Race, MVP and Playoffs

With only 1 more regular season week left the MVP race is the most exciting thing going forward. The AFC has a lock on who's in the playoffs, with possible moves on seeding, and the NFC has the Lions, Packers, and Redskins fighting for the last 2 spots to continue their hopes. 

AFC
Most likely the Pats will take the #1 seed once again in TB12 hopes of gaining his 5th Super Bowl win. The Raiders with a win over Denver or a KC lost will ensure they will lock down the 2 seed. If they win and NE loses
they could spring in at #1. With David Carr out for the season that seems highly unlikely. Pitt wins, lose or draw will take the 3 seed headed forward, and there is the talk of resting Big Ben (but their final game is against Cle,
so I feel good that if I were their QB they'd still win). The Texans have also clinched the 4 seed moving into the playoffs, but they want to get Tom Savage more snaps leading into the playoffs against the Titans, who by the
way is without Marcus Mariota. The Chiefs currently sitting at 5 could jump up all the way to the 2 seed with a win over San Diego and a Denver win over Oakland (which I believe will now happen). Go back to a few post I said KC is my dark horse, that Defense is incredible. That KC team reminds me of the 2003 Buccaneers. Rounding out the AFC is Miami, and I believe they will lock in the 6th seed because I don't see them beating the Patriots. 

NFC
A little more scenarios in the NFC, The Cowboys have clinched the 1 spot, and they are hoping to never leave the state of Texas as they hang their 6th banner. The 2 seed as of now is the Falcons and 3 being Seattle, these two are fighting for a first-round bye and very well could flip flop. Many think it'll be an easy Seahawks win over the 49ers, and the Falcons have a tough division rival against the Saints. The 4 seed will go to the winner of the
Lions and the Packers going into week 17. The Giants have locked down the 5 seed, and the 6th seed comes between the Lions, Packers, and Redskins. Needless to say, the NFC will be more interesting this week than the AFC.

MVP Race
I believe that Tom Brady is in line for the MVP this year. However, the other candidates have put up respectable numbers. Derrick Carr could have made the race for MVP a little more interesting before he suffered a season-ending femur break. Now the others looking at taking that covenant award are Matt Ryan, Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, and Ezekiel Elliott. Now let's compare the numbers.

(stats from http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/12/27/is-tom-brady-really-the-nfl-mvp-in-2016/)

TOM BRADY, 2016                           

• 15 Games
• 346-for-498 (69.5%)
• 4,613 yards
• 9.26 yards/attempt
• 308 yards/game
• 34 TDs
• 7 INTs
• 115.5 passer rating
• 10-5 record

MATT RYAN, 2016

• 15 Games
• 346-for-498 (69.5%)
• 4,613 yards
• 9.26 yards/attempt
• 308 yards/game
• 34 TDs
• 7 INTs
• 115.5 passer rating
• 10-5 record

DAK PRESCOTT, 2016

• 15 Games
• 307-for-451 (68.1%)
• 3,630 yards
• 8.05 yards/attempt
• 242 yards/game
• 23TDs
• 4 INTs
• 105.7 passer rating
• 13-2 record

AARON RODGERS, 2016

• 15 Games
• 374-for-571 (65.5%)
• 4,128 yards
• 7.23 yards/attempt
• 275 yards/game
• 36 TDs
• 7 INTs
• 102.7 passer rating
• 9-6 record

Ezekiel Elliott 

• 15 Games
• 322 Carries
• 1,631 Rushing Yards (Leads NFL)
• Avg. 5.1 yards per carry
• 15 TD's
• 5 Fumbles

My predictions

Cowboys over Eagles

Ravens over Bengals

Texans over Titans

Buccaneers over Panthers 

Colts over Jaguars

Patriots over Dolphins

Vikings over Bears

Bills over Jets

Steelers over Cleveland

Falcons over Saints

Giants over Redskins

Cardinals over Rams

Broncos over Raiders

Chiefs over Chargers

Seahawks over 49ers (H)

Packers over Lions

Leaders Board

Kevin-107

Jordan-84

Nate-81

Johnse-31

Samantha-7

Only 2 More Weeks Left.

