Calgary Stampeders ...

 

Without us there would be over 1000 Americans out of work ...

 

Let's talk about extra points for a minute.

In 2014 the last year before the extra point was moved back there were only 8 misses in 1,230 attempts and last year, the average was 94.2%, with kickers making 1,146 of 1,217 attempts. On Nov 20th there were 12 missed attempts on that day alone ... the rule was made to add a little excitement to a stale game and even encourage 2 point conversions which btw were near the 50% average when attempted.

 

Here is one that will make you think ...

"Sleep" we all need it right and football players especially in order to be "sharp" NFL as well as CFL teams are now adding "sleep rooms" to their facility to allow players to nap during work days ...

 

They have a strong union...not to mention that it's hard to argue with a bear that needs a nap...

 

LOL, good point.

That and studies show that a lack of sleep for these guys per week is equivalent to aging 11 years which translates to decreased productivity, reaction time, strength, and recovery times after injury ... it was an extensive study.

 

The Rams, Chargers and Raiders will have to pay each of the other 29 teams that haven't relocated 55 million over the next ten years in relocation fees according to a Sportsnaut article.

Meanwhile, the fans of the relocated teams get nothing. How's that fair?

 

Ezekiel Elliott preparing response to NFL investigation

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has received a report from the NFL on its findings from an investigation into a 2016 domestic violence accusation against him, and Elliott is preparing a response to the league, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Elliott's response is expected to be submitted sometime over the next week.

Multiple sources close to the situation told Schefter that Elliott could face a one- or two-game suspension, but the league has denied that any decision on discipline has been made, and says it could not be made until its investigation is complete.

"The NFL is looking to pin something on him," one source familiar with the investigation said.

It is one of the reasons that Elliott now is bracing for a short suspension even if the league insists no decisions have been made, sources said.

In July 2016, Elliott was questioned by Columbus, Ohio, police after a former girlfriend accused Elliott of assaulting her multiple times over the course of a week. The woman told police that, in one instance, Elliott assaulted her while they sat in a parked car.

The district attorney chose not to pursue charges against Elliott because of conflicting stories. Witnesses at the scene said they did not see an assault occur.

When the Cowboys' season ended in January, Elliott said he wanted "closure."

"I would rather it not drag on this long," Elliott said. "If there was something to find, which there's not, they would've found it by now. The police did a very thorough investigation. It just seems like they're dragging their feet right now. Who knows, man? I'm just ready for it to end."

According to the league's personal conduct policy, a player can be punished by the NFL even if he does not face legal punishment. A first-time violation of the policy carries a six-game suspension, but it also allows for a lesser penalty if mitigating factors are involved.

 

This is an opinion from Michael Lombardi from "The Ringer" website ...

Three Reasons to Start Getting Excited for the NFL Season
We’re in a sports dead period. But salvation awaits. A coaching quagmire in Dallas and a pair of quarterback conundrums have got us fired up about football season.
A long, long time ago, while I was attending Valley Forge Military Academy, the veteran cadets would refer to the period between Christmas break and the first week of March as the “Dark Ages.” The weather sucked and it was zero fun to march to and from meals in the windy, bitter cold. My days were never longer than they were at an all-male military school. But once March arrived, things picked up: the weather warmed, Fleetwood Mac had just released Rumours, and summer was just around the corner.

Even though much time has passed since my encounter with the Dark Ages, a new one has emerged. It starts right after MLB’s All-Star Game and continues until the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on August 3. Nothing in sports excites me during these three weeks. There’s baseball, poorly officiated NBA summer league games with horrendous camera work, and … nothing. At this point in the summer, my television remote is useless. And the only exciting part about the Hall of Fame Game is not the action on the field but the mere signal of the return of NFL football. Now that excites me. What else am I excited for?

