Indy Star

New coach and Hall of Fame Inductee Marvin Harrison has never been in this position before. He used to catch touchdown passes from soon to be Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. Now, he is roaming the sidelines of the franchise he helped catapult to a Super Bowl title. We sat down with Coach Harrison during the preseason to get his thoughts on the team and what the future holds for the 2017-18 Indianapolis Colts.

Reporter: Coach, welcome back to the Colts organization. My first questions is this. After a few disappointing years from former coach Chuck Pagano, how do you right the ship?

MH: First and foremost, I'm ecstatic to be back here. To answer your question, we have to instill a level of discipline on this team. We have to limit our mistakes on offense and we have to prioritize protecting our QB. We have a lot of young guys on this squad, especially on defense. Someone is gonna need to step up

Reporter: Speaking of your QB, how does Andrew Luck look and feel going into the season?

MH: He has been banged up over the last few years. We have him on a timetable to be ready to play and honestly, his arm looks fresh and the football has been coming out with some zip. I think he will be ready to go.

Reporter: You mentioned your youth on defense, what players do you think will need to step up?

MH: Specifically our 1st round pick Malik Hooker and our 2nd rounder Quincy Wilson. We obviously emphasized our secondary in the draft and these two are going to be starters right out of the gate. They both have looked great so far in preseason, but its a whole different ball game when the regular season rolls around.

Reporter: On offense, there's been rumors swirling that Frank Gore has been losing reps in practice to rookie Marlon Mack and newly acquired Matt Jones. Whats going on at RB?

MH: We have been trying to get a feel on that RB position and I wanted to see all of those guys as well as Robert Turbin in action. I haven't made a decision on the starter so far, but currently there's no clear cut winner just yet. Frank isn't the back he used to be. We can't give him the ball 25 times a game anymore. We have to get another guy or two to step up and help eleviate some of that pressure and load of carrying the ball. We like our group that we have and think we have packages designed to fit all of their styles of play.

Reporter: Your division is looking to be fairly tough with all other AFC South foes having solid drafts and key players added to their teams. Who scares you the most?

MH: Honestly, the AFC South had been our division for years. You've seen the Jags have some tremendous drafts as well as the Titans and Texans. That Houston defense is extremely fast and can get after you. Marcus Mariota is coming into his own and will be a stud for years. Leonard Fournette in Jacksonville is the next Jerome Bettis type of back that we haven't seen in awhile. It should make for some really good football and I am excited to compete against those teams.

Reporter: Last question coach. How do you predict the season will go?

MH: Hahaha, well I'm not gonna get into being a psychic or any other type of predictions. I have confidence in this squad that if we can go out and play our game and stick to the gameplan, we should be ok. We have to want it. The past few years I don't think they've wanted it as much as we did when I played. I'm here to change that mentality.

Reporter: Well there you have folks, Coach Harrison good luck to you and the Colts this season

       After a disappointing playoff performance last season, Chicago came into Season 6 with a chip on their shoulder. The big focus was building up the defense with more classroom sessions, hopefully transitioning into smarter plays out on the field. So far, the defense has played extremely well. Xavier Rhodes is finally having the season that many had expected last year when he was first acquired. Is among tops in the league with 4 interceptions and has done a great job shutting down other teams #1 receivers. In the front four, Pernell McPhee is having yet another standout season as he's leading the league with 10.5 sacks in only 5 games. His counterpart, rookie 1st Round pick DT Darian Hunt has added 4 sacks on the year as well. 

    Offensively, Johnny Manziel has gotten off to the best start of his career as he has thrown 14 Touchdowns to only 2 interceptions. He's also averaging just over 11 yards per catch, which is also a career high. On the other end of those catches have been sensation Kevin White. KW so far on the year has 9 of Manziel's 14 touchdowns. White is currently on pace for close to 30 touchdown receptions on the year! 

