Ty Ranks the 2021 NFL Teams - Out of Contention By Thanksgiving Division

Welcome to day three of my NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 24 I have the Carolina Panthers. This team is in what should be a rebuild. They need to start over. After they let Cam Newton walk they should have torn down the whole thing. Instead they gave Christian McCaffery a humongous salary and he proceeded to tear his ACL. Then they let Teddy Bridgewater leave and opted to sign Sam Darnold. They have no real number 1 or number 2 receiver. The O line is very bland. I thought Darnold was going to figure things out, but ever since the "I'm seeing ghosts" thing was plastered all over TV and the internet, he never recovered. He hasn't had a great camp by all accounts. I'm not a big proponent of giving running backs big money, and the Panthers are dealing with that problem as we speak. McCaffery is coming off a big injury, and while I really enjoyed Chubba Hubbard in college, he missed time last season and he needs to develop. DJ Moore is not the dude at receiver, and he is their best option. The defense is not so great either. Luke Keuchly retired, rightfully so, and some of the dudes they have taken a chance on haven't panned out. I still think Brian Burns has the potential to be a very good edge rusher, but he is about it. Shap Thompson and Jeremy Chinn could be good, but they haven't shown much of anything yet. Hasson Redick is getting a second chance after not doing much in Arizona, but I just do not see it with him. The Panthers will not win much until they get a decent QB.

At number 23 I have the Detroit Lions. The Lions traded oft injured, much maligned Matthew Satfford for a clone in Jared Goff. Goff has been the QB of a team that made it to the Super Bowl, but that was based on the running game and the defense. I do like that Goff is younger, but he doesn't have the arm that Stafford has. He is also less mobile, and Stafford isn't very mobile. I did not like this trade at all. I do not think Lions fans are stoked about it either. I will miss Jamal Williams in Green Bay, but the fact that he isn't starting in Detroit is crazy to me. Deandre Swift is fine, but Williams is better, and more deserving of the starting role. Breshad Perriman had moments in Baltimore, and I do really like Amon-Ra St Brown, but they do not have the good, not yet, to be number one wideouts, especially with a QB like Goff throwing to them. The O line is fine, but it doesn't matter. The defense is not awful but not good. Jeff Okudah had a rough rookie year. Jamie Collins has already played his best football. Trey Flowers could be solid. I like Da'Shawn Hand but he cannot stay healthy. The team has some dudes, but they are past their prime or not ready yet. This is a five or six win team at best.

My number 22 team is the New Orleans Saints. That may seem low, but Drew Brees retiring and Michael Thomas not talking to the team has made a big impact on me. This team is going to find it tough to get back to contention. The fact that they did not go after a QB in free agency and decided to pay Taysom Hill and keep Jameis Winston was a big mistake. They will regret it for sure. Hill is no more than a gimmick and Winston has shown minimal flashes but also has shown that he does not have what it takes to win important games. I'd be frustrated as hell if I were Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. They chose to stay and now they have no real QB to get them the ball. Kamara will still do what he does, but it will be tough because he will be the focal point of every defense they face. Thomas may not play this year, we do not know, and that is a bummer for the Saints. The O line is good, which is a luxury, but they have a whole new QB to break in. As for the defense, they have gotten better, and with the uncertainty at QB, I think the defense will be their best unit. Cam Jordan is elite. Marshon Lattimore is a shutdown corner. Kwon Alexander is a good linebacker. And I really like Marcus Davenport. I kind of look at them like a little better version of the Jets. The defense is good, they will keep them in games, but the offense will not be as potent as they have been in the past. That will be their undoing. I think six wins is the ceiling.

The final team for today, coming in at number 21, I have the New York Giants. This is the year to see if Daniel Jones is the guy. I thought they drafted him way too early, he has not been that good yet and he has weapons that should benefit him. I do not think much of him though, and that is why I have them so low on my list. They'd be lower if they weren't in such a bad division. Saquon Barkley is back, and that is awesome. I hope he stays healthy because he is a joy to watch. He is not only a great running back, but he is a good pass catcher, a solid and willing blocker and an electric return man. He just has to stay healthy. I like the Kenny Golladay pick up, Sterling Shepard is a fantasy stud and Evan Engram is a great modern tight end. The O line is also sufficient. Again, my only problem with the offense is Jones. I have zero faith in him. The Giants defense is quietly solid. Jabrill Peppers is decent. Leonard Williams is an upper tier D lineman. Logan Ryan is a nice secondary piece. Blake Martinez is an okay linebacker. They have guys that can play. The defense should be in the top fifteen of the league. This team could win their division or they could win five games. I like to split down the middle and say they will win six or seven games. I have that little trust in Daniel Jones. He is not good and that is why they will once again miss the playoffs.

