Denver vs Buffalo: Bronco and Bills fan square off.

Denver Broncos vs Buffalo Bills

By Julie Dixon // @ABroncoNole

 

I asked Mary Pesarchick her thoughts on the upcoming game. Denver (2-0) travels east to take on the Bills (1-1) in an early 1:00 game (10:00 MST). She interviews me for hers, so make sure to read Mary, too.

Jules: Which of your players who may miss Sunday are you most concerned about?

Mary: Left tackle Cordy Glenn definitely. Unfortunately, he’s been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Our O-line is much better when he’s in there (even on a bad ankle) and given Denver’s defense, I’d feel better for quarterback Tyrod Taylor and running back LeSean “Shady” McCoy chances if he was in there.

 

Continue reading “Denver vs Buffalo: Bronco and Bills fan square off.” →

The Pride Report: A Chat With The Opposition

By Sonja Greenfield // @Mom23RN

For this edition of #PrideReport, I decided to try something new.  Can’t say that it will happen every game, but I figured I’d try it out and see how you liked it. Hit me up and let me know what you think!

Aaron Freeman (@Falcfans) who is the host of Locked on Falcons Podcast and co-host of the @FalconsPFC podcast, was nice enough to chat with me, and let me ask him some questions about Sunday’s game against the Falcons.  It is early, but at the same time, it’s a pretty good test for the Lions to see if they really are who we think they can be!

Me:  What one thing do you think the Falcons have to do to get a win??

Aaron:  Stick with their identity. Which is being aggressive on both sides of the ball. They have an explosive offense that thrives off pushing the ball down the field with play-action passing. And their defense is as fast and athletic as they come in the NFL, so not being afraid to get physical at the line of scrimmage with the Lions wide recievers and also mixing in a healthy dose of blitzes to help offset the absence of [linebacker] Vic Beasley are good ways to continue that aggression on defense.

Me:  Yeah, good ol [Falcon’s Head Coach Dan Quinn] DQ  is really turning your defense into a machine out there.  The Lions defense really came around Monday night against the Giants. We know that the Falcons are a little but better, but…Do you see the Lions defense taking [quarterback] Matt Ryan off his game and maybe losing some of that identity???

Aaron:  It’s possible given some of the question marks the Falcons have on the right side of their O-line. [Right tackle] Ryan Schraeder might miss the game with a concussion and the Falcons already were trying to overcome new starting [right guard] Wes Schweitzer after a rough performance in Wk 1 vs. the Bears. If Schraeder misses the game, his replacement (either right tackle Ty Sambrailo or right tackle Austin Pasztor) could cause the right side of the OL to be an area where the Lions choose to exploit with stunts and blitzes to catch the two least experienced starters on the team unaware, pressure Ryan and slow down this Falcons offense.

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Philadelphia Eagles Week 2 recap

By Roxaan Herrera // @roxaaneh

FINAL: Eagles – 20; Chiefs – 27

Some losses are not pretty and other losses are just ugly. Sunday’s loss to Kansas City falls somewhere in the middle. Playing against a team that had 11 days of rest was no easy task but I think the Eagles, and second year quarterback Carson Wentz, played a very decent game despite two huge turnovers and an offensive line that failed to protect him during key plays.

I can’t blame the o-line, though, because they actually have improved and more often than not gave quarterback Wentz a lot of time to throw the ball. I would have loved for him to get rid of it instead of holding on to it for as long as he did, which caused him to get sacked or fumble the ball.

Overall, Wentz showed NFL fans he is able to put the game on his back and run with the ball if needed and he threw for a total of 333 yards, completing almost half of his attempts at 25 of 46. I am not a big of that those numbers but I am happy that we were able to utilize wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith who both had better games than the last, with 92 and 66 receiving yards respectively.

Eagles veteran tight end Zach Ertz has been a great option, being able to finish big plays and added 97 receiving yards as well. Admittedly, I am getting a little impatient with the lack of use for our running backs. Darren Sproles has been nothing short of amazing, always a dependable back and great for special teams, but we need to start using our big guy, LaGarrett Blount. I don’t want another DeMarco Murray on our hands…we all know how great that turned out.

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Chicago Bears-Pittsburgh Steelers: Fans Weigh in on Sunday’s Matchup

By Wanda Wiedman / @WandaW63

The Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) will head to Soldier Field to make it a 3-0 start against the Chicago Bears (0-2), who look to overcome a horrendous outing last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Though sports media networks and sports writers have given their opinion and assessment of this matchup, it seems only right to ask fans how they feel about their team in this game.

To share their opinion on these two teams is Bear Fan extraordinaire and Editor at Windy City Gridiron, Lester Wilfong Jr., and Raymond Vega, Los Angeles Sheriff and Steelers fan.

Since the game is being hosted in Chicago, let’s start with Lester.

Q:  Lester, as an Editor for WindyCityGridiron.com you try to be objective. But through the eyes and heart of a fan, did you expect the Bears to start off the season 0-2?
L: As much as I thought the Bears would be an improved team over a year ago, I still had them opening up with a loss to Atlanta and a loss to the Bucs. Atlanta is the defending NFC Champ, and Tampa Bay was a 9-7 team last year with some good, young talent. I didn’t expect them to look as lost last week, however. Unfortunately for us Bears’ fans, this team may be looking at another double-digits in the loss column.

Continue reading “Chicago Bears-Pittsburgh Steelers: Fans Weigh in on Sunday’s Matchup” →

Kansas City Chiefs: A Tale of Two Games

by Neta Davis // @ND622

Two weeks into the 2017 season and the Kansas City Chiefs have won two very different games. One an offensive juggernaut against the current Super Bowl Champions; the other, a nail-biting defensive battle that was up for grabs until the last seconds of the game.

