The Cleveland Browns have been making moves this off-season. The Super Bowl Champs had some tough financial decisions to work out, leading to the departure of fan favorite Jadeveon "The Dog" Clowney and star safety John Johnson, among many others. As a result, Head Coach/General Manger Ed Hernandez has been blowing up phones around the league to move money and picks around to set the Browns up for a repeat tour this upcoming season. Hernandez didn't have to look far for his first trade partner, as he hit speed dial to reach up-and-coming LA Rams Head Coach Peter-Sams MAS NAKKY. The two good friends met at a local bar and cracked open a couple cold ones before coming to an agreement on a trade, one that would send previously mentioned safety John Johnson back to Los Angeles and the 24th overall pick in the draft to Cleveland. After obtaining a second 1st round pick, Hernandez continued to call far and wide to find another trade partner. Some time passed, and eventually the phone rang with Jacksonville on the other line. The Jags, with new second year head coach "GamblerLife" decided it would be best to trade back and stockpile on picks. After a number of offers were made, a great deal was made which saw the third overall pick land in possession of the Browns. Not even minutes after completing this deal, Hernandez received one last call, this time from another familiar face in the form of Super Bowl opponent Malek. One final blockbuster deal was agreed upon for the Browns, this time seeing third year WR Kadarius Toney, and the Giants' top two draft picks in this upcoming draft land in Cleveland with New York acquire the third overall pick. It's been a year to remember for Browns fans and the future looks even brighter heading into next season.
The Super Bowl Champion Cleveland Browns are looking to get even more lit this offseason with three trades at their disposal. The following players and draft picks are all actively being shopped and we will listen to offers on anyone as long as it does not screw up our cap.
Players
*All players come with vintage neck pad and single bar facemask along with their Super Bowl ring. These guys will help to instill a winning culture to your locker room, something that you can't really put a price on these days....
Draft Picks
All lines taken from Daddy Leagues*
Bills @ Jets: NYJ -2
Jets should cover rather easily but you never know... Probably the toughest game to pick I could see it going either way
Cowboys @ Cardinals: DAL +8
Primetime Gomes should show up in a big spot and keep this one close. Still expect Arizona to win but they should be on upset alert...
Dolphins @ Titans: MIA +3
The most dangerous underdog in the bracket. Don't let the seed fool you, I expect Miami to not only cover but to win outright...
Panthers @ Buccaneers: TB -7
If only we could actually put money on these games... This would be the game to "print money" with. Tampa wins easy
Ravens @ Chiefs: BAL -3
Baltimore in a good spot to cover. They've had Kansas City's number to this point in time and they should be able to shred that swiss cheese defense with their rushing attack...
What a day it was in Arrowhead stadium for rookie corner Greg Newsome II and the Clevland Browns. In a game where virtually no defense was played, the 26th overall pick in this year's draft shined bright, picking off QB Patrick Mahomes twice, once for six and once to ice the game. Newsome's pick six appeared to be a pivotal play in what was a game of haymakers being traded, as it gave Clevland a two possession lead with just three seconds left in the first half, but a special teams blunder allowed Kansas City to answer back immediately with an incredible kick return as time expired. Not much changed with regards to game script in the second half as both teams continued trading touchdowns, and it became clear that the team with the ball last was going to win. Browns RB Nick Chubb (who also had a pretty nice game..) gave his team a three point lead with a 40 yard touchdown run on the first play after the two minute warning. It seemed inevitable that Mahomes was going to march the Cheifs down the field with ease as he was given an abundance of time to work with. Kansas City found themselves well within field goal range with under thirty seconds to play, when Patrick Mahomes made the costly mistake of trying to hit his TE Travis Kelce in the back right corner of the endzone. The rookie out of Northwestern stuck agaian and swooped in to high-point the ball and make an incredible game winning play. Coach Hernandez spoke after the game to Fox's Erin Andrews, "Man what a game, these are the types that take years off of your life... I am so proud of our guys for rising to the occasion and gritting out a win agasint a tremdously coached team... we're going to enjoy this one and keep it rolling into next week". Spirits are high in Beliveland after this one, as the Browns are poised to be a powerhouse yet again.
