LOS ANGELES HASN'T LOST ITS CHARGE

 CHARGERS HISTORY:

        Welcome to Los Angeles, the city big enough to carry two NFL franchises, the Rams and the Chargers.  The Chargers were initially established in the city of Los Angeles back in 1960.  Upon their entrance to the city of Angels, the franchise got off to a hot start in the AFL with the Chargers winning ten-plus games in both their first two seasons in the league while making it to back-to-back AFL Championship Games.  The outcome wasn’t what they had hoped for as they had lost both years to the same Houston Oilers team.  Originally the Chargers started their franchise in Los Angeles but the following year the Chargers were forced to move to San Diego due to the team’s competition in La La Land with the Los Angeles Rams who had already set up shop in L.A. fourteen years before the Chargers arrival.  The Chargers were a regularity in AFL Championship Games early in their franchise history, appearing in five within their first six seasons.  They ended up going 1-4 during that Championship run and wouldn’t appear in any others nor would they make the playoffs for the next fourteen seasons.

        Since the Chargers have been in the NFL, they haven’t yet tasted true success other than that one AFL Championship win in 1963.  The Chargers have only made it to the Super Bowl once in 1995, though they wound up losing to the San Francisco 49ers.  They also haven’t had a Head Coach that has lasted longer than six seasons since Don Coryell (San Diego HC 1978-1985).  In fact, the Chargers only ever had two Head Coaches last at least seven seasons in franchise history (Don Coryell & Sid Gillman 1960-1971).  Long-time Chargers coach Sid Gillman had a lengthy decorated tenure as he led them for 11 seasons.  Gillman is the winningest Head Coach the Chargers have ever had and possesses a record of 85-53-6.  Coach Gillman had left the team and his coaching duties nine games into the 1969 season because of a hiatal hernia before coming back to coach them for the first ten games of the 1971 season.

 

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS PART II:

        After such a long history of San Diego being the home of the Chargers, the team decided to give The Big Orange another go at hosting their NFL franchise.  In 2017 the Chargers decided to pack up and move the organization about two hours north (123 mi) up I-5 N to head back to where the team was originally founded.  Upon moving back to L.A. they haven’t been a great team, only registering two playoff appearances in the past seven years.  Before this season the Chargers have only had two head coaches since their move back.  Now with this year's new GM Joe Hortiz, along with first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh it sure appears that this team will be heading towards a brighter future.  Los Angeles came into this season seeking a playoff run as the Chargers are two years removed from their last one.  No doubt he has done a great job so far, giving life to their run game while also getting this defense back on track.  They currently are sitting in sixth place in the AFC, while having the best-scoring defense in the league.  

 

        The Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter, who also served as Head Coach Jim Harbaugh’s DC last season in Michigan has the Chargers defense ranking in the top ten for just about every defensive statistic.  The Charger’s General Manager did a good job in the offseason making some savvy moves, inking some very good veterans to deals.  They completely bolstered their running back room by signing both Ravens' previous running backs Gus Edwards and the explosive but often injured runner J.K Dobbins (who led the league in yards per carry for a handful of weeks early on this season).  That move came after Harbaugh decided to go out and hire Greg Roman who spent four years with Dobbins and Edwards in Baltimore under Jim’s brother John Harbaugh.  They also made sure they got one of the top backups at the quarterback position for insurance in case Herbert went down, which proved to be helpful as he was banged up in pre-season, dealing with foot/ankle injuries, he also had to leave the field in multiple games this year missing a few snaps here and there.  Another big move by the Chargers was signing the great veteran O-lineman guard Bradley Bozeman.  It’s almost as if John Harbaugh sent a gift basket of talent to celebrate Jim’s return to the NFL as Bozeman also played for Baltimore his first four years in the league before signing with Carolina for two years.

 

        Harbaugh was instantly given the keys to LA among inking his name on the dotted line when he took this Head Coaching job.  It should come as no surprise that he probably had a lot of say in who the team would be drafting.  The first thing the Chargers did was draft the overall best offensive lineman in the 2024 NFL Draft (LT Joe Alt).  Then they figured it only made sense to go out and try to address their lack of weapons on the outside after moving on from both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.  Now the Chargers got themselves two young studs to add to their receiver corps that will hopefully grow into stars soon.  Ladd McConkey (already their best offensive weapon) out of Georgia and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s son Brenden Rice who was drafted to L.A by way of USC.  The Chargers also found themselves adding depth to their defensive backs as well as their front seven through the draft. 

 

        If the Chargers indeed make the playoffs this year, I will not be surprised.  Herbert needs to stay healthy and they need to get their ground-and-pound game back on track.  Early on they were ranked 11^th in rushing offense through the first four weeks of the season.  Dobbins is out with another injury and they've faltered to 19th on the ground.  Their air attack has looked better recently and they've also been putting more points on the board, but they do rank 25th in passing and 20th in scoring.  The Chargers' defense has kept them in a bunch of games this season they had almost no shot of winning like earlier this year against KC when they could’ve possibly upset the Chiefs at home, but to no avail as they fell to the Champs 17-10.  Then last week against the Falcons terrible defense that they only scored one touchdown by way of a pick-six.  However, I will not count Sunday Night against the Chargers for the fact their top receiver rookie Ladd McConkey along with Dobbins were hurt, plus Herbert had to leave the game for a few snaps.  The Chargers are still holding off the Broncos for the 6th seed, while also having a two-game lead over the likes of the Dolphins, Colts, plus they also own a tie-breaker over the Bengals.  They should be able to make it into the postseason with only two tough games ahead when they take on the Buccaneers and the Broncos in the next two weeks (at home), the last two games are both road matches against two weaker teams (Patriots & Raiders).

TAMPA BAY IS BAKING (9/30/24- EDITED VERSION)

            Tampa Bay is now a few years removed from their magical run in 2020 when Mr. Brady came to save the day and brought these Buccaneers only their second Lombardi in the franchise’s history.  Tampa Bay is looking more and more like a playoff team this season.  I know they have only played four games so far and there are still three-quarters of the season to go, but they are off to a very hot start.  Head Coach Todd Bowles along with Tampa’s Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen (Coen served as Kentucky’s OC 2023) still have a lot of work to do as the Bucs are putting up 319 yards per game which is ranked 16^th in the league so far this season.  For the Defense, Tampa Bay took a unique approach by employing a co-Defensive Coordinator plan.  Both Kacy Rodgers and Larry Foote are listed as the teams' DCs, in any matter they need to do a better job going forward regardless of the team's 3-1 record as their defense is allowing 335.3 yards per game which ranks 19^th among the 32 teams.

