As we approach week eight in the NFL, there are still two teams that haven’t won a game yet – the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals. Not to mention that there are still three single-win teams – the New York Jets, the Washington Redskins, and the Atlanta Falcons. 

Now some could argue that these winless or single-win teams are tanking for draft picks or that the Bengals have a new coach or even Jay Gruden getting fired, but these are all excuses. Andy Dalton hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass for two games out of this seasons already and he already has five interceptions on the year. It is a circus in Miami to try to figure out who to put in at QB – Fitzpatrick or Rosen, it’s like a grab bag of mediocrity. 

The New York Jets have already gone threw three QB’s this season after starter Sam Darnold’s diagnosis with mononucleosis and Trevor Siemian’s injury, they had to resort to third string, Luke Falk. Wait, who is Luke Falk? The Redskins have also experienced a quarterback carousel this year with all three of their starting quarterbacks totaling only nine touchdowns on the year to a hefty eight interceptions. 

Matt Ryan has been unpredictable this year, he is putting up good number for passing yards, but he can’t capitalize on them all the time. Ryan has seven interceptions on the year, five of them coming in the first two weeks of the season. Now that we have examined the mediocrity of the NFL’s quarterback this season thus far, why aren’t we bringing up a certain former QB’s name? 

Yes, I am talking about the infamous Colin Kaepernick. Now let’s look as his stats from the NFL career compared to the lackluster QB play in the NFL this year. Kaepernick finished his NFL career with 72 touchdowns to just 30 interceptions, 12,271 passing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, and 2,300 rushing yards.

Not to mention, he has a 4-2 playoff record, one Super Bowl appearance, and 2 NFC Championship appearances. To say that he is not qualified or talented enough to play in the NFL again is travesty. In fact, he could be a saving grace for one of the winless or single-win teams in the NFL this season. 

Clearly his football skills are not the problem, but his political agenda is what is stopping these struggling franchises from picking him up as their QB. Kaepernick didn’t stand for the national anthem during a 2016 preseason game against the Green Bay Packers and his career was on a downward spiral since then. 

After that game, Kapernick said in a press conference that, “I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed.” An African American man standing up for his rights in 2016 shouldn’t be the most bizarre thing in the world.

Kapernick was not standing up for the anthem because of inequality and police brutality in the United States. There are literally police officers killing innocent people like Eric Garner in New York. Not to mention several other hate crimes against minorities such as Trayvon Martin, Sam Dubois, and most recently Botham Jean in Dallas. 

Kapernick is just standing up for his rights and the rights of minorities. I mean the First Amendment does say that as American citizens we have the right to freedom of speech, but not if you are Colin Kapernick. 

He is being blacklisted by the NFL because he is exercising his rights, doesn’t this sound messed up? Kaepernick is a minority with money and power and a platform as an NFL player that could really be sued to help other minorities and to change the world. If Peyton Manning or Tom Brady kneeled for the anthem, would they be treated differently than Kaepernick? Probably. 

Over the last few years there has been speculation and rumors that Kaepernick has gotten offers from NFL teams, but last week Kaepernick’s representatives released a statement addressing all these rumors. 

Basically, the report says that he has never workouted for an NFL team since his departure from the league in 2017 and that he has had not one single offer from a team. His representatives said they have reached out to all 32 teams with little to no response.

For those that question if he still wants to play in the league, the report states that yes he still does and that he still works out five days a week hoping for an offer. Also, he is very much still eligible to play in the NFL even with the grievance he field against the league. 

There is nothing that affects his eligibility to play in the league, but NFL teams own personal qualms about him. He has proven himself worthy of being a starting quarterback in the league, just look at his stats. Just because he is using his platform as a professional athlete to help others and stand for what he believes in shouldn’t write him off for playing in the NFL. 

NFL teams are just using the kneeling narrative as an excuse to not pick up Kaepernick, but they so willing make excuses for bad quarterback play or poor head coaching. Even if the NFL doesn’t agree with his political views or protests, they need to understand that he is eligible and worthy enough to play in their league. Not all of a company’s employees share the same beliefs, but that doesn’t stop them from coexisting in the workplace together. Would your workplace not hire you because you are a Democrat or because you are pro-life? Probably not, so why can the NFL get away with this? Something has to give. 