Disclaimer: Long as hell and not meant to be taken super seriously. If you decide to read hope you enjoy
Following consecutive losses to the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 and 2021 AFC Championship games, the Cleveland Browns'long awaited hopes for a Super Bowl title seemed to be something that would always be just out of reach. In 2020 the Browns held the lead with fourteen seconds left in the game after a commanding last-minute drive led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, but in the end it was Baltimore receiver Devin Duvernay who had the last laugh as he took the top off the secondary and sent the Ravens to the Super Bowl. Last season’s AFC Championship had a much different feel, as the Browns offense came out flat and was dominated by the Ravens defense. After such a disappointing showing in the biggest game of the season, many were astonished to see the Browns cut leading receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The Browns were faced with very tough decisions as starters Wyatt Teller, Bilal Nichols, and Ronnie Harrison were set to hit the open market considering the Browns limited salary cap. In the end, Beckham was released which allowed the Browns to retain three coveted starters. While Teller, Nichols, and Harrison may not be household names, Coach Hernandez valued and respected their contributions to the team enough to move on from his leading receiver.
“Everyone knows that this is a business at the end of the day… these are the tough decisions that have to be made”, said Coach Hernandez following the release of Odell Beckham Jr. “Obviously we would love to keep Odell here in Cleveland, but considering the circumstances that is no longer a reality… we wish him the best of luck wherever he goes”.
While retaining Teller, Nichols, and Harrison was key in keeping Cleveland a contender for the 2022 season, there was now a massive gap in the depth chart at wide receiver. The Browns were thin at even with Beckham in town, as future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald was a season long starter in his 18th season. Midway through the 2021 season, the Browns made an under the radar move when they moved star running back Kareem Hunt to Buffalo in exchange for their first-round selection. Buffalo finished 6-10, and their pick ended up becoming the 11th overall selection. Hernandez continued his busy offseason and made many calls to see what teams would be interested in potentially moving up in the draft. A call from the Detroit Lions came through on draft day offering second year receiver Rashod Bateman, who flashed his big play ability in his rookie season along with running back D’Andre Swift who had fallen behind Kerryon Johnson on the depth chart in exchange for the 11th overall selection. An agreement was made between Coach Hernandez and Coach Wilson “BloodBrother” and both sides moved forward very happy with what they were walking away with.
Bateman and Swift immediately blossomed in Cleveland as the Browns seem poised to have another crack at a Super Bowl run. Early season loses to Denver and division rival Ravens had some questioning whether or not the Browns could contend with top AFC competition in December and January. The Browns proved their resilience in the middle of the season as they knocked off the reigning NFC Champion Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers as time expired in the 4th quarter. Both of these gritty wins proved pivotal in the direction Cleveland was heading in as they enjoyed a six-game winning streak including a close victory over Baltimore in Week 15. This momentum all game to a halt in Week 16 as the Browns were stunned by the Pittsburg Steelers 27-15, as Baker Mayfield had his worst game of the season, throwing a shocking five interceptions. All of a sudden, Week 17 became win or go home for the Browns as a loss to Cincinnati would mean that the Kansas City Chiefs would move into the seven seed while the Bengals would slide up to the six spot. This was essentially the Browns first playoff game of the 2022 season and they more than answered the call, in route to a 48-17 victory over their hated rivals.
After clinching the number six seed, the Browns were set to travel to Denver for a Wild Card rematch from Week 1. The Browns were handled early in the season 35-24 as Denver’s big play offseason had its way with Cleveland’s defense. Stopping the big plays from the Broncos offense was something that Coach Hernandez stressed all week leading up to the game, and for the most part they were successful. The Browns controlled the clock throughout the game as Nick Chubb ran the ball 33 times for 190 yards and 2 scores. Leading 33-21 with 2 minutes left in the game, the Browns became vulnerable to Denver’s big play ability as tight end Noah Fant took the top of the secondary and cut the deficit to 5. An onside kick attempt followed, and a muffed recovery by starting corner Denzel Ward gave the Broncos a short field and a chance to steal the game. Ward looked poised to immediately redeem himself as Denver’s first pass attempt was thrown directly at him, but he unfortunately could not complete the interception. Heartbreak seemed yet again inevitable for the Browns, but the tides were turned as safety Ronnie Harrison made an incredible sideline interception on an over thrown corner route by quarterback Drew Lock. While this upset victory was far from clean, the Browns locker room began to embrace their underdog stigma.
“No one had us coming in here and winning this game!” said the game’s hero Ronnie Harrison, “They said we the same old Browns, that we can’t win the big game… mark my ******* words this the first of many”.
Harrison’s passionate words landed him a hefty fine from the SFL, but Coach Hernandez refused to allow him to pay a single dime of it.
“This one is on me… I love that kind of passion” Hernandez told SFL Network the following week, “More so than anything, the man was not lying”.