            With a closer look at the Buccaneers who are off to a great start, their overall offense may be middle of the pack and their defense may be worse than their personnel say they should be though they are currently 3-1.  Winning seems to cure everything in the sports world, right?  Through the first 4 weeks quarterback Baker Mayfield looks more poised than ever as he has now thrown for a total of 984 yards on the season and ranks fourth in passing yards.  Mayfield has also thrown for eight touchdowns and ran for two more, while only throwing two interceptions.  Wide receiver Chris Godwin is currently third in the league with 27 receptions, sixth in receiving yards (322 yards), and tied with fellow receiver & teammate Mike Evans for second in touchdowns (3 TDs).  Baker is currently in fourth place of all QBs with an overall QB rating of 106.9 on the season, having produced a rating of 90 or better in three of his first four starts.  His only game where he did not achieve this came in week three against the Denver Broncos' top-five defensive unit.  In week one Tampa topped the Washington Commanders 37-20.  In week two Baker got his playoff revenge against Detroit winning 20-16 on Ford Field.  Week three marked their first loss of the season, at home to the Denver Broncos 26-7, then yesterday the Buccaneers got back on track beating the banged-up Philadelphia Eagles in Tampa 33-16.

            My early prediction for this Todd Bowles-led team is that the Bucs will find themselves in the postseason, yet again behind great quarterback play and a pair of unbelievably talented wideouts.  They will certainly have a lot of work to do with the rush offense and a full-time switch to the rookie running back Buck Irving may be the answer.  Rachaad White has proven to be inefficient as their number-one running back through four games and is averaging a measly 2.8 yards per carry on 41 attempts which is why the switch will inevitably come soon.  The other main thing to work on for this team is their defensive play as they have been pedestrian in both rush & pass defense.  Tampa is giving up 131.5 yards per game on the ground (22nd) and 203.8 yards through the air (16th).  Three of the Bucs' next four games are against divisional opponents while the other game will be a home matchup where they will host none other than last year’s regular season MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.   

Defensive Statistics

UNCONQUERED, UNSTOPPABLE, UNDEFEATED

 

                What’s going on NFL fans?  It has been an awesome three weeks of football so far.  We have seen a lot through the first three weeks of the season a lot of touchdowns, a lot of lop-sided wins, some big upsets, and a plethora of injuries that have taken place.  The NFL is now gearing up in preparation for week four to kick off this upcoming Thursday night when we will all watch the Dallas Cowboys take on the New York Giants in East Rutherford New Jersey at 8:15 PM ET.  Although there isn't a single team that has tremendously pulled away from the pack, three teams have a zero in their win column.  The AFC South’s own Jacksonville Jaguars, their divisional rival Tennessee Titans, plus a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the Cincinnati Bengals.  However, this article is not about the winless teams, it is about the teams who have made it through the first three weeks seemingly unscathed, well at least from a record standpoint.

 

AFC UNDEFEATED TEAMS

 

BUFFALO BILLS 3-0

                This Buffalo Bills team may not surprise most having a 3-0 record after beating the likes of the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars, The Miami Dolphins who lost Tua to his fourth concussion in the past five years, and the lackluster Arizona Cardinals.  However, make no mistake about these Bills, they still have a Top-notch defense, they still have one of the best Head Coaches in the league, and they still have offensive weapons at their quarterback's disposal.  The reasons why certain people thought that they would take a step back this year, including myself, are preposterous.  I mentioned that they still have a great coach in Sean McDermott.  Maybe we doubters forgot that the Bills have a record of 76-41 ever since McDermott took over as their HC or maybe we have lost faith in the great QB Josh Allen.  It could also be because every time we look at their offense, we don’t instantly recognize the players that Josh is throwing the ball to.  Whatever the case I am here to put that nonsense to rest.  Buffalo came out swinging in week one and came back from a fourteen-point deficit to beat the Cardinals 34-28.  Buffalo’s second game was a very different story as the Dolphins were obliterated by the time the fourth quarter started and had to go to their backup QB because of Tua’s injury.  Buffalo won 31-10.  Then there was last night's blowout victory against the Jaguars which ended in a 47-10 dismantling of Jacksonville.  These Bills are for real and if they have the MVP-like great Josh Allen at the helm they will always have a chance.  The young core of players, especially their wideouts, will continue to gel with Allen and their success will only grow.  Having said that, the Bills have no easy ride ahead as their next three weeks are as tough as it gets for Buffalo.  Next week the Bills head to Baltimore to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on Sunday Night.  Then they are off to Houston to face off against the Texans.  After those two difficult challenges, they will meet up with the New York Jets in New Jersey to play Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, which is never an easy task.

 

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 3-0

One could only assume this may not be surprising to most as well.  Yes, this is the Chiefs, the current two-time consecutive Super Bowl Champs.  They possess one of the best Head Coaches in NFL history, and they have a prodigy, who already is in the G.O.A.T discussions as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, though he is not even thirty years old.  This one does feel a little odd though if I’m being honest.  The Chiefs are certainly one of the best-storied teams in recent history, but if you look at their undefeated start, you may scratch your head in pondering.  They beat the Baltimore Ravens in week one, but if you watched the game there were certainly a few questionable calls and penalties by the referees.  Even still the game came down to a heck of a play by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who found backup tight end Isaiah Likely in the back of the endzone.  He was so far in the back of the endzone that it ultimately cost Baltimore the game as the front of Likely’s cleat (barely) went into the white line that outlines the out-of-bounds line that separates a touchdown from what could've been.  Either way, Chiefs Kingdom enjoyed a second victory over the purple and black (27-20) for the second time in KC’s last three games (beat the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game).  

Week two for KC was also controversial in that they had some penalties go their way as they enjoyed another victory at home over the Cincinnati Bengals 26-25.  The Chiefs' week three win came against the Atlanta Falcons 22-17 on the road in Atlanta.  This game was a very interesting one, it showed the Falcons growing their chemistry as a whole both offensively and defensively.  Mahomes threw what looked to be a game-changing pick early in the contest to All-Pro safety Justin Simmons, (6^th INT on Mahomes and 4^th straight game with an INT vs Mahomes) but it was still very early.  Later in the game, there were a few missed calls by the referees yet again, like when Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts was held in the endzone on what should have been a pass interference call.  This changed the whole trajectory of the game as the outcome more than likely could’ve favored the Falcons.  I’m not saying that Mahomes couldn't have led his Chiefs back downfield for another score, as he has done numerous times in his career, I’m just saying that the Falcons likely would’ve had seven more points on that drive had the refs not missed the call.  This was however a game-ender for KC’s defense as it was a third-and-five from about six yards out with 4:12 left in the game.  The Falcons would then try on fourth down but to no avail as Kirk Cousins's pass fell incomplete.  Kansas City has gotten off to a fiery hot start against three difficult opponents and next on the docket is a division game against the Los Angeles Chargers who may or may not have their Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert.  These Chiefs have sustained a few injuries but when you have a QB like Mahomes nothing is ever out of reach.