First off Merry Christmas all my Gates of Helton fans. I appreciate everyone who has gotten on here to read each week, and especially thank you for everyone participating. Whether through forwarding, sharing on social media, or just reading and verbally telling your friends I deeply thank you. With that be said it's not the time to stop yet, we still have more football.

The Giants are fighting for a playoff spot with just 1 more win they'll get in, and with the way Philly has been playing as of late, I truly think the Giants will get in after this Thursday. On the AFC side with the Chiefs losing and the Raiders winning Oakland takes that 2nd spot back over. If they aren't careful though Kansas City owns the tiebreaker. Regardless I believe they both teams make the playoffs

In other Wildcard spot, Miami is trying to lock down that Wildcard slot. Even though I think they'll win this week in Buffalo, it really depends on what happens the next week in New England. Baltimore, Tennessee, and Denver are on the heels fighting for that last spot as well. On the NFC side with the Bay teams tied records (Tampa and Green) it'll be a battle to see which pull it off at the end. Both should win this week, so it's really up to what happens next week.

Side note won't it be crazy if both Denver and Carolina fail to make the playoffs.

My Predictions-

Giants over Philadelphia
Miami over Buffalo
New England over Jets (H)
Tennessee over Jacksonville
Green Bay over Minnesota
Chargers over Browns
Washington over Chicago
Atlanta over Carolina
Oakland over Indy
Seattle over Arizona
Tampa over New Orleans
LA over San Fran
Houston over Cincy
Pitts over Baltimore
Kansas City over Denver
Dallas over Detroit

Leaders Board
Kevin- 96
Jordan-81
Nate- 76
Johnse- 31
Samantha- 7

Closer to the Playoffs

So even with a Cowboys loss they still hold the Number 1 spot in the NFC. If they win and Detroit and NYG game goes into a tie that will clinch Dallas as having home field advantage throughout the playoffs. However, that seems very unlikely, so I assume it'll come down to the next week. Yet, I don't see Dallas losing the #1 seed securing their 1st round bye. The Lions right now have the #2 seed getting their 1st round bye, but they have a tough schedule ahead of them, 2 games being the Giants and Cowboys. By all means, I think the Lions have a great shot of making the playoffs, however, I'm unsure if they can capture that 1st round bye or not. The Buccaneers and Falcons have a chance of taking the 2 seed, but I still think Seattle will work their way back into that #2 spot. The Wildcard spots are going down to the Giants and the loser of the NFC South either the Falcons or Buccaneers. Those are the teams to follow to see who wins that division. They are playing for possible 1st round bye so winning out is a must in each teams eyes.

In the AFC the Patriots are back on top, and after just dominating the Ravens they are hoping they have answered the questions if they can still win without Gronk. The Chiefs sprung up to the #2 spot ( I hate it when I'm right) that Chiefs defense is tough and I've always said watch out for this Chiefs team. Not saying they are Super Bowl bound, but they have a shot. Smith reminds me of Super Bowl winner Trent Dilfer, only time will tell. No matter who wins that division whether it is the Chiefs or Raiders the other team will be a Wildcard team. The Steelers and the Ravens are going to be battling for that spot until the end of the season. I believe that Pitt will pull it off, though. Also, it'll be another tough down to the wire to watch whether the defending champs Denver Broncos make it in, or if those Miami Dolphins pull off a Wildcard spot.

I love the closer it get to Super Bowl, and I can't wait to see the outcome this year. Maybe this coming week will shake up the Playoff spots a little more as well.

My Predictions:
Seahawks over Rams (H)
Dolphins over Jets
Packers over Bears
Texans over Jags
Bills over Jags
Ravens over Eagles
Chiefs over Titans
Lions over Giants
Vikings over Colts
Steelers over Bengals
Cardinals over Saints
Falcons over 49ers
Patriots over Broncos
Raiders over Chargers
Cowboys over Buccaneers
Panthers over Redskins

Leader Board
Kevin- 83
Nate- 76
Jordan- 71
Johnse- 31
Samantha- 7

Playoffs, Are We Talking About The Playoffs

Yes, we are again because they are right around the corner. Kids everywhere are thinking about Christmas, and I'm thinking about who's going to play in Houston.

