2016 NFL Season Predictions

The NFL season is here and what a game to start week one.  The Denver Broncos defended their championship by edging out the Carolina Panthers 21-20. Though one game is in the books, I still have time to release my really bad season predictions. So here we go!

AFC:

AFC East: Patriots

AFC North: Steelers

AFC South: Jaguars

AFC West: Broncos

Wild Card: Raiders, Colts

NFC:

NFC East:  Cowboys

NFC North: Packers

NFC South: Panthers

NFC West:  Cardinals

Wild Cards: Seahawks, Vikings

AFC  Championship: Steelers Over Broncos

NFC Championship:  Cardinals Over Packers

Super Bowl:  Cardinals over Steelers

MVP: Aaron Rodgers

OPOY: Adrian Peterson

DPOY:  Kahlil Mack

ROPOY:  Zeke Elliot

RDPOY: Myles Jack

Coach of the Year: Bruce Arians

Week 1 Predictions:

TB over Atlanta

BAL  over BUF

HOU over  CHI

GB over JAX

KC over SD

OAK over NO

CIN over NYJ

PHI over CLE

TEN over MINN

SEA over MIA

DAL over NYG

IND over DET

ARI over NE

PITT over WAS

LA over SF

Cowboys go 9-7 in 2016; Win Division Title despite Romo's injury

After months and months of preparation, bad news and some fake football, the NFL regular season is finally here. For the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday afternoon might be the start of one of the biggest transitional moments since 2006.

With starting quarterback Tony Romo sidelined for the first part of the season with a major back injury, a litany of questions regarding the pass rush and a rookie quarterback tasked with shouldering the burden of this team, the Cowboys have a lot on their plate as they open the season with the New York Giants.

Will the Cowboys make the playoffs?  Here is how I think the season will unfold in 2016.

With Dak Prescott running the show for at least the first six games, Cowboys will find success but the growing pains of starting a rookie will be prevalent. Look for the Cowboys to go 3-3 entering the bye week in week 7. I think any Cowboys fan would love that situation.

By Week 8, Romo will make his return and lead the Cowboys to two straight victories over both the Eagles and the lowly Browns. Unfortunately, expect back-to-back losses to the Steelers and Ravens and the Cowboys enter Thanksgiving 5-5.

Romo then returns to his winning ways on Thanksgiving, beating the rival Redskins. They follow it up with two straight victories over the Vikings and Giants before losing to a young and talented Bucs team at home.

With two games left in the season, the Cowboys split the final two games in the season beating the Lions and losing the finale at home to the Eagles.

Cowboys finish the season at 9-7 and squeaking in a NFC East title.

Will this happen?  Most likely not, but there is some hope for this team this season. Health and luck will have to play a big part in 2016. Either way, this will be a season to remember for Cowboys fans.  

Sorry Tony, It is time to hang them up

For the few minutes that Tony Romo lay on the ground in the first quarter of last Thursday’s preseason game against Seattle, Dallas Cowboys fans were worried that the end had come for the Romo window. Romo did get up, but it was later revealed he suffered a fracture in his vertebrae and could be out 6-10 weeks.  Though he will be back later in the season, it is apparent now that he must seriously consider retirement.

A little disclaimer before we get started, I love Tony Romo. Since 2006, when I started my interest into sports, he was the first player I identified with. Since then, I would defend him at all lengths and applaud when he would make those Houdini-like plays. He was my quarterback, borrowing a phrase from former Romo teammate Terrell Owens. Yet, in the last few years, I was in total denial about the long-term health issues that seemed to be plaguing him. The hit that happened last Thursday finally woke me up.

The Romo-Era is coming to an end.

Why the change?  The numbers simply told the story to me. With the current injury, it will be the sixth time since 2008 that Tony Romo won’t play a full season.  That doesn’t count the multiple times he has suffered major injuries and still played through them. Remember when he had a punctured lung? This shows us two narratives; Romo is one of the toughest players in all of sports and he is also one of the most fragile.

It has gotten worse since the start of the 2013 season. He had four surgeries and two separate fractures on his back. It seems every time he gets hit, fans have to hold their breath to see if he will get back up.

As he gets older, it will get worse.  Football is a brutal sport and it is much worse to those who are older. It is a young man’s game and Tony is tempting fate every time.

He will return this season and could be fine and lead the team into the playoffs. Romo could return for next season and play at a high level. But, the next hit could also be the one to knock him out forever.  No player should have to retire that way. Lifting up your children is much more important than lifting the Lombardi Trophy. 

