I would dare to say that the 49ers are the surprise of the season. After having back to back 2-14 seasons followed by a 6-10 last year, no one really thought I would do much this year. At the half-point of the season, the 49ers are 2 games ahead of the closest rival (Cardinals), are 3-1 in the division and undefeated at home. Granted, the 49ers schedule has been rather nice to them, playing Los Angeles (2-7) twice already, Arizona (3-5), Seattle (2-5) and Cleveland (2-6), rather easy schedule to start the season. The only team with a winning record they faced was Cincinnati, and that was by far the worst game Lang has played in his career, throwing for 0 TD and 10 interceptions.
The remaining schedule for the 49ers isn’t promising: Pittsburgh (6-2), Carolina (5-3), Seattle (2-5), Minnesota (3-5), Dallas (4-4), Baltimore (2-6), Arizona (3-5) and close out the season against Atlanta (7-0). I do not trust me to win more than half those games, if at all.
Key Offensive Player: QB Josh Lang. Even with that terrible game at Cincinnati, Lang is enjoying the best year of his career. Already thrown 20 TDs this season, Lang is 6 TD away from matching his best season output.
Key Defensive Player: LE DeForest Buckner. While the tackle total for this DE is not impressive, he has accumulated 13 sacks in 8 games. For a rather weak defense from me, it’s nice having a player that can actually beat OL and bring pressure.
Projected Record: 8-8, 1st on NFC West.
In a week division, I expected Jesse to have a better record than me at this point. The Cardinals schedule has been as favorable as the 49ers; however, he hasn’t been as successful. Granted, his record at this point should be 4-4, the same as the 49ers had he not made the ridiculous decision to run the ball with like, 10 seconds remaining in the fourth, down by 1 and in the 49ers 5-yard line, trying to center it for a field goal. Time ran out and the Cardinals lost a game they should have won. Having faced Seattle (2-5), Cincinnati (5-2), Cleveland (2-6), Philadelphia (4-4), Los Angeles twice (2-7), Tampa Bay (3-5) and the 49ers (5-3), their schedule doesn’t get any easier. I have a hard time seeing the Cardinals winning more than 4 games, but it could be possible, they face Atlanta (7-0), Pittsburgh (6-2), New Orleans (5-3), Chicago (2-6), Seattle (2-5), San Francisco (5-3) and Baltimore (2-6).
Key Offensive Player: WR Ivan Bingham. Seriously, fuck this guy. This dude is almost uncoverable and have to dedicate resources to keep him in check.
Key Defensive Player: CB Patrick Peterson. This defense is simply scary, Jesse has good players almost at every position, but none better than PP. This damn CB can shut down lesser WR without any problem and a star receiver would still have problems with him. The secondary in general is very good, but I would say PP stands out.
Projected Record: 7-9, 2nd in NFC West
This actually surprised me. I don’t know if I just hold Halpin to a higher regard since he always smacks me to hell or if there’s something going on (I think he was moving? Maybe that’s why he isn’t that good this Madden?) but I definitely believed the division would be his and that he would be much better than his past record has suggested. At 2-5, I believe he’s out of playoff contention even in the weak NFC West. He has faced Arizona (3-5), Atlanta (7-0), San Francisco (5-3), Tampa Bay (3-5), Los Angeles (2-7), New Orleans (5-3) and Cleveland (2-6).
They have a though stretch the next few weeks before it eases up, but by then they might be mathematically eliminated: Cincinnati (5-2), Baltimore (2-6), Pittsburgh (6-2), San Francisco (5-3), New York G (6-3), Detroit (6-1), Arizona (3-5), Carolina (5-3) and Los Angeles (2-7).
The best I can see them doing is winning 6 of those games, which would push Halpin to 8-8, however it’s a hard sell that they can take losses only from Pittsburgh and New York. I won’t count Halpin out, but he definitely has a lot of work to do if he wants to reclaim his NFC West crown.
Key Offensive Player: RB Thomas Rawls. Seattle hasn’t been an explosive offense, their passing game is mediocre at best and they live and die by what Rawls can do on the ground.
Key Defensive Player: MLB Bobby Wagner. While Seattle has had trouble stopping opposing defenses (24th in points allowed), Wagner has been at least a somewhat bright spot. Having 3 defensive touchdowns in the season is impressive, and if Halpin wants to make the playoffs, Wagner will have to keep performing.
Projected Record: 6-10, 3rd in NFC West
I actually believed I would be contending with LA for the bottom of the division once more, but there really hasn’t been many bright spots. They have a complete stud at QB, but their OL leaves a lot to be desired. They have had quite a couple of close games and maybe with better luck they would have a better record. I don’t see them making a run for the division, as they would need a complete and utter implosion from the other three teams here. On the bright side, another early pick should help build up the team for the last 1-2 seasons of Revo, in my opinion however, LA needs to work on their OL, with the recent Madden update, having such a low ranked line will mean an incredibly poor performance, and well, having that stud at QB won’t help.
The remaining schedule for LA has Cleveland (2-6), Baltimore (2-6), Washington (4-4), Green Bay (2-5), New Orleans (5-3), Tampa Bay (3-5) and Seattle (2-5). On paper, this seems like an easy schedule, facing only one team above .500 (New Orleans) but I really don’t have faith on them winning more than 1 or 2 games.
Key Offensive Player: RB Todd Gurley II. While Jerod Evans is a definite stud, Gurley is the life and blood of this team. While he has been held to very pedestrian numbers on some weeks, Gurley should be relied upon to help Evans work behind that line.
Key Defensive Player: RE Aaron Donald. Isn’t he supposed to be a DT? Fuck this cheese fucker, he’s a damn terror for opposing QBs, already having 14 sacks. God I hate this dude.
Projected Record: 3-13, 4th in the NFC West.
Three seasons ago the 49ers had one of the worst rosters in the entire NFL. Their offense consisted of Colin Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert at Quarterback, Torrey Smith and…Torrey Smith at Wide Receiver, Vance McDonald at Tight End and an O-line which best player was an aging Joe Staley. Their defense wasn’t any better, outside of Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, Navorro Bowman and Eric Reid, the Niners had nothing. Give this roster and my lack of stick skills, it’s no wonder they barely won 4 games in their first two seasons, however, this actually gave them the ammunition to build a competitive team.
Their first course of action was to get their QB of the future and they got him with the 1st Overall pick of the second season in Josh Lang, and while he did threw a ridiculous amount of interceptions (61, more a testament to my stick skills than the ability of Lang), he provided a steady passer much better than what they previously offered.
That same draft saw the 49ers turn their heads to their receiver’s position, on that had an aging Torrey Smith as their number one. Tired of the drops from the former speedster, I took a shot at some slower, but much better pass catcher, receiver. Forrest Ali on the 3rd round. While his Slow Dev hurt him, he has become one of the 49ers most secure pass catchers, having 2 seasons of 1k+ yards. During his rookie season, Ali caught 71 passes for 1,003 yards and 5 touchdowns and followed that with an 87 receptions, 1,208 yards and 8 TD performance. Along with Ali, I took a receiver in the 4th round, Cornelius Wilds, thirsty for some speed on the outside. While his catching attributes where terrible, he has become a rather interesting slot option, having 32 catches for 442 yards and 2 TD on his first year, to 68 catches, 972 yards and 6 TDs on his second year. After the second season under me, the 49ers had a considerably better offense.
The second season didn’t go any better, another 2-14 year giving me the ammo in the draft to pick the best player available, however, as destiny would have me, I did not stay put. Steph blessed me with a trade I could not refuse, Amari Cooper and his 16th Overall pick for my 1st Overall pick. It was a no brainer. Amari instantly bolstered a receiving corps that was lacking punch, and allowed me to concentrate on other aspects in the draft: my Offensive Line.
