Houston, TX - Once a 2 x Super Bowl winning coach, many people thought they had seen the last of Coach Lukas Smith. But when the Oilers announced they would be hiring the once retired coach, nobody knew what to expect. Taking over a team that had the third worst record last year in the league, this is easily the worst team Smith has ever coached. So now we will finally answer the burning question, is Coach Lukas able to coach any time to greatness, or can he only take advantage of talent he inherits. So far the results have pointed to the former.
In week 1, the Oilers faced off against the other Houston team, the Texans in bitter rivalry. Last season the Texans suffered a similar record as the Oilers but with a monstrous defensive line, the Texans look like they can beat any one. But QB Brad Moon showed he has what it takes to elevate his game to the next level, even while getting sacked 9 times! He finished the day going 33/50 for 473 yards 5 TDs and 1 INT. But eyes were not on him this week so much as the rookie runningbacks that make up the backfield for the offense.
Leio Bennett got the nod despite rumors of fellow rookie RB Bernie Gayton had surpased him in practice and was taking starting rb reps. And Bennett impressed for most of the game racking up 76 yards on 16 carries. But it was one carry in particular that stood out for the young runningback. With time ticking away and the Oilers holding a 7 point lead, Moon handed the ball off to Bennett who then fumbled the ball after getting tackled at the line of scrimmage giving the ball to the Texans with less then 3 mins to go in the game. The resulting drive tied the game up and forced overtime which was eventually won on a pass to break out WR Tommie Ogletree for the win.
After the game it was clear that Bennett was in Coach Smith's Doghouse. When asked about his thoughts on Bennett fumbling on a play that changed the game, Coach Smith was quoted as being "extremely disappointed" and "expects more out of his players." And it was evident in practice this week that Coach Smith does not forgive so easily.
Gayton, who ended week 1 with 57 yards and a TD on 7 carries, had assumed full time starting reps. "I will play the players who give us the best chance to win. I don't care if your a 1st round pick or a 5th round pick. The best play!" Was the message this week for Coach Smith's players in reference to the fack Bennett was the 4th overall pick in this past draft.
With all the drama of who would be leading the backfield, it was nice to see the Steelers roll into town for the week 2 matchup for the Oilers. And you could tell the team had some built up frustration ultimatly scoring what is mostly likely gonna be the season high of 66 points!
Brad Moon continued to shine this week throwing for another 4 TDs to go along with his 439 yards through the air. His favorite target? None other then break out superstar Tommie Ogletree who is averaging over 150 yards through these first two games. Throw in a big game by Superstar WR Odell Beckham Jr and you got a blow out of a game. But the ont thing that excited fans more then anything was the 4 TD performance of new starting RB Bernie Gayton. Only 1 TD shy of tieing the all time record for number of TDs in a game, Gayton has made a big name for hisself and looks to command the starting RB position for the forseeable future.
But the offense was not the only star for the Oilers this night. No no. The defense flexed its muscle as well. Safety Sealii Swain lead the way with 2 picks on the night and Marcell Phillips contributed one as well keeping the offense on the Steelers side of the field all night.
Truely great things are coming down the road for the Oilers and Coach Smith looks to be ready to solidify himself as one of the all time greats.
Charolette, NC - The Panthers are quickly showing that they are in position to become the next big NFL Dynasty. After a dominating Super Bowl Victory over the Cleveland Browns, the Panthers were in position to take it again this year, but things won't be as easy as they could have been for the defending Super Bowl Champs after some controversial moves in the offseason.
The biggest of these moves was moving Superstar WR Demaryius Thomas to the Bears for the 2nd overall pick in the draft. Speculation is that Thomas had started to show some age as the season wore on and with a huge salary weighing against the cap, the Panthers jumped at the chance to move their leading receiver for the past two seasons. But with the addition of former Charger WR Keenan Allen, the hole might have been immediatlly addressed. "We are excited about what Allen brings to the table. He is a proven commodity who is entering the prime of his career," said owner Lukas Smith.
