Ty Ranks the 2023 NFL Teams: Is Pepsi Ok? Division

Welcome back to my NFL preseason rankings. I hope you all had a good, relaxing weekend. It is football time yet again. Let’s get to it.

At number 20 I have the New Orleans Saints. A lot of people think they are going to be better than I do. A lot of people seem to think that Derek Carr is going to be the answer they have been seeking at QB since Drew Brees left. I disagree. I do not think that Carr has any type of answer. He is too needy, too sensitive to the media and not a QB I would count on to lead any team on a deep playoff run. I kind of thought they were going to stick with Jameis Winston, and I thought that may be better. Alvin Kamara is still very good, but on the wrong side of his prime and he is going to miss some games at the start of the season due to suspension. Chris Olave was a great draft pick, had a good rookie year and should build on that. Michael Thomas is back as well, but he is, much like Kamara, is on the far other side of his prime. They have brought back Jimmy Graham, but he is clearly going through some stuff. And I don't think Taysom Hill has any kind of answer. The o line is fine. The defense has taken some chances in the draft, but no one has lived up to the hype yet. Cam Jordan is good, but old. Tyrann Matieu gave his best years to the Chiefs. Marshon Lattimore has skills and looks to be the best of the defensive players they have drafted as of late. The rest of the defense is kind of unknown. The Saints have a solid roster on paper, and they play in the worst division in football, but I do not trust Derek Carr, don't like that Kamara is injured, their best receiver is young and defense is not the best. Eight wins may win this division, but the Saints will be lucky to get that many wins at all. I think their ceiling is seven wins.

At number 19 I have my team, the Green Bay Packers. I am so very stoked that they finally got rid of Aaron Rodgers. I was stoked when the trade finally happened. I was ready to move on from him years ago. Jordan Love takes over, and while he is not an upper tier QB, if he can manage games well enough the Packers could surprise. I still have faith, although it is dwindling, in the backfield duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Aaron Jones has definitely had his best years already, and Dillon needs more touches. But I like that they have two good running backs. The wideout position has changed, but I like the youth forward look. Romeo Doubs has potential. Christian Watson has the tools to become elite. Luke Musgrave could be a solid tight end. And the o line is still very elite, but has to deal with injuries far too much. The defense has always been this team's problem though. Rashan Gary is an awesome edge rusher, but he is never fully healthy. Preston Smith is a great pass rusher and QB sacker, but he is a zero in coverage. Jaire Alexander is amazing, but he is not an upper level corner back. Darnell Savage can hit, but cannot cover consistently. Rasul Douglas can get some picks, but those usually come after a blown assignment. I can't trust this defense as much as I may want to. The Packers will not be great this season. I wouldn't be shocked if they only win five or six games. But to be rid of Rodgers makes all the difference in the world.

At number 18 I have the New England Patriots. I have never liked the Patriots, but I never really rooted against them either. I root against them now. I cannot stand Mac Jones and his rookie year is looking like a flash in the pan. He has struggled the past two years. They signed Ezekial Elliot, who I have never been a fan of and I fully believe his best days are behind him. The receiving corp is full of has-beens. JuJu Smith-Schuster has had one good season in his career. Davante Parker has done nothing since he was a Dolphin. I don't know a thing about Kendrick Bourne. Hunter Henry is cashed and the o line is a far cry from their Super Bowl days. The defense is what keeps this team ranked this high. Matthew Judon is awesome. Josh Uche is going to surprise a lot of people with his rushing ability. Jabrill Peppers is still kicking in the league. Kyle Dugger can play. Johnathan Jones is a skilled corner. The Patriots d is what keeps them ticking. That and Bill Belichek's punkass. The Patriots may not make the playoffs, but they will be a pain all season long for opponents.

The final team for the day, at number 17 I have the Cleveland Browns. The hype train is up and running once again for this team, but I am not buying it like I never did before. Deshaun Watson should not be in the NFL. He should be answering for the accusations he is facing from multiple women. He should be paying consequences for his actions. That is the only thing that seems fair. Nick Chubb is pretty awesome, but can he duplicate last season's success? That is going to be tough. Donovan Peoples-Jones is a solid wideout, but he is not a number one guy. Amari Cooper is past his prime, but can still run clean routes. David Njoku is an okay tight end, but he is what he is going to be in this league. The o line is fine. They did open up some big holes for Chubb last season. Myles Garrett is still the best dude on that d line, and one of the best in the league. He is incredible. Za'Darius Smith is there now, but this is something like his third team in four seasons. Denzel Ward seems closer to being done. Greg Newsome is talented but still hasn't shown his full potential yet. The Browns should be good. They should be a true playoff team, but you never know what you are going to get from this team, and I tend to believe they won't be as good as others think. But they could win nine or ten games and make the playoffs. Who knows.

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

Ty

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

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Ty's 2022 NFL Preview - The Over Hopped IPA Recommended by the Dude with a Beard Division

Welcome to day three of my 2022 NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 24 I have the Carolina Panthers. You may say, but Ty they now have two QB's. I'd come back with, yeah those two QB's are Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. Both guys have not been good. Both guys have been traded from their original teams. Both guys are more known for their on field issues. They are not the answer at QB. Then you might counter with, but Christian McCaffery is back. He is always, always injured. He has only ever put together one full season. I do not trust him one bit to stay on the field for a full season. Then it gets even worse for this team. The receiving corp is either bad or doesn't trust the new QB. I've never heard of the tight end. The O line is nameless as well. The defense has a few solid players, but two are injured already. Jaycee Horn is out for a bit and who knows how long Shaq Thompson will be out for. Brian Burns is solid, he just needs to put it together. The rest of the defense is very blah. The Panthers are going to get a front row seat to how overrated Baker Mayfield truly is. Matt Rhule also seems way over his head in the NFL. I bet he will find his way back to college after the Panthers win 6 or 7 games and miss the playoffs yet again this season.

At number 23 I have the New England Patriots. How the mighty have fallen. It does seem like maybe, just maybe Bill Belichek needed Tom Brady more than Brady needed him. Mac Jones is not the answer. Sure, he was a pro bowler last season, but who really cares. He has also looked lost this offseason. Damien Harris just retired, so they are left with Ty Montgomery and someone named Rhamondre Stevenson at running back. Yeesh. The receiving corps isn't great by any means. The O line is not even close to the strength it used to be. And this defense took a step back last season. They looked old and slow. Josh Uche could add a solid pass rush. Devin McCourty is still very solid in the secondary. But everyone is gone. They have either been traded or cut. This team is full of guys still trying to stick in the league, or are still very young. The Patriots are in a tough spot. They may finish last in their division. I see only 7 wins, tops, for this team.

At 22 I have the New Orleans Saints. Jameis Winston is hurt. Andy Dalton is the backup. Oof magoof. Alvin Kamara may get suspended and Mark Ingram is his backup. Michael Thomas missed all of last season and who knows what he will play like this season. Chris Olave has great potential, but I don't know if he will see tons of targets. Jarvis Landry is washed. The O line is good, but not great. The Saints defense has never been a strength. They do have good players, but not a collection of good players. Cam Jordan is a very good D end, but he is old. Tyrann Mathieu is incredible, but he is also old. Marcus Davenport needs to step it up. Paulson Adebo is taking over for a high pick. I would hope, if I were a fan, that this team could put it together, but there are far too many question marks. This is a 8 win team who will miss the playoffs again. They are still rebuilding, even if they won't admit it.

The final team today, at number 21 I have the New York Jets. Will the Jets ever figure it out? Zach Wilson just had surgery and apparently he likes to hook up with his mom's friends. Look it up. Breece Hall was great in college, but I don't know if he will figure it out in the NFL. Garret Wilson was a very good pick. It seemed like the Jets actually did the smart thing with this pick. But Elijah Moore and Corey Davis are not great. Their O line is fine. The defense got a great pick in Sauce Gardner at corner. He has the potential to be a shutdown corner in the league. CJ Mosley is a very good linebacker. Quinnen Williams is a solid interior D lineman. The Jets have some really good pieces in defense. This should be their strength. If Zach Wilson plays better and Breece Hall can be an every down back and if Garret Wilson can get some targets the Jets can win some games. I could see them winning 8 or 9 games. I really like this defense. That is why I think they can win more than others.

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Ranks the 2021 NFL Teams - Out of Contention By Thanksgiving Division

Welcome to day three of my NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 24 I have the Carolina Panthers. This team is in what should be a rebuild. They need to start over. After they let Cam Newton walk they should have torn down the whole thing. Instead they gave Christian McCaffery a humongous salary and he proceeded to tear his ACL. Then they let Teddy Bridgewater leave and opted to sign Sam Darnold. They have no real number 1 or number 2 receiver. The O line is very bland. I thought Darnold was going to figure things out, but ever since the "I'm seeing ghosts" thing was plastered all over TV and the internet, he never recovered. He hasn't had a great camp by all accounts. I'm not a big proponent of giving running backs big money, and the Panthers are dealing with that problem as we speak. McCaffery is coming off a big injury, and while I really enjoyed Chubba Hubbard in college, he missed time last season and he needs to develop. DJ Moore is not the dude at receiver, and he is their best option. The defense is not so great either. Luke Keuchly retired, rightfully so, and some of the dudes they have taken a chance on haven't panned out. I still think Brian Burns has the potential to be a very good edge rusher, but he is about it. Shap Thompson and Jeremy Chinn could be good, but they haven't shown much of anything yet. Hasson Redick is getting a second chance after not doing much in Arizona, but I just do not see it with him. The Panthers will not win much until they get a decent QB.