I’m excited to see J.J. Watt return to the Texans’ already impressive defense. I’m excited to watch the Texans’ quarterback battle between Tom Savage and Deshaun Watson. I’m excited for Hard Knocks featuring the Bucs and getting some insight into whether I should believe in them as a contender in the NFC South. I’m excited to learn how Brandon Marshall of the Giants has adapted to being a third or fourth option, and I’m excited to get daily updates on all the Giant receivers. (The Giants’ receiver room would be perfect for reality television.) I’m excited to watch all the rookie running backs play, especially Dalvin Cook, who might end up being the best of the bunch. I’m excited to watch Sean Payton use Adrian Peterson in the passing game and evaluate his talent — what he can still tap into, anyway — in the already high-octane Saints offense. I’m excited to watch the Packers defense determine whether they’ve improved Dom Capers’s patchwork schemes. I’m excited to watch the Chargers play in front of a full house — albeit just 30,000 screaming fans — at the StubHub Center. I’m excited to see what lies ahead for Kirk Cousins if the team in our nation’s capital continues to punt on giving its QB a long-term deal. I’m excited to watch Blake Bortles (really) and see if his new mechanics will allow him to become more accurate with the ball down the field. I’m even more excited to watch year two of the Doug Pederson offense in Philadelphia and see if he’s made the changes necessary to take advantage of Carson Wentz’s game. I’m excited to watch the Cardinals this year and find out what version of Carson Palmer we’re getting in 2017. But most of all, I’m excited about three things, starting in Dallas.

I’m excited to see how the Cowboys bounce back from their heartbreaking playoff loss to the Packers along with how they handle the success of their 13–3 2016 season. As Bill Belichick often tells his team at the start of the offseason, “Last year was last year; this is a new team, and a new season — we haven’t won anything yet.” Which is the mistake the Cards made last year, and Bruce Arians admitted as much: “I think the biggest reason was losing the opener on Sunday Night Football to the Patriots on that missed field goal,” Arians said this week. “That took a lot of swagger out of our football team, then we came back and lost to the Rams in another close game. We didn’t win the close games we had won in the past but it all goes back to that first one.”

What makes the Cowboys so interesting centers on their ability to handle the doubt that crept up last year. And that doubt could continue this season if they start slow. The Boys have no cakewalk to start the season. Their first five games are brutal. They open at home against the New York Giants, who beat them twice last season, and then hit the road against the Broncos and Cards before returning home to face the Rams and Packers. Each opponent will be gunning for them; everyone will have studied their tape and found new ways to defend their offense and attack their defense. Losing five starters from last year’s defense will create some early-season obstacles — which they could overcome, but it’ll take more than the preseason to iron out the kinks.

In 2016, the focus on the Cowboys’ success typically revolved around the offense, primarily Dak Prescott’s emergence as the new leader and playmaker, along with Ezekiel Elliott’s ability to take over the game as a dominant offensive line wore down opponents. However, their defense, while not flashy, was highly effective in critical areas. For example, Dallas was the no. 2 team in the NFL last year at controlling the football, with an average of nearly 32 minutes per game, in large part due to their ability to play defense on third down (15th overall). They were also among the best in the league in limiting pass plays of 20 yards or more. Think of it this way: The Cowboys played less defense than 30 other teams, kept the ball from being thrown over their head, and got off the field on third down. That’s how you succeed.

At the start of the 2017 season, potential problems linger — the first is clear cut: The team has lost defensive end David Irving to a four-game suspension for PED use. In addition, the Cowboys also have a new right tackle to integrate, a bunch of new starters on defense, and no real backup at quarterback. Trouble could be imminent.

The other issue is far more complicated and sensitive. The looming specter of losing running back Ezekiel Elliott to a suspension related to domestic violence accusations made in 2016 by an ex-girlfriend arose again this week. What will come of it right now is unknown.

And since Dallas is playing a first-place schedule, things don’t get any easier as the season progresses. The Boys finish with three of the last four games on the road: at New York, at Oakland, home vs. Seattle, and a regular-season finale in the City of Brotherly Love. Ouch. Which makes the start of their season so important — I’m giddy to see how Jason Garrett handles the enormous expectations surrounding his team. Don’t forget, Garrett has pressure from his newly inducted Hall of Fame owner after his playoff bomb last year at home against Green Bay. Anything short of a deep playoff run and there could be a new sheriff in charge of America’s team.


I’m excited to watch DeShone Kizer play after he wins the job as the Browns’ 4,145th new starting quarterback since they returned to Cleveland in 1999. In recent drafts, the Browns have passed on every top quarterback prospect, including Carson Wentz, Mitchell Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes, and Deshaun Watson, before finally selecting Kizer in the second round of this year’s draft. Maybe they were right to pass on those top picks, and maybe they have the right man for the job. The preseason minicamp hype indicates he’s their future. That can be good and bad. Good in the sense that he solves their interminable QB problem; bad in the sense that he might be only a short-term answer, and the 2018 draft might be the best quarterback class in recent memory.