That is it for today. Come back for the next four teams tomorrow.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Thoughts on the Early Playoff Exits of the Saints and Patriots

As stated yesterday, I still want to talk about what happened to both, the Patriots and the Saints this past weekend. I promise I will get to something other than football this week, but I have to talk about these 2 teams getting beat.

Lets start with the Saints. First and foremost, and I think even RD would admit this, the Saints got hosed in overtime yet again. Now, that didn't cause them to lose the game. Not at all. Their play the whole game caused that. They looked awful, especially compared to how they played to close out the regular season. The defense was solid, but their offense was nonexistent. Also, why didn't they at least try to score a TD at the end of regulation? I don't understand why they didn't run one more play to the end zone, but that is that I guess. But Drew Brees played bad, the O line opened no holes for Kamara and they just seemed like they went out there and expected the Vikings to roll over. And props to the Vikings. They made the game ugly and slow and plodding and ran and ran and ran. I don't give Kirk Cousins the credit, maybe because I dislike him so much, but this win was due to Dalvin Cook. Cook is a beast out of the backfield. The fact that he played so well, while being hurt, that is admirable. I have all the respect for him, and the way their defense played, which was shorthanded in the secondary. The Vikings did enough to win the game. But, lets get real for a second. I mean, Kyle Rudolph pushed off. There is no way he catches that pass if he doesn't extend his arm. The Vikings would've kicked a field goal if the play was called correctly, and the Saints would have, at least, had a chance. The Saints might be the cursed franchise of the late 2000's, and now early 2020. They blew it against the Vikings two years ago, the Rams got away with a blatant pass interference, and then Sunday happened. This looks like the end for them as well. Brees is old, and unless they can retain Teddy Bridgewater, they may be in the market for a new QB for the first time in forever. I truly thought they had the goods to win the Super Bowl, but I was wrong.

Now for the Patriots. First and foremost, I was thrilled, absolutely thrilled, especially for a person who had no skin in the game, that the Patriots got beat at home by the Titans. It was tremendous. Bill Belichick got outcoached by a former assistant, the vaunted Patriots D couldn't stop Derrick Henry, who is amazing and their offense was absolutely atrocious. I'm stoked that someone other than Tom Brady and the Patriots will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. But what does this mean for the Patriots now? Will Brady leave? Is Josh McDaniels going to finally leave the nest and take a head coaching job elsewhere? What will Belichick do, besides being a curmudgeon? And how many "happy endings" did Robert Kraft go out and get after that game Saturday night? I kid on that, but I bet he did anyway. But let me try and answer the other questions I put out there. So, first of all, the Patriots are one of the most dominant dynasties in any pro sport ever. Sure, they cheated, big time, but they won a ton of Super Bowls, and went to plenty. This all started when I was a freshman in college, and now I am a husband and father of two, and it looks like it may be finally over. As for Brady, I think he return next season, and I wouldn't be shocked if it is with New England. But I think a lot of that depends on McDaniels. If he stays, I think Brady is a shoe in to stay. If he goes, I bet Brady will actually dip his toe into free agency for the first time. I don't know what team he would want to play for, that will also pay him a crap ton of money. He is a name, but he is also 42 years old. He will be 43 next season. So, I don't think he will want to go to a team that isn't a contender. I have heard people talk about Miami or the LA Chargers. I don't think he wants to go to a team that may not make the playoffs. I have also heard the Bears as a possibility. They seem to have all the pieces to contend, but they just said they are sticking with Trubisky. But, if they have a shot to sign Brady, I'd say to go for it. But again, he will be 43. And the Bears really struggled this past season. Outside of those teams, no other team that is a contender needs a 43 year old QB. The Ravens are set, as are the Chiefs. The Rams, unfortunately, paid Jared Goff a kings ransom. The Seahawks have Wilson, the Packers have Rodgers, the Cowboys have Prescott and a new coach. Even the Titans seem content to move forward with Ryan Tannehill. If I had to guess, if Brady comes back, I say he stays in New England. Which leads me to McDaniels. I think he is so afraid to fail again, much like he did in Denver, that he is going to stay and wait out Belichick. I assumed last year, after he accepted, then declined the Colts opening, that he was told he could be the next head coach of the Patriots when Belichick leaves. I also think he is a coward and not prepared to be a head coach. He is a gimmicky coach, and his offense has only ever worked with Brady. He couldn't do it in Denver, and with all the openings started to get filled by other coaches, I think he ends up staying in New England as well. As for Belichick, just like with Brady and McDaniels, I think he wants to try and run it back one more time. I think he knows that his defense is elite, and if he can get some outside help for Brady, possibly AJ Green, the Patriots can go right back to the Super Bowl. As much as I wished this was the end, I think they are willing to run it back one more time. Maybe, hopefully, it will end like this season, but you never know, especially with the ability to bring in new players. I do think after next season, changes will be plentiful in New England. But for now, I bet they run it back one more time. But at least they got beat this year, and we won't have to watch another boring ass Super Bowl featuring the Patriots. I can take hollow joy in that for now.

