillip Rivers. Antonio Gates is still there, and he is still consistent. He is getting old though. Keenan Allen is back, and he is a good receiver, but he can never stay healthy. He has been more injured than healthy his whole career. Their first round pick, Mike Williams, is also already hurt. As far as their O-Line, they are okay. Not great, but not bad. The defense seems to be the reason that the "experts" think they will be better, but I still don't see it. Yes, Joey Bosa is good, but he is no JJ Watt or Gerald McCoy or really any of the other top tier pass rushers. He could reach that status, but he is not there yet. They have okay corners, led by Jason Verrett. The linebacker core is just okay as well. I like Melvin Ingram and Denzel Perryman, but they don't really jump out as super stars. Their D-Line, again, is just okay. Not great, okay. I don't get all the talk about this team being a sleeper. I just don't see it, especially since they still have Phillip Rivers as their QB and cornerstone.

At number 23 I have the New Orleans Saints. This team just cannot put it together enough on defense to get back to that contender level. Their defense is atrocious. When your big free agent signings are Manti Teo and Nick Fairley that does not make for a great turnaround for that side of the ball. They can't cover anyone, they can't get to the QB, they struggle to stop the run, they are flat out bad. What makes them a team worth watching is their offense. Drew Brees is still there and he is still slinging 5,000 yards a year and 35 touchdowns. He is still putting up video game numbers, even at his advanced age. They lost Brandin Cooks, which will hurt, but they have some decent, young receivers. Michael Thomas is good. Willie Snead can get yards. Coby Fleener is a great option at tight end. And if anyone can make Ted Ginn Jr look good, it is Drew Brees. They also have Mark Ingram and they signed Adrian Peterson. First off, Peterson is done as an elite runner, and that will be even more glaring behind a porous O-Line. He will either get hurt or not gain many yards because of the need to split time between himself and Ingram. I like Mark Ingram, but he is not a top tier running back. He is good at grinding out yards, and has some decent hands out of the backfield. Ingram is a fine third down back in the NFL. And while you night think that the signing of Peterson may help the line, due to play action, I don't think it will matter. I think Peterson will make zero difference for the Saints. The Saints will score a ton of points and be in games late against good competition, but their defense is so bad, that will be their downfall. I feel like 6 or 7 wins is the ceiling.

At number 22 I have the Cincinnati Bengals. Look, the Bengals are the Clippers of the NFL. This team has done nothing of note since the late 80's, yet they feel like an entitled bunch. They also keep rolling out the same team and they expect different results. Again, just like the Clippers. How much longer does Marvin Lewis have as a head coach? If he were anywhere else, he would be gone by now. But, with the Bengals franchise, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave him another extension this season. Andy Dalton is still the QB there. Andy Dalton is mediocre at best. This has to be league wide knowledge by now. He is never going to win a Super Bowl, and probably not even a playoff game. AJ Green is incredible, but he is stuck in a purgatory of sorts, playing for the Bengals and having Andy Dalton throw him the ball. He, much like Todd Gurley and LeSean McCoy, deserves much, much better. Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard were supposed to be one of the better duos at running back last year. That didn't happen. They were both incredibly average. This team also went out and drafted Joe Mixon, who hits women, so I have no respect for that at all. Tyler Eifert is only getting older, and he seems to get hurt more often now than he ever did. This offense is below average, with Green being the exception. The defense shoots themselves in the foot so often, it is not even funny anymore. Guys like Vontaze Burfit, Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick are awesome, but they are constantly doing things to get penalties that are crushing. And for the most part, the penalties are self inflicted. They would have won a playoff game 2 years ago if not for Burfict and Jones being selfish. The defense should be one of the better ones in the league, but the constant penalties are a nuisance that keeps holding them back. I do like the pick of John Ross, but I don't think it will matter when Andy Dalton is throwing the ball to him. Sorry RD, but the Bengals are fading back into the mediocrity that I grew up watching in the late 90's and early 2000's.

The final team for today, at number 21, I have the Indianapolis Colts. This team is the definition of average. They are going to win 7 or 8 games. You can write that in pen. They are so average. Andrew Luck is a fine QB, but he is not the world beater that many expected, myself included, when he was taken first overall in his draft. He also gets hurt a whole lot. Some of that is due to his terrible O-Line, constructed by an awful front office, and some of that is his fault. He does hold the ball too much, and he does run it a bit too much. At running back they are still counting on Frank Gore. Bless Frank Gore, I like Frank Gore, but he is well past his prime. He never really had the wheels, and being a grinder, his specialty, that is going away too. That is what happens to running backs when they get "older". I like T.Y. Hilton, but he should not be a number one option on a contender. He is great, but think of how great he'd be if he were teamed up with an AJ Green. That would be an amazing duo. That is what Hilton should be, a second option. I like Phillip Dorsett, but he is a third or fourth option at best. And they still have Adam Vinatieri. He is a good kicker, but when your kicker is one of your most important players, that is rough. The Colts defense may be as bad as the Saints. They have no one, and I mean no one of any consequence. Looking at their roster, names like Malik Hooker, Clayton Geathers, Vontae Davis,  and David Parry show up. These guys are not big names, and they will strike zero fear in opposing offenses. They cannot stop anything, and that is a problem. The Colts are the AFC's version of the Saints, except Drew Brees is much better than Andrew Luck. Like I said, they play in a horrific division, so they will get some cheap wins, and they will end somewhere between 5-11 or 8-8. Put it down in pen.