Let’s say Kizer plays like Dak Prescott did last year. Then the answer is easy; we have our guy. Or let’s say he plays like Jared Goff. Again, easy; we don’t have our guy. But what happens if he alternates three games like Goff and one like Prescott throughout the season? Do the Browns enter the offseason with a glass half full of optimism that Kizer can overcome his inconsistency, allowing the team to pass on Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Lamar Jackson, or Josh Allen? Or do they just thank Kizer for his services, keep him as a backup, and enter the 2018 draft quarterback hungry?

We’ve seen this problem unfold in the NFL before. The Rams thought they had their man with Sam Bradford in 2010 and passed on other quarterbacks before realizing that Bradford wasn’t durable enough and was unwilling to throw the ball down the field. The same thing happened in D.C. when RG3 briefly looked like a savior and the team wouldn’t give up on him after his rash of injuries. (Remember when he was benched in favor of Colt McCoy?) Most teams make mistakes evaluating quarterbacks, but more teams than you might think do so both before and after the draft.

The Browns are anxious for any good news under center; they might overlook potential pitfalls with Kizer, the same way Washington did with Griffin. And if Kizer plays reasonably well, it might put blinders on their ability to appropriately evaluate his long-term future. Browns head coach Hue Jackson will not want to enter year three in 2018 with another starting quarterback — developing another rookie won’t assure him of keeping his job.

I have a 20-game rule for evaluating quarterbacks; it takes at least 20 games for defensive coordinators to determine how to defend a quarterback’s skill set. They must first understand the scheme, then defend the player in the scheme — which is why RG3 looked so good so early. He was making plays that were largely scheme devised, not based on decision-making. Once smart coordinators forced him to stay in the pocket, he had no answer.

If Kizer does start, the Browns need to pay close attention to weeks six through eight, when they face the Texans, Titans, and Vikings: three well-coached defenses with smart coordinators that will either bring out the best in Kizer or the worst. I’m excited to watch those games.


Being a lame duck is never a good thing. Just ask Chris Christie, the soon-to-be ex-governor of the great state of New Jersey. The Chiefs’ Alex Smith has the same lame-duck status as Christie, and I’m excited to see how this awkward in-between year will unfold. The Chiefs’ plan is to let first-round pick Patrick Mahomes learn and develop at Smith’s feet, essentially grooming the rookie for 2018. When has this plan ever worked? Don’t tell me Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Favre was never a lame-duck quarterback — the Packers just made a move when they felt Rodgers was ready.

To win big in the NFL the quarterback must have the full confidence of the team. That’s why the Chiefs traded next year’s first-round draft pick to secure Mahomes. If the Texas Tech product looks strong in practice or a preseason game and Smith does his usual check-down short-passing routine, fans (and maybe some inside the team) will want Mahomes in the game. Having two of something is great, unless it’s a quarterback.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid wants the best of both worlds — a great year from Smith as he searches for a new team, and a new contract if he’s cut, and for Mahomes to develop. Chiefs players and coaches know Smith’s limitations. My sense is once Mahomes can demonstrate his ability — and prove to the coaches and the team that he has big-game potential — the Chiefs should trade Smith. Why wait? They’re not winning a championship with Smith, nor are they winning one with a rookie quarterback. However, if the Chiefs’ master plan is predicated on winning in 2018, the time to start is now.

My battle with this latest version of the Dark Ages is slowly coming to an end. Now all I need is a new Fleetwood Mac album.

 

NFL has 1st female replay official, more leeway to celebrate

Terri Valenti, right, who will be the NFL's first female instant replay official, and Alberto Riveron, the NFL's new head of officiating, speak to reporters before the start of the annual NFL officiating clinic Friday, July, 14, 2017 at a hotel in Irving, Texas. Valentini moves into the booth two years after Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first full-time female official on the field, and Riveron was promoted after Dean Blandino left the NFL. (AP Photo/Stephen Hawkins)


IRVING, Texas — Terri Valenti always enjoyed football as a little girl, but never dreamed then of being in the NFL. That became her goal only after officiating games for the first time in 1999.