At number 23 I have the Detroit Lions. The Lions traded oft injured, much maligned Matthew Satfford for a clone in Jared Goff. Goff has been the QB of a team that made it to the Super Bowl, but that was based on the running game and the defense. I do like that Goff is younger, but he doesn't have the arm that Stafford has. He is also less mobile, and Stafford isn't very mobile. I did not like this trade at all. I do not think Lions fans are stoked about it either. I will miss Jamal Williams in Green Bay, but the fact that he isn't starting in Detroit is crazy to me. Deandre Swift is fine, but Williams is better, and more deserving of the starting role. Breshad Perriman had moments in Baltimore, and I do really like Amon-Ra St Brown, but they do not have the good, not yet, to be number one wideouts, especially with a QB like Goff throwing to them. The O line is fine, but it doesn't matter. The defense is not awful but not good. Jeff Okudah had a rough rookie year. Jamie Collins has already played his best football. Trey Flowers could be solid. I like Da'Shawn Hand but he cannot stay healthy. The team has some dudes, but they are past their prime or not ready yet. This is a five or six win team at best.

My number 22 team is the New Orleans Saints. That may seem low, but Drew Brees retiring and Michael Thomas not talking to the team has made a big impact on me. This team is going to find it tough to get back to contention. The fact that they did not go after a QB in free agency and decided to pay Taysom Hill and keep Jameis Winston was a big mistake. They will regret it for sure. Hill is no more than a gimmick and Winston has shown minimal flashes but also has shown that he does not have what it takes to win important games. I'd be frustrated as hell if I were Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. They chose to stay and now they have no real QB to get them the ball. Kamara will still do what he does, but it will be tough because he will be the focal point of every defense they face. Thomas may not play this year, we do not know, and that is a bummer for the Saints. The O line is good, which is a luxury, but they have a whole new QB to break in. As for the defense, they have gotten better, and with the uncertainty at QB, I think the defense will be their best unit. Cam Jordan is elite. Marshon Lattimore is a shutdown corner. Kwon Alexander is a good linebacker. And I really like Marcus Davenport. I kind of look at them like a little better version of the Jets. The defense is good, they will keep them in games, but the offense will not be as potent as they have been in the past. That will be their undoing. I think six wins is the ceiling.

The final team for today, coming in at number 21, I have the New York Giants. This is the year to see if Daniel Jones is the guy. I thought they drafted him way too early, he has not been that good yet and he has weapons that should benefit him. I do not think much of him though, and that is why I have them so low on my list. They'd be lower if they weren't in such a bad division. Saquon Barkley is back, and that is awesome. I hope he stays healthy because he is a joy to watch. He is not only a great running back, but he is a good pass catcher, a solid and willing blocker and an electric return man. He just has to stay healthy. I like the Kenny Golladay pick up, Sterling Shepard is a fantasy stud and Evan Engram is a great modern tight end. The O line is also sufficient. Again, my only problem with the offense is Jones. I have zero faith in him. The Giants defense is quietly solid. Jabrill Peppers is decent. Leonard Williams is an upper tier D lineman. Logan Ryan is a nice secondary piece. Blake Martinez is an okay linebacker. They have guys that can play. The defense should be in the top fifteen of the league. This team could win their division or they could win five games. I like to split down the middle and say they will win six or seven games. I have that little trust in Daniel Jones. He is not good and that is why they will once again miss the playoffs.

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

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.

Thoughts on the Early Playoff Exits of the Saints and Patriots

As stated yesterday, I still want to talk about what happened to both, the Patriots and the Saints this past weekend. I promise I will get to something other than football this week, but I have to talk about these 2 teams getting beat.

Lets start with the Saints. First and foremost, and I think even RD would admit this, the Saints got hosed in overtime yet again. Now, that didn't cause them to lose the game. Not at all. Their play the whole game caused that. They looked awful, especially compared to how they played to close out the regular season. The defense was solid, but their offense was nonexistent. Also, why didn't they at least try to score a TD at the end of regulation? I don't understand why they didn't run one more play to the end zone, but that is that I guess. But Drew Brees played bad, the O line opened no holes for Kamara and they just seemed like they went out there and expected the Vikings to roll over. And props to the Vikings. They made the game ugly and slow and plodding and ran and ran and ran. I don't give Kirk Cousins the credit, maybe because I dislike him so much, but this win was due to Dalvin Cook. Cook is a beast out of the backfield. The fact that he played so well, while being hurt, that is admirable. I have all the respect for him, and the way their defense played, which was shorthanded in the secondary. The Vikings did enough to win the game. But, lets get real for a second. I mean, Kyle Rudolph pushed off. There is no way he catches that pass if he doesn't extend his arm. The Vikings would've kicked a field goal if the play was called correctly, and the Saints would have, at least, had a chance. The Saints might be the cursed franchise of the late 2000's, and now early 2020. They blew it against the Vikings two years ago, the Rams got away with a blatant pass interference, and then Sunday happened. This looks like the end for them as well. Brees is old, and unless they can retain Teddy Bridgewater, they may be in the market for a new QB for the first time in forever. I truly thought they had the goods to win the Super Bowl, but I was wrong.

Now for the Patriots. First and foremost, I was thrilled, absolutely thrilled, especially for a person who had no skin in the game, that the Patriots got beat at home by the Titans. It was tremendous. Bill Belichick got outcoached by a former assistant, the vaunted Patriots D couldn't stop Derrick Henry, who is amazing and their offense was absolutely atrocious. I'm stoked that someone other than Tom Brady and the Patriots will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. But what does this mean for the Patriots now? Will Brady leave? Is Josh McDaniels going to finally leave the nest and take a head coaching job elsewhere? What will Belichick do, besides being a curmudgeon? And how many "happy endings" did Robert Kraft go out and get after that game Saturday night? I kid on that, but I bet he did anyway. But let me try and answer the other questions I put out there. So, first of all, the Patriots are one of the most dominant dynasties in any pro sport ever. Sure, they cheated, big time, but they won a ton of Super Bowls, and went to plenty. This all started when I was a freshman in college, and now I am a husband and father of two, and it looks like it may be finally over. As for Brady, I think he return next season, and I wouldn't be shocked if it is with New England. But I think a lot of that depends on McDaniels. If he stays, I think Brady is a shoe in to stay. If he goes, I bet Brady will actually dip his toe into free agency for the first time. I don't know what team he would want to play for, that will also pay him a crap ton of money. He is a name, but he is also 42 years old. He will be 43 next season. So, I don't think he will want to go to a team that isn't a contender. I have heard people talk about Miami or the LA Chargers. I don't think he wants to go to a team that may not make the playoffs. I have also heard the Bears as a possibility. They seem to have all the pieces to contend, but they just said they are sticking with Trubisky. But, if they have a shot to sign Brady, I'd say to go for it. But again, he will be 43. And the Bears really struggled this past season. Outside of those teams, no other team that is a contender needs a 43 year old QB. The Ravens are set, as are the Chiefs. The Rams, unfortunately, paid Jared Goff a kings ransom. The Seahawks have Wilson, the Packers have Rodgers, the Cowboys have Prescott and a new coach. Even the Titans seem content to move forward with Ryan Tannehill. If I had to guess, if Brady comes back, I say he stays in New England. Which leads me to McDaniels. I think he is so afraid to fail again, much like he did in Denver, that he is going to stay and wait out Belichick. I assumed last year, after he accepted, then declined the Colts opening, that he was told he could be the next head coach of the Patriots when Belichick leaves. I also think he is a coward and not prepared to be a head coach. He is a gimmicky coach, and his offense has only ever worked with Brady. He couldn't do it in Denver, and with all the openings started to get filled by other coaches, I think he ends up staying in New England as well. As for Belichick, just like with Brady and McDaniels, I think he wants to try and run it back one more time. I think he knows that his defense is elite, and if he can get some outside help for Brady, possibly AJ Green, the Patriots can go right back to the Super Bowl. As much as I wished this was the end, I think they are willing to run it back one more time. Maybe, hopefully, it will end like this season, but you never know, especially with the ability to bring in new players. I do think after next season, changes will be plentiful in New England. But for now, I bet they run it back one more time. But at least they got beat this year, and we won't have to watch another boring ass Super Bowl featuring the Patriots. I can take hollow joy in that for now.

Well, onto the next round.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Picks the 2019 NFL Winners

Wrapping up my 2019 NFL preview, today I am going to pick division winners, AFC and NFC title matchup and Super Bowl matchup, and winner. I will also pick the big awards like, coach of the year, offensive and defensive MVP, overall MVP and offensive and defensive rookies of the year. Unlike the past, I will not do a deep dive into each division because that seems pointless. I did just count down all 32 teams, and gave reasons for why I have them where I have them. So, lets get to it.