   Now that the Bears have gotten their season series' between both the Lions and Vikings out of the way, they focus on the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Washington Redskins. The Jags have a young, explosive team and the Skins are coming off an impressive beat down of the Bears during last season. 

Here you go, let them butthurt begin!

1. Chicago - who else? Not gonna toot my own horn, but fucking hell this team is stacked. How did you guys even let me do this?!

2. Houston - Here's the inside zone scheme fuck boi's. Houston is singlehandedly bringing back the Fullback position. Every fullback this side of the hemisphere wants to play in Houston. And really, who can blame them? The promise of 4 carries a game is alluring.

3. Tennessee - Explain this shit. The Titans dick stomp the Texans with their backup QB, only to turn around and bend over for the Texans when they get Mariota back? How does that even happen?! This is another stacked team too... Still think the Colts are drunker than i am right now for trading Hilton in the division.

4. Denver - Here's the Texans twin right here. Inside Zone fuck bois fuck the world!! These dudes love shotgun more than they love them some dong. This is another stacked team, courtesy of the lot of you who continue to trade them your top 10 picks. Bravo, you just gave them a franchise QB and RB. Now, they have been shopping CJ Anderson for what seems like 2 seasons now. someone hop on that so we all dont have to see Andersons photo posted in the trade block.

5. Green Bay - man, do i hate this fucking team. Being a Bears fan, we generally dont have many nice things to say about the fudge packers. Ugly uniforms, stupid fans, and the general distaste for all things Green Bay. I'll give them props though, they traded away Aaron Rodgers and kept winning. Then Rodgers busts up his vagina.. karma.

6. New England - Word is, NE has petitioned the league for a name change. No longer are they the Patriots. They will know be known as the Gronkowski's. Gronk is the new aged version of Al fucking Bundy at Polk High. 250 receiving yards, 100 rushing yards, and 400 passing yards. Gronk literally fills up the entire stat sheet for these guys, so why not?! Just name the fucking team after his ass.

7. New York Giants - the G-Men finally decided they were done playing second fiddle to the Eagles. Seriously though, look at Garrett Graysons picture. How the fuck do they win with this douche?! At least we are halfway over with this madden cycle. I seriously want to kick Odell's ass if i have to watch him whip and nae nae anymore with his stupid hair cut.

8. Minnesota Vikings - another group of fuck bois here. Their QB wears GLOVES!! Seriously, why Teddy?! It's not cold, you play indoors, and you're not a WR! just stop it already. This team.. they are good.. They have taken over for the Gronkowski's though. RollOut Gate was taken to the next level not too long ago and they are also the originators of the Tight End CheeseGate! youve been warned

9. Carolina - Lets all have a standing ovation for the Panthers. They have finally discovered the foward pass! This team is top tiered rushing the ball. Throwing it though, well they were about as good as my aunt Mable. Their WR's seemed as if they had T-Rex arms and couldn't catch a fucking STD even if they fucked a hooker barebacked. Finally though, they have joined the rest of us foward thinkers and can now throw more than 5 yards down field

10. Atlanta - Matt Ryan is the ultimate brodudes "brodude". I bet he wears Sperry's quite often too. Either way, the biggest looking douche in the league has Julio Jones to pass to. Its taken him 2 seasons to realize he has one of the best in the league standing out wide, scratching his ball sack while he waits to get passes.

Here's my thoughts on the season so far:

who seriously saw the San Fran Roa's coming? Apparently the NFC West were hiding their heads in the sand because theyve been dominated by the Roa's. Speaking of the west, who saw the demise of Seattle?! Holy fuck has Russell Wilson just shat all over this team. No way he's the starter come season 4.

Who also predicted the Eagles full fledged collapse this season? Back to Back Division championships, now they are relegated to butt rapes and dominatrix by the hands of the Giants and Redskins.

The Playoffs are fast approaching, and the haves and have nots have more or less separated themselves from the each other. Mostly the usual suspects, but a few newcomers are up there as well. KC and SF have really had great seasons so far while the AFC North has turned into a shitshow.