With the first pick of that draft, I selected Gerard Royce, instantly making my OL way better than it was and quickly becoming a star player for the Niners. On the second round, Clinton Holliman arrived, another solid piece for this Niners OL that was now becoming a solid unit and on the 5th round, Richard Bentley was selected, and while weak, he finished solidifying an offensive line that would allow Carlos Hyde to break 1k rushing yards and run for 14 TDs. After the first two seasons, two consecutive 2-14 years, the Niners went on to win 6 games, Lang set the Season Passing Record (it was broken by stupidass Shane Falco) and the Niners had hope for the future.
During the offseason this year, the Niners are significantly stronger. They picked up FA superstars Linval Joseph, bolstering an already strong Defensive Line, and Damarious Randall, covering a huge weakness in their secondary. I also traded for SS 23 year old Jax Orion, giving me a solid HB to move away from an aging Carlos Hyde, who dropped to 84 spd this season. During draft day, I would say I struck gold. Having the 11th overall pick, I watched as 3 LBs (a position of need) were taken, leaving me to pick the #2 LB on my board (#1 was L. Vickers, taken by bitchass Jesse), nabbing Efrem Ellswort who I’m sure will become a superstar. My LB corps instantly became better and no longer a huge liability. On the second round, I nabbed Marquan Bowens, a projected 3rd prospect, but with great combine results and scouted abilities. After losing Dan Williams to FA, Bowens I’m sure will become another anchor on a defensive line that already has Arik Armstead, Linval Joseph and DeForest Buckner. The list of rookies on the top of the drafts ends with Keith Sands and Dillard Wakefield, players which provide some depth at positions I am no longer in need. Overall, this team has become rather solid, compared to the one I was given on season 1. If only I had better stick skills, I’m sure this team could be a solid playoff contender, year in and year out.
And, as always, Fuck you all!
Ah, the start of a new season is always fantastic, everyone is hopeful, happy and excited until those last few seconds when their team is about to open up the season with a loss. That’s exactly how Panthers fans felt on the past two weeks that saw Carolina fall to the Redskins in a thrilling encounter fall at the very, very end by not being able to convert a TD in the redzone with around 50 seconds to play and then travel to Pittsburgh to fall by a complete and utter steamrolling. It has been a terrible two weeks for the Panthers secondary, their CB’s are completely lost on the field and cannot for their life stop anyone, making it impossible for Revis, recently converted to SS, and Quinn to even be helpful. The lack of coverage also makes the Panther’s priced FA signing Connor Barwin from even making enough pressure to sack or disrupt the Quarterback, and we can already see a team that is fighting an uphill battle with themselves, the offense cannot score TD in the redzone, even with the addition of QB Aaron Rodgers, something needs to change fast, before it’s too late for the Panthers to right the boat.
The opening game against the Redskins was a back and forth game where the Panthers had every single opportunity to win just to throw it out of the window like it was nothing. On their opening drive, they moved the ball well, getting into the opponents red zone, however, their woes struck and came out with nothing but 3 points, making it 3-0 in the early minutes of the game. Their maligned defense was rather effective on the opening offensive, forcing a 3 and out giving the offense back to Carolina. However, they were stopped promptly, with another 3 and out of their own. And, on the next drive, is where it all started to go wrong for the Panthers.
After very effective play on the first two downs, forcing a 3rd and 16 from their own 3 yard line, the Panthers gave up one of the many huge plays on this game, a 94 yard pass to Tarpley to reach the Panthers redzone, and while the defense held the Redskins to a field goal, this was a drive that should not have yielded any points, furthermore, one that should have given the Panthers field position on the game, instead, it turned it into a tied game early in the 2nd quarter.
The next offense again began very well for the Panthers, upon reaching mid field, however, it stalled and quickly turned into a punt, giving the ball back to the Redskins, the score still tied 3-3 in the middle of the 2nd quarter.
The Redskins took the ball and easily moved it down the field, the Panthers defense being exposed at last and unable to keep up with receivers around the field, frustration took the best of the defense and, on an uncharacteristically breakup in run defense, the Redskins scored on a 27 yard TD run, putting the score at 10-3 late in the 2nd quarter.
The Panthers reacted, however, and their high powered offense lead by Rodgers got to work, taking less than three minutes to drive the length of the field for a TD. Crabtree caught a long pass to set up the field position and Maclin made the TD catch to tie the game, right before halftime, the score was 10-10.
The Panthers were able to stop the Redskins after the kick off and with less than a minute left, their offense got to work once more, pass after pass the Panthers moved closer to the endzone, savoring the sweet victory of going to halftime up 17-10, with 34 seconds on the clock, 1 timeout remaining and 1st and 10, Rodgers rolled out and threw the most horrible pass this writer has ever seen on RFD, with McDaniel completely uncovered up in the corner of the endzone, Rodgers simply…chucked? it down to Maclin instead, keeping the trend of red zone interceptions alive for Coach Torr.
Carolina’s defense crumbled after that play, and with less than 40 seconds to go, were unable to stop the Redskins from scoring before the half, but at least holding them to a FG, closing the first half with a 13-10 lead for the Redskins, making Coach Torr to throw a fit of rage.
Opening the 3rd quarter, the Panthers were set on not losing and continuing the trend of crumbling under pressure, delivering a rather strong statement and keeping the Redskins to a punt, giving the offense back to Rodgers and co.
Rodgers and the offense did not waited and got the ball moving, marching the field to the 18 yard line and striking a TD to one of the Panthers favorite receiver, B.J. McDaniel on a flat route. Setting the score at 17-13 in the middle of the third quarter.
The Panthers defense became it’s weakness, as it always has been, and they started giving up yards, one play in particular that was unstoppable for the Redskins was the HB Screen, which was used to set up the score to put it 20-17.
On the next drive, Rodgers was trying to drive the offense once more to tie the game or take the lead, however, an ill-fated underthrow to Olsen ended up in an interception, stopping any hope the Panthers had in taking the lead at that point.
Immediately after, the Redskins took the field and the defense, once more, became a terrible hole of suckiness for the Panthers, eating up the play action fake and allowing a 55 yard TD to Tarpley, increasing the lead to 27-17 at the start of the 4th quarter.
Rodgers and the Panthers refused to give up though, driving the field once more in a bit less than 4 minutes, they were set to score a TD, on 1st & goal from the 4 yard line, but Rodgers had others plans, throwing his second red zone interception of the game, and apparently sealing all hopes for a Panthers comeback.
The Redskins were unable to convert a first down, leaving 4 minutes on the clock for the Panthers to score 10 points. It took 2 minutes for the Panthers to score, a TD to Amaro set things at 27-24 with 2 minutes remaining and all 3 of the Panthers time outs in hand.
The Redskins where unable to move the ball once more, the Panthers defense tightening when they needed them the most, leaving 1:51 on the clock with two time outs remaining on the clock for the Panthers. A comeback victory seemed plausible.
The Panthers were able to move the ball, getting down to the 24 yard line and then simply stopping. Dropped balls and bad passes made them unable to score a TD and left their drive 27-27, a tied game with 59 seconds on the clock and 3 Redskins timeouts on hand.
The defense seemed set to stop the Redskins, a sack on first down had them on 2nd & 17…and then, the fated play the Panthers are completely unable to defend: the HB Screen. On a ridiculous broken tackle behind the line McCoy broke free for a 75 yard gain and seal the game, victory 30-27 for the Redskins and heartbreak for the Panthers. Two red zone interceptions costed them big.