As always, I will start in the AFC, and that means the AFC East is up first. This is the, I think, 4th year that I have done this, and once again, I am going with New England. They are the best team in the division, and they have zero competition from the other three teams. This may be their last hurrah, but the Patriots are as close to a shoe in as you get in the modern NFL. The AFC West is a teensy bit better, they at least have 2 teams that I think will be in the mix all year, but I am going with the Chiefs. I had them as my number 1 overall team for a reason. The Chargers will fight, and may even lead the division for a hot second, but the Chiefs are so god damn explosive on offense, and their defense improved this offseason. The bottom of that division, Denver and Oakland, is going to be horrendously bad too. Chiefs all the way though. They are great. In the AFC North I have the Baltimore Ravens. This may cause people to yell at me, think I'm stupid or crazy, but I love what the Ravens are doing, and I think the rest of the division is not that good yet. Pittsburgh will take a step back, I don't buy the Cleveland hype and the Bengals are going to be awful. I do however love me some John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson and Earl Thomas and the fact that the Ravens want to run the ball a billion times and win with defense. I think it will be ugly, and it may only take 10 wins, but I have the Ravens winning the North. And in the AFC South, I'm going with the Colts. This will be the toughest division to win in the AFC, but I feel like the Colts are back to being a perennial playoff team, and division winner. The Texans will be their biggest threat, and don't sleep on the Titans. But, I just think with Luck back, and Frank Reich leading the way, and that young defense already being so good, they will take the division.

So that leaves me with Indy, Kansas City, New England and Baltimore as playoff locks. My two wild cards are Houston and the Chargers. In the AFC title game, I think it will be the Chiefs and Patriots, and this time, the Chiefs won't get hosed by the refs, and they will be able to stop some big pass plays. The Chiefs will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Now to the NFC. Lets start in the East here. I'm going with Philadelphia. Like I said in my preview, on paper, they may have the best team, and they have the best team by far in this division. The Cowboys will step back with or without Ezekial Elliot, Washington is awful and the Giants are worse. Philadelphia has about as easy a route as the Patriots in this division. The NFC West is a complete joke of a division, and the Rams will use that to coast to another title. The Cardinals are breaking in an overrated, and not deserving new head coach, and Kyler Murray is a rookie. The 49ers are more overrated than the Browns and the Seahawks have no one besides Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner. The Rams can sleepwalk their way to another division title. The NFC North will be very, very tough, except for the Lions. I feel like Green Bay, Minnesota and Chicago will all have winning records. In the end, I like to go with defense, but that doesn't mean I am picking the Bears. I'm actually going to go with the Vikings, as much as RD might disagree with me. This is a put up or shut up year for them, and I think they will respond, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But Green Bay and Chicago will be right there all year. In the NFC South, it is all about the Saints. They have almost as much talent on offense as the Chiefs do, and they can put up points. They do need to be better defensively, and I think they will be. The Panthers will be a big challenge to them I think. The Falcons window has closed, and Tampa Bay is a joke of an NFL team. The Saints should, fairly easily I might add, win this division, and be primed for a big run in the playoffs.

So, that leaves me with the Saints, Vikings, Rams and Eagles as locks for the playoffs. The wild card is a bit harder for me in the NFC, but I will go Chicago, sorry Green Bay, I just don't like the Matt LaFleur hire, and I'll go with the Panthers to get back in the playoffs this year. As far as the NFC title game goes, I think we will see Rams-Saints part 2, but this time the Saints will get some revenge, and it won't come down to a blown non call by the refs. I feel like the Saints will smash them.

That means I have the Saints and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. I hope this happens because that game would be exciting as hell. And, I'm going to go with the Saints to win, and my shocker pick of the year, I think Drew Brees will retire after the game if they do win. I just don't trust Andy Reid, and Sean Payton is a hell of a coach, especially in big time games. Patrick Mahomes will get his eventually, but every super star has to go through bumps before they get their championship. This will, most likely, be his last bump before that.

Okay, on to the awards. Coach of the Year I'm going to go with Mike Zimmer. I think the Vikings will be much better, and it will be because he gets that defense to play at a championship level again. Offensive MVP, I'm going with Mahomes. I told you all yesterday that I think 5,000 yards and 50 TD's will be his new norm. He will continue to put up "video game" numbers for awhile. Defensive MVP will be Aaron Donald. The guy is simply amazing, and he alone will do what Khalil Mack did last year for the Bears. Aaron Donald is awesome. Offensive Rookie of the Year will be Kyler Murray, and I think he will win it on the strength of his first 3 or 4 games. He is going to put up ridiculous numbers because of that gimmick offense, but teams will figure it out. But, if he already has 12 TD passes, and something like 1,200 yards after week 4, he will be a lock. Defensive rookie of the Year is going to go to my favorite player in the draft last year, the good Josh Allen. He is going to fly all over the field for the Jaguars, and he will bring back a little bit of that "Sacksonville" feel from 2 years ago. Finally, overall MVP. I'm going to double dip here, and go with Mahomes to win it again. He is on a whole other level, and his numbers are going to be insane. He is the new generation of QB in the NFL.

Okay, there it is, my entire 2019 NFL preview and predictions Come back tomorrow when I deep dive into college football, my favorite sport to watch.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Every year Ty seems to pick the Vikings to edge out the Packers, and every year some other overachiever takes the NFC North crown. Is this the year of the Lions? Is it ever the year of the Lions?

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Ty Ranks the 2019 NFL Teams: Perfect Pepperoni Pizza Division

Today is the final day of my 2019 NFL countdown. I'm not done with the NFL after today though. I will come back tomorrow with my division winners, Super Bowl matchup, champ and award winners, and on Friday I will be writing one of my favorite pieces, my 2019 college football preview. But, today I will give you my final four NFL teams going into the 2019 season.

Coming in at number 4 I have the defending champs, the New England Patriots. Part of me was kind of shocked that I didn't have them as my number one overall team. I mean, they seem to be in the hunt every year, or at least since 2001, when Tom Brady took over as the QB. The Patriots, as much as I dislike them, are the biggest, flashiest and best dynasty of the 21st century. In any professional sport. I don't think anyone could argue that. In an era of cap space, player movement and coaching changes, they remain the one constant. But, they are getting older, and at some point, old age wins out. This team will not be this great for much longer, possibly only one or 2 more years. I know they just gave Brady an extension, but he will be 44 when that contract is up. I genuinely feel that this is it for him as the best QB in the game. I truly believe that he is the greatest QB that has ever played, but every great before him slowed down when they turned 40. Joe Montana, while still solid as a Chief, wasn't as great. Dan Marino aged poorly. We are watching guys like Eli Manning regress right now. Brett Favre was never the same, even with that one year in Minnesota, as he was with the Packers. The Broncos won a Super Bowl in spite of Peyton Manning. These things happen, and it will happen to Brady very soon. It will also happen with Julian Edelman, who is not a hall of fame player no matter what the Boston media tells you. Sony Michel is a good back, but how good will he be without Brady. Rob Gronkowski retired, but who really cares? They have an okay o line. They will still be good this year, but they have holes. Their defense is a true bend, but don't break defense. They will give up a ton of yards, but they will make it tough for you to score in the red zone. Just ask the LA Rams about that. I do like that they signed Michael Bennett, but I was wrong about him last year. And they took Chase Winovich in the third round, and while I think he will be a fine rush end, I don't see him becoming a star. I do like that they are giving N'Keal Harry a shot. He has the look and feel of a solid wide out. The Patriots are going to be good this year. Hell, they may even make another Super Bowl. But, they are older and that means key guys could miss time. Still, they will win their trash division with ease, and probably win 12 games during the regular season.

At number 3 I have a team that I seriously flirted with putting number one, the New Orleans Saints. The Saints are a very, very good team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Drew Brees is another one of these older QB's, but he gets rid of the ball so fast, and he is deadly accurate, that he doesn't take too many hits. He has one of the better receivers in the game locked up now in Michael Thomas. This offense is so perfect for him, and he is the man at wide out for the Saints. Alvin Kamara is fast becoming one of my favorite NFL players, and he is the prototype modern NFL back. While guys like Ezekial Elliot and Melvin Gordon are holding out or asking for trades, Kamara is surpassing them in every category, and he is the one dude I would want if I were starting a NFL team today. He can run, catch passes and is blazing fast. Their o line can protect when needed. And Sean Payton is an offensive guru. Maybe the best in the league. Their defense is why I have them at 3, and not 1. They got so much better last season, but they still have lapses. They still have moments that make you shake your head. And you cannot always rely on your offense to bail you out. Sometimes that defense will have to make plays. I think they can get better, but I am still a little wary of how good they can be. The Saints also play in a tough division, and it won't be as easy as last year was for them. I still think they will win the division, probably win 13 games, and be a real threat to be in the Super Bowl, but it all depends on how much that defense can improve from last year.

At number 2 I have the Philadelphia Eagles. This current construct of the roster reminds me so much of their Super Bowl winning team. I know that Carson Wentz hasn't been entirely healthy during his career, and Nick Foles kept this team afloat last year and won a Super Bowl for them, but Wentz is a better, and younger QB than Foles. If he can stay healthy, he will have a humongous year. It helps that he has abut 5 guys that can run the ball, a great group of receivers that know what to do and very, very, very good o line protecting him. The Eagles also have one of the most sound and devastating defenses in football. They can stop any team in the run and pass game. They can rush the passer. The linebackers can cover and hit. The secondary is lock down. The Eagles are a very good football team with solid depth and big name players. They also have a very good coaching staff, no matter what the people over at The Ringer say. The Eagles will coast in their division, and I wouldn't be shocked if they went 14-2 or 15-1. They are that good. They are a legit Super Bowl contender.