That's it for today. Come back for the next 4 teams tomorrow.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does not understand the awesomeness that the Bengals will bring to the NFL this year. Marvin Lewis and Andy Dalton have been hustling the league for years, and now they are going to show their real face. 19-0. This looks like destiny.

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Ty's 2016 Midseason NFL Redo

As we approach week 8 of the NFL season, I need to do my annual mid season revision. I did a 3 day preseason NFL preview, and like last year, I have some stuff that I got right and some stuff that I got wrong. Today, I want to pat myself on the back a little bit, but also eat some crow, especially with my Super Bowl and MVP pick.

Before I get started, I know that RD is putting up a big piece about this soon, but the NFL has been absolutely atrocious this season. I'll let RD do the majority of expounding on that, but I have eyeballs, and what they have seen has been terrible. The game is watered down and the teams are not that good. This first half of the season has been abysmal. Thank goodness for college football, which I will touch on tomorrow, at least that has been fun this year. Anyway, let's get to my mid season NFL review.

So, as you all know by now, I had the Panthers as the Super Bowl winners. I thought that they would come out and slay pretty much everyone in front of them. I thought that they would be pissed at how they performed in last year's Super Bowl, and want to make up for that. I thought Cam Newton would trash any defense that came his way. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. The Panthers have been terrible this season. They are 1-5 as we speak. Their defense is dreadful. They cannot get off the field, and teams are putting up 30 plus points on them with ease. I did not think that they'd miss Josh Norman as much as they do. Luke Kuechly has been very, very average this year. Their D line is getting little to no pressure. They stink. The offense isn't much better. Cam Newton looks miserable out there. He is not playing with the joy that turned me into a fan. He is getting head hunted, and the NFL is doing nothing about it. But, he also seems more concerned with what kind of celebration he is going to do when he scores instead of just getting in the end zone. They have no running game. Their passing game, which added Kelvin Benjamin, has been pretty porous. The Panthers have been the biggest, by far, disappointment in the NFL this year.

Outside of the Panthers, the NFC is not really great. The Vikings are probably the best team in the NFC, but they just got absolutely shut down by the Eagles last week. They have an other worldly defense, but their offense is very bad. The Cowboys, very surprisingly, have been right near the top of the NFC this year. Ezekial Elliot is currently leading the NFL in rushing. The receivers, minus Dez Bryant, have been very good. Dak Prescott has been exceptional. He is doing the best job of managing the game. He makes no mistakes, hardly ever, and dinks and dunks all the way down the field. I'm not a Cowboys fan, but I hope that when Tony Romo and Dez Bryant come back totally healthy, they stay on the bench because you should not rock the boat. This team is 5-1 for a reason. Who knows what Jerry Jones will do, but he needs to keep Prescott in there, as long as this team keeps winning.

As far as some other NFC teams, the Cardinals have been very disappointing. Carson Palmer looks like a shell of himself. Larry Fitzgerald is still good, but getting older. Michael Floyd drops more than he catches. David Johnson and their defense has been their saving grace, but they are 3-3-1. The Seahawks are probably the most underwhelming 4-1-1 team in the NFL. Their offense is mediocre, but their defense, who gets away with penalty after penalty, week after week, is still good. They are dirty, but still elite. The Packers are mediocre. Their defense is average and their offense has been mind numbingly frustrating to watch. The Lions, Saints, Eagles, Buccaneers and Falcons are at, or near .500, but they will make no difference in the long run.

As much as I hate to write this, I think the Cowboys, if they stick with Prescott and the running game, will become the team to beat in the NFC. They could very well make the Super Bowl this year, that is how bad this season has been.

The AFC, while not much better, does have the very best team in the NFL. The Patriots are leaps and bounds above all 31 other teams, and they are filled with holes. Their defense is very mediocre. they do give up some big plays a bit too often. After his ridiculous 4 game suspension, Tom Brady has looked like a man possessed. He is the front runner for the MVP right now, after only 3 games. He has lit up the 3 teams he's faced. He is on pace, in 12 games, to surpass 4,000 passing yards. That's crazy. Gronk is fully healthy, and he is just as unstoppable as ever. Martellus Bennett is a great addition, and takes pressure off Gronk. The slot receivers that fill the rest of this offense are perfect for the Patriots system. LeGarette Blount has been a great runner for them this year too. He's on pace for 1,300 plus rushing yards and 15 plus touchdowns. They also have James White, great out of the back field and Dion Lewis will be back soon. The Patriots, even with their holes, are the cream of the crop in the NFL. Eat it Roger Goodell.