Well, onto the next round.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Who Did Good and Who Did Not So Good in NFL Draft

The NFL draft finally ended on Saturday night. As I have done the past couple of years I want to single out a few teams that I thought did good, and a few that did not do so good. I don't do the whole losers and winners thing because, honestly, none of us know how these players are going to pan out. The draft in any major sport is the biggest crap shoot because there are no real guarantees. Yes, they are some guys that are deemed "can't miss" that go on to have great careers, but there are just as many that flame out of the league in less than 3 years. So, we will not know for awhile who lost or won the 2019 draft. It takes time.

With that being said, lets get the teams that I didn't think did so well out of the way first. First, and this is the easiest one for me, the Giants made one of the worst reaches in draft history when they traded all the way up to 6 to take Duke QB Daniel Jones. I have read since the first day of the draft that the Giants heard that Denver and Washington really wanted him, and he wouldn't be there at 17, and the new GM saying, "we will see how dumb I am in three years". I don't think any of that is true. I  don't think those two teams wanted him. All I heard from Denver was how much they loved Drew Lock. Then they traded the 10th overall pick, so they didn't seem to keen on picking up a QB in the top 10. Washington seemingly wanted a QB, but I think they liked both Lock and Dwayne Haskins. I did not read one story about how much they loved Jones. That was never a thing. All that talk was just that, talk. And the new GM, Dave Gettleman, while he thinks he may be a genius in three years, he looks like a colossal idiot today. Jones was never the top QB in this draft. If anything, he was the fourth ranked one behind Kyler Murray, Haskins and Lock. Hell, I even saw people rating Will Grier ahead of him. This was a rough decision made by a GM that has screwed up 2 straight drafts. Last year he took Saquon Barkley second overall, and while Barkley was tremendous as a rookie, the Giants won 4 games. Last year they could've taken a QB and it would have been much better for them in the near future. And then this year, with the trade up to get Jones, he sets this team back even more. He took the wrong QB this year, he took the wrong skill guy last year, and his undying loyalty to the washed Eli Manning will inevitably be his downfall. The Giants are one of the worst teams heading into the 2019 NFL season.

The other team that I thought really screwed up their draft was the San Francisco 49ers. First off, Nick Bosa is an overrated tool. He is not as good as his brother. He is a racist. He barely played last year. And he is an ego maniac. I hope that kid busts like Steve Entmann. Beyond that though, this team needed young defense, and instead, they went with young skill guys in the later rounds. They didn't get any of the top receivers, they took 2 different running backs, they got no O line help, it was a mess. They outdid the Raiders in taking athletic players as opposed to players they needed. I wasn't too high on the 49ers to begin with, I thought they were vastly overrated last year, I don't think Jimmy Garoppolo is a top tier QB, and Kyle Shanahan is proving he may be better suited as a coordinator, not a head coach. He has some nice new weapons, but it won't matter when teams are scoring 35 points a game because their secondary is so bad. The 49ers had a chance to shore that side of the ball up and they didn't. Their draft was baffling to me. And again, I hope Nick Bosa is so awful because he is a truly awful human being.