The final team on my countdown, coming in at number 1, coached by Andy Reid, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have the best offense in football. By about a thousand miles. Patrick Mahomes is the next generation of QB. He is the modern NFL QB. He can run, and he can fling it. I would not be shocked, at all, if 5,000 yards passing and 50 TD's is his new norm. He is so fluid and calm and collected in the pocket. And when he has to scramble, he does crazy shit like no look passes, and he hits receivers in stride. He is an amazing QB. I'm not a Chiefs fan, but I am a big time fan of watching Mahomes play QB. He has great protection from, maybe, the best o line in the NFL. He has awesome, and fast, wide outs. Travis Kelce is a much more fun version of Gronk. He is also about a thousand times more likable. They have guys that can run the ball, although it is very disturbing to me that the NFL is letting Tyreek Hill suit up this year. Their defense was the problem last year, but they went out and signed guys that will help, mainly Tyrann Mathieu. He was such a great addition for this team. They will now be able to get after the passer, but also be able to cover when they do have to go man. The Chiefs seem to have it all right now. The only question, how will an Andy Reid coached team perform with this high of expectations? Andy Reid is a good head coach, in the regular season. That is why I could see the Chiefs winning 14 or 15 games, and easily winning the division. But in the playoffs, he has had some horrid moments. Will that happen this year? Maybe. But, I think Mahomes is good enough to erase any of Reid's past antics and guide this team to a big time season. They are the team to beat in my opinion.

Okay, that is my 2019 NFL countdown. I'm sure some people are mad at me, think I was too soft on some teams and probably think I am crazy for thinking that the 49ers or Browns are still going to be not that good. We will see. Come back tomorrow for picks.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Every year sports guys like Ty keep waiting for Brady and Brees to get older, and every year those two guys keep proving us wrong. Makes you think.

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The NFL is Idiotic

Happy MLK Day everyone.

I come to you today to talk about the NFC and AFC title games yesterday. First off, both games were exciting. That is not to say that they were good, great or well played. They were both fun. But, both games had some serious issues, that are making me dislike the NFL more and more.

In the first game, Saints and Rams, there were mistakes made by both teams, poor play calling, star players not stepping up,  but most importantly, a horrific missed call that changed the game completely. The mistakes made by the Rams in the first quarter, and pretty much all of the first half, were bad. Goff's interception was horrendous, Todd Gurley couldn't catch the ball and their defense was a sieve. The Saints did their part to keep it close though. They couldn't really capitalize on the turnovers, they only scored 13 points in the quarter, when it could have, or should have, been 21, Drew Brees was awful, Michael Thomas was held in check and Mark Ingram couldn't run. The only Saints player that looked prepared was Alvin Kamara. Sean Payton's game plan was shit too. He couldn't move the ball at will like he did last time they played. Sean McVay wasn't much better. His offense was very blah and bland. For these 2 offenses to only combine for 49 points, that was a shock. With all that said, there is one thing we should be talking about.

That missed pass interference was atrocious.

The defender even admitted that he was interfering, saying he was just trying to stop a TD. For the refs to swallow their whistles in that moment, in New Orleans, when it could have iced the game, that was terrible. If I were a Saints fan today, I would be so irritated. The officials in football have gotten worse every year, and that no call was how bad they have truly become. Officials seem to think the fans are there to watch them and not the players, and when they had a chance to do something right, to make the correct call, they absolutely blew it. There was an official right there, there was one behind the play, both of them had 4 eyes on the play, and none of them blew their whistle or threw their flag. This completely changed the complexion of the game. The Saints had to settle for a field goal, the Rams tied it up, then won in overtime. 

Instead of the narrative being that Drew Brees is going to the Super Bowl at 40, Sean Payton is still a great offensive mind and Alvin Kamara's star is going to continue to shine, we are stuck having to hear about how Sean McVay is an "offensive genius" for 2 weeks now. And he did nothing to prove that. Goff was bad, Gurley was unplayable, the only receiver that showed up was Brandin Cooks, the Rams did not deserve that game. It was one of the worst no calls I've ever seen, and it totally changed this game. This is one of the few times that one single call truly changed the outcome of a game. I feel bad for Saints fans.

As for the AFC title game, it had one good quarter, that was it. The Patriots came out and decided to just run the ball, to keep it out of the Chiefs explosive offense's hands. And it worked. They dominated the ball and the game for a half. Even with Tom Brady looking a bit off, the Patriots were riding a 2 TD lead going into half.

Then things started to open up a bit. The Chiefs got the ball and scored right away. Patrick Mahomes looked more comfortable. The Chiefs were starting to stop the run. The Patriots did tack on a field goal, but the Chiefs went down and scored again to cut it to 3 with a quarter left.

But, and it wasn't as bad as the Saints game, the refs started to get involved. First off, Julian Edelmann touched that football. There is no denying it. Both of his thumbs touched the ball. But since he is on the Patriots, the refs, of course, gave him the benefit and said he didn't touch it. Brady did throw a pick though, and the chiefs turned it into a TD to take the lead. But no worries, the Chiefs defense regressed and couldn't stop the Patriots pass attack. They went right down the field and scored to take the lead. But so did the Chiefs. It was an exercise in defensive futility.

Just when I thought the Chiefs had the game in hand, going up 4 with about three minutes left, the Patriots, and the refs, changed all that. The roughing the passer call on the Chiefs was horrendous. That D tackle did not even touch Brady, maybe grazed his jersey, but since it caused him to overthrow the ball, the refs couldn't get their flags out fast enough. Then, Chris Hogan, who clearly dropped the ball, was given a gift when the review said he did catch it. If he caught that ball, then how did Dez Bryant and Calvin Johnson not catch the ball? Do you think it might be because they don't have Patriots written on their jerseys? I sure do.

Regardless of all this though, even after the Patriots scored, Mahomes and the Chiefs kicked a field goal to tie the game and send it to OT. This is where we get the dumbass NFL version of overtime. The fact that Mahomes and the Chiefs offense didn't even get to touch the ball is a crime. Sure, they should have stopped one of those third down plays, but give the offense a chance. The NFL needs to switch their rules. I do not like the newer rule of, if the team scores a TD the game is over. That is so unfair to the other team's offense. Just think if the NFL adopted the college football overtime rules. It would have been magical. As fun as that fourth quarter was, we could have gotten that times ten, if they played college overtime. Imagine the back and forth. But nope, the NFL is stupid and archaic and just way too stuck in their ways.

After watching these 2 games it was clear to me that the NFL clearly wanted the young hot shot team from LA to play the old, dynasty on the east coast. They really wanted the McVay-Belichek showdown. They want what they suspect to be the next dynasty playing the current dynasty.

I usually enjoy the Super Bowl regardless of who's playing. This year, I couldn't care less. I am so sick of watching the Patriots play, and I don't care about the Rams, and they shouldn't be there. The refs gave them that game. This Super Bowl, and all the stuff leading up to it, will be insufferable and boring. I'm already sick of all the stories that will come. I'm already tired of the "passing of the torch" stories that will be written and told. I'm over it. I'll watch the game because I am a football junkie, but that doesn't mean I won't complain about it, because it is going to be unbearable. I'd rather the Cubs win the World Series, or the Lakers win the NBA championship, than watch this Rams team lose to this Patriots team. It is some rough stuff.

Congratulations NFL, you got the matchup you wanted, and all it took was your terrible overtime rules and a horrendous, atrocious, disgusting and terrible no call. Oof magoof.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He loves hearing all the ESPN guys cover for the league and say that any game does not come down to one play. Here’s the facts, the NFC championship did get decided by one terrible call. Congrats on your continued idiocy NFL.

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Ty Ranks the 2018 NFL Teams: The First Pumpkin Spice Latte of the Season

Day 7 of my NFL preseason preview is starting to feature the best of the best. These teams are all playoff teams. These teams all have All Pro players. These teams all have solid coaching staffs, save the Packers, that are capable of leading the team to the title. They all have legit shots at the Super Bowl.

Lets get to it.

At number 8 I have the Atlanta Falcons. Yes, they took a step back last year. Yes, they blew a 25 point lead in the Super Bowl 2 years ago. Yes, they have some issues that they need to settle with Julio Jones. But, this team is good. They have a very solid QB in Matt Ryan. He is accurate, good in the pocket and throws for tons of yards and TD's. Matt Ryan is a good NFL QB. Hell, he won the MVP 2 years ago. He can play. He is also good in clutch moments. I like their running game. Tevin Coleman is a solid back that can kind of do a bit of everything. Devonta Freeman is a very solid number one running back. They have a great 2 headed monster. As mentioned, they have to get Julio Jones signed, and when they do, they are set at receiver. Jones is right up there with guys like Antonio Brown and Deandre Hopkins for me, and a whole lot of other people. I also love that they were able to draft Calvin Ridley. I feel like Ridley is going to be a great compliment to Jones. They also have Mohammed Sanu, and that dude is good. They are stacked at receiver. The Falcons defense is a bit suspect, but they were better last year. They can stop the run, but they struggle with the pass. They need to get a little better in the secondary, and I'd like for them to shore up their linebacker corps. But, they play just good enough to keep this team in the top ten. I also like the staff, with one exception. Steve Sarkisian shouldn't be an NFL play caller. Hell, he shouldn't be a college play caller. He is not very good at his job. But, the talent supersedes how bad of a play caller he truly is. The Falcons are good. They are a 10 win team easily. They will be in the playoffs.