After knocking off the AFC West Champion Denver Broncos, the Browns were set to travel to Jacksonville to take on the top seeded Jaguars. Hernandez had never played the Jaguars in his time with Cleveland prior to this matchup, so it was a bit difficult to devise a strategy of attack. In the regular season, the Jaguars defeated both the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos, so it was clear that the Browns were facing a worthy opponent. The Jaguars speed on offense was unlike any other team in the league, so Hernandez’s approach on defense was similar to that of his against the Broncos… to stop the big play. On offense, it was no secret that Chubb would be fed and indeed he was. Chubb again handled 30 carries, this time for 160 yards and 3 scores, while the defense did its job keeping the Jacksonville offense relatively in check. Defensive end Myles Garrett was the star of the game, sacking quarterback Matthew Stafford an astounding seven times.
On the other side of the AFC bracket, the defending Super Bowl Champions were taking care of business, handily knocking off the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets. Yet again it was Coach Byrd and Coach Hernandez left standing, this being the third consecutive year the two met in the Conference Championship (4th consecutive year dating back to their NFC days). These two longtime friends have also been longtime rivals on the gridiron, with many stories battles in their past. Coach Byrd had gotten the best of Coach Hernandez in their prior two AFC title games, and many doubted whether or not Hernandez and the Browns could ever get past their greatest hurdle, the Baltimore Ravens. The third matchup in this trilogy got off to a rather unusual and slow start, as the Ravens first possession ended in a safety. At halftime, the Ravens lead 9-8, but things began to take off as both teams traded touchdowns out of the locker room, bringing the game to a 16-16 tie. At this point, Nick Chubb and the defense simply took the game over and put all doubt aside that the Browns were not capable of preforming on this stage. Chubb ran the rock 26 times for 222 yards and four scores, while the defense terrorizes quarterback Lamar Jackson, in tune of 9 sacks and 6 interceptions. Coach Hernandez met up with Fox’s Erin Andrews after the game to share his thoughts.
“First off I want to say we here in Cleveland have nothing but respect for Coach Byrd and the Baltimore Ravens” Hernandez told Andrews, “They have a great organization and it’s no surprise to me considering the man they have running things at the top... there is no hiding our nature as competitors and being knocked down at this point our previous two go arounds sucked. A lot of people in this position would have went in the other direction and given up but not us, not this group of guys. I am so ******* proud of this organization and the men we have here. While we are feeling great right now, we know the job is not done… see you in Arizona Erin”.
On the NFC side of things, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to defend their NFC Title, defeating the Detroit Lions in dramatic fashion in the Conference Championship. The Browns and Bucs met earlier in the season, so the two teams had some familiarity with each other. The Browns knew they had their hands full with Tampa Bay and their star-studded lineup from top to bottom. The game began similar to the AFC title game, at a rather slow pace while the two teams exchanged field goals on their opening drives. Quarterback Baker Mayfield led the Browns down the field on their second possession connecting on big passes with Austin Hooper, before Nick Chubb punched in his first touchdown. The Browns stood by their notorious risk-taking antics by attempting a two-point conversion, but linebacker Devin White picked off Mayfield’s pass attempt. Tampa Bay answered with two field goals, and the game was tied 9-9 at halftime. The Browns forced an early three and out after halftime, and Nick Chubb got the offense rolling with consecutive touchdown scores on back-to-back drives. The Browns appeared locked in and set to close out the game, but the Bucs caught fire late behind remarkable catches by star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and cut the deficit to seven. Midway through the 4th quarter, the Browns had an opportunity to close of the game as they crossed midfield and were just outside of field goal range, but Baker Mayfield made a terrible mistake in reading coverage and threw an interception to Devin White. Quarterback Matt Corral then lead the Buccanneers down the field with under two minutes and tied the game at 23-23 with a 4th down touchdown pass to Mike Evans. With 90 seconds to work with, the Browns just needed a field goal to take the lead. A conservative start to the drive with a short pass and run generated a first down, but it almost appeared that the Browns were going to play for overtime considering they neglected the use of their two timeouts. With 1:10 left on the clock from their own 36 yard line, the Browns handed the ball to the heart and soul of their team, Nick Chubb, who threw a valiant tackle attempt by Devin White to the side, picked up key blocks by Rashod Bateman, and ran the ball 64 yards to the house. The Browns defense sealed the deal with a interception by defensive back Greedy Williams, and the Browns were crowned SFL champions for the first time ever. On the podium while holding the Lombardi trophy, Coach Hernandez grabbed a mic and spoke to the world.