The NFL and its future may be in trouble due to TV ratings declining in the past few years. In a study by Gallup, in 2017, 37% of Americans said American football was their favorite sport to watch, followed by basketball at 11%, and baseball at 9%. Clearly, football is still the most popular sport to watch in America by 26%. However, over the past decade people’s viewing and favoring of the NFL over other sports has declined. For example, in 2006 and 2007 respectively, 43% of Americans claimed football as their favorite sport to view, in 2008, the number dropped to 41%, in 2013, it slipped to 39%, and in 2017 it reached its lowest point at 37%. So, what does this mean for the NFL? I don’t think the NFL’s dominance over the other sports in viewing and popularity will diminish anytime soon, but it is something to pay attention to. 

I am going to examine three reasons why I think viewership of American football has decreased in the last decade: political protests, relocation of teams, and player violence/domestic abuse. 

Political Protests

On August 26th 2016, former 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, kneeled on the sidelines rather than standing during the National Anthem during a preseason game versus the Green Bay Packers. In a telephone survey done by Rasmussen Reports, of the 1,000 Americans surveyed, 32% said they were less likely to watch an NFL game due to the kneeling during the anthem. Many people view this as disrespectful to America and to current military members and veterans.

I honestly view this as a huge distraction to the game. I watch football and sports in general to escape from reality. It gives you a few hours to get away from everyday life and immerse yourself in each and every play of the game. I wish the NFL players could leave this behind and stop because it is just causing a spectacle, remember the field is their workplace. Just because you may not like Trump, doesn’t mean you would go into your workplace with picket signs in protest – there is a time and place for everything.  

Relocation

In 2016, the St. Louis Rams, moved back home to Los Angeles, and were renamed the Los Angeles Rams, after being in St. Louis from 1995-2015. Further, in 2017, the San Diego Chargers, relocated to Los Angeles and are now known as the Los Angeles Chargers after being in San Diego since 1961. Of course moving these teams causes angry fans and angry residents of the new host city. For example, when the Rams moved to LA in 2016, many fans burned their St. Louis jerseys in protest and posted the videos all over social media. Also, it has gone so far even to the point where the city of St. Louis filed a lawsuit against the NFL alleging the league violated its own relocation guidelines at the expense of the community it left behind according to The Guardian. 

Not only does relocating teams cause angry fans, but it make the residents of the new city angry as well. For example, 70% of taxpayers oppose using tax money and tax hikes to pay for the construction of new stadiums. The Oakland Raiders will be moving to Las Vegas in 2020 and their new stadium is estimated to cost $1.9 million and taxpayers will be funding $750 million of the stadium project. Even as an avid sports fan, I would not be happy with my tax dollars going to fund a stadium when my money could be going towards more important things such as infrastructure, public schools, and road work. 

Player Violence

Domestic violence has been a major issue in the NFL in recent years, I think this really caught viewers attention back in 2014, when former running back, Ray Rice, punched and dragged his then-fiance in an Atlantic City elevator and the video was released to the public. Since then, there have been several instances involving players and domestic violence. For example, back in 2014, running back, Adrian Peterson, was indicated for reckless or negligent injury to a child when he disciplined his  four year old child, resulting in bruises and lacerations on the boy’s back, legs, arms and buttocks. Not to mention, the more recent examples like Kareem Hunt. I could go on and on mentioning more players names, but I think you get the point. In the social climate we are living in now, domestic abuse is not tolerated. 

The #MeToo movement is exposing injustices to women and these NFL players are no exception, they need to be held to those same standards. As a woman, I think it’s so wrong that just because you are a star athlete you get a pass and a slap on the wrist. Getting suspended a few games is unacceptable punishment, they need to be held accountable, so I can understand why people would refrain from watching the NFL for this reason. 

Odell Beckham Jr., Baker Mayfield, and Jarvis Landry all on the same team sounds like a recipe for greatness, right? WRONG! There has been so much hype and hoopla over the Browns this off-season which is giving Browns fans false hope. They think Cleveland will win a championship or at least win the AFC North and make a run in the playoffs. Sorry Browns fans, but this is a pipe dream… 

This pipe dream of success for the Browns worsens with the addition of running back, Kareem Hunt. Hunt is suspended for eight games, so he will return around mid-season. The main reason this team will not live up to expectations this season is because there are too many big names who have loud mouths and diva complexes. The Browns organization will soon learn that adding all these big names to the roster will result in destruction from the inside (the locker room) out (the field). 