Here we are in Week 7 in GFL, and the contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pretenders. Here's our top 10 so far.

1. Chicago - No surprise here as the Bears rolled through all of last seasons NFC playoff teams and then held on to get the W against a fiesty Saints team. With the new addition of Richad Sherman, this team has one of the best defenses ever assembled in modern football. Offensively, they havent had much of a ground game but luckily, QB Johnny Manziel is having a great season and has put the team on his shoulders.

2. Tennessee - The Titans continue their tough play as they have ridden the shoulders of QB Marcus Mariota. The one aspect that doesnt get much credit is this teams defense. The linebacking core has played tremendously well so far and only seem to get better as the season has gone on. A true test is coming up as the Titans take on the Texans without start QB Mariota.

3. Houston - Staying in the AFC South, the Texans have bulldozed their way to a 5-0 record. They have won the old fashioned way; behind a great running game and a solid defense. Cristine Michael is having a career year and is on pace for around 1700 yards. They have a huge showdown coming up against Tennessee for 1st place of the division.

4. San Diego - The Chargers continue to be dominant in the AFC West behind Philip Rivers. Loaded with talent offensively, Rivers has been masterful at spreading the ball and keeping opposing defenses on their heels. Melvin Gordon has started to mature and has really opened up this offense so far.

5. Minnesota - After controversy and other dealings with the Vikings, they have remained resilient and havent buckled under pressure. After losing Teddy Bridgewater in Week 1 against Chicago, the Vikings have won 5 straight with Blaine Gabbert under center. That alone, is a testament to the quality of the players on the team. They've had some close calls and have been gifted a few wins, but nonetheless, they came out on top.

6. Green Bay - The Packers have sat in the cut with little to no fanfare this season. Brett Hundley has quietly led his team to a solid 5-1 record. He's done a fantastic job of spreading the ball around and being very consistent this season. He will need to continue that play for the Packers to be successful.

7. New York Giants - After two seasons of high expectations that led to disappointment, the Giants are finally on track with a 3 game lead in the NFC East. Knile Davis is finally getting going while Odell Beckham has continued to dominate opposing secondaries. After a heartbreaking loss to the Vikings in the final seconds, the Giants rebounded with a convincing win against a good Seattle team.

8. Denver - The Broncos have been up and down when it comes to protecting the ball this year. QB Cooper Ballard hasn't done a great job of being accurate, but he has been bailed out a few times by star WR Demaryius Thomas as well as a top notch ground game. Von Miller and the rest of the defense have to stay on their game if they want to take on San Diego or Kansas City.

9. Atlanta - Talk about a sleeper. Much of the league laughed when the Falcons traded away their top cornerback in exchange for WR Michael Floyd. But they are getting the last laugh so far. Matt Ryan has had a career resurgence of sorts, but it does help when Julio Jones has dominated the competition. Newly acquired Tyler Eifert has also been lights out for Ryan.

10. Kansas City - Finally, the Chiefs have offensive weapons to go along with their stout defense. QB Angelo Hernandez hasn't been spectacular, but he hasn't be bad either. He's managed the game and spread the ball around. Desi Gator has taken that next step when it comes to progressing and has had a tremendous season, leading the Chiefs with 5 TD catches. Jamaal Charles has also done his share on the ground, amassing 9 rushing TD's.

Almost There: New England, Pittsburgh, Miami, Arizona,

The WTF List

Seattle - the Seahawks just cant catch a break. They have been in most games so far this year, but turnovers and costly mistakes have just killed them. Russell Wilson has played subpar while the defense is doing what it can to hold itself together.

Cleveland - The Browns are coming off a AFC North crown and playoff appearance, to being 1-5 so far this season. QB AJ Blake has finally come back from injury but has been shaky so far. Margarito Coleman hasn't been able to really get much going on the ground so far this year. On defense, the Browns havent really been able to get much pass rush so far this year, which has allowed teams to sit in the pocket and pick them apart.