Valenti this season will be the NFL’s first female instant replay official in the booth, moving into that position two years after Sarah Thomas became the league’s first full-time official on the field.

“I didn’t know what was involved, how long the road would be, how hard it would be, or if I would ever get there,” Valenti said Friday at the NFL’s annual officiating clinic. “To be here at this point is just awesome.”

The annual clinic, held before each season, was the first since Alberto Riveron’s promotion to be the head of officiating after Dean Blandino left the NFL.

Valenti spent the past five seasons working for instant replay in the NFL, including a Super Bowl. She also worked in the past as an on-field official in the professional United Football League in 2009, as well as high school, college, minor league and international league games.

Her new instant replay role for the NFL is different and more prominent. Each of the 17 officiating crews have an instant replay official who is the go-between for the on-field referee and the NFL’s centralized operations in New York, where final decisions on reviews will be made starting this season.

“The roles I’ve had in the past have been supporting the replay official and getting that information that person needs to do his or her job effectively,” she said. “Now I’m kind of point person for a little team at each field.”

NFL referee Brad Allen said the NFL is concerned about having diversity and the most qualified people.

“It’s a positive benchmark in society that we’re not sort of in an old-school, old-boys mentality,” Allen said.

Valenti, a mother of five sons, said she has never had any concerns about the players. She said she has always felt welcome when working games.

“I think at first they give me a little bit more space, which I use to my advantage, but I also have five sons so I understand boys a lot,” she said. “It’s just natural for me, doing it at home for 33 years.”

Riveron, a nine-year game official and former referee, emphasized that the only change with the centralization of replay is that he will be the one making the final decisions on such calls.

“The process hasn’t changed. We’ve had the same process in place now for three years. So the only thing that’s changed about the process, that instead of the final decision being with the referee on the field, it’s now with New York,” he said. “The consultation process, the way we look at the film, the plays we show him, the angles, that hasn’t changed one bit.”

NFL owners also earlier this year made changes to give players more leeway for their celebrations after touchdowns. The football can again be used as a prop, and there can be group celebrations among teammates.

Asked if officials were clear on where to draw the line of celebrations, Riveron said, “Extremely clear.”

Sexually suggestive moves and portrayals of violence, such as a throat slash, still are prohibited.

“Basically we’re going to watch what they do and let them celebrate and if it gets excessive in length of time then we’ll have to decide, but I’m not sure we know exactly what that length of time is,” said referee Walt Coleman, who is going into his 29th NFL season. “We know players are out there thinking up what they’re going to do, so it should be interesting and entertaining.”

 

I will do the next topic in a number of posts so I don't stumbler a post lol.

Here are five teams that will fall short of returning to the NFL playoffs in 2017
Each year in the NFL features a heavy amount of turnover when it comes to teams making or missing the playoffs. That's how the league wants it -- parity every which way in order to give teams a fighting chance year after year.

I already broke down five candidates to make the postseason this year after missing out on the playoffs in 2016. Now I'm making a run at finding five teams who will drop out of the playoffs. Last year featured a 2-2 record on the teams who would miss the postseason (as well as a 2-2 record on the teams who would make the postseason), although ultimately it ended up being six teams who jumped up and joined the playoff ranks and, of course, six teams who fell out of contention.

 

Miami Dolphins

• 2016 record: 10-6
  
• 2016 Pythagorean wins: 7.6
  
• 2017 Vegas over/under: 7.5

Overview: For a minute the Dolphins looked like the worst team in the NFL last season. A 22-8 loss to the Bengals on Thursday night of Week 4 was the nadir, with the only win of the first five weeks coming in overtime over the lowly Browns. They were 1-4 and looking utterly lost, and there were major questions about the direction of this team.


Credit Adam Gase for a quick turnaround that featured Miami closing the season out 9-2 as it established a power running game behind Jay Ajayi and a suddenly dominant offensive line. The season ultimately ended with Matt Moore going up against the Steelers in the playoffs, which went about as well as you would expect. But clearly this was the start of something special for Gase and Co., although just how much they can build on last year remains in question.