 

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 3-0

Now this is certainly more of a surprising feat when you think of all the teams that could’ve been in this undefeated scenario to start the first three weeks of the season.  Keep in mind that we have a long way to go before we can crown anyone a playoff team or a division winner.  The Steelers may come as a surprise because coming into the season, just a few weeks ago, there was a lot of chatter that no one knew who would end up being the team’s starting quarterback.  All that anyone had was speculation.  The known was that Russell Wilson rarely turns the ball over which would obviously favor a hard-nosed defensive team such as Pittsburgh.  The other known factor was that Russell’s play-it-safe approach could also have the Steeler’s offense looking the way they’ve been the last several seasons since Ben Roethlisberger retired.  

When Denver decided to move on from Super Bowl Winning QB Russell Wilson it seemed to be because he limited the upside of the team's offense by playing it safe, instead of taking big shots downfield to his playmakers.  The only real knock on their other newly signed quarterback, Justin Fields, was that he has turned the ball over a lot in the past and that could potentially put a lot of strain on the Steelers' defense.  On the contrary, Justin Fields has looked pretty good through these first three weeks for Pittsburgh.  He has fumbled the ball twice, but luckily for him, his teammates recovered both.  Fields has also thrown an interception but as the Steelers are rolling on undefeated that doesn’t hold much weight currently. 

In week one the Steelers took the show on the road to Atlanta where they beat the Falcons 18-10.  Then in week two Head Coach Mike Tomlin elected to start Fields again because Russell Wilson wasn’t yet healthy enough to play against his old team, the Denver Broncos.  Again, for the second straight week, it wasn’t a big difference on offense for the Steelers as they only scored 13 points, however, that was more than enough to defeat the Broncos in Denver 13-6.  With week three approaching critics were still talking about a possible quarterback switch to the Pro Bowler Russell Wilson because of Pittsburgh’s unimpressive offense that had only put up thirty-one total points after two games.  Russell still didn’t play as his injury was still bothering him, but no fear here for Head Coach Mike Tomlin as he had his men ready for battle against the 2-0 Los Angeles Chargers at home.  The Steelers put up their most points yet in week three and took down the Chargers in the Steel City 20-10 as Justin Fields threw for 245 yards, 1 TD & completed 25/32 passes, plus also rushed for another 6 yards and another touchdown.   The Steelers' defense is a game-recking unit, and we still don’t know what to expect from the quarterback position for this team, but Fields is seemingly getting better and better with each coming week.

 

NFC UNDEFEATED TEAMS

 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS 3-0

                Minnesota, much like the Steelers could be surprising to some depending on your individual views of their starting quarterback Sam Darnold.  Darnold was drafted by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft when he was selected third overall.  Many thought that maybe he could change the fate of that franchise and give their fans something exciting to root for again after decades of poor play and a championship drought that now ranges over 55 long years.  Instead, Darnold was not the answer and after being shipped off to the Carolina Panthers, where he spent two seasons, and then again finding a new team in San Fran for a season, he seems to have finally found a place he can call home.  Though often scrutinized, quarterback Sam Darnold is a good player.  Darnold’s career numbers don’t look great and when you are a young QB playing for a team that gets the publicity such as a place like New York it's hard to try and keep the outside noise from the NY media affecting you both on and off the field.  That mixed with the fact that the Jets didn’t have great offensive line play and the best skilled positional players around him.  Sam Darnold didn’t give up though, even after losing his starting role in Carolina to Baker Mayfield.  

                 Sam came into this season competing with the rookie, last year's National Championship-winning QB, J.J. McCarthy.  Many believed that J.J. probably would’ve been the starter come week one of the regular season.  That was unfortunately not the case for McCarthy after a freak injury that left him on IR for the entire season.  For Darnold, it seems like maybe the right time, the right place and he is undoubtedly taking advantage of this opportunity to showcase his talents as a starter, even if this ends up being his only season as a Viking.  Through the first three weeks of this season, Darnold has looked magnificent.  His completion percentage is 67.9%, the best of his career though it has only been three games.  He has thrown for 657 yards and has a TD: INT ratio of 8:2, with a passer rating of 117.3, also by far the best of his NFL career.  In week one the Vikings beat up a bad New York Giants team at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with a final score of 28-6.  Then Darnold with their Head Coach Kevin O’Connell had the Vikings prevail at home over last year’s NFC Champs, the San Francisco 49ers, winning 23-17.  Beating the 49ers on any Sunday is very inspiring but for the Vikings’ fans watching their QB Sam Darnold sling a 97-yard TD to superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson out of their own endzone.  Then the unthinkable happened in a week three matchup between the Vikings and the Texans.  True NFL fans watched last year as the number two pick of the 2023 NFL Draft had the best rookie season of all time from a QB in C.J. Stroud.  Beating this Stroud-led Houston Texans team is one thing, but the Minnesota Vikings did something that no other team has done since Stroud became their starter.  Minnesota completely dismantled the DeMeco Ryan’s coached Houston Texans team in a win considering no one outside of Minneapolis could’ve seen coming, 34-7 keeping the Vikings unbeaten.

 

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 3-0

                The Seattle Seahawks had a massive change in the offseason that left people wondering how this team would look for the future after parting ways with their previous Head Coach of the past 14 seasons.  It is never easy to move on from a Head Coach of that caliber or length of time, especially one that brought the city a Lombardi trophy and had the team in two Super Bowl appearances.  The known was that Seattle should certainly have a good-to-great defense with a masterful Defensive-minded Head Coach Mike Macdonald.  The Seahawks hired Mike Macdonald to become their franchise's ninth Head Coach after how his defense performed last season.  Macdonald was the Baltimore Ravens Defensive Coordinator in 2023 and was named the Assistant Coach of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America and I’ll tell you why.  Baltimore’s defense was incredible with Mike as their DC, allowing just 16.5 points per game, (1st) they had 60 sacks, along with 31 takeaways (both 1^st in the NFL). The Ravens also allowed the fewest touchdowns in the league (26) while finishing first in overall defense & first in pass defense.  The only major category that Baltimore’s defense didn’t rank first in was their run defense, which finished 7^th in the league.  