The second game had Carolina pitted against the Pittsburgh Steelers and well, there really isn’t much to say, the game was a complete and utter stomp by Pittsburgh, dominating an incredibly weak Panthers defense to the tone of 45 points. The high powered offense was unable to get on track, being forced into being one dimensional by falling down early, made Rodgers play one of his worst games, the game ended in an horrible 45-10 victory for the Steelers, sinking the Panthers in a 0-2 hole, 2 games behind division leaders Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With the craze of the Draft behind us and the pre-season right ahead, we take a look at the Rookie Draft Classes of the NFC South, seeing which teams scored a home run and which teams need some more help. Let’s see how the NFC South did.
Carolina Panthers
After their FA run, the Panthers covered a need at QB after the retirement of Tony Romo. Rodgers is a huge improvement and allowed the Panthers to focus their attention on other areas, unfortunately for them, their MAIN need was Cornerback, which was stacked in the draft and holding the 17th pick, no one really thought the Panthers would miss on them, however, every single corner worth picking in the first round was gone by the time the Panthers pick came around, so here’s how they fared.
DeMarcus Davis, WR (Pick 17, Round 1): For the first time in 3 seasons the Panthers have a burner at Wide Receiver. His physical attributes are insane with a 94 Speed, 92 Acceleration 92 Jumping and at 6’0, Davis is an incredible target for QB Aaron Rodgers. Supplementing the sure handed Jeremy Maclin and last season go-to receiver McDaniel, Davis should allow the Panthers to score more points and keep a decent offense.
Rayquez Swanson, LT (Pick 21, Round 1): The Panthers had two first round picks, the plan probably was to take two CB, but they were all gone when their turn came. Instead, their second pick was another area of need and they filled it rather nicely. Swanson is a bit on the weak side for a LT, but his 84 Pass Block, 87 Run Block and 87 Impact Block give the Panthers a solid starting LT.
Kenbrell Quarles, MLB (Pick 21, Round 2): Talk about hit and miss. The Panthers drafted need at this pick and it was awful. Quarles is slow, weak and not very good at coverage. Pretty sure it will be a week 1 cut for the Panthers.
Brendon Morgan, C (Pick 28, Round 3): Drafted as a LT, Morgan was a gem picked by the Panthers. He is also a bit on the weak side for a OL at 80 STR, however a 85 Pass Block, 81 Run Block, 83 Impact Block along with Star development gives the Panthers the last piece of their OL.
Malik Cole, LE (Pick 21, Round 3): A depth pick for the Panthers, a rather strong LE that would be useful at run stop, sporting a 85 Hit Power, 87 Block Shedding and 83 Tackle. He’s on the rough side of players, so would need some development if the Panthers want him to be 100% dependable.
Felix Penn, MLB (Pick 20, Round 4): The Panthers traded back into this round to take Felix. Having missed on their first MLB, they took another chance. Not much better. What we can say though, Felix has some nice attributes with 90 Acceleration, 85 Hit Power and 89 Pursuit. Still, on the rough side of things, but could be usable.
Draft Grade: B. The Panthers found 3 instant starters out from 6 picks they had on the Draft. We could have given them a B+ if they had taken CB Javonte Taylor who was there for their picking at 21, instead they opted for Quarles and magnificently flopped. Leaving their CB corps depleted.
New Orleans Saints
Having been at the bottom of the division, the Saints needed a rather good draft and, to be honest, they got it. Here are the picks they had.
Sean Holliday, RT (Pick 7, Round 1): A great pick up by the Saints. With 87 STR, 87 PBL/IBL and 86 Run Block Holliday gives the Saints a ridiculous plug and play tackle that should give opposing defenses a hard time getting by.
Jerron Cole, CB (Pick 8, Round 1): Incredibly solid back to back pick by the Saints. Taking a premier CB that should help a secondary that ranked at the bottom of the league in Passing Yards allowed. 96 Speed, 92 Acceleration 84 Man coverage and 87 Zone, this guy should be a cornerstone of that defense for years to come.
Denard Gaines, HB (Pick 30, Round 1): Having a need at HB, the Saints traded back into 1st round and got Gaines. Definitively not a burner, but with 81 STR and 89 Trucking, the Saints have a North-South runner that should help them maintain possession of the ball.
Vladimir Hopkins, TE (Pick 7, Round 2): A great hit by the Saints picking Hopkins. With Star development and rather good physical traits, Hopkins can start immediately, with a 85 Spectacular Catch, 90 Jumping and at 6’4, he’s a valuable target for young QB Jake Nealy.
P.J. Coley, ROLB (Pick 8, Round2): Out of five picks, all five were hits to this point for Saints. Coley is a bit on the slow side as far as OLB go but his block shedding capabilities (82 Power Moves, 81 Finesse Moves, 83 Block Shedding) make him a technically gifted, along with that, he has the Star Development trait so he should become a fundamental part of the Saints defense.
Antwan Scott, DT (Pick 20, Round 2): Their first miss of the draft (if you can call it a miss), Scott has the physical and technical tools to thrive, however the Slow Development trait will hinder his progress. At 85 Power Moves, 80 Block Shedding and 86 STR, he can still be a bit serviceable, but considering the rest of the picks, we had to call him a miss (though, not really).
Santario Smith, CB (Pick 8, Round 6): After a glorious 6 picks before this one, Smith is on the weak side of things. He does however sports a 87 Zone Coverage along with 88 Speed and Acceleration, however, his awareness is incredibly low.
Draft Grade: A+. The Saints knocked it out of the park with their draft this time, every one of their picks could be starting decently in time.
Atlanta Falcons
Kale Sam, QB (Pick 16, Round 1): The Falcons had a need at QB after entering the draft with 0 QB in their roster and boy did they filled the spot. Incredible passing skills along with Star development, the Falcons found their QB of the future on Sam.
Darian Hunter, TE (Pick 16, Round 2): Decent player that should be able to become a safety net for Sam, not a burner but someone that can consistently make the short first downs if given the chance.
James Woods, DT (Pick 16, Round 3): Great pick for the spot. Heck, amazing pick. Woods has Fast Development trait along with great Power Moves and Block Shedding. With some development, he could become anchor for their D.
Corey Hamilton, LE (Pick 23, Round 3): Hamilton was a good pick as well, considering the Fast Development trait and some of his technical traits (89 Block Shedding, 79 Power Moves, 85 Tackle), however he’s somewhat slow.
Taylor, Arrington, Shead: A group of players that we believe will be Week 1 or 2 cuts, not much to say about them.
Aaron Lawson, TE (Pick 16, Round 6): Talk about gems, from the 6th round here comes Lawson with Star development. Decent stats across the plate, but needs to be worked on as he's very rough around the edges.
Draft Grade: B+. If only because there were 3 wasted picks, but the Falcons draft was a little bit less perfect than the Saints.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers had only 3 picks in the late rounds and, as such, had a terrible draft not even worth mentioning.
Draft Grade: F. None of the picks will be with the team longer than a week.
After that fantastic Super Bowl and the season coming to an end, I sit here with Reece, after just having completed the perfect season, as Rwalk did before him, I asked him a few questions on his decision to retire, his mind set during the Super Bowl and thoughts on what he’s leaving behind.
So, Reece. You did it man, you ended up the perfect season, like Rwalk before you, won everything and now you are walking into the sunset. How does it feel?
It feels pretty damn good. A Super Bowl victory is an accomplishment very few ever manage to achieve, let alone capping off a perfect season with a second straight Lombardi Trophy. It's the result of good team building, above-average play and play calling and a healthy dose of luck.