In order to truly understand why this season will not live up to the hype, we must examine the big four stars on the team: Beckham Jr., Mayfield, Landry, and Hunt. 

Let’s get started with OBJ. When he got drafted by the Giants in 2014, he started out hot. His rookie season he finished with 1,305 receiving yards, 91 receptions, and 12 touchdowns. In 2015 and 2016 Beckham Jr. finished with over 1,000 yards each season and his receptions increased. In 2017, Beckham had only three touchdowns and 302 yards due to an ankle sprain and fracture week five which ended his 2017 season. 

Beckham in his final year with the Giants saw career low receptions with 77 and barely over 1,000 yards. This is where his problem began – OBJ wants the ball and when he’s not getting it, he throws a temper tantrum. When asked if Eli Manning could get the Giants back to winning, OBJ said “You’ve got to ask him.” That showed a clear lack of faith in his two-time Super Bowl winning QB. Beckham also dug himself into a deeper hole by making comments like, “I watch everybody across the league. All the top receivers get the ball the way that they, you know, should. And if they don’t, they say something about it.” No Odell, they all don’t say something about it and if they do, they get cut or traded. Beckham is a huge football talent, but his words will be the death of him. This sport is about teamwork, not division. Beckham Jr. needs to walk the walk and get back to his 1,000 yard seasons with double digit touchdowns before he can talk the talk. 

Mayfield helped the Browns finished third in the AFC North at 7-8-1, a huge improvement from the previous year at 0-16. He finished his rookie season with 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. However, that year, the only win that is notable is beating the Ravens 12 -9, the only team that Mayfield and the Browns beat with a winning record. Their wins against the Bengals, Broncos, Panthers, Falcons, and Jets are nothing to be super proud of since they all had losing records in 2018. With that being said, Mayfield is not all he’s cracked up to be and he won’t be elite until he gets some wins against championship caliber teams. 

Landry’s first year in Cleveland in 2018 was nothing impressive. He finished the year with 976 yards and four touchdowns – nothing to brag about. Even in his four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, he only had over 1,000 yards receiving twice and never had double-digit touchdowns for the season. Landry is a solid #3 or #4 receiver, but nothing more than that. Landry and OBJ’s friendship goes back to playing together in college at LSU, so the two have history. I believe this history can be a detriment to the team, especially since the two will be competing against each other for TD’s, receptions, etc. It will be all fun and games at first when they get to play together again, but just wait until one of them starts getting the ball more and then the other one will throw a hissy fit. 

Kareem Hunt is a new addition to the Browns, but he comes to the team with a bad reputation. Hunt is a great running back, in his two years with Kansas City he had 2,151 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. However, his off the field actions caused him to be released by Kansas City. In November 2018, TMZ released a video of Hunt and a woman in a hotel that involved a physical altercation between the two. When questioned by the Chiefs owner, Clark Hunt, Clark said Kareem Hunt was not honest and truthful about the incident. Hunt is still suspended for the first eight games, but having this drama in the locker room is a recipe for disaster, plus all the public scrutiny the Browns will get from fans for signing a player with a history of violence.

Week by Week Predictions and Scores:

Week 1: vs. Tennessee Titans – WIN 23 – 17

Week 2: at New York Jets – LOSS 24 – 13

Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams – LOSS 34 – 16

Week 4: at Baltimore Ravens – LOSS 20 – 17

Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers – WIN 20 – 17

Week 6: vs. Seattle Seahawks – LOSS 24 – 21

Week 7: BYE

Week 8: at New England Patriots – LOSS 37 – 14

Week 9: at Denver Broncos – LOSS 16 – 13

Week 10: vs. Buffalo Bills – WIN 23 – 19

Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – LOSS 24 – 14

Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins – LOSS 27 – 17

Week 13: at Pittsburgh Steelers – WIN 17 – 14

Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals – LOSS 28 – 16

Week 15: at Arizona Cardinals – LOSS 23 – 21

Week 16: vs. Baltimore Ravens – WIN 24 – 14

Week 17: at Cincinnati Bengals – WIN 21 – 20

I predict the Browns will finish their season 6 – 10 finishing last in the AFC North. I think they will get three of their wins against each of their fellow division opponents and three wins from the 49ers, Titans, and Bills. Their season like their squad will be average at best. Bottom line: they are still the same old Browns – DON’T believe the hype. 