Will Adam Gase take the Dolphins back to the playoffs? USATSI
Why they won't make the playoffs: The schedule down the stretch for the Dolphins was a big help. Miami played the Jets twice, the Bills twice, the 49ers, the Rams and the Cardinals in a rainstorm. That's seven pretty good matchups of their final 11 games, and during that stretch the Dolphins went 7-0 in games that were decided by one score or less. That's a major red flag for regression.

Ryan Tannehill is coming off an injury and did not necessarily "break out," although Gase did a nice job building on his strengths. Laremy Tunsil was a draft day steal for Miami, but is now moving to left tackle. It's his natural position, but the loss of Branden Albert means a lack of continuity on the offensive line. From Week 6 on, Jarvis Landry averaged five catches for 67 yards and scored just three touchdowns. We think he's great, right? The defense could be top half of the league, but it could also fall apart because of age.

After November starts, the Dolphins play the Raiders, Panthers, Patriots (twice), Broncos, Bills (twice) and Chiefs. That's a brutal close to the season.


Why they might make the playoffs: Gase is a really good coach. The turnaround he pulled in the middle of last season was incredible. He was starting to find a vibe with Tannehill, and there are enough weapons on this offense that this team could do some damage. Gase is willing to compromise his preferred method of attack for simply being effective.

Maybe Tunsil is an animal, maybe Ja'Wuan James is a beast on the right side and maybe Ajayi comes out on fire and rushes for 200 yards per game. He doesn't need that much, honestly -- he can be quite good without breaking O.J. Simpson records. If everything with the defense holds, if the Jets and Bills are terrible and if the running game stays strong, this can be a team that gets within range of a wild-card spot.

 

Houston Texans

• 2016 record: 9-7
  
• 2016 Pythagorean wins: 6.5
  
• 2017 Vegas over/under: 8.5

Overview: There is a really good case to be made that Texans coach Bill O'Brien does not get enough credit for his ability to get the most out of a limited roster. No, he has not developed a quarterback yet, but the Texans made the playoffs for the second straight year despite having a very bad situation under center. Last year featured Brock Osweiler -- signed after Brian Hoyer melted against the Chiefs in the playoffs -- and his $72 million contract, one of the true albatrosses of modern NFL free agency. Osweiler was truly terrible for Houston, eventually getting benched for Tom Savage and traded in the offseason to the Browns in what amounted to a salary dump.

Adding to Houston's difficulty was the season-ending injury to J.J. Watt. Winning nine games with a team that lacked its best defensive player and had its most expensive offensive player serving as an 800-pound anchor for everyone else is an impressive feat. The franchise reacted in aggressive fashion again this offseason, giving up a first-round pick to acquire Deshaun Watson in a draft-day trade with ... the Browns! So Cleveland now holds the Texans' top two picks in 2018, which is a pretty scary thought for a team that outperformed expectations last season.



Getting a healthy J.J. Watt back would be huge for Houston. USATSI
Why they won't make the playoffs: Until proven otherwise, we're going to operate under the assumption that the AFC South, despite being an improved division this offseason, is going to feature just a single playoff team. The last time two teams made the playoffs from this division was 2012, and if you believe two AFC West teams will make the playoffs (I do) then you have a lot of teams in other divisions fighting for a single wild-card spot. We haven't seen a team from this division with double-digit victories since 2014; pardon me for being skeptical.

A bigger red flag for the Texans is their point differential, which was minus-49. That is not good. The only AFC teams that were lower were the Jets, Browns and Jaguars. The Texans certainly have all the pieces in place on defense, but they are losing Vince Wilfork (big body in the middle) and A.J. Bouye (breakout cornerback), and Watt's health is certainly in question until we see him back on the field. Offensively, they were depressingly ineffective at using Lamar Miller in creative ways. Watson was great on the big stage, but he's not even the starter, with O'Brien pointing to Savage instead. The division should be substantially better, with all three of the other teams improving. The Texans could easily win six games and no one should blink.

Why they might make the playoffs: If Watt is healthy, they are loaded up front. Jadeveon Clowney could be poised for a huge year and Whitney Mercilus is criminally underrated. Savage, or Watson when he plays, just being better than Osweiler will immediately improve this offense, which should mean immediate improvements for DeAndre Hopkins as well as Miller.