During the Super Bowl, there were a lot of mistakes (or good plays) by you and Savage. However, you went down pretty early and managed to come back. What was your state of mind during those minutes where it seemed Savage had gotten the best of you?
I was starting to get a bit nervous when I went down 14, but this team is battle-tested. We overcame a 21 point deficit week 17 and a 17 point deficit in the AFC Title game. We had been moving the ball well, I knew if we cleaned up some mistakes we'd be able to get right back into it.
And you certainly did. Now, tell me about your decision to retire. What drove you to retiring after accomplishing such an incredible feat? Was it simply riding onto the sunset after a perfect season or was there something else?
There were a few reasons. I had been thinking about it all season and decided around week 10 or 11 that this would be my last. First, after winning 30 straight games and 2 Owls, there wasn't much left to achieve. Second, the Madden grind takes its toll. The backlog of games I haven't played and shows/movies I haven't watched was piling up. And lastly, I'm getting married in a few months so I probably should help with adult planning type things.
Congratulations on your wedding! "Adult Planning" fun way to put it. Well, one last question before I let you go on. With you gone, it leaves the AFC wide open, who do you think will rise up to the occasion? And, if possible, do you think Savage will continue his control on the NFC?
I think the NFC belongs to Savage for as long as he wants it. Sure he'll lose some games and have competition, but he'll make the Super Bowl more often than not. In the AFC there's a few teams that could rise to the top. I think the Steelers, Jets, Chargers and Texans all will be strong contenders. The Ravens are overrated, they might make playoffs but will never make any noise. Whoever takes over the Raiders has a great chance if they're a capable user as well.
Awesome. Thank you for your time Reece and good luck in the future!
There you have it, Snorkel after completing a 19-0 season and retiring, riding off into the sunset. Now, for the Super Bowl Top 5 Plays, watch here and let us know what you think of them!
After a rather exciting game in the NFC that pitted two teams from the same Division, we have invited the winning Coach to sit down for a talk with us. After being swept in the regular season by Steel, Savage managed to go on a run from the #5 NFC seed to the Super Bowl, beating teams like the Panthers, the Vikings and the Seahawks, now, he has a rematch with Snorker and the Oakland Raiders, here’s what he had to say about all that.
First off, congratulations on making it to the Super Bowl for the second year in a rough. Hard season this time, considering Steel beat you twice during the season right?
Thanks! Feels great to represent the NFC again in the Bowl. The season was more mental games than anything. After Steel won our second game I realized I wouldn't likely win the division and we would be faced with road games and if you know me then you know I hate road games.
I didn't know that! Would you say there's a lot of shenanigans involving Road Games? Or is it more of a personal mind thing when it comes to those?
Madden has home field advantage games. I can even admit some games to my opponent that I didn't beat them, madden beat them. So in my mind I hate playing on the road because of it but then you realize how much more home field advantage means in the playoffs. Had I had home field advantage I would've been talking shit since like week 15 but knowing the toughness of road games I never misjudged my opponents.
That's an interesting bit of information, good to keep in my mind. Well, your road was definitively harder than previous seasons, being the 5th seed, you had to play a lot of teams, the Panthers (haha), Vikings and Seahawks. What is your opinion on the level of the NFC?
The NFC in my opinion is a bit stronger than the AFC. There seem to be more "Any given Sunday" teams in the NFC and most of the games featuring "upsets" are headlined with NFC teams or a NFC winner. Panthers definitely would've give more of a fight if they had the QB. Same for the Aaron Donald ft. The Vikings. Aaron Donald ft. The Vikings handed me probably my worse game all season. If the team had their QB I honestly might've ended the run there. Seahawks get no slack. They won twice in the reg season and had their team at full strength boasting the second best record in the league not to mention home field advantage. But like Reece said I had to "Crush Steel's dreams" and send his boys packing.
The shots came early, huh? Almost done here and I'll ask you the same question I asked Reece. It seems a lot of people value Speed a whole bunch as a trait in their teams, do you follow this philosophy when drafting/signing FAs or are there other aspects you look at when getting players for your team?
Multiple factors depending on players. My safeties have to have 80+ TAK LBs have to have good BKS, along those lines of how I see my game plan should be ran. After assessing that, Speed is definitely looked at but not required. My players just have to have a worth. I want to be able to go down my roster and say "This is what he can do for me". Whether that may be a 3rd down pass rusher or 5th string slot receiver.
That's a good assessment, definitively something to look at. Well, last question and then we can let you go prepare for that Super Bowl rematch. You played Snorkel last year, you lost to him. What has to change for you to prevent the back to back Championship and get it for yourself?
Well interesting fact but Snorkel is actually the opponent I've faced off against the most in Madden 16. This SB will be our 10th match (across 2 leagues for the most part). After playing him this many times I've learned there is no game plan for facing Snorkel. I know he emphasizes defense and I know he loves the defensive line more than anything which just so happens to be the MVP's kryptonite. All I can do is play smart and tough through the end and aspire to bring the Lombardi trophy to the faithful fans of Arizona who didn't give up on this team after their 6-10 season 2 years ago.
Well, thank you for your time Savage. Good luck to you and I hope it's a great game!
Let's get ready for a great Super Bowl and the closing of a rather exciting season!
Check out the Top Plays of the Raiders 32-27 victory over the Texans, just click here!
On this section, I will try to invite at least two coaches to have a small, quick chat with me, getting some insight on their way of playing Madden, their experiences and some other small talk topics. This week, the first of my guests is Reece (aka Snorkel), Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders, Super Bowl Winner last year and Super Bowl contender this season. I sat down with him and had a rather nice chat.
Well Reece, let me just start by congratulating you on achieving an undefeated season this far, I would say it was quite the task right?
In the offseason I gave the players the speech from remember the titans. "We will be perfect in every aspect of the game. You drop a pass, your run a mile ...” but I didn't think it'd work this well. We had some close calls, sneaking get out wins by 1 or by 3 but this team, so far, is perfect.
We're happy with what we've accomplished but we're not done yet
It definitively is, like I said on my piece, I had you pegged for a repeat visit to the super bowl. You did not disappoint. During the season though, was there a team that made you go "Yeah, this is where I drop it"? Or were you confident the entire time?
Absolutely. The Steelers and titans games were up for grabs until the very end. Week 17 we made the decision to sit about a dozen key starters and were down 21 to 0 before storming back for an overtime victory. Not to mention being down 17 to the Texans on the AFC title game at the half.
That game, as well as this last one against sticks were fantastic comebacks. I actually didn't think you were going to make it back, but I would say it was a defining moment for your team. Now, many coaches I feel put an incredible importance to Speed on players, is that the approach you took when you built this team? Or is there something else you look for in players to fit your team?
Not any specific attribute but defensive players are most important to me. It didn't show against the Texans but that's how we had the number 1 scoring and yardage defense each of the last two seasons.
Offensive line are critical as well, you can have any scrub at HB, QB or WR if you have time and can make some running lanes.
We have something in common at least! I focused on offensive line as well, but hey, I'm a scrub at this point. Last question and then we will let you focus on your Super Bowl day. Out of the NFC Match Up that we have right now, Steel vs Savage, how do you want to play and who do you think is better? Take some shots!
That’s a tough call. I honestly, think they're very comparable players. I like my matchups with savage a little better, but I'd rather play Steel. Savage and I faced off in the super bowl last season, and it'll be enjoyable to personally crush Steel’s dreams instead of just watching Savage do it.
Wow, that's a fun answer. Well Reece, thank you for your time and good luck in the Super Bowl! We all look forward to watching that game!