The Cowboys had a tough a tough one on Thursday against a great defense, and they still came out on top. People keep asking will they hit a rookie wall, when will the youth show. The only team right now to clinch the playoffs are the Dallas Cowboys. They keep up what they are doing they won't have to leave the state of TX either once the playoffs start. If they aren't a top contender right now for winning the Super Bowl in your eyes, you may want to call your optometrist. They have a tough game coming up against the only team they've lost to this year in the Giants. I think that's a must watch.

Not much has changed in the picture as of right now. In the NFC the Buccaneers are battling for that 6th slot, but they're several teams still on the bubble. Also in the AFC the Raiders took over the #1 slot there. Keep in mind though the Raiders and the Chiefs play Thursday and I feel that's another must watch. I wrote a blog or two ago that the Chiefs are a sleeper team don't count them out, and the Raiders could now be the best team in the AFC with Brady's primary weapon Gronk out. New England had some significant struggles with dropped balls, but with Brady, you still have a chance.

My predictions:

Raiders over Chiefs
Steelers over Bills
Broncos over Titans
Redskins over Eagles
Dolphins over Cardinals
Panthers over Chargers
Bengals over Browns
Lions over Bears (H)
Texans over Colts
Vikings over Jags
Jets over 49ers
Buccaneers over Saints
Falcons over Rams
Seahawks over Packers
Cowboys over Giants
Patriots over Ravens

Standings

Kevin- 70
Jordan- 64
Nate- 62
Johnse- 31
Samantha- 7

Playoff Picture

As it stands in the NFL, this is the Playoff picture. Meaning if the Playoffs started next week this is what we'd be looking at. With only 5 games left in the season, I think if everyone were honest only the Pats and Seahawks would be consistently everyone pic where they are at the beginning of the season. Who'd have thought the Broncos the Super Bowl champs would be on the outside looking in, as well as the Panthers who only lost one regular season game to be doing so poorly. Talking about poor performances, many thought this could be a year for the Steelers and rival Bengals to make a deep run as well. Neither would make it to extended play if the season ended now.

Individual teams are trending in the right direction at the right time. Of course, the Cowboys have been impressive with their 10 straight wins against very tough opponents, but the road isn't getting any easier. They must continue to prove themselves these next 5 games with opponents over the .500 mark on the schedule. Seahawks are a very teeter totter team. One week they are running on all cylinders, and it looks like no one can beat them (case in point against the Patriots), then they turn around and score 5 points against the Bucs. Not talking bad about Tampa Bay, only referencing this Seattle team many say is the best in the NFC, and if they are on, I'll agree. You just don't know who's suiting up that week. Both of those teams would get a first round bye and needed for the Seahawks. 

Now the Lions are trending in a positive way, impressing everyone with their grit and their winning ways. It's difficult to believe you lose the best WR in the country and you're a better team, but Matthew Stafford has shown he's an actual smart QB and not just a gunslinger. If they were to play the Redskins, I like them in this battle. Kurt Cousins is playing good football, and the Redskins are hungry, but I love how the Lions are just out there every down battling. As far as the Falcons and Giants, the Giants are another team who is trending at the right time. They didn't look impressive against the Browns, however, with OBJ (Odell Beckham Jr.) injured he still put up incredible numbers. Not to mention they are on a 6 game win streak. I like the Giants right now over the Falcons. Which would give us a Dallas vs. New York and Seattle vs. Detroit matchups? With the Cowboys-Giants game taking place in December and not knowing the outcome of that game yet I do give it to the Cowboys. I think they are the hottest team in the NFL right now. Also, I think Seattle shows up against Detroit and wins big just to head to Dallas and come up short, sending the Cowboys to the Super Bowl.

On the AFC side, New England is suffering the effects of the Madden curse with Gronk's injury. If he can't get 100%, they could be in some serious trouble. Along with Oakland having Derrick Carr break his pinky finger of his throwing hand. Could that be an injury that will throw him off and the team off their chemistry? A bye week for both clubs will do them extreme justice. However, as stated before, there are 5 more weeks of football. The Ravens against the Dolphins, I like how the Dolphins have been winning, and no one is talking about them. The Ravens an up and down group as well. I'd give it to the Ravens on this one due to experience, but I wouldn't be shocked if I turned up wrong and Miami advanced. Then the Texans and the Chiefs, I said a few weeks back the Chiefs were my dark horse and could very well find themselves in the Super Bowl. I don't think they have any struggles getting past the Texans. Leaving the Chiefs to play against the New England Patriots. If Gronk is healthy, I say Pats win a close game, however, if not the Chiefs could pull off a huge upset here. With that being said, I'm not willing to bet against Brady just yet. We'll see how the rest of the year plays out. Then on the other game, I'd say Oakland beats the Ravens and on their way to Foxborough where the Pats head to the Super Bowl once again, and most likely winning their 5th Super Bowl against the Cowboys. That is if everyone is healthy.