The division is supposed to be better, but it doesn't have to be. The Titans could be overrated, Andrew Luck might not be healthy and -- stop me if you've heard this before -- the Jaguars might be overhyped. This was a team that was supposed to win about six games last year and it still managed to come away as a nine-win division winner. The Texans caught some breaks in a big way; that doesn't always happen for a team that is mortgaging its future on a single season.

 

New York Giants

• 2016 record: 11-5
  
• 2016 Pythagorean wins: 8.8
  
• 2017 Vegas over/under: 9.0

Overview: The Giants did something the Giants don't usually do and spent big in free agency last year. They looked like the Redskins but got entirely different results, rolling to 11 wins thanks to a resurgent defense largely charged by some of those high-priced new defensive weapons, like Janoris Jenkins, Damon Harrison and Olivier Vernon. Landon Collins emerging was a huge bonus too, and the Giants looked like a potentially elite defense.

That play masked the struggles of Eli Manning and the Giants' running game, not to mention the protection up front. It didn't matter, because this team was able to beat the Cowboys twice and secure a playoff spot before the final week of the regular season, which was spent spite-beating the Redskins to knock them out of the playoffs. Things didn't end well thanks to a boat trip by Odell Beckham and an ugly playoff loss in Green Bay, but this was a big bounce-back season in Ben McAdoo's first year as head coach.


The Giants might have trouble keeping Eli Manning protected. USATSI
Why they won't make the playoffs: Even though the Giants ranked as the No. 2 defense by DVOA, they were only the No. 16 team in terms of consistency week to week, according to Football Outsiders. The bigger concern here isn't that the Giants weren't consistent, it's that defense largely isn't a consistent year-to-year factor. There's a lot of luck involved.

The offseason additions are big splashes, particularly with Brandon Marshall and Evan Engram, but was Manning really missing weapons? Protecting him should have been the bigger concern, even if it would have been difficult to immediately improve the protection up front for Manning in the draft. There were options in free agency to at least move Ereck Flowers to the right side, where he's better suited.


The AFC West is on the docket this year, which is not going to be an easy proposition for anyone. The Cowboys should be good again. The Philadelphia Eagles will be better and the Redskins won't be a walkover. Paul Perkins could be the guy in this running scheme, but the Giants do not have an established workhorse.

Why they might make the playoffs: It all might hinge on Manning and/or his protection. He had a pretty similar season statistically to years past. He completed 63 percent of his passes, went over 4,000 yards passing, threw 23 touchdowns and had 16 interceptions. It was a very Eli Manning season. But he was not himself, and looked closer to the guy we saw struggle at age 32 before McAdoo took over as offensive coordinator.

Remember: Manning is 35. Quarterbacks are playing to a surprisingly old age in the year 2017, but we at least have one genealogical example of a quick drop-off in play, courtesy of his brother Peyton. Granted, Peyton was four years older and had undergone a bunch of neck surgeries, but it is worth noting. If Eli bounces back and the Giants offensive line manages to protect him properly, watch out. Adding Engram and Marshall to a pass-catching group that features Beckham and Sterling Shepard has the ability to be lethal.

 

Detroit Lions

• 2016 record: 9-7
  
• 2016 Pythagorean wins: 7.7
  
• 2017 Vegas over/under: 8

Overview: You'll rarely see a luckier team than the 2016 Detroit Lions , a squad that trailed in the fourth quarter of every one of its first seven wins of the season. Matthew Stafford registered an absurd eight fourth-quarter comebacks through the first 13 weeks of the season, breaking a record held by Peyton Manning from 2009. Interestingly, Jim Caldwell was also the coach of that Colts team (that lost in the Super Bowl) -- Indy outperformed its expected win total by four that year and would drop down to be a 10-win team the following season.


The Lions were not nearly as dominant as that Colts team during 2016; Detroit limped into the playoffs with a banged-up Stafford and was run out of the gym by the Seahawks in the wild-card round. This offseason saw some pieces added to the defense, notably Jarrad Davis, who should immediately start at linebacker as a rookie. The offensive line lost two key pieces (Riley Reiff, Larry Warford) and managed to upgrade with the addition of T.J. Lang and Ricky Wagner.