They also released more veterens entering this offseason, including OLB Lance Briggs who was instrumental in the teams first Super Bowl run, RT Gosder Cherilus who was acquired early two seasons ago to help fill the void at LT left by the depature of former LT Williams, and letting the teams 2 year in a row sack leader Justin Tuck walk away from the team, and finally the release of long time Panther DB Norman who had been overtaken at the starter position by younger more athletic corners Phillip Gaines and Cortez Allen. How could the Panthers even begin to replace such important presences both on the field and in the Locker Room. \
The Pathers are hoping a youthful spark will help keep them on top with their free agency signings. First up for them was the above mentioned WR Keenan Allen who signed a 6 year deal and looks to be the long time answer at WR which is great news for the Panthers as Cody Latimer's contract comes up at the end of the season. DE Cornelius Washington is the second player to be signed by the Panthers this offseason. The physical freak of an athelte could never find his niche in Chicago which could say a lot to his lack of intangibles when looking at the less then steller defensive line of the Bears. But Coach Harborough is known for turning physical freaks into key role players (ex: WR Chris Givens, S Rafel Bush (Super Bowl MVP), LB Marquis Flowers) so if anybody can do something with the DE, its the Panthers. Falling into the same category as Washington, WR/RB Tavon Austin also joined the Panthers to help replace the depature of KR/ RB CJ Spiller. Austin, a former first round draft pick, showed flashes of greatness, but never took off as a super star. Sitting behind Super Star RB Kniles Davis will now put him in a position where he will not be the primary weapon and can find his spots to excel in.
Even though the Panthers still needed help in a few areas after free agency had ended. And with the 2nd overall pick, the Panthers could virtually select any player they wanted. Who got the call? None other then former Ohio State cornerback Marcos Morales who showed out at the combine and all his pro days. But the Panthers were not done in the first round as they still had a pick at the 32nd overall pick. In a small town in southern Alabama, DE Danneil Bess's phone lit up with an unknown number. "I almost didn't pick it up. Everybody told me I was a second to third round draft pick so I never even considered it could be a team," admitted the former Crimson Tide lineman. Bess was a great player for the Tide in their third straight apperance in the NCAA Football Playoffs, racking up 48 sacks in his career under Coach Saban. But after a poor showing at the combine and weighing in 20 pounds over his listed weight, his stock quickly dropped. But Coach Harbaugh saw a high ceiling on the DE who looked "Hungry. And not in the bad way," was the Coach's description of Bess. Now he has to prove he is worthy of the first round selection. The last mentionable selection for the Panthers came in the way of an accident. "We had a miscommunication. With the system we use, we click on the name of the player we want and it gets emailed to the selection desk. I click one name down then intended," said the now former selection manager Susanna Carey. An accident on one hand was a godsend for another as WR Troy Burns out of Iowa State was the name accidently clicked. "I know that my selection was a mistake of one person, but I'm a firm believer in fate and I look to prove that I was meant to be here," said Burns on his interview after being taken in the 5th round. And after a VERY impressive preseason, he is doing a damn good job of that.
Can the Panthers repeat as Super Bowl Champs? That is a very firm yes. Could they be beathen? Also a very firm yes. This is a top teir team no doubt and with potentially the best coach in the game at the lead, this could be only the beginning of their run on top.
Its almost playoff time again in MEE Owners League and the favorites are starting to pull away from the rest of the pack and showing why they are considered the best of the best. Here is this editition's Top 10 list:
(LAST TIME: Washington Redskins)
The Steelers just missed the cut in the 1st Edition of the Power Rankings coming in at number 12, but this time around they clearly belong. One thing is clear out of these Steelers, Big Ben is on the back in of his career. having a subpar season (at best), Ben has started to show signs of his age. But luckily for the Steelers, they havn't needed to depend on him as much as in the past. Still putting up big numbers in yardage, its his decision making that is hurting the most. If the QB position can figure out which jersey color they need to throw to, the Steelers could be a tough team to beat come playoff time.
(LAST TIME: TENNESSEE TITANS)
The Lions started the season looking bad as they started 2-3 and making a lot of people question whether or not the playoff loss to the Panthers last season had affected the teams moral. But since then the team has went 6-1 and put themselves in a good position to make the playoffs. If this team can get some semblence a run game to help pull pressure off of QB Stafford, this team could catch fire at the right time going into the playoffs.