 As for the teams not playing at Gillette, the Broncos have a great defense, but their offense is very much below average. They can't sustain drives, and unless their defense gives the offense primo field position, they usually punt. That should rule out a return trip to the Super Bowl. The Steelers, who I was very high on before the season, are minus their QB for another 3-5 weeks. Try as he might, LeVeon Bell can only do so much. Without Roesthilberger, this team will not go very far. But, 9-7 could win that division, so who knows. The Raiders, another team I was very high on, have been great offensively so far, but terrible defensively. The still hold a 5-2 record, and I'd love to see them in the playoffs, but I worry that their defense will make it unlikely. The Chiefs, who I was not so high on, have been pretty good so far. Sure, they got thumped by the Steelers a few weeks ago, but other than that, they have played pretty well. The Bills are well on their way to another 8-8 or 9-7 season. The entire AFC South stinks. The Texans are the worst division leader in all of football. The Colts and Jaguars are bottom feeders and the Titans are so bad on offense, that will hold them back. The Harambes, AKA Bengals, have been very mediocre, and I'm sure RD will agree. The Chargers are bad, but actually kind of fun to watch either blow games late or win games late. The Dolphins and Ravens are destined to be .500, and the Browns may not win a game all year long. The Patriots are, not only the best team in the AFC, but the best team in football. They are 100 percent going to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this season, barring any major injury.

That means I have the Cowboys playing the Patriots in Super Bowl 51. Yikes. The Patriots should win it going away, if this turns out to be the matchup. I have the Patriots as my new Super Bowl champs. I also have Tom Brady as the MVP. David Johnson might be more deserving, or Julio Jones may put up unprecedented numbers, or Ezekial Elliot may rush for 1,800 yards, but what Brady has done over 3 games, and will continue to do, just to twist the knife in Goodell, will win him the MVP. He is the greatest QB ever, and this season will prove that even further. As far as rookie of the year, I was way, way off on LaQuon Treadwell. This is clearly Elliot's to lose. He has been as good as advertised, and as much as I may dislike his demeanor and the way he carries himself, he has been great this year. I still have Jack Del Rio as my coach of the year. He has the Raiders at 5-2, as I already stated, and they are relevant again. But, I would not count out Bill Belichek. He won 3 of 4 without Brady, and now, they want to crush everyone in their path, as they should. And defensive player of the year should, and probably will be Von Miller. He is incredible and playing incredible. He should own this award for many years to come.

So, that does it for my mid season review. I got some stuff right, but way more wrong. I'm pissed about my love for the Panthers, but happy about my feelings for the Raiders. The NFL is in a rough place, but I still watch and will continue to watch. Come back tomorrow and I will have my mid season college football review. That will be much more fun to write.  

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He may think the Cowboys ccan make the Super Bowl, but in his heart he knows Jerry Jones will ruin the teams chances. Romo is Jones's guy after all. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The SeedSing 2016 NFL Predictions and Picks

Time to hand out a few game balls

To round out my NFL preview, today I will pick each division winner and who I think will be the two wild cards from each conference. I will also pick the Super Bowl teams and winner. As well as team picks, I will also pick the offensive and defensive players of the year, the offensive and defensive rookies of the year, the coach of the year and the overall MVP. This blog is going to be short and to the point. One sentence as to why I pick each team is all I'm giving myself. If you want to know other reasons I like these teams, you can read my 8 part preview that I finished yesterday.

Let's start with the AFC. The AFC East will be tricky because of Brady's suspension, but I still think the Patriots will win. Brady will come back on fire, and he will, on his own, will this team to the division title. The rest of the teams are either not ready, or not good enough to dethrone the juggernaut that is the Patriots. The AFC West will, most likely, be the toughest division in all of football, with three of the four teams finishing over .500, but I think the Broncos will win it. Their defense is just too good, and they won't give up a lot of points. If the offense averages 20, that would be absolutely huge for them. But, watch out for the Chiefs and the Raiders, they are both coming to dethrone the Broncos. The AFC North will also be a three team race, maybe 2, the Ravens aren't that good, but the Bengals and Steelers will fight it out all season. I see the Steelers winning because they have one of the best offenses in all of football, and their defense is pretty decent. The AFC South is still a joke, but it is getting better. Tennessee still stinks, but the Jaguars are putting together a competitive team. This all comes down to health and performance, and I think the Colts will rebound and win the division, but the Texans will be tough. As far as the wild cards go, I'm going to have to go with the Bengals and the Raiders. The Raiders are going to be good, and the Bengals have become mainstays, even if they cant get out of the first round.

For the NFC, let's start with the lowly NFC East. As I stated many times in my preview, a team with a losing record, like the Cowboys or Giants, could win this division, but I think Washington has the best players and the talent to easily repeat. They will get bounced after one round, but they will make a second straight playoff appearance. The NFC West is a two team race, between the Cardinals and the Seahawks, but the Cardinals are a much, much better team than the Seahawks. If the Cardinals don't win this division with ease, it should be deemed a disappointment. They have the best offense, and their defense is right there with Seattle. Arizona should cruise. With the NFC North, again, we have a two team race between the Packers and the Vikings. I just don't see, especially if they are at full health, how the Packers do not win this division. They have one of the best QB's in all of football, and they have a pretty good defense. Green Bay should win by 2 games. The NFC South is all about the Panthers. They are my best team in the NFL this year, and a lot of other writers agree with me. The Panthers could win their first 10 games and sew up the division with 6 weeks left. They are the cream of the crop. As far as the wild cards from the NFC, I have Minnesota and Seattle, but this may be a last shot for both teams.

I like the Patriots and the Broncos to meet again in the AFC Championship, this time the Patriots will come out on top. And for the NFC Championship, I like the Cardinals and the Panthers, another rematch, with Carolina winning.