                So far through three games Head Coach Macdonald has Seattle’s defense off to an awesome start, although they’ve played three bottom-10 offenses to start.  The Seahawks and their 13^th man currently rank third in pressure rate while only blitzing 19.2% of the time, the seventh-lowest rate in the NFL.  This defensive-minded genius has Seattle currently ranked as a top-five unit in sacks (11), and top-ten defense in sack rate (9.8%).  The Seahawks have only allowed 248.7 yards per game so far this season, which is the second-best in the league, while also only allowing a total of 473 passing yards, which ranks third in the league.  Seattle kicked the season off with a home game playing host to the Denver Broncos and their rookie quarterback Bo Nix who failed to throw a touchdown, and the Seahawks won 26-20.  The following week Seattle took to the road to play the New England Patriots and again came out victorious after a game-sealing field goal in overtime that had them win 23-20.  This past weekend wasn’t as tough of a game as it could have been due to the Miami Dolphins not having their franchise QB Tua Tagovailoa.  Seattle steamrolled the Dolphins at home with a final score of 24-3 to stay perfect.  Even though these Seahawks are currently undefeated they will have their toughest challenge this upcoming Monday Night when they go on the road to play the gritty Detroit Lions and their dual running back attack in Detroit.

DESERTED CARDINALS OF ARIZONA

 

         Arizona has always been known for its natural attractions.  The weather there is mostly dry, non-humid heat.   The cuisine is mostly southwestern with its unique Sonoran style of Mexican food with its bold flavors and plenty of chili peppers & spices, especially on the southern border of Arizona.  Other styles of food you can find out there are mesquite barbecued meats because of the mesquite trees that are Indigenous to Arizona.  The Velvet, Honey, and Arizona native mesquite trees can all be found there and are all very useful for their unique dishes.  Another reason people would be intrigued to visit or live in this southwest state is the beautiful natural sites all around including the Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park, Monument Valley, and then of course the city of Tucson.  The NFL team that calls Arizona its home is about two hours north of Tucson in Glendale, Arizona.

 

CARDINALS FRANCHISE HISTORY:

        The Arizona Cardinals were established as a football team in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago.  The Cardinals were the first football franchise in the United States and are one of only two original franchises still operating in the NFL.  The other active original team is the Chicago Bears.  Arizona hasn’t always been the home for the Cardinals though, they have moved multiple times and have had several different names along the way.  After they were known as the Morgan Athletic Club (1898), they became the Racine Normals (1899-1900), and then they were known as the Racine Street Cardinals (1901-1906, 1913-1919).  It wasn’t until 1920-1943 that they became the Chicago Cardinals and then again from 1945-1959.  In 1944, the Cardinals merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers and were named Card-Pitt due to a draft that had many players lost for at least a season if not longer. 

        Upon the 1960 season, the Cardinals moved to St. Louis where they played from 1960-1987 before making their way to the state of Arizona to become the Phoenix Cardinals (1988-1993) where they played their home games for 18 years at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.  It wasn’t until the 1994 season that the Cardinals changed their name yet again to the Arizona Cardinals which is still their name today.  Though the Cardinals are one of the two original American football teams they unfortunately do not boast a good winning percentage. They possess one of the worst in NFL history dating back to 1920 when they first took on the Cardinals name.  From 1920 to 2023, the Cardinals franchise had an overall win percentage of just 42.4%, they own the most losses by any franchise in NFL history with over 800 losses in the regular season, and as Arizona fans already know, they also own the current longest active championship drought in North American sports. (77 years since their last championship) In the Cardinals' entire history, they have won just two Championships that date back to 1925 and then again in 1947.  Since the NFL renamed their ultimate game from the Championship Game to the Super Bowl, the Cardinals have only made one Super Bowl appearance in 2008.

        The Arizona Cardinals are in a group of their own in the NFL, though it is not a group you would want to be associated with, as they are currently one of twelve NFL teams to have never won a Super Bowl Title.  These Cardinals have more than 200 more losses than wins in their respective team’s history.  It may not surprise you that the Cards have only made it to the playoffs nine times since the Super Bowl era was born.  They have had some pretty good teams over the past three decades, they were just never good enough to earn a title.  The division they play in (NFC West) is also considered one of the toughest in the NFL.  The other three teams in their division have all individually either played in or won the Super Bowl within the past 10 years.  In the NFC West, the Cardinals divisional opponents consist of the Seattle Seahawks, who won the Super Bowl in 2014, the Los Angeles Rams won in 2022, then there are the San Francisco 49ers who have been in two of the last five Super Bowls though have lost both of those games coincidentally to the same Kansas City Chiefs team twice.

 

KEN WHISENHUNT ERA:  

        During Ken Whisenhunt's time as the Arizona Cardinals Head Coach, the Cards seemed to be in better spirits.  The Cardinals enjoyed some success under Whisenhunt as he had led the Cardinals to six playoff games in his tenure and they enjoyed a playoff record of 4-2, however, his overall win-loss record was under .500, 45-51.  Most people probably forget that these Cards had one of the best wide receiver tandems in NFL history in future Hall of Famer, Larry Fitzgerald and his teammate of six seasons, Anquan Boldin.  Larry Fitzgerald was a staple for Arizona for 17 years and produced over 17,000 yards and 121 touchdowns within 263 games.  Larry is an 11-time Pro Bowler, 1-time All-Pro, and was voted to the HOF All-2010s Team.  Anquan Boldin was a 3-time Pro Bowler, 2003 AP OROY and a 1-time Super Bowl Champion.

        Another player that made the Cardinals a legit threat to the rest of the league was the 4-time Pro Bowl, 2-time All-Pro, 1-time Super Bowl Champ, Super Bowl XXXIV MVP, and 1999 PFWA OPOY quarterback Kurt Warner.  Kurt was one of the best overall QBs of the last thirty years with a much different story than most.  I don’t think there is another story in comparison to Kurt’s as he was originally a walk-on for the Green Bay Packers after going undrafted in 1994.  The Packers cut Kurt as he was not good enough in their opinion to even be their third string.  The funny thing is Kurt Warner ended his career with a trip to Canton, Ohio when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.  Warner had a few stops along his way to Canton; after getting cut from the Packers he spent a few years with the Iowa Barnstormers (Pro indoor team) before arriving in St. Louis to play for the Rams.  It was this move that helped his career take off.  Fast forward to 2005 when Warner signed with the Cardinals.  Kurt was originally brought to Arizona to be a bridge QB and help develop the USC standout Matt Leinart; however, the opposite became the team’s destiny as Leinart never quite worked out and Warner had the Cards in the Super Bowl in his fourth year there.  For Warner, this was his third Super Bowl appearance, and he became the NFL’s second quarterback to take two teams to the Super Bowl.