Now to the teams that I thought did a fine job in the draft. As much as I hate to praise this team because it's like giving the bad guys in "Star Wars" credit, the Patriots crushed the draft yet again. They got N'Keal Harry at the end of the first round. He is going to fit in just perfectly with this team, and he gets to have Tom Brady throw the ball to him. They got Chase Winovich in the mid third round, and he is going to be a plug and play energy guy for them. They got more backs that can catch. They tool O lineman that will get to sit a year and learn under Dante Scarnecki. And they got a QB very late that can sit behind Brady for a few years. I think Jarrett Stidham should be thanking his stars that the Patriots took him. That could not be a better situation for him. He's going to get the best coaching in the NFL and he gets to learn behind the greatest QB of all time. I feel so dirty giving the Patriots any credit, but man did they crush this draft.

Finally, the team that laid a total egg against the Patriots in the Super Bowl, the LA Rams, probably had my favorite draft, and they didn't even have a first round pick. But what they did in the later rounds was very impressive. They got the best safety in the second round with the 61st pick, Taylor Rapp. He's hard hitting, will start right away and helps put a secondary in desperate need. They also took David Long, a corner from Michigan, in the third round. He is from LA, he too will start from day one and he is a shut down type player. I watched him dominant his side of the field for the last two years. He didn't have eye popping stats because no one threw his way. He is going to be a steal. They got some Todd Gurley insurance by taking Memphis running back Darrell Henderson. That kid averaged almost 8 yards a carry in college. That is insane. He is also super fast and a solid pass catcher. That was a great pick. They got some O and D line help in the later rounds, and they took Dakota Allen, he was on the second season of "Last Chance U", and he is a very solid linebacker. I could see him as a special teams stud for a few seasons, then taking over as a starting linebacker very soon. The Rams addressed what they needed to, got some insurance and just really hit a homerun.

As I said at the top, we will see how all of these players truly pan out in about 2 or 3 years, but from where I sit today, these are the teams that I thought did not so good, and did some great things.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He forgot to mention the greatness of the Cincinnati Bengals and their draft strategy of taking guys available. Every year Ty short changes the Bengals and their ability to win 6-9 games a year.

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Rob Gronkowski is the Most Overrated Player in the NFL

I watched the NFC and AFC championship games yesterday, and they were both pretty dull. I fell asleep during the Patriots-Jags game for one. I know it was a close game, but when the Patriots only get called for one penalty, it is pretty obvious who is going to win. The Eagles-Vikings game, sorry RD (ed note: ARGHHH), was done by the middle of the second quarter. The game was on, but I was not even paying it half attention. We ended up getting both number one seeds, and I think the Super Bowl will be a pretty competitive game.

I'm not going to touch on the game today. I have already picked the Patriots to win multiple times, and nothing I saw yesterday changed my mind. What I want to talk about is a very hot take that I came upon yesterday during the Patriots-Jags game. In the middle of the second quarter Tom Brady threw a pass over the middle to Gronk. Gronk got lit up, maybe it was an illegal hit, I just thought it was a football hit, and he was sent to concussion protocol and didn't return to the game. After the hit, Patriots Twitter was all a flutter. The tweets ranged from "what a cheap shot!" to "we are done without him". The announcers too, the highly overrated Tony Romo and the god awful Jim Nantz said that this could, "doom the Patriots the rest of the game". Everyone was terrified. I'm sure the fact that the score was 14-3 at the time added to the nervousness. And, I'm sure the fact that Brady threw 4 straight passes to him prior to him getting hurt added even more stress. But, after the injury the Patriots went right down the field and scored. The Jags ended up adding a few field goals, but the Patriots did what they do and won the game late in the fourth quarter. They scored all but 3 of their points after the Gronk injury.  