With the firing of coach, Mike McCarthy, and the loss of a few key, veteran players, the future of the Green Bay Packers is up in the air. Mike McCarthy, was the head coach of the Packers from 2006 – 2018 and ranks the 25th most-winningest head coach in NFL history with 135 wins. Under McCarthy the Packers only missed the playoffs four times in his 12 year in Green Bay, just one of four coaches including Tom Landry and Bill Belichick to lead a franchise to at least eight straight playoff appearances. Not to mention, McCarthy led the Packers to a Super Bowl win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. After two lackluster seasons in 2017 and 2018, McCarthy was fired mid-season in 2018. In 2017, the Packers finished third in the NFC North at 7-9 and in 2018, the Packers finished 4 – 7 – 1 before McCarthy was fired. 

Aside from losing coach McCarthy, the Packers also lost some veteran players in the off season. For example, wide receiver, Randall Cobb, left and signed a one-year deal for five million dollars with the Dallas Cowboys. Randall was a veteran wide out for the Packers who had stand out seasons in 2014 with 1,287 yards, 91 receptions, and 12 touchdowns, respectively in 2012, his sophomore season, Cobb finished with 954 yards, 80 receptions, and eight touchdowns. Not only did the Packers lose Cobb, but they also lost veteran linebacker, Clay Matthews. Matthews is one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Matthews played for the Packers for nine seasons and recently signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams. Matthews in the all-time sack leader for the Packers with 83.5 career sacks. Losing these two veteran players is a blow to both the Packers offense and defense.

There are only six players on the Packers current roster with double digit years in the league, indicating that the current team is relatively young and perhaps the franchise is in a rebuilding process for the post-Rodgers era. The only double digit veteran players on the roster are: Bryan Bulaga, tackle (10 years), Mason Crosby, kicker (13 years), Jimmy Graham, tight end (10 years), Marcedes Lewis, tight end (14 years), Aaron Rodgers, quarterback (15 years), and Tramon Williams, cornerback (13 years). 

With a young team and a new head coach, Matt LaFleur, the Packers have some worrying to do. I predict Green Bay will finish the 2019 season at 8 – 8 in last place in the NFC North. I predict the Chicago Bears will with the NFC North in 2019. The Packers will take their losses to the Chicago Bears (week 1 and 15), the Denver Broncos (week 3), the Dallas Cowboys (week 5), the Kansas City Chiefs (week 8), the Los Angeles Chargers (week 9), the New York Giants (week 13), and the Minnesota Vikings (week 16). I think the Packers are in a rebuilding process and are getting ready for Rodgers to retire, so I believe it will be a few years at least until we see the Packers in the playoffs again. 

Taylor has an extensive history coaching in the football world. Taylor was the assistant coach at Texas A&M University from 2008-2011, followed by being an assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins. In 2016, Taylor was named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Cincinnati. In 2017, Taylor went to the LA Rams and served as assistant wide receivers coach and then switched to quarterback coach in 2018. On February 4th, 2019 Taylor was named as head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, just the tenth coach in the teams history.

Some notable accomplishments from his time at Texas A&M were appearing in three bowl games and leading the A&M Aggies to the Big 12 South Championship. Notably, in his time with the Dolphins, he helped shape and develop first-round draft pick, Ryan Tannehill. Taylor helped Tannehill reach 15,460 passing yards in his first four seasons ranking him third-most among all NFL quarterbacks in their first four seasons. Under former head coach, Tommy Tuberville, Taylor helped the Bearcats offense average 255.9 passing yards and 118.3 rushing yards in 2016. 

When Taylor started coaching for the Rams in LA, he helped foster a great offensive team. His first year as assistant wide receivers coach, Taylor had the number tenth rated passing offense average 239.4 passing yards per game. Taylor coaching emerging wide receiver rookie, Cooper Kupp, who had the most receiving yards for the Rams in 2017 – 869 yards.

Taylor took over as quarterbacks coach in 2018 and perfected third year quarterback, Jared Goff. That year, Goff had career high statistics including: 4688 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, and a passer rating of 101.1. Taylor helped Goff and the rest of the Rams team to win the NFC West at 13-3 and an appearance in Super Bowl 53. 