(LAST TIME: Buffalo Bills)
This team lives and dies by one thing, Defense. This team is easily one of the top defensive teams in the league, but with a subpar offense, this team has struggled, especially in the two games against the Panthers losing by a combined total of 72-24, the largest margin of any of the teams losses. But don't count this team out as they were able to defeat possilby one of the best teams in the league, the Seahawks, to keep their playoff hopes alive.
(LAST TIME: INDIANAPOLIS COLTS)
The Seahawks have fallen apart in the last few weeks since starting 4-0. The defense and the run game is still putting in work, but the passing game has really done more damage then anything else as Wilson is currently sitting in the negative on TD/INT ratio. No matter what though, this team can still win without the passing game coming together. Out of all the 8-4 teams though, the Seahawks are by far the most dangerous as Lynch is still putting up points on the board.
(LAST TIME: CLEVLEAND BROWNS)
The Texans looked like a team to repeat Super Bowls this year, but when Coach Citation had to take an extended LoA, the Team has fallen to the way side. Until their Coach returns, this team is up in the air.
(LAST TIME: GREEN BAY PACKERS)
The Ealges have roared back to life over the last few weeks. At the beginning of the season, the team looked like it was playing for a draft pick, but now they look like a team in position to make a deep run in the playoffs and maybe even make it to the Super Bowl. With the best scoring offense in the league, points are never needed long for the Eagles, but they also sport the worst passing defense in the league giving up almost 350 yards per game! If they can get that sorted out, this team could be scary good come playoff time.
(LAST TIME: HOUSTON TEXANS)
The Chiefs were one game away last year from marching into the Super Bowl, and they look like a team that could make it again this year. Some Chiefs fans may be a little disappointed that this team has dropped 3 games as they looked like a team that could run the table, but even still the Chief fatithful should be estatic they are playing on the level they are. Even though Rivers has recently started to show why he is not known for winning games late in a season, he is still looking impressive and a lot of that can be blamed on WR Brandon Coleman who has double digit TDs for the first time in his short career! As long as Rivers can get back to his pinpoint accuracy ways, this team will continue to add to that win total and be in a great position once the playoffs start.
(LAST TIME: CAROLINA PANTHERS)
The Packers should be thankful they are in this position. When Coach Juice was out of commision for almost a month, they Packers only dropped 2 games in that period. Now that Coach Juice has returned to the team, the Packers are looking to get back to their undefeated ways. With a scary good Pass defense and monsterous rushing attack, this team has the make up to be a nightmare for their remaining opponents.
(LAST TIME: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS)
The Panthers are a team of mystery. They don't have a killer offense, yet they average 31 points per game. They don't have a top 10 defense, yet they are 2nd best in scoring defense only giving up 16.4 points per game. It all comes down to one thing, turnovers. The offense is extremely careful, rarely turning the ball over and the defense is full of ball hawks and heavy hitters. The biggest issue with that model is that turnovers can go either way in any game. This team needs to find their way on offense, and if they do, this team could easily represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. But only if.
11: New England Patriots 7-4
12: Washington Redskins (Previous: #10) 7-4
13: Buffalo Bills (Previous: #8) 7-5
14: Tennessee Titans (Previous: 9) 6-5
15: San Francisco 49ers 6-6
The Browns are having easily the best season in Browns history. They have the best offense ranked number 1 in total yards and 2nd in points per game to go along with a top 5 defense in every major category. This team looks damn near unstoppable. If there is a favorite to win it all this year, the Browns have to be it as I don't see anyteam beating them.
Welcome to the 1st Edition of the MEE Owners League Player Award Projections as of Week 5. I plan on releaseing at least one of these per weeks along with my top 10 Power Rankings. So with out further ado, here is my 1st quarter of the season Player Awards:
I know its rare now a days for any defensive player to win this award, but when you start your career by averaging 2 INTs per game, your going to make the list. The 3rd Round draft pick out of William and Mary made a big impact his first game racking up 12 Tackles against the Pats in Week 1. Since then he has yet to register anything less then 5 tackles a game and at least 1 INT. Will he win the award at the end of the season, most likely not. Should he? As of now the answer is YES!