At number 7 I have the New Orleans Saints. I was very low on them last year and they totally surprised me. They played very good football last year. They found a run game. They found a defense. And Drew Brees went out there and found another guy to turn into a star receiver. Michael Thomas, as much as it pains me to say this, is a legit top wide receiver threat. He is so good down the field and over the middle. He is awesome. Drew Brees has found another guy. Also, Drew Brees is still awesome at his advanced age. He is still a 4,500 yard passer, with a 70 percent completion rate and throws for 25 plus TD's every year. He is one of the best. What will make his career even longer is their newfound run game. Mark Ingram, who will miss the first 4 games after being suspended, played much better last year. He played like the bruising back that we all thought he would be coming out of Alabama. And they found another diamond in the rough in Alvin Kamara. He is the new Marshall Faulk. He is explosive out of the back field. He finds yards were there are no yards. He is excellent at catching balls out of the back field. Kamara is awesome and he will only get better and better. What was even more shocking was the Saints defense last year. They actually stepped up and held teams down. The Saints no longer have to score 40 or 50 points to win a game. They can play fast and slow now because the defense is that good. They can actually stop people. I don't know how Sean Payton did it, probably ridding himself of Rob Ryan, but he now has a defense that will help the offense. The Saints are good and will be a playoff threat as long as Kamara stays healthy. They are easily a 11-12 win team.

At number 6 I have the Green Bay Packers. As you may have saw at the top, I listed the Packers main weakness is coaching. Mike McCarthy is awful. I'm not super stoked about the Mike Pettine and Joe Philbin hires. I hope it works, but I am not optimistic about it. But, the Packers do get Aaron Rodgers back, and he is healthy. Rodgers is one of, if not the, best QB's in football. He is great on the run and in the pocket, has a laser arm and leads this team like no other. He is who they turn to when they are in trouble and need a play. He is the man in Green Bay. They let Jordy Nelson go, and I do not understand the outcry over this. He was always injured and it was becoming a problem. I know he was reliable, but he always missed time. The same can be said for Randall Cobb, but he is so much more explosive than Nelson. I would much rather have Cobb than Nelson right now in their careers. Cobb can also run trick plays. I also love Davante Adams. This is his year to become the number one receiver. He has all the tools, and I think he can have a great season. I also like Geronimo Alison. He has a chance to really make a name for himself. Also, the Packers went out and got Jimmy Graham. I know it doesn't hold the weight in may have 4 years ago, but I like it. I think Graham likes it too. He will be used properly in Green Bay. He could become the end zone threat that he was in New Orleans once again. The Packers need a better run game. I love that Ty Montgomery was willing to shift positions, and while he is an okay back, he is a receiver. That is where he should be. They have a bunch of young dudes, so maybe one of them will step up. But, the run game needs to get better. The Packers defense needs to get better too. They can get much better much faster if they somehow pull off a trade for Khalil Mack. I would jump for joy if this happens. I'm hoping it happens. They need a guy like Mack because they don't have much else. They are a poor pass rushing and run stopping team. They cannot set an edge, and linebackers overrun plays far too much. I do like the secondary, especially Tramon Williams, but they give up too many big plays. This Packers team reminds me of the Saints team when they had no defense. They will win double digit games if Rodgers stays healthy, but they will give up lots of points in doing so. The Packers will return to the payoffs though. Mark it down.

My final team for the day, at number 5, is the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think people are sleeping on a team that was 10 minutes away from playing in the Super Bowl last year. The Jaguars defense is, maybe, the best in the league. They are so young too. They will continue to dominate on that side of the ball, if they can keep most of these guys, for half a decade easily. I mean, Jalen Ramsey, AJ Bouye, Calais Campbell, Myles Jack and Barry Church are all awesome. They are all pro bowlers. They are all top 3 in the league at their positions. They are so, so, so good on that side of the ball. They can stop pretty much any team. They got screwed by the refs in the AFC title game last year, and they still held a league due to this defense. They are elite. The offense, on the other hand, is very bland. Blake Bortles is awful. They need to let it go. I know he was the QB in their run last year, but he is one of the worst starters in the league. Hell, he would have been one of the worst backups. He stinks. They do have a good O line though. They also have a great, young running back in Leonard Fournette. He is big, strong and fast. He needs to be more durable, but damnit, the kid can run the hell out of the football. I also like TJ Yeldon. He is a great change of pace back. The receivers unfortunately have Bortles throwing them the ball. Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook and Marqise Lee are all good, but they need a better QB throwing them the ball. The Jaguars are going to be a top team once again, and it is all due to the defense and run game. They need to lean on those 2 phases of the game. I do not think a return trip to the AFC title game is out of the question. I like the Jags so much, and it is solely due to their defense.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the top 4 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does not know the value of Bloke Bortles in a late season fantasy football run. The head editor used Bortles, and his 9 points per game, to eek out a championship last year.

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It Was an Almost Perfect Weekend of NFL Playoff Football

This past weekend of the NFL playoffs was pretty wild. Well, 3 of the 4 games were wild. Lets get the boring one out of the way first.

The Patriots throttled the Titans. I had a slight glimmer of hope that the Titans would make it a game when they went up 7-0 late in the first quarter. But, the Patriots, and almost more importantly, the refs, made that null and void pretty quick. Mariota regressed pretty quick after the first quarter. The Titans defense could not stop the Patriots offense. Making the Titans play from behind is how you beat them handily. And, as I said, the refs were atrocious. It seemed like anytime that the Titans would get a stop, a first down or even grab some momentum, the refs stepped in and gave it all back to the Patriots. When the score was 7-7 and the Titans were driving again, Eric Decker got called for an absolutely terrible offensive interference to kill the drive. Then, after stopping the Patriots deep in their territory, and forcing them to punt, a phantom offside call was made when it was clear that the Patriots jumped first. This resulted in another Patriots TD. Finally, on a fourth and one play, the Patriots tackled Derrick Henry by his facemask, but nothing was called. No flags, nothing. It was horrendous.

The other three games on Saturday and Sunday would not let the horrific mismatch and terrible reffing spoil some great games. Truth be told, I did not watch a second of Eagles-Falcons, I was at the movies watching the new "Star Wars" with my son. But, I caught up on the highlights, and that was some tremendous defense played by the Eagles. With that being said, Steve Sarkisian proved to be a terrible play caller, especially when they had four chances from the 9 yard line to win the game. But, the Eagles suffocated and stifled the Falcons offense all game. They did not give Tevin Coleman or Devonta Freeman any space to run the ball. The Falcons defense played good too, but they let Nick Foles do just enough to get the win. Matt Ryan also reverted to his poor decision making late in crucial moments. I fully thought that the Falcons were going to win, especially after how they manhandled the Rams, but the Eagles would not let it happen. While they didn't do much on offense, they did enough. And their defense was awesome. They deserved to win, and they earned it too.

The most surprising game for me was Pittsburgh-Jacksonville. I did not see any of the first half of this game, I was at a birthday party. But I would periodically check my phone to see the score. Every time I checked it, it seemed that the Jags scored another TD. When I first checked it was 14-0 early in the second quarter. About 15 minutes passed, I checked again, and it was 21-7. Then we left the party and I saw it was 28-14 at the half. I assumed that when we returned home and I turned on the game that the Steelers would have tied it or taken the lead. Well, they cut it to 7 in the third, but they never grabbed the lead. When it was 28-21, I figured this was where the Steelers would wake up and grab a stranglehold on the game. Well, the Jags immediately took the ball all the way down the field and Leonard Fournette ran in his third TD of the game. This was when I started to think that maybe the Jags were going to win this game. But, not to be denied, the Steelers had another miracle TD on a fourth and three play. Roethsliberger heaved the ball in the air and a very injured Antonio Brown made a great, great catch for a TD. They cut it to 7 again. I started to go back around to thinking that the Steelers were going to win. But again, the Jags got the ball, god help me, Blake Bortles made some plays, and they scored on an easy pass to a wide open fullback to get a 14 point lead again. I was amazed at how well the Jags looked on offense, but also how poorly the Steelers were playing defense. The Steelers still wouldn't go away, getting back to within 7.  But, to attempt an onside kick with 2 timeouts and 2 minutes and 18 seconds left in the game at home, was simply stupid. That was a horrific choice by all the coaches involved on the Steelers. This gave the Jags great field position and set them up for the easy 2 score lead again. The Steelers blew this game, they were definitely looking ahead to the Patriots, but props to the Jags for going into Pittsburgh twice this season and winning both times.