Taylor has a stacked resume of coaching experience in both college and the NFL and has experienced success at an elite level, especially in the past year with the LA Rams which is good news to Bengals fans. Luckily, in 2019 the Bengals have one of the easiest schedules ranking 27th on the list out of the 32 teams. 

Week 1: @ Seattle Seahawks – LOSS 23 – 7

Week 2: vs. San Francisco 49ers – WIN 27 – 20

Week 3: @ Buffalo Bills – WIN 33 – 14

Week 4: @ Pittsburgh Steelers – WIN 35 – 13

Week 5: vs. Arizona Cardinals – WIN 21 – 10

Week 6: @ Baltimore Ravens – LOSS 23 – 7

Week 7: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – WIN 14 – 3

Week 8: @ Los Angeles Rams – LOSS 24 – 13

Week 9: BYE

Week 10: vs. Baltimore Ravens – LOSS 20 – 13

Week 11: @ Oakland Raiders – WIN 30 – 14

Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – WIN 27 – 9

Week 13: vs. New York Jets – WIN 14 – 13

Week 14: @ Cleveland Browns – WIN 28 – 16 

Week 15: vs. New England Patriots – LOSS 35 – 17

Week 16: @ Miami Dolphins – WIN 19 – 14 

Week 17: vs. Cleveland Browns – LOSS 21 – 20 

In my opinion, the Bengals will finish second in the AFC North behind the Baltimore Ravens with a 10 – 6 record. Potentially, the Bengals will receive a spot in the playoffs as a wild card and win the game. However, I do not foresee the Bengals winning the divisional round game. Regardless, with Taylor’s experience, I believe he will be a big improvement for the Bengals. The Bengals have not won a playoff game in 28 years – lastly on January 6, 1991 against the Houston Oilers, so a win in the playoffs for the Bengals this year is major. In a few years, Taylor could have the Bengals making a deep playoff run, especially if veterans Andy Dalton, AJ Green, Carlos Dunlap, Geno Atkins, and Giovanni Bernard stick around. 

Lamar Jackson was selected 32nd overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens which shook the world and Ravens fans. Why draft a new quarterback when you have Joe Flacco? The Ravens knew exactly what they were doing. 

Jackson had a fantastic, record-breaking run in college at the University of Louisville. His freshman year, he started eight games finishing with 1,840 yards and 12 touchdowns. That year, Jackson played in the 2015 Music City Bowl game where he was named MVP and set a record for 226 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the bowl game. 

His sophomore season he started all 13 games finishing with 3,543 yards passing, 30 passing touchdowns to just nine interceptions, and had over 1,500 yards rushing with 21 touchdowns – absolutely phenomenal. That year he also set several school records such as eight touchdowns in the first half against the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Also, that year he was selected as the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner becoming the first Louisville player to ever win the Heisman and the youngest to ever win the award.  

His junior year, everyone was sold on the fact that Jackson was special and elite. Again, he put up excellent statistics finishing the season with 3,660 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, 1,601 rushing yards, and 18 rushing touchdowns. Jackson was named as a Heisman finalist yet again in 2017, but lost to Baker Mayfield.

When Jackson was drafted by the Ravens, he was the backup to Super Bowl winning quarterback, Joe Flacco. When Flacco went down with a hip injury week nine against Pittsburgh, Jackson stepped in to take over the starting role. 

When Jackson took over week 11 he finished the Ravens season 6-1, with big wins over the Falcons and the Chargers which clinched the Ravens a playoff berth. Unfortunately, the Ravens lost a close wild card game to the Chargers 17-23. However, this end of the season run by Jackson prefaced his true potential.

The Ravens schedule for 2019 is ranked #20 on the most difficult in the league, which is a pretty fair schedule. Their three toughest games will be against the Chiefs in week three, the Patriots in week nine, and the Rams in week 12. Jackson should be equipped to deal with the adversity. He proved last year that he can compete with and beat veteran quarterbacks such as Phillip Rivers and Matt Ryan. Not to mention, the Ravens almost beat the power house Kansas City Chiefs last year in week 14 losing 23-24. 