Don't expect the Lions to match last season's comeback wizardry. USATSI
Why they won't make the playoffs: While the offensive line was upgraded initially, an injury to Taylor Decker this offseason cleared the way for Greg Robinson to start for the Lions at left tackle. That is a very serious concern. Stafford taking a leap in Jim Bob Cooter's offense and the offensive line coming together nicely resulted in Stafford's sack total dipping below 40 for the first time in two years. If that number rises again, the Lions offense will be less effective.

The running game is a major concern. Ameer Abdullah could become the modern-day feature back the Lions want him to be, but he could also fail to stay healthy this year, like he has the first two seasons of his career. Golden Tate is criminally underrated, but the Lions are scraping by with less-than-premium talent at the skill positions. That is not outweighed by premium talent on the defensive side of the ball -- the Lions finished dead last in DVOA last year. Detroit was 13th in points allowed last year and 18th in yards allowed; the advanced statistics and traditional metrics align in a way that should be a concern.

Why they might make the playoffs: Maybe Robinson, a former No. 2 overall pick, is capable of filling in on this quick-hitting, pass-heavy offense while Decker recovers. The offensive line should not be a weak point, provided Lang/Wagner are indeed upgrades. Marvin Jones taking a leap and channeling some consistency -- he had a 200-yard game last year -- would be a huge plus. Tate needs to start quickly unlike last year. Getting 16 games out of Abdullah would produce some special runs and serious chunk plays. Teryl Austin has done an admirable job patching up the defense over the past several years. Davis needs to step in and improve Detroit against the run and Ezekiel Ansah needs to record more than two sacks.


This team has to start hot too, because the early schedule is brutal: the Cardinals, Giants, Falcons, Vikings, Panthers, Saints, Steelers and Packers are the first eight games on the docket. Woof. The Browns and Bears (twice) give the Lions a comfier homestretch if they can stick around .500 through the first two months.

 

Kansas City Chiefs

• 2016 record: 12-4
  
• 2016 Pythagorean wins: 10.1
  
• 2017 Vegas over/under: 9

Overview: Betting against the Chiefs and the stability that Andy Reid brings is a risky proposition, as yours truly found out in quick fashion last year. Chiefs fans spent the offseason bashing me for picking them to finish last in the division. I giggled loudly while they were losing to the Chargers early in Week 1 and then paid the price all season as they won 12 games and took the title in the dangerous AFC West.

This offseason has been tumultuous. The Chiefs got rid of big-name skill-position guys in Jamaal Charles and Jeremy Maclin. They let their general manager go after free agency and the draft. That draft featured a big-time trade up to get Patrick Mahomes, who is not supposed to play in 2017, effectively giving Alex Smith notice that this is his last season with the franchise. That's because Smith caps the Chiefs' ceiling -- that much was apparent in the playoff loss to the Steelers, when Kansas City couldn't beat a team that couldn't do anything other than make field goals. Any sort of vertical explosion would have resulted in the Chiefs advancing (to lose to the Patriots, but still).


This is presumably Alex Smith's final season in Kansas City. USATSI
Why they won't make the playoffs: The Chiefs were 6-3 in single-score games last year, indicating a pretty good amount of luck. They also outperformed their expected win total by nearly two games, so more luck. The offseason issues make me look at this franchise as a team in a bit of turmoil, even with Reid there to steady the ship. Tyreek Hill was tremendous last year and Travis Kelce emerged as one of the top three tight ends in the NFL. But goodness, without Maclin this receiving corps suddenly looks thin. Can Hill operate effectively as a WR1? The running back group should be fine: Spencer Ware is getting tossed to the side a little too quickly for Kareem Hunt, and Charcandrick West is on the roster as well. But there's nothing dominating about that group, at least from a guaranteed sense.


The defense should be good again: Justin Houston is expected to be healthy, and the secondary remains loaded with Marcus Peters and Eric Berry back there. Bennie Logan could be an upgrade over Dontari Poe. The schedule is ... not ideal. The Chiefs open up on the road against the Patriots before hosting the Eagles, playing on the road against the Chargers and hosting the Redskins. The Texans, Steelers, Raiders, Broncos, Cowboys and Giants are up after that. Kansas City can beat plenty of those teams, but it's not an easy start. If you believe the toughest division in football will provide another contender for the postseason (either L.A. or Denver) and that the Raiders will remain dangerous, Kansas City is a candidate to step back.