The game of the weekend, the playoffs and maybe in the past 5 or 6 years, was the Saints-Vikings game. This was, to use a cliché, a tale of 2 halves. The Vikings owned the first 2 quarters. They stopped everything the Saints wanted to do, and they moved the ball at will. They looked like they were going to win with ease, especially when they had a 17-0 lead at halftime. But, credit to the Saints for making adjustments and turning this into a game. Drew Brees was making some great, great throws in the second half. His pass to Alvin Kamara was amazing. Kamara was also amazing in the second half. He is going to be a star. Michael Thomas started to get much more involved. He now is in that conversation of second best wide out in the league, behind only Antonio Brown. The Saints defense also started to make plays. When they took the lead at 21-20, I thought the Vikings were in for another heartbreak in the postseason. But, to their credit they kept plugging away. They got the ball back, marched into field goal range and kicked the go ahead field goal with just over 2 minutes left. That was more than enough time for Brees to lead the Saints down into field goal range to kick and take the lead very late in the game. The Vikings got the ball back with about 40 seconds left, and one timeout, but I figured they were toast. I mean, one timeout, Case Keenum, Vikings postseason history, no real deep threats, everything was stacked against them. And that was how this final drive started. They had one chunk play, but they had to burn their last timeout, and they were so far out of field goal range and hail mary range, I didn't think it mattered. And the next 2 plays made me feel this even stronger. Keenum was throwing ducks and getting pressured. Everything pointed to another blown playoff game. Then third down happened. With less than 10 seconds left the Vikings snapped the ball, and a sports miracle happened. Keenum bought just enough time in the pocket and just chucked the ball in the air. Out of nowhere Stefon Diggs, who it looked like jumped about 20 feet in the air, snagged the ball and turned up field. The Saints safety, poor, poor Marcus Williams, went in for the hit, but he completely missed Diggs. This was the worst attempted tackle I have seen at any level. Williams, who had a great rookie year, and had played very well in the game up until this point, just completely whiffed. His head was down and I think he just assumed that he was going to run into Diggs. That didn't happen, and now there are about a thousand GIF's and meme's "commemorating" this missed tackled. After Diggs realized he wasn't going to get hit, he turned up the field and ran. I kept yelling, the Vikings bench too, "GET OUT OF BOUNDS!", thinking that the Saints had another safety deep. But, much to mine, and everyone else's surprise, there was no one there. Diggs could have waltzed into the end zone if he wanted. It was a truly amazing sports moments. It is one of the best endings to a game that I have ever seen. I could not believe that the Vikings won a game in this fashion. It was such an amazing ending. I'm still kind of in shock how that game ended.

This was, at least 3/4 of it was, a very great football weekend. It was fun to see the NFL be fun at least one time this year. I don't think it matters in the long run though. I still think we will get Patriots-Vikings in the Super Bowl, and I still think the Patriots will win. But, this past weekend made it fun to be an NFL fan for a couple days. Hopefully the conference championships will be half as good as this past weekend was. We will have to wait and see.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is used to seeing Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers pull out last second miracle wins. This year's Rodgers is Case Keenum and the Packers have become the Vikings. 

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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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Ty Ranks the 2016 NFL Teams: Day Old Donuts Edition

On to day three of my NFL preview. The next four teams are much better than the previous 8, but these teams have, at best, a slight chance of finishing at or above .500. Some were great a few years ago, others have potential, and some, they just haven't been up to snuff. Anyway, on with the countdown.

Coming in at number 24, I have the Atlanta Falcons. Man, this team is so, so much better on paper than they actually perform on the field. They should be at, or near the top of their division every season, but they, one way or another, always find a way to shoot themselves in the feet. They throw crucial pick sixes, fumble at inopportune times, or can't get that last stop that they need. Let's look at the offense first. They have, since Calvin Johnson may actually be retired, the best receiver in all of football in Julio Jones. Jones catches everything gets open in the smallest of cracks, is faster than almost everyone on the field, and has been very durable. But, after Jones, it gets a little suspect. Sure, Devonta Freeman exploded on the scene last year, becoming one of the best fantasy pick ups ever, but he faded at the end of the year, and I wonder if he was a one season wonder. I hope he's good, because I really like his game, but time will tell. Outside of Julio Jones, they don't have much at receiver. Roddy White is gone, and to take is place are guys like Muhammed Sanu and Devin Fuller. Those guys aren't, and probably don't have the potential to be, household names. Then, there is the conundrum that is Matt Ryan. He should be a great QB, but he seems more average to mediocre. Sure, he has some big passing numbers, but that is because of Julio Jones, not Matt Ryan. And this whole "Matty Ice" nonsense needs to stop. Yeah, he may have kept his cool under pressure in college, but he is an interception machine in the pros. He tries to fit passes into windows that no QB can. This may be the last we see of the Matt Ryan experience in Atlanta, and that maybe for the best. He just hasn't figured it out yet, and I don't think he will. On defense, they have big name guys, but no results. They can throw a Vic Beasley or a Courtney Upshaw or Adrian Clayborn out there, but these guys are stopping anyone. The Falcons give up a ton of points. They just don't have the necessary guys to truly stop anyone. Unfortunately Falcons fans, I think this team is a 6 win team again, blowing a lot of games late.

At number 23, I have the Miami Dolphins. Now, first things first, they could make me look like an idiot by making noise and leading that division after the first four games due to Tom Brady's suspension, but will they? I don't know. That is what is so frustrating about the Dolphins. I legitimately want to like them, but they are so hard to get behind. They have really good to great players on both sides of the ball, but they have nothing to show for it. This is the make or break year for Ryan Tannehill. I know they paid him a bundle, but if he doesn't perform this season, they may look to move on. Tannehill can't beat the good teams, and he plays down to lesser opponents. It's maddening watching someone who could be great play so poorly. Then, they have excellent receivers like Jarvis Landry and Davante Parker, but they are both under sized, and they have Tannehill throwing them the ball. That does not make for a great combination. I feel really bad for Jarvis Landry because he is very, very good. They went out and signed Arian Foster, who is great, but he simply cannot stay healthy. The offensive line made the best pick in the draft, grabbing Laremy Tunsil, but he is a rookie and it is always tough sledding for rookies. Then, on defense, they have guys like Ndamakong Suh, Cameron Wake, Kiko Alonso, Dion Jordan and they signed Mario Williams. Williams and Suh are household names, but they were both very subpar last year. Cameron Wake was hurt all year, so we will see how he comes back. Alonso and Jordan are young and fast, but very unproven. They have the names, but no results. Like I said, I could be way off, but I just don't see them taking the four game advantage because of their QB and running back situations. My gut tells me they finish 7-9 this year.

At number 22, I have the LA Rams, the team ripped away from Saint Louis so that douchebag Stan Kroenke could bet another million or so bucks. I was very high on this Rams team last year. I thought they had the potential to sneak into the playoffs. But, they under performed once again. They could not get anything going on offense, no matter how great Todd Gurley was. I love Gurley. I think he has the potential to be a big, big star. But, the rest of the offense, not so great. They will be starting number one overall pick Jared Goff at QB this year. You all know how I feel about rookies in the NFL, and I think Goff is going to be a major bust. He was another guy, a la Jay Cutler, that didn't really win in college, but for some reason, NFL scouts love him. sure he's tall, but his arm isn't great, and it will take him awhile to learn and deal with the speed in the NFL. His receivers are all downright crummy. I thought Tavon Austin would be good, I was wrong. Wes Welker is there, but he is old and has been concussed far too much. Other than those 2, it's all rookies or guys looking to make a team. Their offensive line is so so. Their defense should be all world, but they haven't quite put it together yet. Aaron Donald is a stud though. That guy is great. They have some good defensive backs, guys like Trumaine Johnson and EJ Gaines, but they haven't put it all together yet. They have good linebackers too, but they just haven't shown up fully yet. The defense can still be great, as I said, I love Donald and Quinton Coples and Mark Barron, but they just aren't elite yet. The defense will keep them in some games, maybe even win a few for them, but that offense, when opponents stack the box with 8, 9 and sometimes 10 guys, will sputter out and be ineffective. They could go .500, but I see 6-10 or 7-9 as more likely.

My final team of the day, coming in at number 21, I have the New Orleans Saints. This team was once, not that long ago, a perennial Super Bowl contender. but, Drew Brees has only gotten older, more hurt and not as efficient as he once was. Brees is a sure fire hall of famer, and probably top 15 QB of all time, but his best days are behind him. Then, to make matters worse, they let Jimmy Graham go last year and now they released Marques Colston. Those two were his safety blankets. He could rely on them more than anyone else, and they almost always came through for the team. Now, Brees is throwing to guys like Brandin cooks and Michael Thomas. sure, they are good, but they are not Jimmy Graham or Marques Colston. Their running game is average. Mark Ingram is another in a long line of Alabama backs that don't produce much of anything in the pros. Then his backup, CJ Spiller, he was cut from the Bills last year, so that should tell you all you need to know. The offensive line is fine, but not great. The Saints defense is an absolute dumpster fire. This team gave up over 50 points at least twice last season. They cannot stop anyone, Eli Manning included. They have no one that is, or ever has been, competent on defense. That's the biggest issue, they have to try and outscore teams, and that is not a recipe for winning in the NFL. The Saints have become a bummer team to watch. They are getting older at skill positions, mainly QB, and their defense is utterly atrocious. They will be lucky to be 6-10 next year.