I then started to think about the past Patriots playoff and Super Bowl runs since Gronk has been on the team. Everyone assumes he is the best tight end in the league, and while I think he is a very good tight end, maybe he isn't as crucial to the Patriots offense as some want us to believe. That is my hot take. I think Gronk might be the most overrated player in the NFL. Yes, I just said I think he is good, but I do not think he is the best tight end in the league, and he definitely isn't the best tight end to ever play in the NFL. I'm sure Patriots fans will read this and call me names and tell me how stupid I am. I'm sure football people will read this and think I'm an idiot too. But, if you take away his gaudy regular season numbers and break down his playoff numbers, it is pretty telling that this team thrives not because of him, but maybe despite him. Also, we can even look at the regular season if you want to too because he is constantly injured. So, while I think he is good, I also think he is just another in a long line of Patriots that have benefited due to Tom Brady and the system they run.

Lets look at the regular season stuff real quick first. He does put up very solid numbers. When he is on the filed, he is a great red zone threat. When he is on the field he can rack up 10 catches some games. When he is on the field he commands double teams opening up spots for other Patriot receivers and tight ends. But, he is not always on the field. He is, at least to me, the NFL's version of Joel Embiid. He is a marvel to watch when he plays, but he doesn't play all that much. Yes, he has played more than Embiid, but he is also older than Embiid. And, as far as regular season tight end stats go, Antonio Gates has consistently put up the same numbers as Gronk for a decade plus, and he stays relatively healthy. Travis Kelce has started to become more reliable than him. Vance McDonald emerged big time this year for the Steelers. Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert and Greg Olsen do the same things for their teams that Gronk does for the Patriots. Hell, even his backups, take Martellus Bennett last year, step in, and it feels like Gronk isn't missed at all. So while he puts up gaudy numbers, no, I do not think he is the best tight end in the NFL. I'll take Antonio Gates over him any day or any year. 

Now, for the postseason stuff. First off, again, he is not usually healthy come playoff time. He always has some lingering issue, and everyone freaks out. Well, the Patriots are 5-2 in the Super Bowl's they've played in, with a chance to win a sixth, and Gronk may not play in the game. But lets just look at his career postseason numbers. He has played in 12 total playoff games, tallying 96 total catches and 10 total TD's. Not bad, but, we need to look at the important games. We need to look at conference title games and Super Bowls. He puts up his big numbers in the divisional and wild card games. His best games, save for 2, have all come in the divisional or wild card rounds. While important games, that is not when they need him most. It's great that he had 10 catches for 145 yards and 3 TD's in the divisional game against the Broncos in 2012, but do you know how he performed in the next two games?  Against Baltimore in the AFC championship he had 5 catches for 87 yards and 0 TD's in a win, and against the Giants in the Super Bowl that year, 2 catches for 26 yards and 0 TD's in a loss. That was the year the Patriots finished 18-1. The very next season he only played in one playoff game, against the Texans and he had 0 catches for 0 yards and 0 TD's. In 2015 he had a better postseason, but not best tight end in football type numbers. In the divisional round he put up 7 catches for 108 yards and a TD, good numbers. In the AFC title game he went for 3 catches 28 yards and a TD. And in the Super Bowl, the one the Seahawks blew by not handing the ball off to Marshawn Lynch on the one yard line he had 6 catches for 68 yards and a TD. Those are solid numbers, and he won a ring, but that Super Bowl was more about Malcom Butler's interception and Julian Edelmann catching everything that came his way all the while being concussed. I don't think anyone looks back at that game and says, " thank goodness the Patriots had Gronk". His best game since then came in the 2016 AFC title game against the Broncos. He had 8 catches, 144 yards and a TD. But, the Patriots lost that game, so who cares about his numbers. Last year he didn't play at all, and the Patriots came back from down 25 to beat the Falcons. Martellus Bennett did just fine in his stead, even though whoever covered the Super Bowl last year kept cutting to Gronk in the owners box. This postseason has been very ho hum for Gronk. In the divisional game against the Titans he 6 catches for 81 yards and a garbage TD, and yesterday, before he got leveled, he had 1 catch for 21 yards.