        This Cards Super Bowl team had a magical run on their way to the 2008 Super Bowl.  They had an elite offense behind their pass catchers in Fitzgerald and Boldin, but they also had a good offensive line and one of the better running backs of the 2000s in Edgerrin James.  Their defense also had some dawgs with defensive end Antonio Smith, Linebackers, Chike Okeafor and Karlos Dansby, then their defensive backs.  This team posed a major threat with two of the best safeties in the game Antrel Rolle & Adrian Wilson.  En route to their first Super Bowl appearance, they had to play three straight games before reaching their ultimate goal, the Super Bowl, as they had a regular season record of 9-7 and did not lock up a first-round bye week.  In the Wild Card round, they beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-24, and in the Divisional round, they faced the Carolina Panthers and prevailed 33-13.  The NFC Championship Game had the Cards host the Philadelphia Eagles which they were also victorious 32-25.  They had everything going for them until they got to the Super Bowl where they played an unbelievably great coached team in the Pittsburgh Steelers.  We all probably remember how that game ended, however, if the Cardinals had scored a touchdown from only two yards out with 18 seconds on the clock before halftime, then the outcome could’ve been completely different.  Instead, we all watched as Kurt missed Boldin on what looked to be a 2-3 step slant when James Harrison stepped in front of him to intercept the pass and bring it the length of the field back to the endzone.

 

CURRENT 2024 CARDINALS:

           This current Arizona team is much different from the top down.  Their current Head Coach is Jonathan Gannon who was signed to a five-year contract before the 2023 season.  Before Gannon was announced as the Arizona Cardinals Head Coach he made a name for himself as the Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator during the 2021-2022 seasons.  Gannon is now in his second season as the Cards’ Head Coach, and you must figure this will not be his last regardless of the team’s record at the season’s end.  I firmly believe this is the truth in Glendale, Arizona, as last season was a throwaway year.  Gannon could only watch as his team suffered a terrible season-long defeat after losing their superstar quarterback, Kyler Murray.  Kyler went down in December of 2022 to an ACL tear, but once he returned to full health Kyler looked very good.  Regarding fantasy football, Murray had ranked eighth among all starting QBs from weeks 10-18 last season once he was back under center.  He also ranked sixth in fantasy points per game.  Kyler has a win-loss record of 29-37-1 in the regular season along with losing his only playoff game in his six seasons as an NFL starter.

        Kyler is a very talented player who shows special abilities.  He is a dual-threat QB who can extend plays using his legs, even behind somewhat less desirable O-line play.  Kyler is very accurate with his deep ball throws; he has great awareness both in and outside the pocket.  He has speed that most quarterbacks do not possess and can take off when the pocket crumbles around him.  He is also like Lamar Jackson given his vision as a runner, which he has shown through his ability to make tacklers miss with his natural, God-given athleticism and agility.  He also always makes sure he never takes a big hit in the process.  Murray always leaves it all out on the field every Sunday.  Now he has some shiny new toys that the Cardinals have brought in the past couple of off-seasons through the Draft and free agency.

        General Manager of the Cardinals Monti Ossenfort has taken some swings in the NFL Drafts that have been major hits.  When you see the Tight End Trey McBride accumulate over 1,100 yards on 90 receptions for Colorado State you don’t think twice about drafting him if he were to fall to your team.  Monti did exactly that and in his rookie season, he showed some flashes but shared snaps with veteran TE Zach Ertz.  McBride’s second year he caught fire catching 81 passes for 825 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns, while only starting 12 games.  Now Trey is in his fourth year and is the sole number-one Tight End for the Cards.  Ertz is now a part of the Washington Commanders, and I project McBride to have a fruitful statistical season.  I project Trey McBride to have 88 receptions, 1,050 yards, and 8 TDs.

        Another major draft pick that will help change the trajectory of the Cardinals’ offense and team, in general, would be, none other than Hall of Famer and longtime Indianapolis Colt’s wideout Marvin Harrison’s son.  Marvin Harrison Jr. looks to be every bit of a franchise receiver.  At Ohio State, he wowed Buckeye fans in his sophomore year when he caught 77 receptions for 1,263 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.  He nearly repeated this production his junior year with 1,211 yards and 15 total TDs minus 10 receptions (67 rec as a junior).  With Marvin Jr. as the Cards' true number-one option in the passing game, I can see him producing at a high level for the next several years with Kyler Murray at the helm.  I like Marvin Harrison Jr. to record about 98 receptions for about 1,280 receiving yards and around 12 touchdowns this season.  In his first game as a pro, he had a dud, but in his second game, he showed up and showed out, scoring twice in the first half against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.  Marvin's final stat line for week two was 4 rec, 130 yards, and 2 TDs.

        When it comes down to it, I certainly believe that this team is now in a good place, under good management, and has a good coaching staff.  The Cardinals are full of untapped potential and young talent on offense and defense.  Kyler Murray in my opinion, is an immensely talented quarterback, though maybe not a top-ten QB at this given time.  Having James Conner in the backfield is also very helpful as he is a hard runner with good vision and doesn’t turn the ball over.  Then you add in Harrison Jr., Trey McBride, wideouts Michael Wilson, and Greg Dortch and that is an offense that can wreck even the best of defenses.  Through the first two weeks of the season the Arizona Cardinals are now 1-1.  In week one Arizona lost to Buffalo 34-28 and in week two the Cards shredded the Rams 41-10.

VIKTOR THE VIKING'S VITAL VICTORIES

 

PURPLE PEOPLE EATERS:

            Long ago, a Professional American Football team destroyed every one of their opponent’s offenses every single week.  This was because of the Minnesota Vikings' lethal defensive linemen which consisted of five of the most feared men in professional football.  If you don’t know what I am referring to, I am talking about Alan Page, Gary Larsen, Jim Marshall, Carl Eller, and Doug Sutherland.  Their constant dominance between 1967 and 1977 put the Vikings on the map and would become one of the best defenses in football history.  The Minnesota Vikings quickly became a popular team because of their fearsome defenses.  Their nickname at the time was “The Purple People Eaters”.  This group of men that turned the Vikings into every opponent’s nightmare was heavily predicated on this team’s successful decade of defense.  During their decade of defensive dominance, Minnesota won ten NFC Central division titles within eleven years.  Minnesota never won the Super Bowl with The Purple People Eaters, although they still managed to do something special in that era.

           During the Minnesota Vikings' years of defensive supremacy coached by their Head Coach Bud Grant, they were known for having a powerhouse defensive line that both restricted their opposing teams and also constricted the offenses on the other side of the line.  As one of the NFL’s best defenses to ever play, The Purple People Eaters set some highly, unlikely repeated feats.  In 1969 the Vikings gave up only 3.4 yards per attempt, while only allowing the second-lowest total points per game (9.5 ppg) in NFL history.  In 1970 this same defense only yielded 10.2 ppg, in 1971 the purple and gold ended the season second in the fewest yards allowed while also ranking first in the NFL in ppg (9.9).  1971 was a special year for their defense, allowing twenty or more points only once that season.  Minnesota had reached yet another benchmark with their suffocating defense in 1975 by becoming the first NFL team to end the season leading the league in total defense, pass defense, and rush defense. 