That means Super Bowl 51 will be Carolina-New England. As much as I want to pick the Patriots, just so they can shove it in Goodell's stupid smug, arrogant face, I think the Panthers are too good, and they will learn from last season's disappointing loss in the Super Bowl. Carolina is my pick to win Super Bowl 51.

As far as awards go, I like Cam Newton as both, the offensive player of the year and MVP. His time is now, and he will not back down. He has gotten better every year, and I don't see any regression from him. He is awesome. As far as defensive player of the year, I like Luke Kuechly. He is the star defender of one of the better defenses in the NFL. That makes a clean sweep by Panthers in awards and titles. The offensive rookie of the year will probably be some 6th or 7th round pick that a lot of people are overlooking, or if they had the nerve to give it to a lineman, I'd pick Laremy Tunsil, but I think someone like Derrick Henry, who was a second round pick, and will get every opportunity to play for Tennessee or, more likely, Corey Coleman at Cleveland or Laquon Treadwell in Minnesota. Let's go with Treadwell since Minnesota is so much better than Cleveland. For defensive rookie of the year, it will be tough because there are a lot of good, young defenders, but I think I will go with Jalen Ramsey. He may get beat deep sometimes, but he will be a good corner from day one in the NFL. My coach of the year has got to be Jack Del Rio. I love what he has turned the Raiders into, and he will deservedly win this award this year if the Raiders live up to the hype I have put on them.

So that does it for my 2016 NFL preview. Let me know why I'm right or wrong, and football will be here before we know it, thank goodness. Come back tomorrow when I finish off my football previews with my college football preview.

Ty

Editor's Thoughts - I have no major differences with Ty on the playoff teams. I think Kansas City could be better than the Raiders and I do not believe in Seattle. It pains me to say that Tampa Bay could sneak into the playoff picture. Also, the Cincinnati should be called Harambes will win the AFC North. The Cincinnati squad will (FINALLY) win not one, but two playoff games to face Arizona in the Super Bowl. The Queen city will be overjoyed.

The Cardinals will destroy the Bengals by 30-40 points.

RD

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. RD Kulik is the Head Editor and frequent contributor to the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik and make RD happy by supporting SeedSing with straight cash.

Ty Ranks the 2016 NFL Teams: Sleeping in on a Sunday Morning Edition

Then there were 8.

I'm down to the last 2 days of my countdown of the NFL. These are the good teams. They are not the best of the best, but a couple of things break their way, they could find themselves in the Super Bowl. These teams are nearly complete, and they are legit contenders. On with the countdown.

At number 8, I have the Minnesota Vikings. This team took a real big step forward last year. The offense is led by a child abuser, and all out human monster, Adrian Peterson. I know he is a very good running back, but that does not change the fact that he purposefully beat up his 4 year old and showed no remorse for it. Yes, he is good, but every time he gets hit on the field, I hope he gets injured. People who beat up children deserve the worst. At QB, I really want to like Teddy Bridgewater, and maybe this is the year he finally puts it all together. He checks down way too much, but they did draft Laquon Treadwell, who I think can be a good NFL player and he also has Kyle Rudolph at tight end. He is a machine at catching the ball. I also like Stefon Diggs, and he has a full year under his belt. Cordarelle Patterson hasn't put it together yet, and this year may be his last chance, but he can still be good. The Vikings o line is pretty decent as well. Where I think this team is underrated is their defense. They're very formidable. The defensive line is decent, anchored on each end by Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen. The linebackers are very good, led by Chad Greenway and Anthony Barr. The secondary has very good players, namely Harrison Smith and Andrew Sandejo. They may not be the brightest names, but they are all very good players on a very good defense. Mike Zimmer has also proven to be a capable head coach. This Vikings team is getting better, and they will challenge Green Bay again. I say they finish the season 11-5.

At number 7, I have the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, first off, I cannot stand this team. They are whiny babies, they complain about everything that doesn't go their way, they are basically the LA Clippers of the NFL. But, they are good. Their QB, another piece of human garbage, is Ben Roethlisberger. When he isn't out allegedly sexually assaulting young females, he is a good to great QB. He is such a terrible person, but he is durable, plays injured and makes throws, so he gets a pass from idiots like Roger Goodell and ESPN. The running game will miss LeVeon Bell after he skipped another drug test and got suspended for four games, but a guy like D'Angelo Williams or Fitz Toussaint will pick up the slack. I know Toussaint fumbled away the playoff game last year, but he is a good enough back that he will get over it, and probably put up decent numbers until Bell gets back. Williams, while older, still runs hard and gains yards. They still have old reliable, Heath Miller at tight end, so that position is still very good. At receiver, they have the wonderful and prolific Antonio Brown. I don't care what kind of stupid hair cut he has when he makes as many catches as he does, racks up as many yards as he does and scores as many TD's as he does. Antonio Brown is awesome. And he is not the only threat. They also have Markus Wheaton, who is very good. The Steelers offense could be lethal. They also have a pretty good defense as well. Guys like James Harrison, Ryan Shazier, Alvin Dupree, William Gay, Jarvis Jones and Shamarko Thomas are all very good at their jobs. They can pressure and cover. This team, as much as it pains me to say it, could very easily make their way, and possibly win, the Super Bowl this season. But, they do have questions. Can Roethlisberger stay healthy and out of trouble? Same for Bell? will Antonio Brown be tired from carrying this team last year? And when will Mike Tomlin make another bone headed decision, because we know it's coming. I think the Steelers will be good, if everything breaks their way. I have them at 12-4.