EA: Striving for Greatness

Joining the sports media world might be a tougher task than actually playing in a professional league. It has been one year since I have graduated from college with a journalism degree. I was actually excited back then to get into sports media. I started to fill out job applications like no other, sometimes filling out 20 in a day. It didn’t matter where the job was, I was going to apply and make a name for myself. I was going to be the next Peter King or Dan Patrick. Visions of grandeur filled my head and helped me sleep at night.

I never heard back from anyone. A year vanished as I tried to find work, while my parents worried over my future. In my household, you were expected to be a lawyer or a doctor, something with job security. I was a rebel though; I wanted to get into the sports world as much as possible. It was my dream since I first turned on 105.3 The Fan back in the summer of 2009.  Against all odds, I chose a different path to make a name for myself.

It hasn’t been the easiest decision in my life. Multiple people inside and outside the business have told me that it is a dying business and I have made a mistake. One person told me that I wasted a lot of money with my Journalism degree. On top of it, I see multiple colleagues of mine getting jobs right here in Dallas with big time organizations, while I struggle to get just an interview. It caused me to doubt myself and wonder did I ruin my future.

I won’t lie; this past year has been extremely hard on my psyche. I am man enough to admit, I have had to cry myself to sleep over what this dream of mine has cost me. 2015 was not a good year.

The biggest question that kept running through my head was, Should I quit?

There was only response back. Never.

I haven’t given up once in life and I am not going to stop now. I know I am one step closer and I know it will be worth it in the end.

I am writing this to all those struggling with their dreams and just asking them to keep at it. Anything worthwhile in this world must be paid for with blood, sweat and faith.

The time we have on this planet is short and it could all end in a blink of an eye. So spend it doing something you love and that is how you make your life worthwhile.

I wanted to thank Walter Chism, Tovash Hatcher, Marcus Mays, Quincy Fraser, Glenn Jackson, Mike Fisher, Gavin Dawson, Chris Arnold, Jeff Cavanaugh, Ben Rogers, Cory Mageors, Mark Lane, and countless others who have given me a chance or the support I need for my dream. I will never forget it.

Dallas Cowboys desperate pass rush options

Well, that escalated quickly. The Dallas Cowboys, who desperately need a pass rush, struck out on another free agent defensive end as Chris Long skips dinner with head coach Jason Garrett to sign with the New England Patriots. So what happens next? There is a possibility of a trade or going into the draft and taking guys like Joey Bosa or Noah Spence.

The free agent market is dried up, but there are some names that could be of some help for the ailing pass-rush. Let’s look at some of the names.

1.)  Jason Jones- He is a 30 year-old pass rusher that is basically the best of the eh. He was decent in Detroit last season and was considered their second-best pass rusher. He had 4.5 sacks in 2015 and was decent against the run. It looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers visited with him and is interested in signing him, but if the Cowboys want to make a move to stop the bleeding, they could do it with Jones.

2.)    Jeremy Mincey- We all know and love Mr. Mincey. While sacking quarterbacks in 2014, he also produced music that was quite entertaining. Unfortunately, Mincey didn’t have much of an on-the-field impact for the Cowboys as he didn’t record a single sack. That could be because Greg Hardy was getting a lot of the snaps, but it is a worrisome sign that Mincey might not be an impact player anymore. Yet, as desperate as the Cowboys are, the team might have to return to the veteran defensive end to help solidify the pass rush and bring leadership to the defense.

3.) Dwight Freeney- OK, this is getting bad. Do we really think Freeney can be a savior for the Dallas’ pass rush? He might not be the solution, but he could be a rotational player and can hold down the fort until Randy Gregory returns from his four-game suspension. It is very unlikely the team will sign him, but he is out there.

Troublemakers:

1.)    Greg Hardy- He may be the most talented of all the defensive ends that were in this free-agent draft class, but he is also the most troubled. After a turbulent season with the Cowboys, Hardy seems to have soured his relationship with a lot of teams. We know Dallas won’t sign him, at least if it was head coach Jason Garret’ call. According to Mike Fisher of CowboysHQ.com and CBS DFW, the Cowboys will not bring back Hardy. Hardy also hasn’t visited or had any interest from other teams as well. According to “The Dallas Morning News”, Hardy is back at Ole Miss finishing his degree. It seems safe to say that Hardy won’t be a Dallas Cowboy.