     Indeed, The Purple People Eaters had a fantastic decade-long run and appeared in four Super Bowls (1970,1974,1975,1977) though unfortunately for the Vikings and Minneapolis, Minnesota they lost all four games.  Their reward didn’t exactly come in the results that they and their die-hard fans of Minneapolis would have hoped for, yet they did get something out of it.  While not everyone was recognized for the purple and gold through their defensive golden years, four men had received the best possible honor you can outside of hoisting the Lombardi.   Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, and Gary Larsen eventually all ended up in Canton, Ohio when they were inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Though they may not have ended up with those prestigious Super Bowl Championship rings that could’ve been passed down for generations through loved ones.  They instead got some of their player's faces sculpted into busts that will live on forever in the NFL’s Hall of Fame.  

 

KEVIN O’CONNELL ERA:

           When the 2022 NFL season approached, the previous Offensive Coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams (2020-2021) Kevin O’Connell along with, at the time, Washington Redskins (2019) coaching various other positions such as quarterbacks coach, (Cleveland Browns, 2015, San Fran, 2016, Washington 2017-2018) special projects, and passing gamer coordinator was hired to replace the Minnesota Vikings previous head coach (Mike Zimmer) of several seasons.  Before O’Connell arrived in Minnesota, he came fresh off a Super Bowl victory with the Los Angeles Rams who beat the Cincinnati Bengals in a closely contested 23-20 win.  In Kevin O’Connell’s first season as the Vikings' Head Coach, they won the NFC North with a surprising 13-4 record, however, what was even more surprising was that they ended up losing to the New York Giants in the NFC Wild Card game at home 31-24.  For both Kevin and the Vikings to win the division in his first year was crazy, especially because Aaron Rodgers was still on the Green Bay Packers at the time plus the Detroit Lions were on the start of an upswing, just barely missing the playoffs due to a tiebreaker to the Seattle Seahawks that had beat the Lions earlier that season. 

 

2024 MINNESOTA VIKINGS:

           Some of Minnesota’s top familiar faces have been shipped out of town in the last few seasons, like superstar wideout Stefon Diggs.  In 2020 Diggs was the first big name that left the Vikings after being traded to Buffalo and since has been traded again this past offseason to the Houston Texans.  They also decided to release their old running back Dalvin Cook plus yet another Pro Bowler, wide receiver, and hometown hero Adam Thielen.  After Thielen’s ten seasons as a Viking, he was signed by the Carolina Panthers as a free agent just a few seasons ago.  Still, with all those missing offensive pieces, they continued to be very good on offense because of Head Coach & offensive guru Kevin O’Connell and quarterback Kirk Cousins.  In with the new out with the old right?  That’s exactly how the Vikings handled their business, even with Kirk Cousins.  Kirk was injured last year as he suffered a torn Achilles back in week eight of last season.  As heartbreaking as it was seeing Kirk’s last season as a Viking cut short due to such a grueling injury, it was pretty much assumed before the injury that it would’ve probably been his last one there regardless.  Kirk turned 36 years old in mid-August and he never quite brought Minnesota to the promised land, so this is the business side of things in the NFL. 

          Now we start the J.J. McCarthy era, actually, we will have to put that on pause until next season.  McCarthy ended up on IR (injured reserve) and needs a complete Meniscus repair.  This dreadful injury came in a preseason game where McCarthy oddly enough threw a touchdown.  On the play in which he got injured, there wasn't any contact, and J.J. walked off the field without showing any signs of an injury.  J.J. McCarthy was drafted in the first round of this year's NFL Draft and is fresh off his National Championship Win, where he played under now ex-Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh who signed a massive deal to be the Los Angeles Chargers' new Head Coach.  J.J. was very efficient as the Michigan Wolverines quarterback in his junior year, he completed over 72% of his passes.  However, his numbers do not reflect that of a top-caliber quarterback as he threw for 2,991 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.  J.J. may not have had the greatest stats but fortunately for him, he was not asked to produce at a high level given Michigan’s stout defense alongside their efficient ground game. 

          When Michigan’s Head Coach needed to rely on the passing game, he knew that McCarthy wouldn’t turn the ball over, which is apparent as he only threw 11 total interceptions in his collegiate career.  In J.J.’s sophomore and junior seasons, he averaged about 200 yards through the air per game and had a passer efficiency rating of 155.0 or higher.  Like I said above McCarthy may not have had eye-popping statistics in Michigan, but he did end up finishing tenth in Heisman Trophy Voting in 2023.  That alone shows how good of a player he was when you think about how many teams and players there are in the nation.  I know that McCarthy will be itching at the bit to get back out on the field as soon as he is healthy again and I figure he must be dying to be able to throw some darts to the Viking’s incredibly talented wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

         Justin Jefferson is an elite standout player not just for Minnesota but is also highly regarded throughout the league as one of one.  You have Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, and Justin Jefferson at the top of the list of wide receivers in the NFL.  There are a couple of other great receivers, but most people in the league would tell you that they are the top dawgs right now.  Justin Jefferson started his dominance as an LSU Tiger in 2019 as a junior when his ex-QB, now Cincinnati Bengal Joe Burrow helped him achieve insane numbers in just 15 games (111 rec, 1540 yds, 18 TDs).  From that time on, a star was born.  During Jefferson’s rookie NFL season fans watched him ball out, grabbing 88 receptions, 1,400 yards, and scoring 7 touchdowns.  In his second season, he continued to further elevate his game once again hoisting in 108 passes, 1,616 yards, and 10 TDS.  In 2022 Justin made it to his third consecutive Pro Bowl while receiving a First Team AP All-Pro nod.  That season he was targeted 184 times, caught 128 balls for 1,809 yards, and brought in 8 touchdowns.  He averaged 106.4 receiving yards per game in his third year before missing seven games last season.  Jefferson recently made NFL history this week for tying a record as the fastest player to reach 6,000 receiving yards in only his sixty-second career game.  This benchmark matched Jefferson to an all-time great Hall of Fame NFL receiver Lance Alworth who set this incredible record in the 1960’s while playing for the San Diego Chargers.

         There are a lot of unknowns for the Minnesota Vikings and their fans for this season.  What is known is that they have a hell of a Head Coach, a great Defensive Coordinator in Brian Flores, a very reliable backup quarterback Sam Darnold, and a top wideout in Jefferson.  They pose a threat both on offense and defense with a very talented roster plus they brought in some good veterans like ex-Packer’s runner Aaron Jones alongside a slew of defensive vets.  Even in one of the toughest divisions in football, the sky is the limit for these Minnesota Vikings.  Throughout the first two weeks of the season Minnesota finds themselves in sole possession for the division lead in the NFC North at 2-0.  Week one may come as no surprise as they beat the lackluster New York Giants 28-6, then this past Sunday the Purple & Gold hosted last year’s NFC Champs and came out on top with a massive upset winning 23-17 against the San Francisco Forty-Niners.             