Carolina - The Panthers have almost has many losses this season as they did for the entire season last year. The reason why? Lack of a passing game. After losing stud phenom WR Lache Riley, the Panthers passing attack has been atrocius. The running game has kept them afloat, but the lack of turnovers caused as well as the loss of Thomas Davis is hurting this squad. Once they get healthy, this could be a team on the rise.

Tampa Bay - Last year the Bucs went on to the NFC Championship game. This year, they are sitting at 3-3 trying to figure things out defensively. Jameis Winston hasnt been bad this season, but he also has been like he was last season either. Defensively, other than Gerald McCoy, the Bucs D haven't really been able to force many turnovers or get much pressure on opposing QBs. If that doesnt change, this could be a long season for Tampa.

Here's your first Butthurt Rankings for the 2017 season! Why are we calling them the Butthurt Rankings? Well, because some of you are gonna be pretty Butthurt when you see where you are ranked!! Without further ado, here they are. Read em and weep bitches!

Power Rankings Top 10

1. Chicago - Coming off a dominating season and run in the playoffs, the Bears are hands down the best team at the moment, at least until someone else can beat them.The defensive front 4 continue to have their way with opposing lines while the duo of Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White have defensive coordinators losing sleep. 

2. San Diego - great offense with weapons everywhere. A vastly underrated defense led by all around corner Jason Verrett. Sleeper of the 2017 season. 2nd year WR Nate Phelps has had his way with opposing secondaries while Keenan Allen has had a great year so far as well. 

3. Denver - disappointing showing in the 2016 playoffs, 2nd year QB Cooper Ballard looks the part as a leader. He won't need to do much as the defense is stout and CJ Johnson continues to punish teams on the ground. 

4. New England - Another surprise here as most thought the loss of Tom Brady would kill this squad. Enter Zach Mettenburger, and we have a bonafide stupid offense. They just put up 62 on a solid Jets defense. WTF

5. Green Bay- the Hundley era has begun and it's gotten off to a solid start. Even with the injury to Randall Cobb, the Pack have rode rookie wideout PJ Parker and their defense to 2 straight wins. Once Cobb comes back, and Parker continues to develop, this could be a great offense. It all comes down to Hundley though. 

6. New York Giants - the Giants look to have a resurgence as they've reeled off two impressive wins this season. The key for them will be to limit Grayson's turnovers.Odell has had a great season so far and Knile Davis has finally started to produce on the ground. 

7. Tampa Bay - the Bucs and reigning league MVP Jamies Winston look solid again. Even at 1-1, this team has weapons on offense and a good enough defense to win. The addition of Torry Smith has been a good fit, and much better than Brian Quick from last season. 

8. Tennessee - the Titans are off to another solid year, and this is probably the best team they've had since Air McNair. Mariota is coming into his own, they finally have some suitable linebackers, and Demarco Murray gives them a rushing game they haven't had before.

9. Arizona - one of my sleeper teams. This secondary is great and something that could help counter this pass happy age we live in. They have a great offensive line, probably the best AP has had his entire career. If their rookie QB can be a game manager and limit turnovers, watch out.

10. Carolina - one of the best defenses in the league along with one of the best rushing offenses. Truly an old school football team. But their biggest weakness is the passing game. For the Panthers to truly be successful, they must be able to throw the ball.

2017 Disappointments so far:

Seattle - I dont foresee them being in this category too much longer. The Seahawks have lost two heartbreakers to two top 10 teams. Once Ezekiel Ansah finds his place in this defense, they will be tough to play against. 

Minnesota - After losing Teddy Bridgewater in week 1, the Vikings pulled out a win from their bunghole and a slew of prayers and hail marys against Atlanta. They also happened to lose Eric Kendricks for a significant amount of time. Those two losses will be huge hurdles to overcome, and with the Panthers, Giants, and Packers coming up, I just dont see Blaine Gabbert pulling out anymore miracles. 