We are looking forward to seeing the game between Steel and Savage, whoever wins, it’s bound to be an incredible match against Reece, and one that no one would like to miss.
It’s that time of the year again, where with 3 games remaining teams are preparing for the playoffs, a last push to sneak in or, in many unlucky teams, preparing for next year’s draft. Now, I will write what I think the teams in the playoffs (or hunting for them) are either pretenders or contenders, now now, don’t rip my head off, this is just my point of views.
AFC
1. Oakland Raiders (14-0): Contender. Last year super bowl winner has proven his skills already, however, this year he has faced only ONE team that could be called a contender on the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game they won 18-17. Other than that, the Raiders haven’t been challenged yet and that gives us some room to not crown them back to back champions just yet.
2. New York Jets (12-2): Pretender. The Jets have one of the best records across the NFL, but it’s also one of the easiest schedules there are. Of their 12 wins, 10 of them have been against very subpar teams like the Bills (3-11) twice, the Jaguars (1-13), the Browns (2-11), the Broncos (1-12), the Chiefs (3-11) and the Saints (4-10). That’s 7 wins out of the 12 against teams with less than 5 wins, add to that the fact that he has 3 wins against the NFC South (one of the worst divisions in the NFL) and you have 10 wins out of 12 against very weak opponents. I don’t know, the Jets are the dark horse of the AFC this season, but I don’t see them winning a playoff game against the good teams in the AFC.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3): Pretender. It’s hard putting a team with 11 wins as pretender, but I feel it must be done. The Steelers have been impressive at mustering such a record with an offense that ranks at the bottom of the league. They rank 19th in points, 25th in yards, and 27th in passing and 12th in rushing (though, 88.4 rushing yards per game is nothing impressive). Regardless of their offense, however, their defense has been good enough to prevent other teams from scoring and has given those wins against more well-rounded opponents like the Vikings, Texans and Ravens. In all, this is a team that could change its face and surprise more than one, but at the moment, I don’t see it just yet.
4. Houston Texans (10-3): Contender. I know, I know, the Texans have had some UGLY losses (41-3 to Seahawks, 28-23 to Rams, and, yes, 34-29 to Pittsburgh), however, their offense and defense gives us a bit more ground to cover with Rookie QB Peters back in the fold. The Texans boast a ridiculously good offense (4th in points, 2nd in yard, 2nd in Passing and 5th in rushing, which by the way, is more than 100 yards per game), while their defense is decent enough to give them a legitimate chance to make a deep playoff run. It does seems that they are likely to the tilt, but if they are able to keep their cool, they could win some games.
5. Baltimore Ravens (10-3): Contender. Ah, Domforce, a relatively explosive character that boasts even more then Seattle Seahawks Steel, a team assembled by Rwalk (who went undefeated) and that Dom has kept true to its roots. The Ravens are EXPLOSIVE, boasting the #1 offense in points and rushing yards (with an outstanding 128 yards per game) and a defense that is just good enough to keep his opponents below his scoring totals. Dom does not seems to have a defense that can stifle opponents, but he more than makes it with that offense (something that sadly, the Packers for example, do not have). In all, the Ravens are an interesting team that can pose a challenge to the Raiders that, if not ready for the different opponent, might as well knock him off the challenge for a Super Bowl repeat.
6. Miami Dolphins (9-4): Pretenders. The Dolphins boast a good offense, so good they have the #1 passing offense in the AFC, however, they suffer of the same effect the New York Jets suffered. A weak schedule. Of their 9 wins, they have beaten the Bills (3-11) twice, the Chiefs (3-11), the Broncos (1-12) and the Saints (4-10), that means that at least 50% of their wins come from teams that don’t have 5 wins. After that, they have gotten wins from the Buccaneers and the Patriots (5-8), making 77% of their wins from teams with 5 or less wins in the season.
AFC Prediction: Houston Texans vs Oakland Raiders, Raiders making their second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl. Beware of the Ravens though!
It’s that time of the year again, where with 3 games remaining teams are preparing for the playoffs, a last push to sneak in or, in many unlucky teams, preparing for next year’s draft. Now, I will write what I think the teams in the playoffs (or hunting for them) are either pretenders or contenders, now now, don’t rip my head off, this is just my point of views.
NFC
1. Seattle Seahawks (12-1): I will call them contenders for now, however, it does feels like this team likes bravado more than actual play. The Seahawks opponents have a combined record of 85-84 this far, and while it’s not a terrible ratio, I don’t think it’s indicative of a team that can boast as much about winning the super bowl. But, we do have to give it to them, they win the games they have and thus why they are a contender.
2. Minnesota Vikings (9-4): Contender. The Vikings have been a rather strong team for a few seasons now, they have one of the strongest defenses there are in RFD at the moment, scoring on the top 10 of every category (Points, Yards, Pass, Rush). Their opponents combined record is also nothing to be impressed by, being a bit lower than the Seahawks at 83-85.
3. Carolina Panthers (8-5): Pretender. As much as it pains me to write this, the Panthers have a lot of issues on the defensive side of the ball. They have a signature win over the #2 Minnesota Vikings, but their streak of 2 wins in 7 games strikes as a very vulnerable squad that we don’t see them getting past the wild card game. They also play in one of the weakest divisions on RFD, however, their Opponents record does not trails behind that much from the Minnesota Vikings at 82-86.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (8-5): Pretender. The Eagles boast one of the most well rounded squads in the NFC at this point. Ranking in the top 10 on both, offense and defense in each category, the Eagles have shown as of late that their early poor run was something of a rough stretch (they faced the Vikes, Cards, Seahawks and Cowboys in their first 6 games, ouch!). However after that stretch in which they went 3-3, the Eagles schedule got considerably easier. Facing the Redskins twice (3-10), the Chiefs (3-11), Cowboys (6-7), Giants (7-8) and Panthers (8-5).
5. Green Bay Packers (9-4): Pretender. The Packers are one of the most potent offenses in the NFC, however, their defense ranks dead last in yards per game, 29th in pass yards per game and 29th in rush yards per game. Offense will only take you so far and we don’t think it will be good enough for a legit shot at the title.
6. Arizona Cardinals (9-4): Contender. Last year super bowl contender from the NFC, the Cards have had a rough season this far and are not even in the lead for their division, the Seahawks have that one. However, their offense is top 10 in 3 categories (points, yards and pass) while their defense is a bend but not break type of play. They are 11th in points allowed even though they are 21st in yards allowed, 28th in passing yards allowed and 6th on rushing. Teams are able to move the ball against them, but come scoring time, they are able to shut the door on their opponents.
NFC Prediction: I say we see a Minnesota Vikings vs Arizona Cardinals NFC Championship, with the Cardinals edging the Vikes by less than 6 points.
The Carolina Panthers are incredibly close to their second straight NFC South championship. After they win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Panthers tightened their grip on their championship, awaiting the result from the Buccaneers vs 49ers game, which ended in a heartbreaking loss for the Bucs, giving the Panthers an incredible breathing room with three games to go in the season.
For the Atlanta Falcons game, the Panthers came in after a ridiculous loss to the Miami Dolphins that saw Tony Romo throw 3 red zone interceptions, essentially handing the game to Miami. However, on this game, Romo tightened up the grip and was incredibly accurate to the tune of 15/25, 345 yards, 4 TD and 1 Int.
The game started off quickly for the Panthers, with only about 1 minute gone from the clock, Tony Romo found Jace Amaro in a drag route that the Tight End was able to take 71 yards for the first TD of the game, putting the Panthers up 7-0 really quickly in the first quarter.