THE REAL DEAL CITY OF STEEL

 

                When you think of the NFL amongst all the great owners across the league, it often seems that there is one name that isn’t talked about nearly enough, the Rooney family.  The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been one of the most prestigious teams in all of football.  The Steelers are one of the oldest franchises in the NFL as their inaugural season was way back in 1933.  This franchise dates back to the early 1900s, almost a century old, yet remarkably so the Rooney family ownership continues.  The Rooney family and the Pittsburgh Steelers began their relationship in 1933 when Art Rooney purchased the franchise for $2,500.   It all began for Art as a franchise fee that he then purchased for $2,500 to obtain ownership of a team that could be based in the city of Pittsburgh.  Art Rooney was already a well-known sports figure to the public before bringing a football franchise to Pittsburgh.  Art loved baseball and it obviously showed when he decided to name his new NFL team the Pittsburgh Pirates which was also the name of Pittsburgh’s MLB team.

                The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a long list of head coaches since the team was established 91 years ago.  This organization has had a bunch of good head coaches over that time.  However, in my opinion, there may be a tremendous number of people who'd be willing to say that the last three coaches they’ve had are probably the best in this team’s respected history.  Let’s go to the team’s 14^th head coach, Chuck Noll.  Noll had coached the Rooney-owned Pittsburgh Steelers for an incredible 23-year stint.  In Noll’s time with the Steelers, he coached them to four Super Bowl titles.  He was only one of four head coaches in NFL history to have coached one team for 23 consecutive years.   After Chuck Noll retired, the Steelers hired their now-previous Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Cowher, who served as the Steelers' head coach from 1992 to 2006.  Cowher had also led them to their fifth Super Bowl win.   

                When Bill Cowher chose to retire and be a studio analyst for The NFL Today, Cowher left behind a still talented roster for a new head coach to acquire to continue to add towards the Steeler’s Lombardi Trophy count.  During Mike Tomlin’s first season as Pittsburgh’s head coach, he excelled immediately, winning the AFC North with a 10-6 record, while they also finished as the number one defense.  Tomlin set records for most wins in the first two seasons as Steelers head coach plus he became the only coach in team history to win the division each of the first two years.  He turned heads left and right in the Steel City, winning over all of Pittsburgh’s hearts.  I mean how could he not; the man did everything you could possibly do to earn the fan's trust; he even defeated their AFC North rivals the Cleveland Browns the first time he matched up with them, which is yet another achievement that no other previous Steelers head coach had ever accomplished.  During the 2008 NFL season, Mike led the Steelers to their sixth Super Bowl victory.  Two years later Pittsburgh was back in another Super Bowl after missing the playoffs altogether in 2009, though unfortunately, this time Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers played spoiler in a 31-25 win over the Steelers.

                One thing you may’ve heard over the past 17 years, that should come as no surprise is that during head coach Mike Tomlin’s tenure with Pittsburgh, he's never had a losing season.  You can say it's because of the defense or because of the teams scouting or whatever, but one thing is clearly says is that he’s pretty much a top 10 coach All-Time in NFL history.  This is of course just my opinion, but I would love to know how other people feel about Mike Tomlin’s career.  He’s currently in his 18^th season and as of now I firmly believe that coach Tomlin will not only continue to be their coach for the next 4-6 years, I also believe when his coaching career comes to an end that he will for sure be a first ballot Hall of Famer.  If you asked me whether I believe if Mike Tomlin would manage to win another super bowl in Pittsburgh, I think I would probably say no, however Tomlin can certainly coach for another 20 years if he chooses and though I may say no to him getting another title where he is it doesn’t mean he can’t somewhere else.    

JACKSON VS MAHOMES PART 5

 

                We’ve finally made it to opening night of the 2024 NFL season.  A lot of things have changed since last year’s NFL season came to a close with the Kansas City Chiefs bringing home their second straight Lombardi Trophy.  Players have been released, traded, signed to new deals or had their contracts extended.  Players have both held out & held in hoping to be compensated more appropriately with their increased level of play.  The matchup to kickoff this season is last year’s regular season MVP Lamar Jackson vs the Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.  The Ravens often haven’t fared too well when playing against Mahomes and the Chiefs.  In Lamar’s career he has a record of 1-4 when matching up with Kansas City, going 68 of 121 passing (56% completion) for 750 yards, four TDs, and two interceptions, and sacked 10 times. 

                                Patrick Mahomes, who is now a two-time NFL Super Bowl Champion, has thrived when facing off with Lamar, beating him and the Baltimore Ravens four out of five times.  The Chiefs almost always seem to come away with the win when playing Baltimore no matter the location.

 

    MAHOMES VS JACKSON GAME SCORES:

1)               CHIEFS 27, RAVENS 24 OT (2018) 

                    CHIEFS 33, RAVENS 28        (2019)

3)              CHIEFS 34, RAVENS 20        (2020)

4)                RAVENS 36, CHIEFS 35        (2021)

5)               CHIEFS 17, RAVENS 10        (2024)

 

MAHOMES STATS:                                                       JACKSONS STATS:

1)      35/53, 377yds, 2TDs, 1INT, 95.5 RATE                         13/24, 147yds, 2TDs, 100.5 RATE

2)      27/37, 374yds, 3TDs, 132.0 RATE                                  22/43, 267yds, 70.6 RATE

3)      31/42, 385yds, 4TDs, 133.5 RATE                                  15/28, 97yds, 1TD, 73.1 RATE

4)      24/31, 343yds, 3TDs, 1INT, 131.5 RATE                       18/26,239yds,1TD,2INT,78.8 RATE

5)      30/39 241yds, 1TD, 100.5 RATE                                     20/37,272yds,1TD,1INT,75.5 RATE

 

     In the five career games against one another Patrick Mahomes also added a few rushing yards, a total of 50yds.  Lamar, who is obviously more known as a dual threat, versatile type of quarterback has made a career off of his ability to use his legs and running awareness to not take any big hits.  This only adds to his overall gameplay as a dual threat QB, which is why he is one of the best in the NFL today and is now a two-time NFL MVP.  In his five matches with KC Lamar ran for a combined total of 357yds and 3 rushing touchdowns.  There are a few new players on both teams that I think will have their presence felt in tonight’s sixth matchup between these two superstar quarterbacks.  The Ravens top acquisition of the offseason ex-Titans running back Derrick Henry, along with a few new starters on Baltimore’s O-line, plus a healthy Mark Andrews could only mean good things to come for the Ravens.