Buffalo - After going out and adding Darrel Revis to an already stellar defense, the Bills haven't been able to put anything together so far. The defense has given up a total of 94 points in two games. The lone brightspot has been Sammy Watkins, who has continually torched opposing secondaries. IF the defense can pull it together, this could be a tough team. 

Washington - The Potomac Basin Indigenous Peoples went out and had a great offseason, signing a slew of playmakers on both sides of the ball including one of the best receivers in the last decade, Calvin Johnson. Megatron has been stellar so far, but turnovers and a lack of a rushing attack are killing this team. There's still hope though. They have been in 2 of their first 3 games and a play or two here or there that goes the other way, can make a huge difference. 

Houston -

The Chicago Bears finished off a fantastic regular season, as they steam rolled their way through the playoffs into Super Bowl LI. The Bears were set to take on the Miami Dolphins, who rushed their way over, around, and through their opponents in the AFC. The Bears defense was having none of that as they shutdown the Dolphins over and over again, limiting Lamar Miller to under 40 yards rushing, his lowest total of the season. The Bears front four dominated the line of scrimmage as JPP had 4 sacks by himself. Tannehill at times was running for his life, as the Bears brought pressure with the front four. This allowed the backers and secondary to focus solely on Jordan Cameron. This strategy worked to perfection as the Bears stopped the Dolphins in 6 consecutive possessions.

On offense, Johnny Manziel led Chicago to a quick 31-0 lead behind the legs of Jeremy Langford as well as the top pass catching duo in GFL, Alshon Jeffery an Kevin White. Minus one interception, Manziel and the offense played flawlessly as the Dolphin defense had no answers.

The Bears head into the offseason with about 95% of their team intact for next season, which means a whole lot of trouble for the NFC North and the rest of GFL. Be ready folks.. This team is here to stay.

As the Season winds down, the Chicago Bears continue their dominance by handling the Jaguards 35-10 in Chicago. The Bears have already locked up the NFC North crown for the second year in a row, but continue to eye home-field advantage and a 1st Round bye as they strive to gain the #1 seed.

Coming up, Chicago has two tough matchups as they take on the Minnesota Vikings who are fighting for their playoff lives. The Bears would love nothing but to be the ones who knock them out of the playoffs for good as they were the ones who beat Chicago en route to their Super Bowl victory. In week 17, Chicago takes on Carolina and their vaunted defense led by Luke Kuechly. Carolina, who currently has a lock on a Wild Card spot, look to win in hopes of Tampa Bay losing so they can creep in a steal the #2 seed from them.

There's a lot of action left to be played, but one thing is for certain. Chicago and their defensive front are licking their chops as they head into the postseason, hungry for a Super Bowl that has eluded them since 1985.

Soldier Field- Chicago, Illinois

The Bears hosted the Arizona Cardinals this week, and boy was it a slobberknocker! Many thought it would be a showing of offense, but it was the exact opposite as both defenses came out to play as we only had two total touchdowns from both teams and a total of 8 turnovers, 4 from each offense. 

The Bears, coming off a solid showing against Green Bay, moved the ball earlier but struggled to execute inside the redzone, having to settle on 4 Robbie Gould field goals. Johnny Manziel struggled all game as he threw 3 interceptions before being pulled for vet Jay Cutler. At first, Cutler didnt fair too well throwing his lone interception on his first drive. After he settled down, he led the Bears to 16 straight points and was able to find Kevin White in the corner of the endzone on a key 4th down conversion. 

On defense, the Bears were once against led by the front 7 who tallied 4 more sacks but also 3 interceptions, 2 from their MLB core. Ryan Shazier had a phenomenal game constantly supplying pressure on Carson Palmer to a tune of 1.5 sacks. The Bears secondary played better this week as they held Palmer to only 165 yards through the air, while the front 7 stiffled the Arizona rushing attack to a total of 31 yards. 

