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IMKudaimi
10.16 Rant
Published at 10/16/2017
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Yet another week of incredible Football action from all around the country. Here are my takeaways and thoughts:

NFL:Power Rankings:

1. Eagles, 5-1: The Eagles look like the best team in the NFL. They only lost to KC, the only other 1 loss team in the NFL. They also have clearly outplayed all other teams they played, along with an impressive win at Carolina on a short week. Carson Wentz is becoming an elite QB, the running backs are finding lanes, and nobody is putting up mega numbers against them defensively. This team may be an early Super Bowl contender.

2. Chiefs, 5-1: The Chiefs lost and had their offense, which had been firing on all cylinders, shut down for about 3 quarters against solid defensive unit in Pittsburgh. That shouldn't be much of a concern; the Chiefs ripped up some good defenses earlier. Allowing Le'Veon Bell to run all over them has to be a bit of a concern, as well as letting Antonio Brown catch one too many passes. The Chiefs were bound to have a bad game, not to take anything away from Pittsburgh. They're fine.

3. Steelers, 4-2: Pittsburgh had an impressive win over KC, and this is the Steelers team that could win it all: Good D, run the ball, hit AB for a chunk of yardage. That gameplan won them the game. If they continue to stifle opponents that way, they will win the Super Bowl.

4. Panthers, 4-2: Carolina is 4-2, but is kind of in a weird spot. They blew out the 49ers, beat the Bills with only field goals, were blown out at home against NO, almost blew big leads on the road against Detroit and New England, and were outplayed on TNF by Philly. They're  a good team, so long as Cam's shoulder doesn't keep hurting like it did Thursday. Their D is good till the 4th, but if their offense plays like this, imagine how good they'll be when Olsen returns.

5. Vikings, 4-2: The Vikings may be getting Teddy Bridgewater back soon! Seriously now, the team that may benefit the most from Aaron Rodgers injury. They now appear to be the favorites in the NFC North, and if Bridgewater comes back, they will win it for sure. Detroit is overrated, so yeah. Minnesota's D is still dominant, and Jerrick Mckinnon is doing well in Dalvin Cook's absense. 

6. Patriots, 4-2: The Pats escaped the Jets and the Buccaneers for near victories they would've lost had it not been for a horrible bogus call and missed field goals. The Patriots, I believe, are screwed this year. They might make the AFC Championship, but no further. Tom Brady can't carry this team all the way with a struggling defense and iffy running game.

7. Broncos, 3-2: The Broncos had a really bad loss against the Giants. The defense was fine actually, though not as elite as we are accustomed to. Trevor Siemien struggled all game, before and after injury. In general, the Broncos offense hasn't been great, but they need to play better if they want to make a deep run, and it begins with Trevor and the receivers.

8. Falcons, 3-2: What's with the Falcons and blowing leads, especially against the AFC East? They were up of the Dolphins 17-0 at halftime, and... well I guess they have an excuse. They played the GOAT, Jay Cutler. In all seriousness, They can't lose games like that. They're losing their grip on the NFC South to Carolina.

9. Seahawks, 3-2: Seattle may seem pretty high to you but I believe they will find their groove following their bye by going on a run. The defense will return to its dominant self, and Russell Wilson will continue a good year, and the running game will do better. Coming offa 2 game win streak and their bye, where their defense and offense did well, they will bounce back.

10. Rams, 4-2: Are the Rams legit? To be honest, I don't think they're really legit. I think they're a solid team that'll probably end up going about 8-8. I don't know why their defense is kind of inconsistent, and well, 2 special teams TD's helped them beat the Jaguars. Plus, their offense had been shut out at home vs Seattle. Jarred Goff and Todd Gurley are good, but they're not a playoff team, though they have momentum right now.

11. Texans, 3-3: The Texans are probably the favorites in the AFC South, with Marcus Mariota not fully healthy. The Texans defense will struggle somewhat with the losses of JJ Watt and Whitney Mercilus, but they have enough depth to kind of compensate. their secondary needs to do a little better though. Otherwise, the running game isn't producing big numbers. But if Deshaun Watson continues on his roll, the Texans will win their division.

12. Cowboys, 2-3: This sort of depends. I'm writing thinking the Cowboys will bounce back after their bye week and Ezekiel Elliot will luckily avoid suspension. If not, they'd be lower. Anyhow, the Cowboys defense is awful, but you can't count them out with their great all-around offense. IF Dak keeps doing well, Zeke isn't suspended, and Dez Bryant comes out of his funk, completely, the Cowboysare a playoff team. Otherwise, no.

13. Bills, 3-2: The Bills were on a bye, but they have been playing very well. They lost a very close game against the Bengals in Cincinnati, and before that, barely lost to the Panthers, and also beat the broncos and Falcons. They could make a run for a wild card spot, but seriously, I'd feel so much better about them if they had a better WR corps and didn't have to rely on Charles Clay so much. The Bills need weapons.

14. Jaguars, 3-3: I don't know about the Jaguars. They, like the Bears (and the Browns should be too) are trying to limit any QB mistakes by hardly throwing the ball and feeding Leonard Fournette. It has worked 50% of the time. They have one of the top passing defenses, though they struggle against the run, but they're good enough.Without Allen Robinson, the passing game is awful though. The Jaguars are simply too one-dimensional.

15. Washington, 3-2: I think Washington is overrated. They barely escaped from the 49ers with a win, the Chiefs let them hang in, the Raiders win was kind of fluky, and the Rams win was overrated. And Philly blew them out. They have no running game, but the RB's are catching balls out of the backfield with the receivers struggling. Their defense is improved, but also not great. They're not gonna end the season well.