“I want to beigin by saying to anyone out there dealing with any kind of adversity, never give up on your dreams, never stop fighting. If no one believes in you thats fine, believe in yourself and keep working. These men who stand here before you as champions have been knocked down and turned away time and time again, but they believed in each other and they believed in themselves and here we are. We here in Cleveland have nothing but respect for Coach Goon and what he’s done in Tampa Bay, they’re going to be great for a long long time. To everyone back home in Cleveland, live it the **** up, we are your champions and this ones for you!”
While the Browns currently sit upon the league’s mountain top, they have their hands full moving forward with regards to roster decisions. Nine starters are set to hit the open market, including starting lineman Joel Bitonio, Jack Conklin, J.C Tretter, fullback Andy Janovich, and the man who sealed the Browns title with an interception, Greedy Williams. Coach Hernandez labeled this season “The Last Dance” as it was clear that many of the team’s veterans would not be able to be brought back following the season. On the first day of training camp, he handed everyone on the team a dark visor to symbolize blocking out all outside noise and staying focused on the task at hand, bringing a title to Cleveland. The mission was a success and the Browns journey and perseverance reads perfect with a storybook ending.
The Cleveland Browns finished the regular season 12-4 and earned the 5th seed in the AFC Playoffs. After falling short to the Baltimore Ravens in last year's conference championship game, Coach Hernandez and his returning players have been adamant about returning to the same stage and getting the job done this time around. "We left it all on the field last season and we have no regrets”, said coach Hernandez when asked about his thoughts on last year's loss. "This time around we will plan to finish the job and get to where we want to be''. Coach Hernandez and his Browns completed the first step of achieving their goal, by handling the AFC East Champion New York Jets 51-3. Next week a date with Los Angeles Chargers is set with a trip to this year's conference championship on the line. Last year the two teams met in Cleveland where the Browns won in dominating fashion. In the rematch that took place during the regular season, LB (The Professor) took Coach Hernandez and the Browns to school as the Chargers had their revenge. With their head to head meeting tied at 1-1, something will have to give this week as these elite teams are set to square off.
The reigning AFC North champions have had a less than ideal start to the season, dropping key divisional games to the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. The team has had to battle from behind often, after slow, mistake ridden starts to games. "We want to start ******* fast each and every week" said Coach Hernandez in this week's media session. "This season, that has obviously been a struggle. Twice already we have had to claw our way back from 21 point deficits. While we won both of those contests, that is not our brand of football. Expect a ******* fired up team this upcoming week coming into Cincinnati". Hernandez has obvious reasons for being upset, as his team has appeared to have lost its dominant identity from last season. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has been a turnover machine and running back Nick Chubb has put the ball on the ground two times too many. This team is still loaded with talent, and they will look to assert their dominance this week as they travel to Cincinnati to take on they're hated divisional foe.
In week 8, the league watched as the 6-0 Las Vegas Raiders traveled to the Dawg Pound in Cleveland to take on the 7-0 Browns. Prior to this game, statistics told us that this matchup would feature the league's highest scoring and most efficient passing offense going against the league's top scoring and highest rated pass defense. It was clear that something had to give when these two teams met, and indeed something did. The game got off to a very sloppy start in the first quarter with both teams throwing an interception that would end up being returned for a touchdown. Evently, both offenses found their rhythm and never looked back. One of the biggest questions heading into this game was whether or not the Browns would be able to keep pace with the electric Raiders' offense. The Browns heavily relied on the ground attack led by Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the weeks leading up to this affair as very little was asked of quarterback Baker Mayfield, other than simply managing the game. When the Browns found themselves down 20-7 early in the first quarter, Mayfield rose to the occasion and brought the Browns back. Both teams traded scores back and forth and went into halftime all knotted up at 37-37. Out of the halftime locker rooms, the pace of the game only escalated as neither team was willing to cool down, to the tune of a 51-51 tie entering the 4th quarter. When crunch time rolled around, the Browns called for #24 to take the game over, and he more than answered the call, rattling off over 200 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns in the second half. While winning such an exciting game against a great team will undoubtedly keep spirits high amongst the Browns' locker room, coach Hernandez has his sights set on much bigger things. "This is just another win. Our goal heading into every week is to go 1-0. We have not failed in our weekly goals to this point, yet I know we can be so much better. We'll have some time to rest and evaluate our play over the bye week, and get right back after it when we take on the Houston Texans the following week. This team should be playing in the big dance come February, and I am going to do everything in my power to get them there"
It is no secret that The Cleveland Browns have not been a successful organization for the better part of three decades now. Injuries, disappointments, and utter dysfunction have plagued any hope of bringing a championship back to the Cleveland faithful. With only two winning seasons to their name since 2000, The Cleveland Browns front office made a big splash this past offseason by signing Ed Hernandez to be the team's next head coach. Hernandez had considerable success in his previous five season tenure with The Chicago Bears, with five division titles and one super bowl victory to his name. The new man in charge of the Browns has wasted no time changing the culture of the team, first off by separating notorious divas Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. "This kind of shit just isn't going to fly here. I don't have time for the different colored hair, the fancy celebrations, and the secret handshakes. Jarvis is a tremendous talent but I'm here to coach winning football and I want no part of that drama." Hernandez agreed to send Landry to coach Soprano in Chicago in exchange for third year defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, a man he coached since he was a rookie. "Bilal will help us immediately as we transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense, he’s a great kid and a game-wrecker when it comes to playing ball", said coach Hernandez after reports of the trade were made public. The Browns have gotten out to an impressive 3-0 start to this season, and only time will tell whether or not Hernandez is really the answer to all of Cleveland's prior issues.