I guess I just do not think he is as important as others want us to believe. I watch a ton of football, both college and pros. The only reason I think people want us to think Gronk is so great is because he is a big lovable doofus. He does stupid shit like throw parties on yachts and chug beers, and everyone is supposed to like him. To me, he is an asshole frat boy, and I could care less about the dumb shit he does off the field. If he played for any other team, with any other QB, no one, and I mean absolutely NO ONE would praise him like they do now. He is part of a system that works and he is reaping the benefits. But, put a guy like Antonio Gates or Travis Kelce on the Patriots, and they are the same as they are with Gronk, if not better. Hell, last year they proved they could win with Martellus Bennett.

I'm over the Patriots hype machine, and I am definitely over everyone in major sports media telling how important Rob Gronkowski is to the Patriots. He is no more important than Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Corey Dillon or Randy Moss was to that team. He is just another cog in their machine. And no, I do not think he will be missed if he doesn't play in Super Bowl 52. I think the Patriots will be just fine with our without him. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was thinking about talking about how overrated Case Keenum is to the Vikings. Thankfully the real Keenum showed up on Sunday to stop any rating going overboard. God damn Vikings.

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The NFL has Some Pleasant Surprise Teams, and Some Unpleasant Quarterback Play

Yesterday was the first Sunday I have had off from coaching in awhile. So, I chose to watch the NFL all day. I usually only get to see the late afternoon games, which I watch, but yesterday, it was all day. Starting at noon until 7pm, I did not turn off the "Red Zone Network". I would get up and do things here and there, but it was NFL all day. There were some big things that I noticed while watching.

First off, the Rams and the Jaguars are good. I said it, and I do not feel weird about it. The Rams hammered the Giants. They put up 51 points. Their offense is very good. Their defense is just as good too. I'm shocked at how much better they are after firing Jeff Fisher. Good on you Sean McVay. While the Jaguars aren't as good as the Rams, their defense is amazing. They get after it. They were all over the Bengals yesterday. I know the Bengals aren't very good, but the Jaguars completely shut them down, especially after AJ Green let his frustrations boil over and started a fight with Jalen Ramsey. They could both win their divisions.

As much as I hate to admit it, the Cowboys looked very good too. They ran and passed and totally shut down the Chiefs. I do not know when Elliot is going to get suspended, if at all, but with him in there, they are dangerous. Also, Dak Prescott has proven that he is not a one year fluke. He has complete control of that offense and is a perfect fit. Their defense is playing way above their potential too. The only team better than them is in their division, the Eagles. They looked awesome yesterday. Carson Wentz is a legit MVP front runner. With Ajayi now, and Blount and Smallwood and Clement, they have probably the best backfield in the league. Alshon Jeffrey has been great all year. And their defense, they can shut a team down.

The Saints also looked very solid. Drew Brees had his typical 250 plus pass yards and a few TD's. But, he now has a running game. Mark Ingram has really settled into his role. Alvin Kamara is so good. That is frightening. This run game, added to Brees' ability to run that offense, they will be a tough out in the playoffs.

As far as some teams that did not impress me, first off, the Bengals. I already mentioned them in regards to the Jaguars. Andy Dalton is horrid. They cannot run the ball. And even without Leonard Fournette, the Bengals couldn't even stop Blake Bortles. This has to be the end of Dalton and Marvin Lewis.

The Giants stink. Eli Manning is toast. They have no receivers except for Evan Ingram. They do not have a run game. Their defense stinks. Their coach is a lame duck, and he is bad.

The Buccaneers are done as well. They looked so bad against the Saints. They could not do anything except start fights. They are so bad on both sides of the ball, and I'm embarrassed that I let them pull me in. I thought they were going to be decent this year.

The Ravens are really bad, especially Joe Flacco. I mean, he looks totally disengaged. It seems like he could care less what happens on Sundays. They can't really do much of anything on offense. Their defense is still kind of solid, but the offense seems to go three and out way too often.

I think a lot of people, myself included, may have overrated the Chiefs. They looked lost against the Cowboys yesterday. Save for that ridiculous check down hail mary that resulted in a score for Tyreek Hill, they couldn't muster much of any offense. They have dropped their last 3 of 4, and when they have to play good teams, they seem to get shut down pretty easily.