At number 6, I have the hometown team of our head editor, the Cincinnati Bengals (ed note: Go Bengals). First off, I hope they change their name to the Harambe's, because that would be absolutely incredible. Anyway, they still have Andy Dalton at QB. This guy has to be so frustrating to watch if you are a Bengals fan. He will look great one play, then do something that only Tony Romo does on the next play. He chucks way too may passes in the air as well. He is a complete wild card. But, he does have receivers that are willing and able to try and track down those errant throws. AJ Green is a highlight reel on almost every play. His catches are almost as spectacular as Odell Beckham's. Green is one of the upper echelon receivers in the NFL. Tyler Eiffert is about as reliable as they come. The Bengals need a first down, they go to him. They need 5 yards, they go to him. they need a jump ball in the endzone, it's Eiffert or Green. They also have Brandon LaFell, who I don't think is that bad. The Bengals running game is top notch. They have two awesome backs in Giovanni Bernard and Jeremy Hill. Hill is explosive and Bernard is the bruiser, They both could start on almost any team in the NFL, but they choose to split time, and they are an exceptional duo. The Bengals defense has kind of turned into the old version of the Raiders. They are good, but they are dirty. Look no further than their playoff game last year. Yeah. Vontaez Burfict and Adam Jones are very good, but they are selfish and get way, way too many personal foul penalties. Dre Kirkpatrick is a good corner, but he plays opposite Jones, so that is a no win situation for him. Carlos Dunlap is a good linebacker, but all anyone talks about is Burfict and the penalties. Same for Ray Meauluaga. Very good, but gets overlooked. Carlos Dunlap is a good defensive end too. This Bengals team is good, but can they get out of their own way. I think this may be the last real chance that they have, and they should, at the very least, make it to the second round of the playoffs. I say the Bengals finish 11-5.

At number 5, I have my team, the Green Bay Packers. This team got absolutely ravaged with injuries last year and still almost made the NFC championship game. Aaron Rodgers is solidly in the top 3 of the best QB's playing right now. He has a great arm, runs when needed, throws into minuscule windows and puts up huge numbers. He is the engine that runs this offense. Eddie Lacy, if he loses weight and doesn't get hurt, makes the Packers run game a threat. When he is in there, and running hard, he is tough to take down, and he puts up numbers. I am an Eddie Lacy fan, but he has to show me a good, full season. I do like James Starks as his backup though. He is tall, finds holes and gashes teams for big, big runs. At receiver, this is where is gets dicey. If Jordy Nelson comes back fully recovered, than at least the Packers have one elite wideout. Nelson is very good and they missed him a whole lot more than I though they would last year. Randall Cobb is also very good, but he gets hurt way too much on returns, and he takes a beating going over the middle. He is small, but he plays big. After those guys, it's thin. I do like Richard Rodgers at tight end, but the fact that they are trying out Kellen Winslow Jr tells me they don't have a lot of faith in him. The Packers o line is the weak point of the offense. /they don't protect that well, and they open up very few lanes. They need work. The defense is good, but I feel like it can be better. When you have guys like Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews, Jake Ryan, Mike Daniels, Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix and Sam Shields, you should be better than middle of the pack. They give up big plays way too often. I also want Peppers and Matthews to talk to the guys that accused them of PED's, so they can clear their names. The bottom line, as long as Aaron Rodgers is the QB, this team will be competitive. I see a better year from Lacy and having Nelson back will really help out. I also think the defense will, and should, play a lot better. I think the Packers reclaim their stop at the top of the division and they win 12 games doing that.

Come back tomorrow for the last four teams of my countdown.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is building an eternal flame in his backyard to remember the greatest ever, Harambe. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty's (first) Annual NFL Playoff Predicitions

Playoff football and chili. Must be January

The NFL playoffs start this weekend and I have given a preseason (NFC, AFC, and postseason) and a mid season report, now I want to give a playoff preview and prediction. Both my preseason and mid season picks were way off the mark, I'm looking at you Indianapolis and Green Bay. But, with the playoffs now set, I'd like to give it one more crack, maybe this time I'll do better.