The age of the running backs are over. No one values them and they are usually a dime a dozen come draft time. But its rare that you can find a back that will always put up points ont the board for you and thats what Brown does. He is a freak of nature as what anybody would consider a bigger back but can out run those he doesn't run over. At the rate he is currently going he will easily break he TD record by putting up 32 TDs on the year. And in the last year of his contract it couldn't come at a better time for the young back.
Honestly before last week I would probably put Wilson as the front runner for the award. But after a subpar performance against the Browns last week, he drops to number 3. But by no means am I taking away from his season so far. In the previous three games before last week, he was playing at a very high level throwing 9 TDs to only 4 picks and even a 400 yard game. If I had to put money on somebody winning MVP at the end of the year I would have to put it on Wilson. But I need to see more then what we saw last week.
Last season, Cam signed a 6 year, $103 million contract to stay with the Panthers for the forseeable future. And so far he has shown he deserves it. While not putting up godly numbers in terms of yardage, he is doing a good job of keeping the ball in his teams hands. Currently only throwing one INT on the season so far, Newton is thriving under new offensive coordinator Beau Smith. If Newton and the Panthers can keep it up, it will be hard not to give the MVP award to the former number 1 overall pick.
6: Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel (1 year pro, Texas A&M)
7: Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck (2 year pro, Standford)
8: Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford (6 year pro, Georgia)
After getting cut by the Chargers in the offseason, it looked like Rivers might have to call it a career, but when the Chiefs came calling the 11 year vet jumped at the chance. Most expected him to only be a game manager for the Chiefs but early on it became clear that Rivers could still win games for whatever team he was on. In recent weeks his yardage numbers have decreased byt he continues to put up multiple TDs per game and only given up 1 INT on the season. If he keeps it up it will be hard to not give Rivers his first MVP trophy in what most likely is his last season in the league.
Four weeks into the 2nd annual season of MEE Owners and its becoming clear who is looking to make some noise this season and who will be picking in the top 10 in next years draft. Here is the top 10 teams who are made the first intial push in the first quarter of the season.
The Redskins are an anomally at this point in the year. They don't honestly excel in any area on offense or defense except in their run stoppage that is ranked in the top 5 in the league! Struggling to get any form of offense clicking and a defense that is suspect when challenged through the air, the biggest question is how long will this team continue to win?
After sufferning through a season that was on par with the real life Titans, the MEE Owners League Titans could only go up. When the preseason started the team was ownerless, still had questions on multiple fronts for the team, and looked to repeat as a top 5 pick in the draft. But once the Denver Broncos cut QB Peyton Manning, things started looking up for them. Then a proven winner took interesete in the team and took over them after the first week of the season. They went on to win 2 of the next three games only dropping a game against the Panthers in week 3. There are still question marks on the team such as who will be the starting RB this season after former Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart was signed before the week 3 game to give some compitition to 2nd year RB Bishop Sankey. And in recent weeks, Peyton is starting to show some age with questionable decision making riding a 6/10 TD/INT ratio. The defense looks like they can hold up their end of the bargain but they are not dominating enough to win games by themselves. If they can clean things up then the Colts and Texans might have some tough comptition in the AFC South.
The Bills had an amazing first season under former Owner Omar, but when Omar decided to move on to other opportunities their future looked cloudy at best. But when the former Dolphins owner Rackem heard about the Bills being for sale, he quickly snatched the opportunity and took over the Bills front office. But could he replicate the previous administration's success? So far he has lived up to the expectation with a powerful offensive game lead by RB Bryce Brown. Ranking 3rd overall in points per game, it looks like you better be ready for a shoot out when you play these Bills.
The Colts are the second AFC South in the top 10 making their division probably the toughest in the MOL. The Colts are lead by the two headed monster RB corp of rookies Jordan Ratliff and Odis Faulk. And thankfully so for the Colts who have had a bumpy start for their star QB Andrew Luck who has the Colts' passing game ranking near the bottom of the league. Then you look to the opposite side of the ball where the defense shows stuggles in the air as well ranking 20th in the league against the pass. But where this team excels is its run stopping ability where they only give up 70 yards per game to opposing RBs. If this team can smooth out the struggles in the passing game, this team could easily take the AFC South over the defending Super Bowl Champions.