2.  Aldon Smith- UMM NO.  He’s suspended for at least half the year. No thanks.

Looks like it might be Joey Bosa in the NFL Draft. No bueno.

Elliott to the Cowboys?? Not so Fast!

How can the Dallas Cowboys royally screw over their draft this year? Oh by drafting Ohio State phenom running back Ezekiel Elliott with the No. 4 overall pick.

Recently, ESPN Dallas writer Jean-Jacques Taylor had an article out that detailed why the Cowboys need to take Elliott in the first round. He had some valid arguments that almost swayed me to switch over and take the Buckeye at No.4.

Taylor pointed out that Dallas Quarterback Tony Romo had his best season in 2014, when he was attempting 30 or fewer passes in games. That was thanks to the marvelous season former Cowboys running back Demarco Murray, who rushed for 1,845 yards en route to winning the AP Offensive Player of the Year Award.

With Murray grinding out yards during the game, it allowed Romo to pick where to attack and gave him a lot of breathing room to help carry the team to 12 wins and a playoff victory in 2014. It was truly the best combination the Cowboys have had in recent years and I get why Elliott would be a guy that could help bring back that magic.

My problem is that I think you can still find that kind of running back later in the draft and still use current starting running back Darren McFadden. Did we forget that during this dreadful 2015 campaign, McFadden still ran for 1,200 yards behind an offensive line that declined in play? Add in a young running back in second or third rounds and the team can still churn out that 2014 magic.

If Elliott was a top-5 player in this draft class, I would be happy to bring him in, but he isn’t. There are far better players to choose from. The Cowboys have to stick to their board and take the best player available and at pick No. 4, Elliott isn’t that player. Players like linebacker Myles Jack, defensive back Jalen Ramsey and defensive end Joey Bosa are all better than Elliott.

Fans and media alike used to kill the Cowboys for drafting for need because it led to reaching on players and that is exactly what will happen if they draft Elliott.

Be smart and take the best player on the board at No.4. It’s a safe bet it won’t be the phenom running back from Ohio State.

THE MFFL Dream is Dead

One of the more memorable sports memories for me was when the Dallas Mavericks beat all odds to win the 2011 NBA championship. It had all the drama that sports could offer and as a Mavs fan you were on top of the world. That feeling didn’t last long as the team has fallen off to mediocrity in the last five years.

The front-office tried their best to stay relevant and make the last few years of Dirk Nowitzki’s career worth something, but they have failed at getting the “big-fish” superstars to come to Dallas. Now as the second-half of the 2015-2016 NBA season ramps up, the Mavs find themselves sputtering into mediocrity. Fans aren’t connecting anymore and the excitement level for the team is at an all-time low. Now there is a movement to force the team to tear everything apart and build everything through the draft.

I used to be totally against this movement, always preaching that the NBA draft is overrated and this team can be successful if it can just try to land some superstars through free-agency. I am sad to say I was wrong and I fully endorse tanking this team.

It is hard for the Mavericks to really tank anytime soon, especially since Dirk is on the team. Yet, they need to start embracing that mindset now because it seems that is the only way this team is going to get better. Owner Mark Cuban was on the G-Bag Nation on 105.3 The Fan earlier this week and it doesn’t seem like they are going to change their philosophy anytime soon. In fact, Cuban talked about having better player development as a way to ensure a more solid roster.

While I am glad he is fixing some of the issues, he fails to see how the rest of the NBA really is building their teams, which is through the draft. While there are examples of teams that don’t get it right when doing it through the draft, i.e. Cleveland and Philadelphia, there are other teams like the Warriors and the Spurs that dominate the NBA because of their attention to the draft.

Remember guys like Dominique Jones, Rodrigue Beaubois and 2015 second-round pick Satnam Singh? Yeah, that is just the tip of the iceberg of how bad the Mavericks are at drafting and this goes back years and years.

So here’s what needs to happen in the next few years. The first move I am advocating is a shakeup in the front office. Keep Donnie Nelson as President of Basketball Operations, but they need to bring in another guy to be the General Manager and be in charge of scouting and the draft. Next, they need to start trading away as many pieces and acquiring younger talent. Make Dirk’s years as comfortable as possible, but at the same time get pieces together to trade for draft picks. The point is to cushion the blow as much as possible, because once Dirk retires; this team is heading straight for the lottery. Tanking is one part of the equation; they still need to acquire talent on a consistent basis.

It is time to get ready for a life without Dirk. It going to suck, but if done right, the light at end of the tunnel can be the glare of multiple Larry O’Brien trophies.