This upcoming Saturday we get the AFC first round playoff matchups between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. Both these games should be decent, but I think it's pretty obvious who the winners will be. In the Chiefs-Texans game you have one team, the Chiefs, riding a 10 game winning streak. The Texans were in the AFC South, so 9 wins easily made them the division winners. The AFC South is a joke of a division and while the Texans have a pretty good defense, they have zero offense. They've used way too many quarterbacks this year that are all below average NFL starters. They have had no running game since Arian Foster went down for the season and save for Deandre Hopkins, they have no threats in the passing game. Hopkins is great, but if you can hold him to a 6 or 7 catch game, you can pretty easily beat Houston. The Chiefs aren't much better on offense, but they have way better playmakers. Alex Smith is a much better QB than anyone Houston will throw out there. They have struck gold with their backup running backs, Charcandarick West and Spencer Ware, after losing Jamaal Charles to a torn ACL. They also have a receiver that's almost as big a threat as Hopkins in Jeremy Maclin and they have a much better tight end in Travis Kelce. Oh, and there defense is just as good, if not better than the Texans. Sure, JJ Watt may get a couple of sacks, but what will Houston do with the ball on offense and will they be able to totally shut down the Chiefs? I don't think so. The only thing they have as an advantage is, they're playing at home, but that won't matter. Chiefs win by 10, with the final being 20-10. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati could have been a game, if not for the Andy Dalton injury. Cincinnati gets short changed every season. Sometimes it's their fault, other times, injuries derail this team. They have an okey running game with Giovanni Bernard and Jeremy Hill and they have one of the best receivers in the game in AJ Green, but that won't matter with AJ McCarron throwing and handing the ball off. The Bengals defense is top notch, but they have no one that will be able to slow Antonio Brown even a little bit. The Bengals line may stuff the run and even pressure Roethlisberger a bit, but he will still find Brown. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has an elite offense clicking at the perfect time. They don't have their typical stout defense, but they can and will outscore opponents. I may not like the person, but Ben Roethlisberger is playing elite football right now. And, as I've mentioned before, he has Antonio Brown to throw the ball to. He also has Markus Wheaton, Heath Miller and Martavis Bryant to throw too as well. They lost LeVeon Bell earlier this year and DeAngelo Williams appears to have gotten injured in their finale, so that leaves the running game to Fitz Toussaint, former Michigan running back, but the Steelers don't need to run to win, In fact, I bet they run only 10 to 15 times the whole game. Steelers win in Cincy, crushing the Bengals playoff dreams in the first round once again, final score of 28-14. 

This Sunday we get the NFC first round matchups of Green Bay and Washington and Seattle and Minnesota. Both should be good, hard fought, close games. Green Bay travels to Washington to face the DC team on a roll right now. Whoever thought Kirk Cousins would be this good is a god damn liar. They have an okay run game, but they like to throw and they play some solid defense. Green Bay is a total enigma. They can never seem to get it going until it's too late, or they play to their ability and they blow out inferior opponents. Green Bay cannot protect Rodgers, their run game is non existent at times, but can also be great and their receivers can't get open, or if they do it's too late because Rodgers got sacked. Rodgers deserves a lot of the blame too for those sacks. Sometimes, when he does get good protection, he just holds on to the ball for way too long. Green Bay's defense is sub par at best. One week they totally shut a team down, the next, they give up big plays This is a total toss up, but I'll take Green Bay because of experience in big games. Washington's players haven't really been in big time playoff games and Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers have. Maybe I'm blinded by my fandom, but so be it. Green Bay wins 17-14. In the other game we get Minnesota and Seattle. Everyone and their mother is back on Seattle's bandwagon, but not me. I have to give credit to Bill Simmons for this, I was listening to his podcast this morning, and reminded me that the Seahawks just lost, only scoring 10 points at home to the Rams 2 weeks ago. Everyone wants to forget that because Russell Wilson has been putting up big numbers and their defense is playing better, but the Rams went to Seattle and owned them. The Vikings are a better version of the Rams. They have a better QB, receivers and a better, albeit a child abuser, running back. Their defense isn't as good as the Rams, but it's still good. The game is in Minnesota at noon as well. That means in Seattle, it's 10am. I know that doesn't sound like an advantage, but it is. I truly believe that Minnesota can replicate what the Rams did even better and I think they win this game. That would be great so everyone, including Chris Collinsworth, can shut the hell up about how great the Seahawks are. I'll take the Vikings in a very low scoring game, 14-10.

The following week we'd get the second round games in each conference. The four teams that had byes will all be in play and the big time games start happening. In the AFC the matchups will be Chiefs-Broncos and Steelers-Patriots. The Broncos will lose this game if they start Peyton Manning. Sure, he came in relief last week and they won, but it was their run game and their number one ranked defense that won, not Peyton Manning. Brock Osweiler deserves his shot. The Chiefs are good, as I mentioned above, but I cannot trust Andy Reid to win a big time playoff game on the road, I just can't. The Broncos have a stable of running backs, they have DeMaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders to throw to and they have the best defense in all of football. I don't see how they lose this game, unless they rely on Peyton Manning to make plays. He's a Hall of Famer, but he's done. Let your young QB start, rely on the run game and let your top of the line defense send you to the AFC title game. Broncos win 20-13. The Patriots-Steelers game will be interesting. Pittsburgh is elite offensively, but so is New England, if healthy. They have Gronk, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and a rejuvenated Steven Jackson on offense. But, their O line is very bad and are Gronk, Edelman and Amendola really healthy. Also, Brady took a hit in the Miami game, so who knows if he'll be one hundred percent. Neither of these teams are great on defense, but the Patriots are better. That won't matter because no one can guard Antonio Brown. Sorry New England, but the Steelers will steal this game in Foxborough and head to the AFC title game. Final score, 35-30.

The NFC will feature Green Bay-Carolina and Minnesota-Arizona. Carolina is on fire right now. They're 15-1, they have the MVP in Cam Newton, they have decent and very tall receivers and they have a pretty great defense. They also control the clock with their elite run game. Green Bay is a sitting duck. They've already been beaten once by Carolina this year, one of two teams with a winning record that Carolina has beaten, and they have not learned a thing from that game. Green Bay's season will end and it won't be pretty. Cam Newton is playing fantastic football and they will grind this game out and walk away with an easy victory. Carolina wins 20-7. Arizona and Minnesota will also be a blow out. Arizona has a better defense, a better QB, an equally as good run game and much, much better receivers. Carson Palmer in the runner up MVP and playing some of the best football of his career. Larry Fitzgerald has morphed into the best blocking receiver and best slot guy in all of football. David Johnson has filled in quite nicely for Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington and their offensive line is the best in the NFL. Minnesota had a good run, but it ends in resounding fashion in Arizona. Cardinals win 35-10.