As the season plays out the closer, we get my picks may change but as it stands right now this is how I see it. 

Standing:

Kevin- 59

Nate- 53

Jordan- 52

Johnse -31

Samantha- 7

My Predictions-

Cowboys over Vikings

Chiefs over Falcons

Lions over Saints

Patriots over Rams (H)

Denver over Jags

Packers over Texans

Philly over Bengals

Dolphins over Ravens

San Fran over Chicago

Raiders over Bills

Pitt over NYG

Washington over Cards

Bucs over Chargers

Seahawks over Carolina

Jets over Indy

You "SERIOUSLY" Had One Job

I know I have written about Kickers before, and honestly, I'd love not to write about them anymore. When on Sunday Kickers break a record for the most extra points MISSED, it sort of warrants another discussion.

Seriously you had one job, and you can change the entire outcome of the game. A made extra point means you don't need to gamble for a 2-point conversion, and you put pressure on the opposition. Kickers use to make their money from kicking a 20 yard FG with ease, now that it's pushed back to 33 yards FG is it truly that much more challenging?

Coaches expect once your offense just drove the length of the field your Kicker to come out there and put up the chip shot. I'm not here to say a 33 yard FG anyone can make, but I am saying anyone that is getting paid muti-millions of dollars to put the ball through approximately 18 feet of wide open area in between those bright yellow crossbars.

I questioned Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin on why he chooses to go for so many 2-point conversions, but with the way these NFL Kickers are missing, maybe more Head Coaches look to do the same. Kids if you're reading this and you want to be successful learn to kick a 33 yard FG, and master that skill. It seems many NFL teams next year will be in the market for a leg to just give them that free point that literally could be the difference in a Win or Lose.

Come on Kickers get your legs right. Your not reading Defenses, you barely have to tackle, and if you get hit while kicking your team gets the ball back. You're the most protected player out there. Earn your pay Kickers.

Predictions-

Vikings over Lions
Cowboys over Redskins
Steelers over Colts
Titans over Bears
Bills over Jags
Ravens over Bengals
Falcons over Cardinals
Giants over Browns
Saints over Rams
Dolphins over 49ers (H)
Chargers over Texans
Seahawks over Bucs
Raiders over Panthers
Patriots over Jets
Chiefs over Broncos
Packers over Eagles

Leader Board

Jordan-44
Kevin-44
Nate-39
Johnse-31
Samantha-7

Week 10 is Behind Us

*Do note these standing were before the Monday night game of which NY Giants beat Cincinnati Bengals.*

Week 10 is behind us, and we might have seen some of the best football this season. With many saying the Dallas, Pittsburgh game was as of now the game of the week. The only game this season with 7 lead changes and a significant late surge by Dak Prescott and company with only .42 seconds left. Many thought the game was over after the fake spike and perfect pass to Antonio Brown for the lead Touchdown. After that great game, you saw how Seattle is coming around as a team. The Patriots found themselves this time on the 1 and not being able to get the win.

The Broncos, Saints game was just as exciting. That is if you're a Broncos fan. A blocked FG ran back for 2-points to win the game was incredible. The Chiefs, Panthers, was another close game as well with Kansas City able to pull it by 3. Also, Texans outing the Jaguars by 3, and the Cardinals barely beating the 49ers also by an FG

So to have an interesting conversation how accurate do you think the left picture is. I have to say that Dallas and Seahawks look to be a realistic NFC Championship game. I still think New England is one of the Elite teams in the NFL (most likely favorite to win it all), but I don't know about Oakland reaching the AFC Championship game. If Alex Smith can stay healthy and do more than managing a game, I'd like Kansas City with that dominant defense to possibly meet the Pats.