The Ravens also have some experienced players on their offense to help Jackson out. For example, the Ravens have wide receiver, Willie Snead, who finished last season with over 650 yards. Snead was an excellent wide out for the Saints from 2015-2017 finishing with close to 1,000 yards each season. 

Also, the Ravens signed veteran running back, Mark Ingram, to a three-year deal in 2019. Ingram had a fantastic run with the Saints averaging 4.5 yards per carry and he put up over 1,000 rushing yards in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Not to mention, Ingram is also a Heisman trophy winner like Jackson. When Jackson took over in week 11 last season, the Ravens started passing the ball 38% less which is good news for Ingram.

Overall, Jackson will have a breakout sophomore season and prove to the NFL that he is elite and can win a championship. He is a dual threat quarterback: he can both pass and run exceptionally well, he has offensive weapons like Snead and Ingram, and the Ravens have a fairly easy schedule for next season. With Flacco signing with the Denver Broncos, this is officially Jackson’s team. I predict that the Ravens will finish the season 12 – 4 and will win the AFC North yet again. 

Week by Week Predictions for the Baltimore Ravens: 

Week 1: Sept. 8 at Miami Dolphins – WIN 27 – 10

Week 2: Sept. 15 vs. Arizona Cardinals – WIN 30 – 14

Week 3: Sept. 22 at Kansas City Chiefs – LOSS 31 – 17 

Week 4: Sept. 29 vs. Cleveland Browns – WIN 20 – 17

Week 5: Oct. 6 at Pittsburgh Steelers – LOSS 24 – 10 

Week 6: Oct. 13 vs. Cincinnati Bengals – WIN 23 – 7 

Week 7: Oct. 20 at Seattle Seahawks – WIN 28 – 14 

Week 8: BYE

Week 9: Nov. 3 vs. New England Patriots – LOSS 28 – 14

Week 10: Nov. 10 at Cincinnati Bengals – WIN 20 – 13 

Week 11: Nov. 17 vs. Houston Texans – WIN 33 – 17

Week 12: Nov. 25 at Los Angeles Rams – WIN 14 – 10 

Week 13: Dec. 1 vs. San Francisco 49ers – WIN 20 – 17 

Week 14: Dec. 8 at Buffalo Bills – WIN 24 – 10

Week 15: Dec. 12 vs. New York Jets – WIN 30 – 3

Week 16: Dec. 22 at Cleveland Browns – LOSS 24 – 14 

Week 17: Dec. 29 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – WIN 33 – 21 

Saquon Barkley – Running Back

Barkley seems like an obvious choice for your running back in 2019 based on his stats from last year – 1,307 yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, and four passing touchdowns. Fantasy-wise, he averaged 18.4 points per game and finished with 294.8 points his rookie season. With the departure of Odell Beckham Jr., Barkley is going to need to step it up and become the #1 offensive weapon for the New York Giants. Barkley should put up numbers similar to last season or better, especially since the Giants strengthened their offensive line this off season by resigning center, Jon Halapio, and trading for Kevin Zeitler from Cleveland who is one of the best guards in the NFL.

Julian Edelman – Wide Receiver 

With Gronk’s retirement from the NFL, Edelman will step up in 2019 to be Tom Brady’s number one target this season. Edelman put up some decent numbers last season: 850 yards and six touchdowns, despite being suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season. Edelman averaged 11 fantasy points per game and finished the season with 133.42 points. I believe Edelman will put up over 1,100 yards and have double digit touchdown numbers this upcoming season.

Patrick Mahomes – Quarterback 

Mahomes is a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. He finished last year with superb numbers: 5,097 yards (2nd in the league), 50 touchdowns (1st in the league), and 81.8 QBR (1st in the league).  In the fantasy sphere, Mahomes averaged 26.1 fantasy points per game and finished with 417.08 points for the season. Mahomes has some great targets to throw to, especially with tight end, Travis Kelce, who finished last season with 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns finishing in the top ten in the league in each of those categories.

If the NFL was to expand to another city, I would consider Portland, Oregon as one of the top prospects. Portland is no stranger to expansion teams with their National Basketball Association (NBA) team, the Portland Trail Blazers. In 1970, the Trail Blazers entered the NBA as an expansion team and gained popularity rather quickly. Between 1977-1995, the Trail Blazers set a record in American professional sports for the most consecutive sold out home games with 814 games.