Now we are down to four teams. In the AFC championship we have Denver-Pittsburgh. One relies on offese, the other on defense. Denver has some great corners capable of shutting down Antonio Brown, but I feel like typical Broncos will show up and blow this game. They should win easily. They can rely on their run game to chew clock and keep Pittsburgh offense off the field, but John Elway, Gary Kubiak and Peyton Manning will try to win with Manning being the hero and it will back fire. This game will be close, but Pittsburgh will pull it out and win 27-20. Arizona and Carolina could be a close game, but it won't. Carolina will finally see up close and personal what a real NFL team looks like, with a real offense and a legit defense. They will shut Newton down, they will force them to pass and that will cause turnovers. On offense, Arizona will do whatever it wants. This will be a runaway for the Cardinals. Arizona wins 38-14.

So that leaves us with a Pittsburgh-Arizona rematch in Super Bowl 50. Arizona has the one corner, Patrick Peterson, that can actually give Brown some trouble. They also have an offense that will light up a weak Pittsburgh defense. This game also has the makings of a blowout. I think it will be close until midway through the third quarter and Arizona will run away with the game. Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald will finally get their rings and Bruce Arians will be recognized as one of the best coaches in the NFL. Cardinals roll to a Super Bowl win, final score 35-20.

I feel good about this one.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He is working on a fifth alarm for his big game four alarm chili. 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

Ty's NFL Preview 2015: AFC

Ty is set to watch some NFL foot... wait, why the hell is his drink green?

Ed Note: We will break Ty's NFL preview up into three parts. Today we give you the AFC, tomorrow the NFC, and then the Super Bowl and awards.

On the heels of my 2015 college football preview, I'll be doing my first annual, "Ty's NFL Preview".

Much in the same vain as the college preview, I'll pick division winners, two wild cards from each conference, the teams that will play in the conference championship games, the Super Bowl winner and the offensive and defensive players of the year. Hell, I'll even throw in my pick for coach of the year and offensive and defensive rookies of the year. No preseason bull shit, because, just like the preseason poll in college football, preseason in the NFL doesn't mean anything to anyone that's watching. Preseason is more for players trying to make teams. And, no matter how terrible of a commissioner Roger Goodell is, I've mentioned how bad he is many times on the site, NFL football is the most popular sport in America and I love it just as much as any other fan out there.

So, let's get started. First, I'll break down the AFC. I'll start with the AFC East. The AFC East consists of the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and defending super bowl champs, the New England Patriots. The Bills had a pretty wild offseason. First, their former coach, Doug Marrone, quit out of nowhere, He led this team to 9 wins last season, with no decent QB, and just up and quit. It made no sense to me. So, the Bills hired Rex Ryan after he was fired by the Jets. I don't like this hire because I don't think Rex Ryan is a good head coach. He knows a lot about defense, but basically doesn't care or seem to know anything about offense. They also traded a linebacker, Kiko Alonso, to the Eagles for one of the top running backs in the league in LeSean McCoy. He didn't want to sign long term, but eventually did. They also signed supreme douchebag, Richie Incognito one year after his suspension for bullying. Like I said, a bizarre offseason. The Bills, I think, will look like the same team they did last season. They'll have a good running game, a good defense and no passing game whatsoever. They have no capable QB's on their roster and, with the exception of Sammy Watkins, no threats at receiver. I say 8 or 9 wins for the Bills. The Miami Dolphins made the biggest splash in free agency by bringing in Ndomakong Suh. They gave him a HUGE contract, but the guy is the best interior defensive lineman in the league. On offense they will look much the same, led by Ryan Tannehill at quarterback. They seem like a team on the rise and I think they're New England's biggest threat in the East. They could easily win 10,11 or even 12 games this year and possibly win the division. The New York Jets are a complete mess. First of all, their best defensive player, Sheldon Richardson, decided to drive his car 143 mph on the highway, and to top it off, he had guns in that car. He may never play football again. Next, a back up linebacker sucker punched starting QB Geno Smith in the jaw over what appears to be a $600 debt and he's out, at least 6-10 weeks. They have no real running game, the QB situation will be taken over by Ryan Fitzpatrick, and their defense, while solid, is only getting older, and they don't have Richardson clogging up the middle. I'd be surprised if they won 6 games this year. This brings me to the defending champions, New England Patriots. They've had an odd offseason as well. The main thing being the stupid non story of "deflategate". Another huge error in judgement from the moronic Roger Goodell. Tom Brady is supposed to miss the first four games of the season, we'll see if that holds up, and I think this will hurt the Patriots more than most. Jimmy Garroppolo may be good in a few years, but he's not ready. The Patriots do have a good running game and you can line up Rob Gronkowski against almost anyone and I'd take him, but their defense is suspect and can lose games for them. Darelle Revis also left to sign with the Jets this offseason, and that will sting. I still see the Patriots winning 10 or 11 games if Brady only misses 1 or 2 games. If he misses all four, they're more like an 8 or 9 win team to me. For that reason alone, I'm picking the Miami Dolphins to win the AFC East.