I know the Cardinals won, but I did not think they looked very good. Everyone was jumping on the Adrian Peterson bandwagon, and he went for 90 some odd yards, but it was tough for him against a very bad 49ers team. They have no one, outside of Larry Fitzgerald, that is any threat on offense. And I know Drew Stanton threw 2 TD's yesterday, but he is not very good, at all.

My main take away from yesterday was how horrible the overall QB play is. You all know that I am a big time fan of Colin Kaepernick. He belongs in the NFL. More importantly, he belongs on the Texans. After Deshaun Watson went down, I thought they'd sign him for sure. He has the same skill set, and he has been to the playoffs multiple times, and has been to a Super Bowl. But no, they went back to Tom freaking Savage. He went a "blistering" 16 of 35 for under 200 yards and one TD. Their defense scored their other TD. Oh, did I forget to mention the Texans opponent? It was the Indianapolis Colts. You know that juggernaut, right? I mean, that is embarrassing. Tom Savage is horrific. So is TJ Yates. If they bring in Kaepernick, this team still has a shot at the playoffs. If they stick with Savage, or any other QB currently on their roster, good luck winning 7 games. They looked so bad on offense yesterday. Like, really bad. Like, Browns bad.

All day long, for the most part, the QB's that are currently starting for some teams is a joke. There are exceptions. Dak Prescott, Alex Smith, Jared Goff, Drew Brees, hell even Blake Bortles and Jacoby Brissett, had good days. But, I also had to watch guys like CJ Beathard, Andy Dalton, Jay Cutler, Brock Osweiler, Drew Stanton, Eli Manning and Joe Flacco. All of these guys are really, really bad. Some of it is youth, some of it is age, but they do not belong on any team as a starting QB. The most glaring 2 though, Manning and Flacco. I already ran down the problems with Flacco. The Ravens need to move on from him. He is only hurting that team. But Eli Manning, what happened? He was never great, at least in my opinion. He was never the reason the Giants won 2 Super Bowls, he just happened to be the QB. He has always been a very inconsistent QB. But yesterday, and this whole season for that matter, he has looked atrocious. The Giants clearly need to blow it up. They are 1-7. They have no run game. Odell Beckham is out. Their defense is awful. But, the biggest problem, outside their coaching staff, is Eli Manning. He is done. He doesn't have it anymore. He looks worse than his brother did in his last year. He cannot hack it anymore. The Rams exposed every single flaw that he has. He needs to be benched, or even better, cut, and let the Giants start all over. He is so bad.

That was my biggest takeaway from a day filled with watching the NFL. Eli is done, so is Flacco, and if the Texans want any chance to make the playoffs, they need to go out and sign Colin Kaepernick.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The last time he saw quarterback play that was this bad is when he and the head editor last played NCAA Football on the X-Box. The head editor was picked off 8 times.

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Ty Ranks the 2017 NFL Teams: The Anticipation for "The Last Jedi" Edition

New week, same 2017 NFL countdown here at SeedSing. This week we will finally get to the cream of the crop. The teams I will talk about this week all have a legit shot to make the playoffs, and about 60 to 70 percent of them could make a real case for going to, and winning, the Super Bowl. Lets go.

At number 16 I have Washington. I will not say or write the team name because it is offensive, so henceforth they will only be known as Washington. Washington has a QB problem. They cannot decide what to do with Kirk Cousins. Cousins is not a bad QB, but a 20 million plus a year QB? No way. He is not nearly that good. Off the top of my head there are many other QB's I'd want before Cousins name would even come up. Give me Brady, Rodgers, Newton, Wilson, Matt Ryan, hell, I'd even take Ryan Tannehill before Cousins. But, Washington is, by mistake I believe, doing the smart thing in franchising him. Make him continue to prove himself, then let someone like the Browns or 49ers throw way, way too much money at him when he has already played his best football for you. They have done it ass backwards, but it has been the "smart" move. The skill players are fine, but they did lose Desean Jackson this offseason. That is going to hurt, and hurt a lot. He was their deep threat. They do have Jordan Reed, and when he is healthy, he is good. They signed Terelle Pryor, and if last season is any indication, he is becoming a legit NFL wide out, just not a number one receiver. I like Josh Doctson, but he was seemingly injured all last season. Jamison Crowder is okay. That is the best way to describe the receivers, okay. Matt Jones was a revelation for the first half of last year, but then the NFL figured him out. Same thing can be said of Robert Kelly. Big runner, but can't really separate, and even though he is big, he gets tackled fairly easily. Their O-Line is rarely talked about, but that is good. That means they are doing their jobs. Washington's defense is, quietly, kind of good. Ryan Kerrigan is a very good pass rusher. Josh Norman, who kind of took a step back last year, is still a very good corner. He guarded the best receiver on the opposition every game last year, expect for the Giants games. That was very much publicized. Trent Williams is a very good defensive tackle. Su'a Cravens seems to be coming along nice. And Junior Gallette is still producing. Washington has a pretty decent defense that can stop teams. Their offense is what keeps them back I feel. They rely on Cousins, and he just isn't elite. He is more Joe Flacco than Aaron Rodgers, and he will continue to take them to the first round of the playoffs, and get beaten like a drum.