The Chiefs are presenting themselves as a cohesive, focused team whose sum is greater than the total of its players. At times playing to their potential; other times having to fight back by calling upon every bit of reserved spirit left in them. Players drop the ball (literally and figuratively) and their teammates make up the shortcoming.

My mind goes to two players, especially in these first two games—tight end Travis Kelce and quarterback Alex Smith—each having very different moments. Kelce continues to amaze and confound. Providing a third major offensive option to running back Kareem Hunt and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, his presence, and skill are a large part of Kansas City’s success since he joined the team.

However, on the other side of the coin are the immature antics that are racking up unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. While none of them can yet be linked directly to a loss, they have created unnecessary hurdles for his teammates and coaches to overcome.

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So You Want To Win In Fantasy, Huh?

Fantasy football predictions are not as easy as we think, are they?

By Emily Chae // @emgchae

This year I have three fantasy teams, two where I play with strangers and one with former co-workers. Regardless of PPR or standard league, there are some players being overlooked this season. This week we will review who were the top dogs on my teams and sleeper picks for week 3.

The off-season was a mess of trades, cuts and new recruits.  This can make fantasy picks a bit tricky this year.   Also, knowing who is injured is critical in a fantasy match up.  Team injuries are always updated here.

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Three Happy Things For Jaguars Fans

AFC Coordinator Sharona

by Sharona // @SportsBySharona

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans in Week 2, but it wasn’t all bad for fans of the team. Coming off a big win in Week 1 over AFC South rival Houston Texans, the Jaguars were poised at the top of the division. Alas, it was doomed not to last as they fell to the Titans 37-16.

It is still early and they can certainly rebound with a win in London, England over former AFC Central foe the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are currently undefeated and sit atop the AFC North but as the saying goes any given Sunday. The Ravens defense is playing lights out but their offense has suffered several injuries. It remains to be seen who takes the win across the pond.

In the meantime, we are here help Jaguars fans feel better heading into that tilt. So, here are three things Jags fans can take away from the game to make them feel better.

Rookie running back Leonard Fournette is the real deal. The former LSU product is fifth in the league in rushing yards at 140 despite having a lackluster game (14/40/1). He is second in the league in rushing attempts only trailing to Denver Broncos CJ Anderson at 45. He has been everything fans could have hoped for and then some. Just watch this grown man run versus the Titans.

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Patriots Right the Ship vs Saints

By Traci MCartney // @traciamc

Sunday, September 17: 36 – 20 Win 

After the home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on the national stage last week,  the New England Patriots needed  to come out of Week 2 with a convincing win. They completed that task with a win in New Orleans over the Saints, 36-20.  Tom Brady looked like well, Tom Brady, throwing for over 400 yards and three touchdowns, completing 30 of 39 pass attempts, earning him an impressive 139.6 passer rating.

With Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola out on offense, and Dont’a Hightower out on defense, it was unclear how the team was going to perform. But faith in Bill Belichick and the rest of the coaching staff insured that the Patriots, even on the road, would bounce back from their loss the week before.

The offense really came to life, with three touchdowns in the first quarter, with passes to Rex Burkhead, Rob Gronkowski and Chris Hogan respectively.  Brady even played referee, making a case for the crew to pick up the flag thrown for an illegal pick since the block was within  one yard from the line of scrimmage limit. Mike Gillislee scored a fourth touchdown in the second quarter following fullback James Develin into the end zone, and with a 28 yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal, the Patriots had 30 points by halftime, allowing only 13 for Drew Brees and the Saints.

But as good as the offense was, there was a price – injuries. Rex Burkhead and Rob Gronkowski both left the game with rib and groin injuries respectively. Gronk’s injury was particularly concerning, as it looked at first like he might have reinjured  the back which caused him to  miss the end of the 2016 season and the Super Bowl. Continue reading “Patriots Right the Ship vs Saints” →

Cleveland Browns: Bright Spots and The Dark Side

By Cleveland Kate // @ClvlndK8

Week 2 has come and gone and the Cleveland Browns are winless. While I’m trying not to channel the Ghosts of Seasons Past, last year’s 1-15 record isn’t far enough away for comfort.

Bright Spots: Rookie Quarterback DeShone Kizer, a Notre Dame product, won the hearts of fans during the preseason. Each week he made mistakes, but he seemed to be learning quickly and we saw progress as he got rid of the ball faster, started leading  his receivers and started to throw the ball away to avoid sacks. All those lessons seemed lost over the past two weeks as he racked up NINE sacks, FOUR interceptions and only ONE touchdown. Yet, for the first time in recent years, fans have the hope that he will improve, that he could be our QB of the Future and are showing patience as he develops.

Photo by Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sport

Defensive Coordinator Gregg “3G” Williams  has brought a “Come Get Some” attitude that has long been missing here in Cleveland. While we battle perennial defensive greats Baltimore and Pittsburgh, we continued to get pushed around on the field and never had the talent or attitude to get some back.  That is changing this year with the addition of Rookie Jabrill Peppers.  His status as an alumni of the University of Michigan aside, fans look forward to what excitement he will bring to the field, whether it’s returning punts or flying around on defense.

And let’s not forget the #1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Myles Garrett. His injury near the end of preseason caused a lot of angst for fans, but we want him back healthy and ready to wreak havoc on opponents. While Head Coach Hue Jackson refuses to name a time frame for his return, I’m hopeful that he’ll get back on the field for the Week 4 match versus the Cincinnati Bengals. Division Games Matter!

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