The Falcons couldn’t really get their offense going, as they quickly were stopped by the Panthers as they failed to convert a rather long field goal attempt and with only 1:05 gone from the clock, Carolina had the ball back in their hands. Immediately after that, after a 9 yard gain by Nunley, an offside penalty by Binns, the Panthers faced 2nd & 10 from their own 47 yard line and Romo, on only his second pass of the day, found Darrius Heyward-Bey for a 53 yard strike, putting the score at 14-0 very, very early in the first quarter.
Defenses took over and the next possessions were hard fought defensive battles. Neither the Panthers nor the Falcons were able to get more than a couple of first downs and the score remained 14-0. Then, on the Panthers second possession, Romo threw his one and only interception on a high ball that, unlike many other times, McDaniel was unable to bring down, opening the door for the Falcons to close in on the score.
Drew Brees took the field, and on 1st and 10 from the Panthers 47, he tried a post route that Sean Lee jumped, taking the ball right back for the Panthers, squashing any hope the Falcons had at tightening the game for now. Unfortunately for the Panthers, their impressive offense was unable to convert the interception into 7 points, but it did put a Field Goal to make it 17-0 late in the second quarter.
The Falcons mounted a furious comeback however, and with only 58 seconds on the clock, their offense took the field by storm, Coach Torr was unable to accommodate and Brinkley lost sight of one of the Falcons main weapons, allowing their TE Luke Wilson to score, putting the scoreboard at 17-7 right before the half.
To start the 3rd quarter, the Falcons received the ball and were mounting an effective offense, however, they stalled as soon as they reached the 50 yard line, giving the ball back to the Panthers and leaving the score as it was before the half at 17-7. With the clock working against the Falcons, it was imperative for them to get points off that offense, the Panthers were able to tighten it up and put some more pressure on their opponents.
After the punt, the Panthers took the field and, what has become a certainty at this point in the season, McDaniel made a huge play on the ball, hauling in a 38 yard leaping pass to put the Panthers on the other side of the Falcons 40, slowly gaining on their opponents to put the sealing score for the game. Plays later, with 4 minutes to play in the third quarter, Romo found Maclin on a slant route that he took to the end zone, making the score 24-7, giving the Panthers a comfortable lead which they could play with.
The Falcons did not give up as on their next offensive drive they were able to exploit a mistake on the Panthers coverage and exploit it for a 44 yard TD courtesy of Javontee Herndon. Setting the score at 24-14 with a lot of game left ahead. Even though the Panthers had a 10 point, the game didn’t look over at that stage of the game.
Looking to milk the clock, the Panthers tried but failed in linking first downs together, being forced to punt and holding for dear life to a 10 point lead entering the 4th quarter, the Falcons having the ball at their own 16. The game was far from over, that was until Brees tried bombing it over to Revis Island, who leaped up in the air and took the interception, giving the ball right back to the Panthers, with 14 seconds in the 3rd quarter and a 10 point lead.
The Panthers would not waste another opportunity like this, and after a couple of run plays, Romo found B.J. McDaniel on the streak for his 4th TD of the game, putting the final score of 31-14 and pushing the Panthers to an 8-5 record and the Falcons to 6-7, and while mathematically speaking the division is not yet secured by the Panthers, it put them one foot into it.
Notable Players:
QB Tony Romo: 15/25, 345 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int
QB Drew Brees: 17/36, 300 yards, 2 TD, 5 Int
WR B.J. McDaniel: 4 Receptions, 116 yards, 1 TD
CB Darrelle Revis: 1 Tackle, 2 Int.
The Carolina Panthers have gotten themselves in a jam. After starting the season a strong 5-0, they have gone 2-5 the last 7 games and are now in danger of losing the division lead if they fall to the Atlanta Falcons on their next match. Coach Torr has been unable to get his defense to work, having sporadic moments where it seems it’s doing its job and then completely imploding. The lack of defense added to the very ridiculous play fo QB Tony Romo, who has climbed to the top of interceptions when he had tossed less than 10, has sunk the Panthers in a whole that is hard to see how they will get out.
Their game against the Dolphins started well, the Panthers were driving down the field until a 3rd and 3 pass saw Tony Romo miss a completely open Palmer, tossing instead an interception trying to find Maclin on the hitch round, effectively halting an opening offense that seemed promising.
The Panthers defense, as it has done for the last 9 weeks, was unable to hold the Dolphins down and allowed the first score of the game, setting it at 7-0 in favor of Miami, putting on the pressure on Coach Torr to perform.
The Panthers were stopped once more on 3rd and short, their offense fluttered and had to punt it back to Miami, whose offense seemed to be gaining steam. Enough for them to get a long TD called back due to holding from the Offensive Line, however, during the drive, they consistently converted on 3rd & longs, until finally being stopped by a defense that seemed to awaken. Two offensive drives, no points at this point in the game.
Then, it started, the absolute spectacle of mistakes by Tony Romo and Coach Torr, driving down the field into scoring position, having the ball on 1st and goal at the 9 yard line, Tony Romo threw a pick 6, setting the score at 14-0, instead of what should have been 7-7.
On this game, nothing seemed to go the Panthers way once more. After the pick 6, Romo and company took the field and drove down, AGAIN, to the 26 yard line with 2 minutes to play. On 1st and 10, Romo looked for Nunley, who after a 5 yard gain fumbled the ball, giving it back to Miami, AGAIN, what should have ended with the Panthers scoring points (whether it be 3 or 7 doesn’t matter) turned into a gift for the Dolphins.
After the fumble however, LB Sean Lee gave the Panthers some hope back. Refusing to go 14-0 into the half, Sean Lee jumped a post route and took an interception, giving the ball back to the Panthers past midfield and giving them ONE MORE CHANCE at the Dolphins end zone.
Unfortunately, Romo had another plan, whatever had been going with him during this game certainly had an effect as, again, on 1st and goal from the 3 yard line, he threw ANOTHER red zone interception, leaving the score 14-0 to end the half. Making it 3 possessions in which the Carolina Panthers had drove inside the Dolphins 20 and scored no points, what should probably have been a tied game was instead an uphill battle for the second half of the game.
To start the 3rd quarter, the Dolphins received the ball and were having a good offensive showing, until on 2nd and 3rd from the 40 yard line, a deep pass was intercepted by Antoine Peters, for the third time, the Carolina Panthers still had life thanks to their defense (that felt weird to write).
This time, the Panthers did not waste the opportunity given to them. If there’s one bright spot on the disgusting run of terrible play by the Panthers, it’s the way B.J. McDaniel has been playing, the Rookie has shoot up the reception, yards and TD list of the Panthers, making crutch catches whenever needed and, on this drive, he drove the Panthers down to the 5 yard line, before Romo could find Maclin in the end zone, finally putting the game 14-7.
The Dolphins refused to give up, however, and on the ensuing drive were able to maintain possession and put the Panthers defense on check, getting another TD blown by a holding penalty, yielding what was their best offensive drive of the game only 3 points, but essentially making it a 2 possession game entering the 4th quarter.
The Panthers were desperate after a sack put them on 2nd & 18 and Romo made another mistake on a wildly underthrown ball, which Maclin never even turned to look at, yet another interception gave way for the Dolphins sealing the game, putting the score at 24-7 early in the 4th.
The Panthers refused to give up, however, and after taking the initial kick off, they went into a hurry up offense, considering they were down 3 possessions in the last quarter, it seemed a strategy that needed to be implemented. They drove down the field furiously, Amaro and McDaniel playing key pieces into the game, taking less than a minute to score a TD on a deep throw to McDaniel (this guy, really!), making the score 24-14 with around 5 minutes to play.