Yes Cleveland fans you read that right. Your Browns are undefeated going into week 5. And you can all thank your defense for that which ranks near the top in every major category across the board. But don't think for a minute that means your teams offense is struggling. The Savior of Cleveland is showing that he has the arm to make it in the NFL. But that youth and immaturity still shows through as his decision making still puts him in bad positions leading to 7 INTs so far this season. If there is anywhere this team needs to improve on it has to be its run game that looks like it just cannot get going with out the legs of Manziel to push them, which opens up the QB to big hits. If the Browns can find a way to kick start their run game and allow them to keep Manziel out of open space, this team can make a push deep into the playoffs this season.
The Packers and owner SirJuice are experiancing success that has eluded the long time MEE member. SirJuice was even quoted saying "I don't know what to do. I've never been in this position," during a blowout win against the rival Chicago Bears. Its clear though why this team is having the success it is right now, and that falls to the run game and the passing defense. Eddie Lacy is having a decent year so far averaging 100 yards per game and that could be chalked up to RB James Starks shouldering some of the weight from former 2nd round pick. But you can't win the game by only playing on one side of the ball. The defense has shown up in a big way in putting an end to their opponents air raids lead by their rookie corners who have over 10 INTs between the two of them. The future is bright in Green Bay but the question is is this a sign of whats to come or a flash in the pan.
You know there is some deep compitition in MEEOL when the defending Super Bowl Champs can be undefeated and still only come in at number 4 on the list. But when you look closer you start to see why. This is an all or nothing kind of team on the offense. They put up some godly numbers on the boards but then they turn around and turn the ball over with the QB currently sitting in the negative in the TD/INT ratio. The run game is clearly the second thought in the Texans scheme but still ranks top 10 in overall yards per game with veteren Arian Foster still showing he isn't ready to hang it up just yet. Match this offense with a middle of the pack defense and you get the 4th overall ranking in the Power Rankings. Don't get me wrong. This team is dangerous and is an early favorite to make the playoffs, but unless Savage can learn to keep the ball out of the other teams hands, another Super Bowl looks unlikely.
The Panthers made a lot of moves this offseason under Owner/ GM Lukas Smith moving some big name players out of Carolina including long time LB Thomas Davis and former 1st Round Pick Kelvin Benjimen. But so far it looks like things are working out for the better as the team has already got two big wins under their belt this season. FS Louis Delmas, WR Demaryius Thomas, and RB Kniles Davis have made the biggest impacts so far on the field but so far the big overall numbers are missing so far. They do rank in the top 10 in the run game and passing defense and rank 4th best in points scored and points against. The biggest question so far is is the passing game suffering because the Panthers have won by such a large margin in 3 of their 4 games or does the run game and the defense cover for an inept passing attack. Only time will tell but right now this team is winning and winning big.
The Chiefs could have just as easily been in the Super Bowl last year as the Texans were but came up just short in the grand scheme of things. But after some controversial moves in the offseason, the Chiefs look better then ever. Making moves to get Kelvin Benjimen from the Panthers to replace the much aged Dwayne Bowe and grabbing Aquib Talib and Montee Ball from the Broncos the Chiefs greatly improved both sides of the ball for the Chiefs as Ball can pull carries away from the ageing injury prone Jamaal Charles and putting the college iron man Talib across from Steve Smith makes it almost impossible to pass on the already killer defense. The only knocks on the team have to go to the passing game and (strangley enough) the passing defense that seems to live by the INT. While Rivers has been very pinpoint with his passes only throwing one INT on the year, he hasn't put up big numbers yet that most have grown accustomed to when it comes to the gunslinger. Could this be a similar situation that the Panthers are going through right now? Again, only time will tell.
11: San Francisco 49ers 2-1
12: Pittsburgh Steelers 2-2
13: St. Louis Rams 2-2
14: Detroit Lions 2-2
15: Atlanta Falcons 2-2
The Seahawks have easily been the most dominating team in MEEOL this year with a point differential of 114 points! To bring that into perspective, there are 19 teams that have yet to score 100 points overall this season. Their defense is by far the best in the league ranking 1st in every major category and their offense ranks 1st in total yards and rushing yards per game and 2nd in points per game. Honestly the only part of the team that hasn't put up big numbers is the passing game that is weighed down by the fact that the Seahawks are never in close games. By far this team is favorite to win the Super Bowl this season.