If I had to guess, I still think it'll be the Pats, and the Cowboys in the Superbowl with it being an offense match-up, but at the end of the day. Tom Brady is bringing his team to victory. What are your thoughts? Let me know what you think of the picks, and I hope we can all agree the Browns are just here for the #1 draft pick in this coming year.

My picks
Panthers over Saints
Cowboys over Ravens
Steelers over Browns
Lions over Jaguars
Titans over Colts
Bills over Bengals
Chiefs over Buccaneers
Giants over Bears
Vikings over Cardinals
Miami over Rams
Patriots over 49ers (H)
Seahawks over Eagles
Redskins over Packers
Raiders over Texans

Leader's Board
Jordan- 33
Kevin- 31
Nate- 29
Johnse- 21
Samantha- 7

Power Rankings

With the NFL season, halfway over we have two teams at the top of their
division at 7-1. The New England Patriots (which if Brady wasn't serving a
suspension could have been undefeated at this time). The only game this group
has lost their starter served a suspension, their backup (who was playing great)
Got hurt, and their 3rd string rookie wasn't even 100%. Also, they won the
first few games without the best TE (tight end) in football. Then in the NFC
you have the Dallas Cowboys. A team that finished 4-12 to now a 7-1 team. They
haven't lost a game since the opener against rival Giants. One could make a
case that if Terrance Williams goes out of bounds they had a shot at a Dan
Bailey FG to win eve that game. The Patriots schedule is pretty easy, with
the exception, of the Seahawks (who last night seemed to find themselves),
and the Broncos. Denver defense is so good you have to say that will be a
tough game in Denver especially. However, they are still both very winnable
games, which means New England could go into the Playoffs at 15-1. The
Cowboys road is slightly tougher Pittsburgh with Big Ben could be the top
trio in the NFL, the Vikings if they can get back on track could cause them
some problems, then we have 1 more game with each of the NFC East teams.
They are again all winnable games due to the piss poor play the Steelers and
Vikings have shown not to mention the ups and downs with the teams in the
East, but they could be very challenging as well. Which I expect. 

Going off just the power ranking I got from ESPN; you have 3. Oakland (who
many say Derrick Carr is in the talk for MVP),4.  Seattle a squad you don't
know which team you're going to get.5. Atlanta with MVP
candidate and arguably the best WR in Julio Jones,6. Kansas City but expect
them to drop with a tough road awaiting. 7. Denver you know they'd love to
have Peyton come out of retirement like Percy Harvin did. 8. Bengals has
done exactly what I expected and started slow and picked it up midseason; I
wouldn't expect a deep run from Who Dey, though. 9. Steelers a potential
favorite at the beginning of the year to win it all has struggled with
injuries and their defense especially their secondary. 10.Minnesota after
being the last to have a lost they haven't seen a win since you think they
regret giving up a 1st and 4th round for Sam Bradford yet. 11.-18 (Green
Bay, NY Giants, Washington, Detroit, Baltimore, Arizona, San Diego,
Philadelphia) I can say the same thing you have no clue which team is going
to show up. They have the potential to make a significant push this 2nd half or
fizzle out right now because the year is too long. 19. Houston losing JJ Watt
seems they have lost their season; Brock has been off more than he's been on,
so struggles are ahead for this team, 20. Saints much the same way has no defense
presence really, the only difference is you have a shot with Drew Brees. 21.
Buffalo is trending in the right direction; they showed that last night
game. If they don't make playoffs this year, watch them next year when they
get their star WR Watkins back along with the health of the rest of their
players. 22-31 (Indianapolis, Tennessee, Carolina, Miami, NY Jets, Rams,
Tampa, Chicago, San Fran, Jacksonville) These are teams just trying to make
an upset, and they might be making a strategy of how the draft will affect
them. 32. Poor Cleveland is just looking for one win, and looking at their
schedule doesn't look promising. 

Since it's election day I have made my votes for this weekend, but I'll go one more further and say I vote to see NE fighting for their 5th Superbowl against Dallas trying to tie for the most Superbowls. Happy election day America. 