Next, The AFC North. In the North we have, the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. The Ravens are a decent football team. They have a great defense, they always do, and are led on offense by Joe Flacco. That's a good and a bad thing. When he's good, he can be great, but when he's bad, he's really bad. One week he will throw for 350 yards and five touchdowns, but the next week, he'll go for less than 100 yards and 3 or 4 interceptions. But, the Ravens find ways to win 10 games every year and I don't see that changing this season. The Pittsburgh Steelers have to deal with a suspension to running back LeVeon Bell, only two games, but it will still hurt. They still have Ben Roesthliberger at QB, but he's old and, while never the fastest guy out there, seems to get slower every season. Antonio Brown is a great receiver, one of the best in the league, and will stretch the field on defenses all season. The Steelers should be good for 9 to 11 wins this season. The Cincinnati Bengals are a very predictable team. They will look very good at times. Andy Dalton will be a decent QB, but make his typical mistakes. AJ Green is an electric receiver and catches some of the worst throws in the NFL and Giovanni Bernard is going to be a star. Their defense is worrisome. They got older and their big off season acquisition of AJ Hawk doesn't make them any better. He's old and the rest of that defense is getting older. They will be good for 10 or 11 wins and probably crap out in the first round of the playoffs again. Last, and certainly least, is the Cleveland Browns. They're a joke of a franchise and be it Johnny Manziel(please God no!) or Josh McCown at QB, it doesn't matter, the Browns stink. They have no receivers, no real running game, and stink on defense. If they win 5 games I will be shocked. This division will be tough, minus the Browns, but this seems to be Pittsburgh's last shot and I think they win 11 games and the division.

Next we have the AFC South. This is a division with one, maybe two real teams, but really, the South is owned by the Indianapolis Colts. Their only real threat in the Houston Texans, and that's a reach. There's also the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans. The Jaguars upgraded their offense by signing Julius Thomas, but Blake Bortles needs at least one more season to get his feet wet and the defense isn't ready yet. It will be another 4 or 5 win season for the Jaguars. The Titans are being led by a rookie QB in Marcus Mariota, and while he may be good, when your team is being led by a rookie, with no weapons on offense around him, it's going to be a long, tough season. Their defense is pretty awful as well. They'd be lucky to win 3 or 4 games this year. The Texans have one of the best defenses in the league, led by all world defensive end JJ Watt. They are pretty stout on the line, have good linebackers and a pretty decent secondary. Offense is where the problem lies. They do have a good running back in Arian Foster, when he's not hurt, and a great up and coming receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, but who's going to be the QB? Ryan Mallet or Brian Hoyer are the two choices, and I don't think either of them have played, or are good enough to win in this league. The Texans will be better, but anything more than 9 wins would be surprising. The Colts are the class of the division. They have an explosive offense led by Andrew Luck. They have receivers like TY Hilton and signed Andre Johnson this offseason. They do a running back by committee, but this is a passing offense. Their defense is bend, but don't break and they play it very well. The Colts will win 12 games easily this season and win the AFC South running away.

The final division  is the AFC West. This is another two team division, but can anybody really beat the Denver Broncos. Their only competition will be the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers drafted Melvin Gordon this draft and he will be a big upgrade for them at the running back position. They just locked down Phillip Rivers to a long term deal and he is a great QB in this league. Their defense in just okay. They will win at least 10 games this season, but the 4 game suspension to Antonio Gates will hurt their passing game. The Broncos are led by Peyton Manning. He's one of the best QB's of all time and he continues to churn out 4,000 yard and 35 touchdown seasons. Montee Ball should bounce back after an injury plagued, subpar season. While they lost Julius Thomas, they still have Demayrius Thomas and a bunch of other great receivers. The defense is led by Von Miller, and they are stout in all three phases of defense. Hiring Gary Kubiak won't change this team much at all. They should be a 12 or 13 win team again. The other two teams in the division are the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs are competitive, but they are pretty stale. Alex Smith is not a great QB, they don't score with their passing game, and there's only so much Jamal Charles can do. Their defense is okay, but not great. 8 or 9 wins is their best possible outcome. The Raiders are still a joke, but they seem like they're trying to get better. Derek Carr could still be a good QB and drafting Amari Cooper and signing Michael Crabtree will help. The running game is still a work in progress. The defense is not that good and that will keep them back. But, linebacker Khalil Mack is going to be a star in this league. 5 or 6 wins would be a good season for the Raiders. The Broncos will continue to win this conference as long as Peyton Manning is the QB.

So, the four division winners, the Dolphins, the Steelers, the Colts and the Broncos will all be in the playoffs and the two wild cards will be, the Chargers and the Patriots. The Bengals and Ravens will get shut out. The Colts and Broncos will have the first round byes. The Chargers will beat the Dolphins and the Steelers will beat the Patriots. In the next round, The Colts will beat the Chargers and the Broncos will beat the Steelers. In the AFC Championship, the Colts will beat the Broncos and find themselves in the Super Bowl.

Come back tomorrow for some NFC action.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and co-host of the X Millennial Man podcast. Is he going to pick Green bay for the NFC, I think he is going to pick Green Bay. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.