With the Madden 21 Team Selection Draft on the horizon, I thought I'd add to the hype by speculating where users could be heading through the following mock draft. As a disclaimer, I have no idea where anyone is heading other than myself (which could also change depending on the picks before mine) and everything you see here is purely speculation.
1. Q - Kansas City Chiefs
2. Byrd - Baltimore Ravens
3. AC- Los Angeles Chargers
4. Ed - Cleveland Browns
5. B - San Francisco 49ers
6. LB - Cincinnati Bengals
7. Mike - Dallas Cowboys
8. Malek - New Orleans Saints
9. Crim - Carolina Panthers
10. Bryce - Arizona Cardinals
11. Goon Squad - Miami Dolphins
12. Chan - Houston Texans
13. JD - Las Vegas Raiders
14. Zach - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15. Castro - Buffalo Bills
16. Codie - Green Bay Packers
17. Squab - New England Patriots
18. Wilson (Blood Brother) - Minnesota Vikings
19. Julian - Indianapolis Colts
20. Robb - Tennessee Titans
21. Gomes - Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Goins - Seattle Seahawks
23. Turk - Denver Broncos
24. Joe O - Philadelphia Eagles
25. Gabe - Chicago Bears
26. Jesse - Atlanta Falcons
27. Matthew - Los Angeles Rams
28. Guy F - New York Giants
Undrafted
New York Jets
Washington ???s
Jacksonville Jaguars
Detriot Lions
All eyes were on the Chicago Bears this past week as they hosted their division rivals, The Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Many questions surrounded the Bears, as they lost two vital pieces of their offense to injury in Week 3, in the form of starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and top wide receiver Allen Robinson. Former Jaxsonville Jaguar Blake Bortles was called on to start at quarterback for the Bears, as he came in for relief for Trubisky last week against the Giants. There was no shortage of doubt with regards to the Bears hopes at keeping their season afloat with Bortles at the helm, as many analysts nationwide voiced their opinions in the days leading up to the game. Perhaps most notably, Stephan A. Smith made his opinion known this past Wednesday on ESPN's First Take. "The Bears are done for! Plain and simple done for... They weren't in that great of shape with Trubisky starting, now they're praying for his speedy recovery. There is a reason Bortles hasn't started in this league since 2018, and to be completely honest, I'm not sure why he is still on a roster. The Bears are better of taking their chances with Cohen under center." It was evident that Bortles was playing with a chip on his shoulder Monday night, as he came out firing, throwing for two touchdowns in the first 8 minutes of action. He went on to complete over 70% of his passes, while throwing for 317 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tarik Cohen proved he is still best suited running with the football, as he handled 9 carries for 165 yards and a touchdown, while also returning the opening kickoff of the third quarter back for an additional score. Rookie wide receiver Justyn Ross filled the void left by Allen Robinson just fine, as hauled in 9 of 11 targets for 91 yards and two scores. Veteran tight end Travis Kelce proved how much of a threat he still is, as he took in 4 of 7 targets for 136 yards and two scores as well. The bye week has arrived at the perfect time for the Chicago Bears, as they enter at a perfect 4-0, and will now have the much needed opportunity to get healthy for the rest of the season ahead.