Kansas City has also made some changes to their offense in the offseason. Chiefs have done a complete overhaul to their WR room and for good reason seeing how they led the entire NFL in drops last season.  Out with the old and in with the new right, especially if what was old didn’t work.  Well boy did they address this previous thorn(s) in their side by signing ex- Raven & Cardinal wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, he is looking to miss some time with a shoulder injury.  They also brought back Juju Smith-Schuster for his second stint in KC, and the most exciting receiver, the rookie Xavier Worthy.  Worthy is the fast speedster out of Texas that the Chiefs have been missing since Tyreek Hill left for the Miami Dolphins a few years ago.  KC also resigned big man center Creed Humphrey to a four-year $72 million extension, which included $50 million guaranteed to make him the highest paid center in NFL history.

The Ravens bringing in Derrick Henry was purposely for a matchup like this when they must go throw for throw with the guy that the world is proclaiming as the new G.O.A.T of the NFL in Patrick Mahomes.  I don’t think many people realize that Henry has managed to be a big difference maker whenever he is going against Mahomes.  The stat says that whenever Henry and Mahomes two teams play one another the Kansas City Chiefs have actually averaged a TD less per game than whenever they play any other team.  The other outstanding statistic says that when King Henry runs against a Steve Spagnuolo coached defense that he ends up running for 5.7 yards per clip, which is his highest total against any opponent.  Henry also averages 111.8 yards per game which is good for his second highest total against an opponent.

Tonight, should be a great game in my opinion and I know the Chiefs are the best team and have the best QB and tight end in the NFL.  The Ravens now in my opinion have the best running back in the NFL along with a top five quarterback of their own and quite possibly the best defense in the league.  I believe the Ravens will upset the Chiefs at home to start the season.  You can put me down for Baltimore 27- KC 24 as my predicted final score.

 

BRONCOS CORNER IS SURTAINLY THE NFL'S BEST DB

 

            The Denver Broncos team has been built off tough players and hard workers, showing up & standing on business.  When you look at the history of the Denver Broncos players, coaches, and management, there aren’t really that many people who have been detrimental to the team through any form of media, whether online social media or with the press.  Denver hasn't had players that level of vocal cockiness to them.  The players there usually take a more conservative outlook regarding anything that goes on in-house or anything personal.  Broncos country usually doesn’t draft or sign the flashy type of players that are normally superstar-type players, not because they dislike those players or because of their abilities out on the field.  The men they usually bring in are all about their business, football!  You won't find many players in their history who are concerned with their own personal agendas or making sure their stats come first before the team's success.

              To the casual sports fan, when you really think about it, outside of the Denver Nuggets winning the NBA Championship in 2023 and the Colorado Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup in 2022, the Colorado Buffaloes had been the most popular team discussed within the sports world recently outside of the state of Colorado.  Even that being said, let’s be honest here, if Coach Prime (Deion Sanders) wasn’t the Head Coach of the Colorado Buffaloes they probably wouldn’t be discussed as widely as they’ve been recently.  Some of the Bronco’s all-time greats were not the most vocal players, like Champ Bailey, Terrell Davis, Rod Smith, Demaryius Thomas, or Ed McCaffrey.  Even current Broncos Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton or All-Star cornerback Pat Surtain II just leave it all out on the field and don’t seem to get too involved with all the antics involved with pre-game and post-game smack talk. 

              With a player like Surtain this is exactly the type of player you’ll receive, he's more of a quiet and highly effective guy on the field.  Pat Surtain II is an elite NFL cornerback who's known for making his presence felt through physical gameplay that also possesses an elite-level football IQ.  Pat has great awareness and good communication with the rest of the defense when playing in zone d.  He is great at wrapping up when tackling opponents in the open field and has great size and length combined with the ability to go up and get the ball at the highest point.  At Alabama, Surtain II started 38 of 41 games for the Roll Tide.  He recorded 117 tackles (82 solos), four interceptions (69 yards, 1TD), 27 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in three seasons as their top corner.  He was named as the defensive MVP of the 2021 Rose Bowl.  The Denver Broncos drafted Pat Surtain II ninth overall in the 2021 NFL draft.   

 

 His rookie NFL season marked a great good one, as he started 16 games.  Pat mustered up 58 total tackles, which was 16 more than he’s ever accomplished in a single season up to this point in his football career.  The star defensive back also managed to pull down four interceptions with 14 passes defended.  Upon Surtain’s second season, he played in 17 games as opposed to 15, (2022 NFL added an extra week) posting 60 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 10 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 2 tackles for loss, & 1 QB-hit.  Surtain received a Pro Bowl nod while being named an All-Pro in his second season.  Year three was also a pretty good season for the young corner who set a new career high in both total tackles & solo tackles.  Pat tallied 69 combined tackles (59 solo), 1 interception, and 12 passes defended on his way to his second Pro Bowl selection.

                       

           PS2 is notorious for his ability to shut down passing lanes anywhere around him, no matter if you’re an average receiver or even if you are Davante Adams.  Having him on your defense is like a cheat code, thus his nickname PS2.  Just ask Superstar receiver Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders, who was held to just 2 receptions on a total of 11 yards in last season’s week one matchup against Surtain and the Broncos.  In this matchup between Adams & Surtian, he shadowed Davante 61.5% (16/26 snaps) while Adams was only targeted 5 times and Pat had 3 passes defensed.  This is exactly why Pat doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to make plays on the ball and probably won’t wind up with a large number of interceptions since NFL QBs tend to stay away from Surtain’s side of the field.  There was a stat for his rookie season that said he had only allowed a 10.7 passer rating to QBs in man coverage, throwing the ball in the dirt every play gets a passer rating of 39.6.  Next Gen Stats shows that this season Pat has allowed just 15 catches for 148 yards on 198 routes run against him by opponents' top receivers.  Even in Denver's Monday Night matchup against the Browns, his old Alabama & Broncos teammate Jerry Jeudy only caught 2 passes for 20 yards when covered by Surtain. 

            The Denver Broncos certainly have a top-three cornerback in Surtain, though I’d argue he’s number one.  Though the way he has played this year, I don't think there would be a whole lot of arguing there.  The Denver Broncos locked Pat up in the long term, inking him to a new four-year contract extension before the start of this season, paying him $96 million with $77 million guaranteed  This deal pays Surtain a yearly amount of $24 million, which now makes him the highest paid defensive back in the NFL by about three million (2nd is Antoine Winfield Jr. $21.025).  PS2 is a staple to this defensive unit and team in totality and is just one reason the Denver Broncos are playoff-bound this season.  He became tied for 11^th in terms of annual salary for all defensive players.  Oh, and the extension keeps Pat tied to the Broncos for the next six seasons so good luck to the rest of the league that must face this man because it’s never an easy task.