It looked like there might be a comeback, as the Panthers stopped the Dolphins next drive, leaving them a bit more than 4 minutes to play, with all time outs on them. However, to what had been the rhythm of this game, on 1st & 10 from their own 21, Romo put the last nail on the coffin for the Panthers, throwing a game clinching interception for the Dolphins.
The Dolphins went on to score one more touchdown on garbage time, putting the ending score at 31-14, pushing the Panthers to a 7-5 record and an incredibly important game against the Falcons, who are 6-6, the winner might very well decide the division champ.
Notable Stats:
WR B.J. McDaniel: 8 receptions, 166 Yards, 1 TD
QB Tony Romo: 22/37, 298 yards, 2 TD, 5 INT
RB Aaron Hardin: 13 Rush, 89 yards, 1 TD
Whew! What a couple of weeks it has been for the Panthers! They went from being one of the best teams in the NFC to being in a slump so horrid many people saw them imploding to a probable 6-10 finish once more. Starting with their game against the Patriots, the Panthers have gone down a lane where opposing receivers exploit their slowness and age for huge amounts of yards and, since then, the Panthers had not been able to stop anyone from scoring at all. The Eagles, Packers and Buccaneers all exploited a terrible defense that could not find an answer for the speed of their receivers or their route running at all, losing 4 of their last 5 going into their game against the Saints, another division Rival that had traded for one of the most explosive WR in the league, Dez Bryant.
After surrendering 35-15 to the Eagles in a game where nothing went well (as said on the previous article), the Panthers headed onto Green Bay, where things didn’t get better. Mistakes, penalties and simple age caught up with them, 3 Facemask penalties allowed the Packers to continue drives that should have stopped, as well as 3 Pass Interference from usual stalwarts Glover Quinn and Darrelle Revis helped as well, and the complete inability of Coach Torr to stop the long bomb and on this game the run, the Panthers lost its 2 straight game 37-24. A stretch that saw Tony Romo climb the ladder in picks, when he was not even close to it.
Then, the debacle came. The Eagles and Packers were strong teams despite their record, and after two straight losses, the Panthers would face a Buccaneers team that had not beaten the Panthers since Coach Torr’s debut 2 seasons ago on the season closer to leave them out of the playoffs. Confidence was high among the Panthers to break the losing streak and, for a good chunk of the game, it seemed that it just might work. The Panthers went back to the offense that worked for them, pound the ball and toss short passes, avoiding costly mistakes. And for a while, the game was within reach, Nunley had accumulated 85 yards (more than any of the losing efforts before) on 15 carries, but Maclin fumbled a ball after getting a first down and, from being 17-10 down late, it went to 24-10, causing an implosion of major proportions, finishing the game at 34-10. A resounding victory for a Buccaneers team that was so far away from the division lead just a few weeks ago.
Reeling from their embarrassing defeat, Coach Torr lost his cool, and rumors arose that he was leaving the team as he was unable to fix the defense, even when having star veterans like Chandler Jones, Mario Williams, Darrelle Revis and Glover Quinn. The rumors were put to rest though, and the game against the Saints came to. A victory would put a bit more safety on the Panthers lead on the division…a loss…and many doubted they could win another game for the entire season.
With Brandon LaFell sidelined due to injury, the Panthers looked over to their Rookie WR B.J. McDaniel, seen by many as nothing else but a role player, however, if there is any bright spot at all during the terrible run the Panthers had had, is the play of McDaniel, whose height and jumping ability creates mismatches on one on ones, even if he’s not the fastest player out there.
The first offense looked domed, the OL had trouble containing the rush and quickly had Romo facing 3 & 15 from their own 40. Romo found McDaniel on a one on one situation, and he answered Romo’s trust with a spectacular catch of about 50 yards, putting the Panthers in the red zone, poised to score.
Two plays later, it was McDaniel once more on a slant route, catching Romo’s first TD of the game to put the Panthers up 7-0, giving them a glimmer of hope that the worst was behind them.
Joy didn’t last as the Saints RB Mark Davis came out inspired to play against a suspect defense that had been unable to stop anyone, and as such, he proved them how terrible they had been playing, carrying the bulk of the load for the saints first offensive drive, capping it with a score, putting things 7-7 in the first quarter.
The Panthers next offensive drive was cut short by consecutive sacks, Romo was not getting rid of the ball quick enough and the OL was not able to protect him long enough, not surprising considering the entire OL of the Panthers has at most 1 year experience. A quick 3 and out gave the ball back to the Saints…and it was here were the defensive awakening (at least from the secondary) began. With 1st and 10 from their 19 yard line, Jake Nealy tried finding Dez Bryant on the slant route, only to be jumped by Antoine Peters for the interception.
Even though the Panthers had intercepted the ball in the red zone, Romo was lucky not being picked off on their first pass of that drive, and despite McDaniel’s best efforts in getting them to the red zone after a 3rd & 5 catch and run, the Panthers had to compromise with a field goal, putting the score at 10-7 in their favor early in the 2nd quarter.
The Saints took the ball and drained the clock very well, driving it down to the Panthers 14 yard line and threatening to score, as Carolina had been unable to stop them the entire drive and, once more, the Panthers secondary stepped up, Jake Nealy tried finding Amendola on a corner route and, instead, Chance Casey made a one handed interception that saved the Panthers from going down late in the second quarter. Incredible play by a player that not many expected much, kudos.
The Panthers took the ball with a little bit less than a minute and a half to go in the second quarter and, unlike the previous 3 losses, they were able to drive down the field to the Saints 5 yard line, with 15 seconds remaining, Romo found his red zone security blanket Jace Amaro for the score, putting it at 17-7 just before the half was over.
Starting the 3rd quarter, the Panthers were able to smother the Saints, the first time they have been able to get a 3 and out from a time in who knows how long, and got the ball back. Following the formula that had been working the entire game, they drained the clock enough driving down the field to almost finish the 3rd quarter, capping their drive with a FG and putting the score at 20-7, with 1:25 left in the 3rd quarter.
On the ensuing drive, the Saints had motors going, they looked unstoppable as they moved down the field to the Panthers 2 yard line, where suddenly, the Panthers defense became a stout machine and were able to stop the Saints in 4 downs to get a turnover on downs, ahead 20-7 with 3:50 left in the 4th, both teams with their full time out lineups. It looked like victory was close for the Panthers, but the fear of collapse was still in their minds.
Then, with 2 minutes left on the clock, from 2nd & 10, Marquise Nunley had what’s probably his best play of the season. Starting from his 28 yard line, Nunley went BEAST mode on his opponents, breaking 4 tackles en route to a 72 yard TD run that put ice on the game, leaving the final score at 27-7 for the Panthers, their first win after a 3 game losing streak, putting them at 7-4 and still ahead in their division by 3 games, with 5 games remaining, unless the collapse is real, the Panthers should be poised for their second consecutive division title.
In all, the game went pretty well for the Panthers, they had 4 Interceptions and 3 Sacks, allowing only 1 TD, however, their run defense suffered, allowing a little over 10 yards a carry to Mike Davis. On the offensive side, they stood truth to what won them 5 consecutive games to start the season, Romo completed 69% of his passes, 2 TD and no interceptions, B.J. McDaniel had 6 receptions for 100 yards and 1 TD, and Marquese Nunley added 125 yards on 17 carries with a TD.
The Panthers came crashing down in one of the worst games they have played this season, of course, it also didn’t help the cheesiness with which the Eagles played, making it look like a game of backyard football with shenanigans being thrown left and right. But, let’s get into the action.