That's it for today, come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He still wears his vintage Tony Banks St. Louis Rams jersey to remember the bad days. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Charles Woodson is the greatest player to come out of the Peyton Manning draft

We all know a wolverine could tear a volunteer in half

I was watching Sports Center or NFL Network or something where they were talking about football. They were previewing the upcoming Broncos-Raiders game and they kept showing pictures of Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler, comparing the two quarterbacks. My wife was watching with me and, the longer we've been together, the more she knows about football. She asked me, during the preview of the game, "why are they only talking about Peyton Manning? Why aren't they talking about Charles Woodson more, he's had a better overall career than Peyton Manning, right?".

Now, Charles Woodson is my all time favorite football player, and yes, he is a University of Michigan alum and yes, I'm a diehard Michigan fan, so naturally, I agreed with my wife. Then, I looked much, much further into her statement and yes, I do believe, with no bias, that Charles Woodson has had a better overall career than Peyton Manning. Let's look even further into it though. Sure, Peyton Manning is the more famous player. He is a quarterback, he has way more endorsements, he has hosted SNL multiple times and he's won a Super Bowl. But, Charles Woodson won the Heisman over Peyton Manning in 1997, he too has won a Super Bowl and been to a second one and he's stayed healthy and productive his entire career. He's still producing at an All Pro level and he's the captain and leader of the resurgent Raiders defense. Peyton Manning was recently just benched, some will say due to injury, for a back up QB from Arizona State. But, was the injury the only reason Manning was benched? I've written about Manning before on the website and I think that blog speaks many truths on his benching. His ball has no more zip. He throws multiple interceptions per game. He cannot move in the pocket anymore. He's a Hall of Famer, but I think his time is done. Charles Woodson on the other hand, he's still picking off passes and making open field passes. In fact, when the Raiders and Broncos met earlier this year, when Manning was still the starter, Woodson picked him off twice in that game. No praise was heaped on Woodson and how well he's still playing for a 39 year old in the NFL. The announcers only talked about how Manning will always be a great pro and these interceptions were just a flash in the pan, he'd bounce back for sure. But, as we all know now, he didn't bounce back. Woodson has produced every week for the 6-7 Raiders. That doesn't sound so great, but when was the last time the Raiders sniffed a .500 or even a winning record? They have a legitimate shot, albeit an outside one, to make the playoffs this year. The Broncos are a lock, but it's not because of Manning, it's their defense. Sure, the Raiders have a good young QB in Derek Carr and a great young receiver in Amari Cooper, but they are led in their defensive backfield by Charles Woodson. Their defense is middle of the road in the NFL, but I say again, when was the last time the Raiders were relevant? I truly believe that Charles Woodson has a real chance to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He's been lockdown all season playing out of position as a safety.

Lets go back and look at their Super Bowl wins. I will give you the fact that Woodson didn't play in the Packer Super Bowl win, he had a separated shoulder. But, he was the anchor of that defense all season, leading them to the Super Bowl. If I remember correctly, he hurt his shoulder making an important tackle or even interception in the NFC Championship game. He laid it all on the line for that Packer team and he definitely helped them win that Super Bowl. Sure, Peyton Manning was playing when the Colts won, but they played a sorry Bears team led by Rex Grossman in their Super Bowl win. Also, the game was a sloppy mess and Manning didn't win the game for them, their defense and running game was the determining factor. The two of them also lost a Super Bowl. The Manning loss was solely on him. The Colts had a chance late against the Saints, but we all know about the game sealing pick six that he threw to secure the win for the Saints. When the Raiders, that's right, this is Woodson's second go around with the Raiders, lost to the Buccaneers, it wasn't their defenses fault, Rich Gannon threw multiple picks and took multiple sacks in that game. But, Peyton Manning will go down as the more remembered player. He is a QB and they're stars. That's the way it is in the NFL. Woodson has been solid for 18 seasons now, but he plays defense and, what's worse, he plays cornerback and safety. And, if you don't constantly run your mouth like any secondary player on the Seahawks, you don't get noticed. But, I think that's the way Woodson wants it. He won a title in college. He beat out Manning for the Heisman. He was the best and most important player on one of the all time great Michigan teams and he's done it with little to no fanfare.

Manning has been great, as I said before, he is a sure fire Hall of Famer, but it big moments, he's choked more than he's succeeded. In college, his Tennessee Volunteers could never beat Florida and got trounced by Nebraska when they had a shot at a national title. In the pros, he's won a Super Bowl, but it wasn't because he had a great game. Peyton Manning will go down as one of the all time greatest QB's in NFL and college football history, but will he be remembered as the greatest QB of all time? I don't think so. He's not even the best QB in his draft class, that title is firmly in Tom Brady's hands. But, Charles Woodson may very well be the greatest defensive back of all time in the NFL or college football. He's had a stellar career and he continues to produce. I 100 percent agree with my wife's assumption that Charles Woodson has had the better overall career than Peyton Manning. Look at all the reasons that I mentioned above. It's not just my love for Woodson, the facts can't be ignored. Tell me why I'm wrong in the comment section. 

I will go to my grave thinking Charles Woodson is not only better than Peyton Manning, but he is the best defensive back to ever play football.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once benched Rex Grossman on his fantasy team for Drew Henson. Not because Henson went to Michigan, but because Grossman stinks. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty is not impressed with the undefeated Carolina Panthers

This is how scary the Panters are right now

Yesterday I gave a lot of love to the undefeated Golden State Warriors. Today, I'm going to talk about another undefeated team, this time in the NFL, that hasn't impressed me.

I heaped a ton of praise on the Warriors, rightfully so, but the Carolina Panthers may be the most suspect 10-0 NFL team that I've seen in quite some time. Sure, Cam Newton is playing like an MVP this year. And their defense is about as shut down as they come. But, their run game has been spotty, at best, and they have no real receivers since Kelvin Benjamin went down in the preseason. Devin Funchess has turned it on as of late and Greg Olsen is, right now, the second best tight end in the league behind Rob Gronkowski. But, the main reason they are undefeated is, their schedule has been one of the easiest in the NFL. The ten teams that they've beaten are as follows; the Jaguars(4-6), the Texans(5-5), the Saints(4-6), the Buccaneers(5-5), the Seahawks(5-5), the Eagles(4-6), the Colts(5-5), the Packers(7-3), the Titans(2-8) and the team from Washington(4-6). The rest of their schedule has the Cowboys(3-7), Saints again, the Falcons(6-4), the Giants(5-5), Falcons again and their season ends with the Buccaneers. For those of you keeping track at home, that's 2 teams with a winning record, the Packers are good, but the Falcons are not. That's 4 teams that are at .500. The best of the .500 teams may be the Seahawks, and they've given up big leads at home, Marshawn Lynch is hurt, Russell Wilson is STRUGGLING and they don't know how to effectively use Jimmy Graham. The Buccaneers are shockingly a .500 team, but they're led by a rookie QB. Sure, Jameis Winston has looked good lately, but he's still a rookie. The Texans stink. I don't care that they recently beat the Bengals, they have no offense and, other than JJ Watt and Vince Wilfork, their defense stinks. And the Colts have been the biggest disappointment in the NFL. The rest of the teams they've beaten are all below .500. The Jaguars have won two straight, but it's still the Jaguars. They are about four or five years away from competing for anything important. The Saints play absolutely no defense. None whatsoever. They are awful. The Eagles are just as bad as the Saints, if not worse. They have no clue what to do on offense because Chip Kelly is an idiot and their defense just gave up 45 points, at home, to the Buccaneers. The Titans have nothing. They have a rookie QB, no running game, no receivers and no defense. They will probably end up with the worst record in the NFL this year. And the team from Washington is a joke in every sense of the word. They are an irrelevant franchise at the moment.

So, when you look at who the 10-0 Panthers have beaten, it's by no means a murderers row. We are talking a combined record of 45-55. That's pretty bad. That's really bad actually. They've also had to squeak out victories over the Titans two weeks ago, the Saints in week three without Drew Brees, they needed overtime to beat the Colts in week 8 and they needed a game saving interception to beat the Packers after they squandered a huge fourth quarter lead. The only real blow out came last week when they trashed Washington. A lot of teams have crushed Washington this year.

Now, it's hard to win 10 straight games, and just as I stated yesterday, you need luck and teams to blow games to have streaks that last this long. What the Panthers have done is very good and a bit intriguing, but if I was a team coming to play them in Carolina for a playoff game, I wouldn't be that worried about them. They don't have a very good home field advantage. They don't strike fear in their opponents. Put Cam Newton on any other team, the Panthers would be lucky to be 5-5 right now. For an example, put him on the Titans, and they'd be a 5-5 or 6-4 team right now. That's how good he's been this year. I didn't think he'd make much of a pro, but he's gotten better every year, and he's become an MVP candidate. But, he doesn't scare me when it comes to the playoffs.

This has happened with the Panthers before. Two or three years ago, they were the surprise of the NFL, winning their division with a 12-4 record. They seemed like a lock to get to the conference championship, but they got crushed in their playoff game and became an after thought. They have a real chance to go undefeated this year though. Their schedule the rest of the way is very easy, with their toughest game coming next week at Dallas. They should win that easily. So, let's say they finish the regular season 16-0. They'd be the number one seed and have a first round bye. They'd also have home field advantage. And let's just say they win that second round playoff game to advance to the NFC title. They'd either get the Green Bay Packers or the Arizona Cardinals. Those are the three best teams in the NFC in my opinion. I'd take the Packers, I picked them to win the Super Bowl, or the Cardinals in a second over the Panthers if I were a betting man. I know, the Panthers already beat Green Bay, but the end of that game showed me that the Packers know how to score on the Panthers. And the Cardinals, I think they'd absolutely crush the Panthers in a playoff game. They have an excellent secondary that would shut down their mediocre receivers, and someone will cover Greg Olsen. And the Cardinals offense, if healthy, I could see them scoring 40 by the end of the third quarter. They will beat them with the run, and their receivers are bigger and more physical than the Panthers secondary. It would be a totally lost season for the Panthers.