Next week will be another test for this young team as they head out to the Pacific Northwest to take on the vaunted Seattle Seahawks and their Legion of Boom. Expect another defensive matchup here in this one. 

Chicago, Ill

The NFL's oldest rivalry helped kickoff the new season and it was nothing short of exciting. The new-look Bears, led by Coach Jon Fox came and looked impressive in against one of the best teams in the league. Matt Forte ran like he had a chip on his shoulder, amassing a total of 76 yards on the ground, and 19 through the air with 2 total touchdowns. New QB Johnny Manziel, despite 2 turnovers, overcame adversity and stuck with the game plan. He had 2 touchdown passes and 246 yards through the air as well as getting 2 key first downs late in the 4th to help seal the game. 

On defense, the front 7 had Aaron Rodgers on the run and stifled Eddie Lacey for only 41 rushing yards. Pressure was constantly applied to Rodgers as he was sacked 4 times in the game, twice by Cornelius Washington who took advantage of the many double teams that were sent towards JPP and Pernell McPhee, who both registered a sack apiece. 

Next week the Bears host another solid offensive with the Arizona Cardinals coming to Soldier Field. The Cardinals held off the New Orleans Saints this week, 24-19. The Bears should have a similar game plan against Arizona as they did Green Bay. Stop the run, apply continuous pressure on Carson Palmer, and slow down Larry Fitzgerald who absolutely went off on the Saints. It should be a fantastic game come Week 2. 

Bourbonnais, Illinois -

The New-Look Chicago Bears have finally started arriving at Olivet Nazarene University to kick off their training camp. With the departures of the entire coaching staff from last year, along with players like Brandon Marshall, the 2015 Bears led by Jon Fox look to turn things around after two years in a row of dismall performance. 

First, on offense, the Bears have acquired QB of the future, 2nd year man Johnny Manziel as well as rookies Kevin White and Jeremy Langford. These three look to be in Chicago for the next decade or so as key players on this offense. To go with the new guys, we still have mainstays of the likes of Martellus Bennett, Alshon Jeffery, and Matt Forte. Bennett led all tight ends in receptions last year while Alshon and Forte look to rebound. Up front, the Bears should be ok with Pro Bowler Kyle Long leading the way and a healthy Matt Slauson cover the left side. These two will be asked to help shoulder the long while rookie Hronus Grossu gets settled in at center.

On defense, the Bears have really revamped their overall look at scheme. Moving to a 3-4/hyrbid defense, Chicago went out and signed Pernell McPhee, the highest graded OLB according to Pro Football Focus. They also went and traded their 1st round draft pick to the Giants for the rights of Jason Pierre-Paul. The addition of these two will Chicago a fantastic pass rush, along with rookie nose tackle Eddie Goldman and defensive end Jeremiah Ratliff. The Bears also acquired MLB's Chris Kirksey and Ryan Shazier. These two are a huge upgrade over last year and will help solve the issues from the past two seasons of not being able to stop anyone! In the secondary, the Bears will rely on 2nd year corner Kyle Fuller along with veteran Antrel Rolle at strong safety. There will be a heated battle for the 2nd corner spot as well as free safety with rookie Adrian Amos and 2nd year man Brock Vereen. It should be an exciting camp and preaseason as all these position battles come down to the final week!

League Announcement

UPDATE:

Aldon Smith has officially signed a real-life contract for 1 year, with the Oakland Raiders. He is removed from the Waiver Wire effective immediately. 

Welcome everyone to the inaugural season for the Gridiron Football League! We are truly excited to get this season kicked off and we thank you for being a part of this with us. We have setup the Scrimmage League here so far just to give you guys an idea how the layout looks, how things work, and what to expect once we kick off the real season. Thanks again for joining us and we look forward to having many seasons to come!

Jason, Brett, Phil, and Rich