My Predictions
Ravens over Cleveland (H)
Packers over Titans
Vikings over Redskins
Buccaneers over Bears
Chiefs over Panthers
Falcons over Eagles
Rams over Jets
Broncos over Saints
Jaguars over Texans
Chargers over Dolphins
Cowboys over Steelers
Cardinals over 49ers
Patriots over Seahawks
Bengals over Giants

Leaders Board

Jordan- 24
Kevin- 23
Nate- 17
Johnse- 10
Samantha- 7 

Crazy Week in NFL

Another week was gone, and another week closer to the Super Bowl. I love this time of year. Fall leaves changing colors, falling to the ground, not too hot, not too cold, and oh yeah football.

We had a crazy week in the NFL this week, didn't we. Three games end in OT (and yeah another tie, we won't jump on that soap box again). Raiders make history with the most accepted penalties but yet still find a way to win (Hate to be the Buccaneers knowing you lost to the most penalized team in the history). Two Rookie Quarterbacks faced off in one of the biggest rivalries (but they both played like seasoned vets).

My biggest surprise was Jay Cutler coming back from an injury and being able to go 20/31 and put up 252 yards and a touchdown against one of the leagues top defenses. Minnesota acted as if they did not come to play this game at all. Sam Bradford's offense was not gaining ground, and speaking of ground, he found himself on it quite a bit from the sacks that Bear's defense was dealing.

The top 3 Rookie's also all came together at AT@T Stadium to showcase their abilities. If you are a fan of the Cowboys (which I am), or the Eagles you have to be excited with what you have. Two young teams with great young talent to keep building around. Both franchises have had some down years, Eagles fans watching Chip Kelly literally trade every piece away that was something for what seems like nothing in return, and Cowboys fans watching Tony Romo get hurt and realizing they didn't have a back-up to win a game. It seems as if both those issues have been resolved. Doug Pederson has his team playing hard, and with Romo out of the lineup Dak has gone on a 6 game win streak and put them at the top of the NFC, and oh yeah by the way the Cowboys have the league leading rusher to who's a rookie. Also, I've been asked many MANY times what do the Cowboys do when Romo gets back, and the answer is simple. Look at the Denver Broncos last year Peyton got hurt Brock came in playing well, very well. Peyton dressed on the sideline, and the team said he wasn't 100% but he's able to play if we need him. Well, one day Brock didn't play so well, and yeah Peyton became 100% real quick. The point is the job is Dak's to loose. If he plays bad one game, they may look to Romo, but if he keeps playing the way he has, you ride the hot hand.

So my question is if you had to choose right now who get's the NFC Offense ROTY (Rookie of the Year) Award? Here're the numbers so far. In order from their draft position.

Carson Wentz 9 passing TD's, 0 rushing TD's 1,526 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, 3 INT's, 8 Fumbles of which only 1 was lost, OBR 92.5. http://www.nfl.com/player/carsonwentz/2555259/careerstats

Ezekiel Elliott 159 carries, 799 yards, avg 5.0 yards per carry, 5 TDs, 15 receptions, 150 receiving yards, 2 Fumbles of which only 1 was lost. http://www.nfl.com/player/ezekielelliott/2555224/careerstats

Dak Prescott 9 passing TD's, 4 rushing TD's, 1,773 yards, 105 rushing yards, 2 INT's, 5 Fumbles of which 2 was lost, QBR of 99.6.
http://www.nfl.com/player/dakprescott/2555260/careerstats

My Picks

Falcons over Buccaneers
Cowboys over Browns (H)
Ravens over Steelers
Chiefs over Jaguars
Dolphins over Jets
Giants over Eagles
Vikings over Lions
Panthers over Rams
Saints over 49ers
Chargers over Titans
Packers over Colts
Raiders over Broncos
Seahawks over Bills


Standings:

Jordan- 14
Kevin- 11
Nate- 10
Samantha- 7

Do Away With Tie's in NFL?

Well to say the least the Arizona game and Seattle game was about what we expected with a good defensive push, but it wasn't what I as a fan wanted. Who wants to sit down for hours watching these games, and get excited about it ending in Overtime with a tie.

This is not Futbol; this is America, and we don't want ties in America. We want hard smashing to do what it takes to win. One winner, one loser, period.