Further, Portland is also home to the Timbers, who are a part of Major League Soccer (MLS). The Timbers entered the MLS in 2009 as an expansion team. The Timbers have experienced much success in their 10 years in Portland. For example, in 2015, the Timbers won the Western Conference Finals and were awarded their first major league trophy, the MLS Cup. In 2017 and 2018 the Timbers made the playoffs yet again.

Not only does Portland have past experience with adding successful expansion teams, but it’s location to a major sports apparel company, Nike, makes it an ideal location for an NFL franchise. The Nike headquarters is located in Beaverton, Oregon which is only about a 15 minute drive from Portland.The NFL and Nike already have an eight year contract for game-day uniforms and sideline apparel that will run through 2028 after the current contract expires in 2020. An NFL team being in such close proximity to Nike headquarters could potentially set up more joint partnerships in the future.

Overall, Portland seems like an ideal location for an NFL franchise because of its past experience with adding expansion teams and for its proximity to Nike. However, if the NFL added just one team it would cause several scheduling conflicts and an imbalance in divisions/conferences, so they would need to add another team to balance things out expanding the league to 34 teams. Where would be an ideal location for a second expansion team? Austin? Oklahoma City? San Antonio? Orlando? The possibilities are endless….

At age 38, Eli Manning is nearing the end of his career in the NFL (National Football League). Growing up in New Jersey I was surrounded by Giants fans. Eli has made all Giants fans both the happiest and the most disappointed. The helmet catch and beating the “GOAT,” Tom Brady,  twice brought Giants fans the best of times, while his constant interceptions and finishing last in the NFC (National Football Conference) East multiple times has brought Giants fans the worst of times. His lack of consistency, especially in recent years, has everyone calling into question his future in the NFL.

After Manning’s two Super Bowl wins in 2007 and 2011, his career was on a fast decline. Post 2011, Manning and the Giants performed at a less than elite level. They missed the playoffs the next four years which led to head coach, Tom Coughlin, leaving the Giants at the end of the 2015 season.

In 2016, Ben McAdoo, was named head coach and got the Giants back on track – or so we thought. That year the Giants finished 2nd in the NFC East with an 11-5 record. Manning finished the season with 4,027 yards and 26 touchdowns, similar statistics from his championship years. That 2016 season, the Giants reached the playoffs for the first time since winning the Super Bowl in 2011, however they were defeated by the Green Bay Packers, 38-13, in the wildcard round. The following year, Eli posted some of the worst records of his career finishing with only 3,468 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Manning was benched week 13 ending his 210 consecutive start streak. The Giants finished the year last in the NFC East with a measly 3-13 record. 2018 was not any better for Manning, the Giants missed the playoffs and finished the year 4th in their division at five wins, 11 losses.

With all that being said, it leaves the Giants and their fans asking, what is our future (or lack thereof) with Manning? In 2015, Manning signed a four year contract extension with the Giants worth $84 million. Nearing the end of his contract, the Giants have a lot to think about.

In the 2019 draft, the Giants selected quarterback, Daniel Jones, from Duke 6th overall to many’s surprise. Jones run at Duke was somewhat inconsistent. His sophomore year in 2017, he finished with 14 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. In 2018, he finished with 22 touchdowns to just nine interceptions. In 2019, he played in the Reese’s Senior Bowl and was named MVP finishing 8 for 11 with passes, 115 yards, and one touchdown.

Bottom line – despite Manning’s inconsistency and the addition of Daniel Jones from Duke, the Giants extend Manning’s contract through 2020. Why? Despite his age, Manning still has something left in the tank. Last season, at 38 years old, he completed 66% of his passes for 4,299 yards, 21 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Not too shabby for a veteran quarterback in this league.

To help Eli out, the Giants buffed up their offensive line this off season by resigning center, Jon Halapio, and trading for Kevin Zeitler from Cleveland. Zeitler is one of the best guards in the NFL currently. Last season, Zeitler was ranked the number sixth guard in the league and had the best pass blocking grade, 91.7%. Not to mention, the Giants still have Saquon Barkley to give Manning a break. Barkley set franchise rookie records for the Giants in 2018-2019, he finished with 1,307 yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, and four passing touchdowns while also being named The Associated Press’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. This also gives time for rookie, Daniel Jones, to learn behind Manning and hopefully groom him to become his successor.