16. Saints, 3-2:This season has 7-9 written all over it, with a Bad defense, a great offense, high scoring games, and a bad start (0-2). The Saints are in too tough of a division to make a playoff run, and Drew Brees can't carry them by humself as he has shown. They blew out Detroit, but they're also overrated, and the Lions somehow almost cam back in a 52-38 game.

17. Cardinals, 3-3: Well, I guess the Cardinals knew what they were doing in trading for AP. He had a great afternoon, with a 26-134-2 line. Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald also did very well in a dismantling of the Buccaneers who made it close in garbage time. The defense was good till Patrick Peterson left with a minor quad injury. If the Cards play like this and can get David Johnson back for the last 6 or 7 games, they could make a late playoff push.

18. Packers, 4-2: Well, there's only one way to say it: The Packers are 90% F***ed. I really kind of feel bad for them, though this loss will prove how over the rest of their team is. Brett Hundley is npt gonna help the Packers, as shown when the Vikings absolutely wrecked him. The Packers may get ROdgers back for the last 3 games, but it may already be too late by then.

19. Dolphins, 3-2: The Dolphins came back from down 17-0 against the Falcons in Atlanta, led by QB Jay Cutler. Their defense was polar opposite in the halves. They need to play like this, and adam Gase and take them to the playoffs again. That win against Atlanta was legit. Also, Reshad Jones is a beast.

20. Bears, 2-4: The Bears just pounded the ball till they got a huge one in OT and got the GW FG to beat Baltimore on the road 27-24. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen are both great. As is the Bears D which forced 3 TO. With Rodgers injured, the Bears are dark horses to win the NFC North, and if Trubisky limits his mistakes and uses his mobility, I think they will. 

21. Lions, 3-3: Detroit is overrated. Struggling secondary and their offense is incomplete. This is not a playoff team as thought of 2 weeks ago. Awful against the Saints D.

22. Jets, 3-3: Ok the Jets have hung in there, but sooner or later, Josh McCown is going to throw it all away. Still though, that call aith ASJ screwed them over.

23. Titans, 3-3: Good win against the Colts, but the run game is still struggling with the defense. But nice of Eric Decker to get involved with Marcus Mariota. They have a collection of good defensive players, but it's not yet all come together.

24. Raiders, 2-4: The Raiders played a not-healthy Derek Carr and lost, and could be 2-5 after Thursday. Amari Cooper needs to play way better, and hopefully, the good Navorro Bowman signing helps their ok defense. Feed Beast Mode more. 

25.Buccaneers, 2-3: The Buccaneers lost Jameis Winston just for the last game, but they were awful besides that. I'm willing to give them a pass for young team that was too lazy, but that can't happen again, as the Cards wrecked them. They still have a solid chance for a postseason run.

26. Ravens, 3-3: The Ravens are gonna be 8-8, since they can't win without Marshal Yanda and with their injuries.Hell, minus the special teams TD's, they lose 27/24-9. They're awful offensively. The defense was fine till OT and gave up a few too many big plays. Joe Flacco has NEVER BEEN ELITE.

27. Bengals, 2-3: Bengals are overrated. Andy Dalton sucks. defense is average, not much out of the ground game, and sure, AJ Green is a monster, but they're not good enough in a somwhat weakened AFC North

28. Chargers, 2-4: The Chargers are gonna be last in the AFC West. Let's face it. But nice wins last 2 weeks. Still, Phillip Rivers is garbage. Melvin Gordon and Joey Bosa are good though.

29. Giants, 1-5: Well, they certainly surprised me by beating the Broncos. I think the Giants could end 4-6, but it's not gonna be a pretty year.

30. Colts, 2-4: As shown in all losses this year, and the Titans one on MNF, the Colts are just not good without Andrew Luck. Nothing against Jacoby Brissett, but he's not the same player.

31. 49ers, 0-6: They suck, they benched Brian Hoyer. CJ beathard anyone?

32. Browns, 0-6: They're the Browns, what do you expect more than 2 young QB's turning the ball over.

Projected NFC Rankings:

1. Seattle2. Panthers3. Eagles4. Vikings/Bears5. Falcons6. Cowboys7. Cardinals8. Buccaneers9. Bears/Vikings10. Packers (potentially higher depending on Rodgers11. Rams12. Giants13. Lions14. Redskins15. Saints16. 49ers(subject to change)Predicted AFC Rankings:1. Steelers2. Chiefs3. Patriots4. Texans5. Broncos6. Raiders/Dolphins/Bills7. Dolphins/Raiders/Bills8. Bills/Raiders/Dolphins9. Titans10. Ravens11. Jaguars12. Bengals13. Chargers14. Colts15. Jets16. Browns

Now, some CFB Thoughts:\Now, the current rankings are here. http://www.espn.com/college-football/rankingsMy rankings, with thoughts:

1. Alabama2. Penn State3. Georgia4 Ohio State5. TCU6. Clemson7. Wisconsin8. Miami9. Oklahoma10. USC11. Oklahoma State12. Notre Dame13. Virginia Tech14. Washington State15. Washington16. NC State17. Michigan18. South Florida20. Michigan State19. LSU21. Auburn22. UCF23. West Virginia24. Stanford25. Louisville26. Memphis27. Texas A&M28. Florida29. Florida State30. Duke31. Northwestern32. Oregon33. Iowa34. Iowa State35. KentuckyOther teams here: Boston College, Boise State, SD State, Utah, Mississippi State, Navy, South Carolina, Gerogia Tech, texas Tech, Illinois, Virginia, UCLA: All those teams will be in bowl games but ar50-50 right now and have flaws or tough schedules

NBA: So pumped for the NBA season to begin tomorrow. You can see me write about NBA on pippenainteasy.com

Soccer: Man City, Man United, and Chelsea lead the PL while Arsenel and Liverpool struggle, and Barcelona, Athletico, and Real Madrid lead the La Liga 



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