It's not as if both teams didn't have a VERY good chance of winning either. Both Kickers had a very feasible kick to win this game at the end, yet couldn't do their one and only job. For Arizona David Johnson his job as he always does rushing for sound 113 yards, Carson Palmer put up good numbers with 342 yards. On the other side Russell Wilson even threw well for 225 yards, they probably would have liked to have seen more out of Christine Michael, but they played a respectful game. It appeared that everyone on the Cardinals team especillay, racking in 443 total yards to the Seahawks 257 yards, did their job except the Kickers. Now I wouldn't be as harsh right now if we were talking 50-yard field goals (which by the way in the NFL you should still make). No these were a 27 yard FG by Hauschka (Sea), and a 24 yard FG by Catanzaro (Ari). One could argue yeah the offense didn't score a touchdown, but most fans and sports enthusist realize these were both great defenses.

My point of this whole rant is not to beat up the Kickers but plead to Roger Goodell. Please, Please, Please, get with the organization and fix this tie situation. You have made changes to overtime here recently and this whole you can tie thing is just un-American in my most humble opinion. Next, they'll pass out participation trophies in the NFL.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to add your picks in this week as well. If this is your first time adding your picks, read the official rules for your chance to win an NFL Jersey.

My picks:

Jaguars over Titans
Cowboys over Eagles
Bengals over Redskins
Chiefs over Colts
Raiders over Buccaneers
Seahawks over Saints
Lions over Texans
Jets over Browns
Patriots over Bills
Cardinals over Panthers
Broncos over Chargers
Falcons over Packers
Vikings over Bears (H)

STANDINGS:

Nate Owsley- 10
Jordan Phelps- 8
Kevin Helton- 8

Carolina From 1st to Worst

The Buffalo Bills could probably be the best team to ever have on the field and never win a Super Bowl. In the 90’s a Jim Kelly lead team took their team to the Super Bowl 4 times with relative ease, yet once they wound up playing the NFC East (NYG 91, Was 92, Dal 93-94) they could never get over that hump of being able to wear the rings and hang the banners. Now let’s face it these athlete’s play the game to win rings, hang banners, and be known as the greatest right?

Jim Buzinski wrote for SB Nation on February 10^th 2016, about Carolina being the favorites to open the season to win the Super Bowl. Looking at it on paper you’d agree with the odd’s makers; Cam Newton showed why he was taken #1 overall in his class by losing only one regular season game then acquiring MVP honors. He did this without his number one target receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, as well. Now with Cam coming off MVP year, Benjamin back in action you would think they’d look to lead the NFC. But as Mr. Buzinski put’s it anyone who placed their money on these odd’s were quite simply throwing their money away. He writes in his article about the Super Bowl loser’s hangover referencing it back the past 43 years. I have included the link to check out SB Nation article.

Coming into this season fans knew Denver still had a solid defense. Many worried starting the season with Mark Sanchez (traded to Dallas in Preseason), 2nd-year player Trevor Siemian (who only had one kneel down last season) and a raw athletic rookie Paxton Lynch as their QB’s on their roster. Many fans and critics felt like this would be Denver's time to look to rebuild their offense and get pieces to play for when Lynch was ready to learn and play in the NFL. However, the Broncos are in good shape tied at 4-2 for the AFC West. As long as Siemian can stay healthy, you expect they’ll make a fairly decent run as well. With the Carolina Panthers, they sit at an astonishing 1-5 which begs to think they will not be playoff contenders much less trying to avenge their Super Bowl blowout. I know injuries has occurred with RB Jonathan Stewart as well as Cam Newton and many other key players. What is the Carolina Panters to do, do they chalk this season up to the “Curse” and look for that top pick in the upcoming draft (which for the record I absolutely hate), or keep grinding out this season and hope for the best outcome?

Thanks for reading my blog, check out the SB Nation article from Jim Buzinski, then comment under with my site's link letting him know I lead you there. 

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/2/10/10957748/carolina-panthers-2016-super-bowl-loser-hangover 

So this is the week we start our NFL jersey giveaway just keep checking back each week I should have my picks and blog posted on Tuesday, and don’t forget to put your (H) hellacious pick of the week. [Note again only 1 pick can be (H)]. Also, predictions are only made in my blog comments, not Facebook but feel free to add Entering the Gates of Helton to your favorites.