Why they might make the playoffs: None of this offseason hooey matters. Reid is, somehow, a really underrated head coach and he'll deliver another strong season. The running game isn't full of headline names but it's deep in young talent. Smith has been under the microscope before, when the 49ers drafted Colin Kaepernick in the second round, and he responded by playing the best football of his career for a year and a half, before he was replaced.

If Mahomes looks good early and the Chiefs struggle out of the gate, it's not unreasonable at all to expect to see him under center in 2017. But if Smith plays well and the Chiefs hold serve, Mahomes will ride the pine, and that bodes well for the Chiefs producing a steady season. The defense could take a leap back up from 14th in DVOA to the heights of 2015 (sixth overall) and Hill could develop into a true WR1 who also manages to impact the return game in a major way. It's also possible that the Raiders, and not the Chiefs, are the team who takes a step back in terms of win totals. The Chiefs get the Jets, Bills and Dolphins down the stretch, which means getting to Thanksgiving with seven wins or so is probably going to produce a playoff season.

 

Charles Haley likens Dak Prescott to Joe Montana
Charles Haley knows his quarterbacks; he compiled 100.5 sacks and played alongside three Hall of Fame gunslingers over his 13-year career.

The Hall of Fame defensive end also knows his way around the Cowboys and the 49ers, the two rival organizations with which he played throughout his time in professional football. So when Haley compares Cowboys standout sophomore Dak Prescott to San Francisco's all-time great quarterback, it's worth your time to heed his wisdom.




"You know what? Dak reminds me of Joe [Montana]," Haley told Newy Scruggs of DFW's NBC 5. "He's funny. He's charismatic. They had something to prove. They had a chip on their shoulder. That meant the more I'm around him, he has so much confidence...

"He came from nothing, like me. So guess what? What can you do? How can you hurt someone that came from nothing, that had to pull himself up from the bootstraps and walk out on the stage wearing that star on his head and go? What can you say? What can you do?"

While Haley is only drawing comparisons between Prescott's and Montana's on-and-off-field demeanor here, it's worth our time to look at the two quarterbacks' on-field resumes through one year in the league. (Because it's Friday in July, and why not?)

Drafted in the fourth round out of Mississippi State, Prescott was a college standout, but entered Cowboys camp third on the depth chart behind Tony Romo and Kellen Moore. Injuries to both thrust Prescott into the national spotlight, and the rookie didn't miss a beat. Prescott finished 2016 with a 67.8 completion percentage, 3,667 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns and just four interceptions en route to leading Dallas to a division title and a top seed in the NFC and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.




Likewise, Montana was a stud at Notre Dame, winning the national title with the Fighting Irish in 1977, but fell to the third round in the 1979 draft before being drafted by the 49ers. Montana spent his freshman campaign in the Bay Area behind Steve DeBerg, seeing action in all 16 games, but never making a sizable impact on San Francisco's 2-14 squad. It wasn't until 1981 that Montana put a stranglehold on the starting position and the league. That season, in which Montana started all 16 games and threw for 3,565 yards, culminated in a Super Bowl run, during which Joe was the leader of two legendary finishes: The Catch and the John Candy drive.

Their paths might not be mirror images on the field at this point, but Haley sees a Joe Cool type of future for young Prescott, as long as he continues to build confidence and keep that mid-round chip on his shoulder.

"I tell him all the time, I say, 'Man, this is your show. This is your rodeo,'" Haley added. "I told him that after game [five] when he was saying it was Romo's show. I wanted to punch him in his chest. Hey, hold up. You've won four in a row. Then, you win five a row. Now walk out on the field before the game and say, 'Who's team is this?' If he didn't say, 'My team' real fast, I'll punch him again. 'My team.'

"He's got to realize he's got to control everybody. Whether Romo would have came back or not, it's about the confidence and believing that he was the man. That he was driving the bus. Then, that confidence will spill over and it did. When you listen to players talk they talk big about Dak, because he's a man of character and a man of strength and a man of conviction."

 

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Former Patriots QB Parilli dies at 87


Babe Parilli, the former Patriots quarterback who starred in the team's American Football League days, died Saturday. He was 87. New