We’re in that weird down part of the NFL calendar. The draft hype and the knee-jerking of post-draft analysis have faded away. The Saints bounty scandal – which has been a gift from the heavens for offseason NFL writers – has run out of thunderous news breaks. Rookie minicamps recently got underway. But let’s face it: if you find yourself the least bit interested in those, it’s time to reevaluate your life; noteworthy developments – even those as miniscule as the debut of a team’s new scheme – come out of about one in every 3,200 rookie minicamps. This year’s biggest rookie [...]
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Major League Baseball is underway and its Saturday afternoon ratings are down ever so slightly from last year. That’s nothing new. Last October, the sensational Cardinals-Rangers sensational seven-game World Series drew an average of 16.6 million viewers a night. Prior to that, the last time a Cardinals World Series went seven games was 1987; the average nightly audience was 35 million. [...]
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The Colts’ decision to release Peyton Manning has already been dissected a thousand different ways. So let’s move to the next discussion point: what can Manning bring to the table and to which table should that be?
Let’s keep a few things in mind: Peyton Manning turns 36 this month. He’s had four neck [...]
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This might be one of my shortest articles in my time writing New England Patriots articles, but I really want to write it, so I will!
After 219 articles, 216 covering the New England Patriots (My first three covering the Tennessee Titans), and 53 1SKILLZ Gameplans, I will be closing my tenure as the New England Patriots Fan Voice. It is fitting that my last 1SKILLZ Gameplan was of Super Bowl XLVI, and though I will miss pushing piping hot content to football fans [...]
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The Buffalo Bills announced today that they have signed a multi-year extension with WR Stevie Johnson, ultimately avoiding using the franchise tag on him.
The new deal is reportedly worth $36.25 million, including $19.5 million guaranteed over the course of five years. Johnson is set to get $24 million over the first three years [...]
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Welcome to March. We come into the month with news that the New Orleans Saints, winners of Super Bowl 44, will be facing severe consequences for "non-contractual bonuses" for defensive players. The bounty program has already been labeled "Bountygate", and it involved several players pooling money and being paid under the table for reckless hits, "cartoffs", and "knockouts", all under the watch of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams from 2009-2011. It appears that the Saints stand to be fined as an organization, have select players and coaches suspended, and lose valuable draft picks. [...]
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It’s no secret that most professional athletes are goal-oriented individuals. On Saturday, Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson took to Twitter and announced his goal to the world for the upcoming 2012 NFL Season—to lead the league in rushing.
Johnson is no stranger to setting some fairly sky-scraping annual expectations for himself. Prior to last season, he set a goal [...]
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As we get closer to the draft, speculation will swirl regarding Ryan Tannehill's stock. However, if history tells us anything, it's that he will be coveted much more highly than just being a late first rounder.
With potential locks at one at two, Luck and Griffin III will be off the board as quick as they get to the draft.
Who is the next team looking for their potential starting QB? The Miami Dolphins would be that team.
Despite rumors that they will be going after Manning, Flynn, and pretty much anybody who is a headline this offseason, you never know what is going to [...]
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After a forgettable year, the Jaguars are going to quickly see the off season come and go. The question is, with a new owner and coaching staff, what direction is this team going to go in?
The team knows its' strong areas and weak areas. The problem is, the weak areas are rather important positions.
Depending on which starters return, the team could have a relatively different look heading into the 2012-13 season.
Starting with quarterback, Blaine Gabbert is the developmental guy, but another bad season could mean the end of him in Jacksonville. The obvious move to look for is [...]
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It seems like months since the end of the New England Patriots' loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl 46 ... but that's probably because the Patriots also lost to them months ago, in November. All yuks aside, when a team plays its last contest, everyone knows that a journey that began with training camp has ended, never to be reduplicated. Especially in the free agency era, and especially with the Patriots, roster turnover ensures that teams look remarkably different by time summer hits. With that in mind, and after taking time to look at the [...]
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It's been some time since I was here, as I took my usual 20-some days to step away from the grind. A lot has gone down in the NFL speculative world since then, but as it relates to the New England Patriots, I'll save that for another article.
With the NFL Combine wrapping up, I wanted to look back at the Patriots' 2011 draft. The 2011 NFL Draft was unique in that it was the premier event situated in the middle of an unprecedented NFL lockout. Whereas the first round of free agency usually precedes the NFL Draft, 2011 was different in that there was very minimal free agent movement [...]
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The Super Bowl is over and that means the 2012 season is truly upon us. Nothing from last year matters anymore. Those two blocked field goals? Last year. Those losses to New York, Detroit and Buffalo? Last year. It's all in front of the Kansas City Chiefs because now, it's a brand new year.
The biggest key for a successful season has nothing to do with free agents or even the draft. It's about recovery, specifically three knees that needed mending.
If Eric Berry can come back in his rookie form, the defense will be elite. It doesn't matter if Jovan Belcher remains a starter and if the [...]
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