The day didn’t start well for the Panthers, heading into their first defensive drive it seemed they had stopped the Eagles, as they put them on a 3rd and 9 position, however, the first cheese block of the day was brought down on a streak down the left hash mark, giving the Eagles a fresh set of downs and pretty much demoralizing the entire Panthers defensive side. The Eagles speedy wide outs had an easy day the entire game, getting behind CB Brandon Carr and Sterling Moore without issue and anonymous sources tell us that Darelle Revis and Glover Quinn had a considerable amount of money bet against the Panthers, watching this game confirms the rumor, as they never seemed to be guarding the backside of Carr and Moore. A few plays later, Todd Gurley broke an unbelievable amount of tackles, heading into the 1 yard line to score one play later, setting the score at a manageable 7-0.
The Panthers ensuing position did not work at all, giving up a quick 3 and out to the Eagles, a position that spelled doom for a very, very slow back four of Carolina. Glover Quinn had to take some acting classes, as having established the betting ring between him and Revis, during the game an errant throw from the Eagles QB landed comfortably under his arms, dropping that interception would have been way too obvious, but it did give the Panthers another chance to redeeming themselves.
The Panthers went back to their staple offense, a controlled rushing game with short passes in which they excel, but a holding penalty destroyed it. Instead of having a fresh set of downs, the holding set them to 2 &14, another rushing attempt by Marquise Nunley allowed them to get closer, but not enough to run it a third time and, a suspicious throw by Romo (was he in on the betting along with Revis and Quinn? His 3 interceptions seem to say he was) in which he threw inside instead of outside got intercepted.
The Eagles Coach had no doubt about what he wanted to do…drop the cheese bomb on the Panthers and laugh about it (more on it afterwards). On 1st & 10, immediately after the interception, a big, thick Swiss cheese was dropped on the Panthers secondary, as if Quinn had looked over at their bench, nodded his head and here it came, another deep bomb to a powerless Brandon Carr letting the WR waltz past him, and Glover Quinn nowhere to be found, setting the score at 14-0.
The Panthers received the kickoff and did not see desperate just yet, they went calmly once more to their staple offense and then, Marquise Nunley broke a big one on a screen play, bowling over defenders for a 33 yard gain, and capping the drive by Amaro’s TD, setting the score at 14-7.
Oh, but the cheesiness was not going to stop, right after kick off and a 2 yard gain, Eagles came out once more and another cheese block was dropped. A deep 40 something gain while Revis and Quinn played with their d…yeah putting the Panthers D in a though spot once again. After that, Gurley had an easy TD running it up the middle on a discouraged Panthers Defense, whose stomach could not handle any more lactose, setting the score 21-7 right before the half.
Down 14 points, Coach Dalze looked to cover as much distance as he could, he looked over to his Rookie WR B.J. McDaniel and decided to put him to use, with around 30 seconds to go in the 2nd quarter, he let his rookie make some plays, sadly enough, the start of McDaniel’s run gave no fruits, as the Panthers came away with only 3 points, putting the score at 21-10.
After the half, Coach Torr decided to run with the Pistol formation and the Eagles seemed to be unable to stop it at all, giving the Panthers their best drive of the game and gifting us with another McDaniel’s catch, setting up Nunley’s TD, putting the score 21-16, after the Panthers went for two to bring it within 3 points.
After two offenses that went nowhere from both teams, the game entered the 4th quarter at 21-16, the Panthers had the ball and Romo’s mistake made the game go an interesting way. With an interception, the Eagles had the ball at the Panthers 34, close enough for a field goal and setting the game 24-16, however a couple of plays later, it was 4 & 6 from the 30 yard line and with the wind against them, the Eagles would not have made the field goal. Instead, they chose a play that will forever live in infamy.
“You see, some coaches play by the rules, others drive that very close line between cheesiness and saltiness, sometimes a mixture between them both. I’m no one to say what this was, but if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck….”
Coach Torr commented after the result of the play, assuring that the fact that, up by 5 in the 4th quarter and on 4 & 6, the Eagles decided to go for it should not be seen as the reason why they lost the game. They lost because they were unable to stop that play, even though it was another deep, cheesy bomb loaded with some garlic bread on the side!
The Panthers would go on to not score another point, something attributable to a rigid Philadelphia defense, the Eagles scored one more touchdown, putting the ending score at 35-16. This reported looked up Eagles Head Coach and received the next quote, TEXTUALLY WRITING HERE:
“Well, if he did not want us to score, they could have stopped us. That was the play, their secondary is terrible so we just had our way with them, bombs galore all day until they stop us, and they never did. So, cry me a river would ya?”
If we learned anything about this game is the Panthers need help in their secondary, an S.O.S would barely even do something, but the draft and FA should be adressed.
#StillSalty
Another breath taking game was given to us by the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons on Monday afternoon. Coming off a thrilling 31-28 defeat at the hands of the Patriots, the Panthers needed to bounce back with a win against their division rivals, a loss would have put them at 5-2, and propelled the Falcons to 4-3, just one game behind the division lead. However, through a ridiculous second half surge, the Panthers overcame early mistakes and a great defensive effort from the Falcons to win it 24-21 in the last seconds of regulation.
Sadly, due to a local blackout, the game was not able to be broadcasted so we do not have a highlights of what went on the game. It started well for the Panthers, whose offense was by an uncharacteristically day from Drew Bress, who tossed 3 interceptions in the losing effort. A rather successful offense in the 1st quarter was capped by new signing FB James Develin 1 yard touchdown, giving the Panthers a 7-0 advantage.
The game was a rather good defensive struggle during the first half, mistakes by both QB stalled otherwise strong offensive drives and the Falcons were able to barely pull off a 7-7 tied game before the half. After the half, the storm from the Falcons came and the Panthers struggles and demons came to haunt them, losing this game would mean a tight race for the division in the coming weeks.
Brees was unstoppable in the third quarter, throwing 2 more touchdowns to Kenny Stills and Kennan Allen, giving the Falcons a 21-7 advantage by the end of the third quarter, their defense had been stifling Romo’s passing attack and Nunley had been an afterthought for the Panthers after falling behind by 2 TD and being in the 4th quarter.
Romo’s savviness from being such a veteran showed up in the 4th quarter. Trailing by 14, Romo started finding his receivers once more and, aided by a renewed confidence on Nunley (who amazed 118 yards on 17 carries) they got the offense back on track. For the second consecutive week, Rookie B.J. McDaniel was a favorite of Romo, hauling in 4 receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown, making the score 21-14 in the middle of the 4th quarter.
Falcons Head Coach Rozymandias tried to milk the clock using short passes and runs, but a sack on Brees on his own side of the 50 lead to a fumble recovery by the Panthers, and the race for a comeback was on. With less than 3 minutes remaining, Romo and Nunley got back to work, driving the offense down to the 8 yard line, from which Romo found LaFell for a TD, tying the score to 21 with less than 1:30 remaining.
The game looked to go to overtime, however Rozymandias felt he could win it, having 2 timeouts on the clock and over a minute to play, aggressive play calling came from the booth and Brees fired a bullet pass on a hitch route, Sterling Moore jumped it, intercepted it and returned it to the 30 yard line, with 46 seconds remaining and 2 time outs, Coach Dalze Torr was able to milk the clock, taking a time out with 2 seconds on the clock.
Chance Hunter came in, kicked the field goal and gave the Panthers 17 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, making it the second week in a row in which the Panthers have outscored their opponents in the 4th by more than 17 points.
One petition for Coach Dalze…STOP BEING SO CONSERVATIVE! The Panthers have been able to throw the ball downfield when behind, but we can only wonder what would happen if they didn’t wait to being behind by 14 or more points before they start doing that. I guess we will know in the coming weeks.