I will say again, good for you Carolina for being undefeated this late in the year, but until you win some games against quality opponents, I'm not impressed. The Warriors you are not Carolina, sorry. Good luck, and I hope Cam Newton continues to get better because he's fun to watch, but I just don't see them as a viable, fear inducing opponent to whoever they will face in the playoffs. The Panthers will have a very good regular season, possibly an undefeated one, but they will crap out in the playoffs, that's what they do.

They aren't champions yet.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He just recently learned there is a North and South Carolina. What's next, a New Mexico? 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

Let Me Respectfully Explain Why Your Team Stinks: Ty's new hatred for the Seattle Seahawks

It is insulting when you call me a Seahawk

There are some teams I really, really dislike.

Today, I'm going to go back to my irrational hatred for a football team. In two previous blogs, I've written about my irrational hatred for University of Missouri college football and the Los Angeles Clippers from the NBA. Today, I turn my attention to the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks. Good timing to, since the season started last night and truly gets underway on Sunday. The Seahawks are the first team I'll be writing about, under my irrational hatred blogs, that have won a championship. They won the Super Bowl two years ago, and played in the Super Bowl last year. They should've won that game, but I'll get to that later. Missouri football hasn't won anything of importance in over 50 years, and the Clippers have never won anything important ever in their history.

So, let's get to what I hate about the Seahawks. First, there was a time, about 10 years ago, when I actually rooted for the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. They played the Steelers, a team that will be talked about in this discussion at another time. That version of the Seahawks were coached by former Packer coach Mike Holmgren and had Shaun Alexander. I actually, kind of, liked this team. Shaun Alexander was my number one pick in my fantasy draft that year. I also liked the fact that they were a quiet team. No trash talk, no media stuff, they just went out and played football.  By the way, the Seahawks won that Super Bowl. The history books have the Steelers as the champs, but the refs screwed the Seahawks and the NFL and ESPN needed a redemption story for rapist Ben Roethlisberger.

Right after that season, I kind of forgot about the Seahawks. They were mediocre for the next 5 to 7 seasons. Then, they won, what was at the time, the worst division in football, the NFC West with a 7-9 record. This was three or four seasons ago. That was Pete Carroll's first season as head coach. Not only did they win that god awful division, but they went out and beat the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card game. In typical Saints fashion, they had to go on the road to Seattle, Seattle won the division so they got home field, and the Saints couldn't stop the run. Go back and watch all the missed tackles on what is probably Marshawn Lynch's most famous run.  

It is after this Wild Card win and their subsequent draft  where my hatred for the Seahawks began. They started to pump their chests and say how great they were. Excuse the shit out of me, but you assholes backed your way into the playoffs that season and beat the Saints when everyone expected you to. This attitude is indicative of their head coach. Pete Carroll is a douchebag. This is the same guy who called out Mark Sanchez in front of the media when he declared for the draft. Sanchez was his quarterback at USC, they just came off a Rose Bowl win and he didn't have another decent QB on the roster. So, instead of doing what college coaches are supposed to do, support their players decisions and dreams, he acted like a dumped girlfriend. What makes this even worse, Carroll left USC within a year after Sanchez left for the NFL. Why did he care so much? I'll tell you why, he's a prick that whines like a baby when he doesn't get his way. Let's not forget how much of a cheater at USC he was. He bought Reggie Bush's family a home and a car. He had so many recruiting violations against him that, had he stayed at USC, they could've gotten the death penalty. So, he bolted for the NFL, and you'd think his cheating would stop, but nope. The Seahawks are one of the most suspicious teams in the NFL. Be it fighting between teammates in the locker room or steroids or even players using Ritalin. All these things, with the exception of the fighting, is against the rules. Does the NFL or Pete Carroll or Roger Goodell do anything about it? No, they're all too busy attacking the Patriots for under inflated footballs and stuff that happened almost a decade ago. Pete Carroll also made the worst play call ever during last year's Super Bowl. How do you not hand the ball off to Lynch on the goal line?! That call proves your ignorance and arrogance. I was elated you lost the Super Bowl in crushing fashion. You're an idiot Pete Carroll and  I hate you.

I mentioned the draft also as a reason why I hate this team. They undercut other teams and under pay their rookies. They seem to get pretty good players at a super cheap salary. How on Earth does that happen. Guys like Michael Bennett, Doug Baldwin and the majority of their offensive line are really underpaid. Marshawn Lynch is the best running back in the league right now, and they just gave him a multi million dollar extension last year. Their best secondary player, Kam Chancellor is willing to sit the whole season because, for football players, he's criminally underpaid. Richard Sherman is due for a huge raise, but will he get it? Probably not because they just gave Russell Wilson a HUGE contract.

This brings me to another big, big problem I have with the Seahawks, Russell Wilson. This guy is the most corporate, robotic piece of human trash I could ever imagine. He shows no emotions, unless he's talking about God. Let's get things straight too, he's a mediocre QB at best. This team didn't make it to two consecutive Super Bowls because of Russell Wilson, their defense and Marshawn Lynch carried them. But, you turn on ESPN or the NFL Network, and he's mentioned in the same breath as Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and old timers like Warren Moon and Fran Tarkenton. I'd take all those QB's over Wilson in a second. He's got little to no touch on his throws and he's going to get killed running the read option. He's a tick better than Colin Kaepernick, and that's not a compliment. The fact that the Seahawks gave him Aaron Rodgers money is going to cripple this team in the long run. Instead of paying the players that got them to the highest point in football, they paid a sub par QB a shit ton of money.

All his God talk needs to stop. When he first got in the league, players from other teams, it's been reported, said that he slept with their girlfriends while they were still together. That's not good in God's eye Russell Wilson. Also, if there is a God, he doesn't give a shit about you. You are the least of his problems. He's also totally sleeping with current girlfriend, musician Ciara. Nobody buys your guys bull shit. Russell Wilson is also known for clashing with teammates. He ran Golden Tate and Percy Harvin out of town. He tried to get the front office to trade Lynch in the middle of last season. Screw you Russell Wilson, have fun winning 6 or 7 games for the rest of your career. And, nobody outside of Seattle likes Marshawn Lynch or Richard Sherman. The hatred for Lynch isn't as bad for Sherman, Lynch pokes fun at himself, but his whole attitude towards media and people outside of his circle is stupid. Quit trying to be the Rasheed Wallace of the NFL. You're not as charasmatic as Rasheed Wallace. Richard Sherman on the other hand, boy the hatred is strong. Sherman is the best cover corner in the league, but he needs to stop talking. You went out and got into a fight with Skip Bayless. I can't think of a more douchey fight. You're a Stanford grad Richard Sherman, you don't have to constantly go on TV and tell us how smart you are. We know you're smart. You're also a bad sport. You lose with no dignity, and when you win, I close my ears because I can't deal with your mouth. You're like a conservative republican. You think you're correct because you're the loudest. Just shut the hell up and go out there and play football. You're a good enough football player that you don't need to run your mouth. Also, nothing made me happier than when Russell Wilson threw that pick and your smile turned to a frown. It was euphoric for me to watch you lose.

Seahawks fans are pretty ridiculous too. As I said earlier, you guys just recently became good. Before this success, I didn't know one single Seahawk fan. Now, they're coming out of the woodwork. If that's not a bandwagon fan, I don't know what is. You guys are the 21st century Dallas Cowboys. By this I mean, your fans are bandwagon fans and people that don't like you, HATE you and your fans. I hate all these actors and comedians, that I enjoy, are pounding the drum for you all over social media. Comedian Nick Thune, who I think is great, acts like there's no other team in the NFL. Or, when he does talk about a team not called the Seahawks, that team is a cheater and all their fans suck. Come back to me when the Seahawks are also rans in two years and tell me that you're still a fan. Chris Pratt, the biggest star right now and one of my favorite actors, is all over social media with his Seahawk love. Where were you five years ago?! I didn't hear or see you pumping up the Seahawks. You were like a ghost, but now that they're good, you're all over the place talking about Seahawk love. I bet the two of you couldn't name the starting QB the year before Matt Hasselbeck took over the job. You guys probably loved Hasselbeck when he was your QB, but now, you probably tell other people that he's a joke and shouldn't be in the league. I've got news for you guys, your QB's have never been elite.

So, these and many, many other reasons are why I loathe the Seahawks. It's a new hatred, but it's very strong and will only get stronger. Screw you Seattle Seahawks and screw your "12th" man bull shit. No one cares.  

You will be irrelevant in two years.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and co-host of the X Millennial Man podcast. His love for Michigan Football is much greater than all of his hatred combined (please Jim Harbaugh, start winning soon). Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty's NFL Preview 2015: NFC

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coming up next, Super Bowl and awards.

Ty

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