My Picks:

Thursday Game:         Packers over Bears

Sunday Game’s:          Rams over Giants

                                    Chiefs over Saints

                                    Vikings over Eagles

                                    Titans over Colts

                                    Bills over Dolphins                 

                                    Redskins over Lions

                                    Bengals over Browns

                                    Raiders over Jaguars

                                    Ravens over Jets

                                    Falcons over Chargers

                                    Buccaneers over 49ers

                                    Patriots over Steelers (H)

                                    Seahawks over Cardinals

Monday Game:           Broncos over Texans

                                    

NFL Jersey Giveaway Official Rules

NFL Jersey Giveaway. It's simple to win your choice of an NFL Jersey ($150 limit) all you have to do is get on my blog each week by Thursday 2 PM and post what you liked from that week's blog, or disliked from that week's blog, and place your picks in a response post. Each correct pick will be worth 1 point from that week, but the 1 game you feel the most confident about putting beside your pick (H) showing this is your Hellacious pick of the week. If it's correct you'll get 2 points for that game but beware if you choose wrong you get set back 4 points. You will only be able to use 1 Hellacious pick per week. The person with the most points at the end of the Super Bowl tells me which jersey they want, size, and color. As long as it's within that $150 mark, I'll order and ship right to their address. Do note the Hellacious picks are only good for the regular season. (Only one person can win, so keep up each week and invite as many friends as you know)

Then there were three

Thank you for Entering the Gates of Helton, I am indeed Kevin Helton. We are down to just three undefeated teams in the NFL now. With that said once you look at the three teams that are undefeated some of you might be surprised. I know I am.

First, we start with the Denver Broncos; many say why would you be shocked by their 4-0 start? I mean they did, in fact, win the Superbowl fairly easily last year. Yes, this is true. However, not only did they lose 1 starting Quarterback for them, they lost both their starting QB's from last year. As we all know Peyton Manning after a long and great career, decided to hang up the cleats and retire. Their other QB who started for the Denver Broncos last year Brock Osweiler decided to pick up and move down to Houston to play for the Texans. So this left the Broncos with second year QB (who by the way only had 1 snap in the NFL and that was a kneel down last year) Trevor Siemian to take over for the soon to be Hall of Fame QB Manning. He did so and did a fairly good job, putting up 824 yards, 6 Touchdowns, with 3 Interceptions and finishing with a QB Rating of 99.6 before getting injured. Then that left the reigns to the athletic rookie who many assume is the future of Denver (due to the aggressive jump in the draft to take him). So they loose 2 proven QB's and they now have 2 inexperienced QB's behind Center, and they are an impressive 4-0. The reason this isn't super shocking in the Denver Defense and their no-fly zone. Denver has been able to dominant on the defensive end which has taken a lot of pressure off their young Quarterbacks.

The other two teams are a little easier to scratch your head when saying they are undefeated. The Minnesota Vikings, after losing their franchise QB in Teddy Bridgewater and arguably the best Running Back in the game Adrian Peterson. In their despair, they made a bold trade acquiring Sam Bradford, and they are getting out of him what the Rams and the Eagles hoped they would when drafting and trading for the Oklahoma QB. One could make the argument that the defense of Minnesota with the Interceptions and forced fumbles help to make this a 4-0 team. Lastly the Philadelphia Eagles, which is probably the biggest surprise. Granted they are 3-0 due to the early bye week, and I don't want to discount who they played, in the Cleveland Browns, and Chicago Bears (two very struggling teams) because they made an excellent Pittsburgh team look foolish. Mostly this is in part of their gunslinger rookie, and number 2 pick overall Carson Wentz. In his 3 games, he's thrown for 769 yards, 66 Completed passes, 5 Touchdowns, with zero Interceptions, and this was supposed to be a kid who shouldn't be starting for about 2 years so he can learn the speed of the game. His 103.8 QB Rating ranks 8th among all QB's in the NFL. I don't know if I'm going to make a bold prediction that either Minnesota or Philly will make a deep run or any run at all in the playoffs, but it is impressive what they have done so far.




Reference:

LLC, N.E. (2016) NFL stats: Player. Available at: http://www.nfl.com/stats/player?seasonId=2016&seasonType=REG&Submit=Go (Accessed: 4 October 2016).

In-text citations:

• (LLC, 2016)