The Chicago Bears traveled to Metlife Stadium in Week 3 to take on the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football. Despite romping the Giants for 60 minutes, the Bears left East Rutherford with weakend spirits, due to their starting quarterback and star wide receiver going down injured. Mitchell Trubiksy has been hot out of the gate to start the season, leading the NFL in total touchdowns with 11, while also ranking top 5 in passing yards. Late in the fourth quarter, Trubisky went down hard on a blindside hit from Giants saftey Japrill Peppers, who was ejected immediately. Coach Hernandez, who also serves as the team's lead athletic trainer, discussed Trubisky's MRI results during his Monday morning press conference. "Mitch suffered a Grade 2 Rotator Cuff Strain in right (throwing) shoulder, meaning the deep muscles that make up his Rotator Cuff were moderately stretched, and slightly torn as a result. He is incredibly lucky that his season isn't over. If we were playing in the Super Bowl tomorrow, he'd without a doubt be out there, but that is not the case, and we're not going to put him back out there until he is 110%. Our locker room has fully enlisted their trust into Blake (Borltes) going forward." On the other hand, the league's leading receiver from a year ago, Allen Robinson went down early in the first quarter with what appeared to be a lower leg injury. Robinson went up for a pass over the middle of the field and landed awkardly due to the tight coverage of Giants corner Ronald Darby. Coach Hernandez also provided insight on Robinson's injury during Monday's press conference saying, "X-rays have shown us that Allen suffered a pretty serious right ankle anterior dislocation. When his heel made contact with the turf, the talus bone in his foot translated anteriorly a significant amount. These ankle dislocations can be somewhat unpredictable, with secondary issues such as fractures and compromised nerves in the foot and lower leg, but thankfully Allen's tests were absent of any evidence indicating anything like that. It's hard to say at this point, but my guess is we won't see Allen back on the field until November." The Bears will host the Minnesota Vikings next week at Soldier Field, as all eyes will be on their offense to see if new faces can step up in Trubisky and Robinson's prolonged absence.
2nd and 5, 17 seconds remaining. Bears set up at their own 45 yard line with the game tied up at 34-34. Trubisky takes the snap from the gun, goes through his reads, rolls to his left, signals Miller down field and completes a pass to him all the way down to the 22 yard line with just seconds remaining in regualation. Out trots Jeremiah Darling, the undrafted rookie kicker from FAU. This will be his first carrer FG attempt, and it will be from 39 yards out for the win. Darling, the first man to wear #1 for Chicago since Cody Parkey's infamous double-doink agaisnt Philadelphia in the 2018 Wild Card game. Daniels snaps, Bortles holds, the kick is up and it is right down broadway! The Chicago Bears win their opening game of the season in a unexpected thriller agasint the Miami Dolpins. They will head to Lambeau Field next week to take on their hated rival, The Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.
At the conclusion of the 2021 SFL regular season, Chicago Bears outside linebacker Leonard Floyd was named the league's most valuable player, along with being named the league's best defender. The former Georgia Bulldog led the SFL in sacks with 46, and takles for loss with 21. Additionally, Floyd recorded 71 solo tackles, 7 forced fumbles, and 1 defensive touchdown. When the Chicago Bears drafted Leonard Floyd with the 9th overall pick in the 2016 SFL Draft, they hoped that he would fall in line with the rich tradition of legendary linebackers, such as Urlacher, Singletary, and Butkus. The Bears defense ranked 30th or worse from 2014-2015, the two years preceding Floyd's arrival in Chicago. Floyd failed to live up to his high expectations, never recoring more than 7 sacks in his first three seasons with the team. In 2019, Floyd saw a major boost in productivity, recording 16 sacks while splitting time with teammate Aaron Lynch. Following that season, Floyd spent his entire offseason training with teammate and league MVP Khalil Mack, in hopes of "taking the next step". Mack's influence on Floyd was evident, as became the full-time starter in 2020 and recorded 44 sacks. Floyd likely would've been named the league's most valuable player last season, if it hadn't been for Khalil Mack recording 55 sacks, winning the award for the second consecutive season. 2021 appeared to be the "passing of the torch" between Mack and Floyd, with Floyd shouldering the production that Mack was accustomed to. "This kid got heart" Mack told reporters at SFL Honors, "No one worked harder than him to get where he's at now, I couldn't be prouder". The Chicago Bears will look to rely heavily on "The Fearmonger" Leonard Floyd down the stetch as they seek their first Super Bowl appearance since 2006, and their first playoff victory since 2010.