Coming in at number 15 I have the Houston Texans. Okay, Houston has the best defense in the NFL right now. Better than Denver, Seattle, anyone, in my opinion. They are so good on that side of the ball. JJ Watt, even though he never gets any criticism for some weird reason, is great. He is awesome, when he is healthy. I just wished he got the same judgement for his celebrations like Cam Newton gets. Jadeveon Clowney is awesome, but he is another guy that cannot stay healthy. But, when he is out there, he is great. Brian Cushing, who loves his steroids, is a tackling machine. As long as he isn't suspended for violating the NFL's drug policy, he produces. They lost AJ Bouye, but they have guys that can step in. Johnathan Joseph immediately comes to mind. Oh, I forgot about Whitney Mercilus on the D-Line. He is inconsistent, but when he is on he is dominant. This defense is awesome. Now, we must address the offense. First thing, I love that they moved up to take Deshaun Watson. I think he is going to be great and I think he can be the franchise guy they are looking for. I also love how they fleeced both Brock Osweiler and the Browns. Both brilliant moves by their front office. I also really like DeAndre Hopkins. He may be the most underrated receiver in the NFL. He is a legit number one. After that though, the Texans offense kind of falls off. Will Fuller, Braxton Miller and Jaelen Strong are not top level guys. At running back they have Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue. Miller was supposed to be Arian Foster's replacement, but he never really played out last year. And when Blue got his shot, he wasn't much better. The O-Line is okay, but not great. The tight ends are old school tight ends, and that doesn't work in the modern NFL. Houston is helped out by their atrocious division and their incredible defense. If Watson is the player I think he can be, this team could be a real threat. But that means counting on a rookie in the NFL. That is a scary proposition. The Texans will be in the playoffs, but the development of Watson throughout the year will be the factor in how far they go.

At number 14 I have the Philadelphia Eagles. Some may think this is too high, but I think the Eagles will surprise a lot of people this year. They could beat out both the Cowboys and the Giants in their division this year. I think a lot of people are sleeping on this offense. I think Carson Wentz is a decent QB. He is a hell of a lot better than Jared Goff, the guy taken before him last year. He performed much better than I expected last year. Add the fact that he has a legit receiver now in Alshon Jeffrey, and I think he will make the leap this year. Nelson Agholor is also an underrated, decent receiver. Don't sleep on the Torrey Smith signing either. He may have looked bad last year, but the 49ers offense was a mess. He will look much better this year. Zach Ertz is like a poor man's Greg Olsen or Martellus Bennett. He's a decent blocker but a much better pass catcher. He is reliable. I know they cut Ryan Matthews, but they still have Darren Sproles, and this is his last season. He has said he is done after this year. I feel like he is going to completely ball out. They also signed Legarette Blount. This backfield is filled with experience and winning. I like this backfield. Also, I forgot to mention the signing of Chris Long on defense. He has been great everywhere he has played. And Brandon Graham, a Michigan man, has gotten better every year. The Eagles are a good football team. They can, and probably will, surprise a lot of people. I know most people are penciling in the Cowboys in that division, but do not sleep on the Eagles. I like this team.

The final team for today, number 13, is the Denver Broncos. Last year many people thought was an aberration. I do not agree with that. The Broncos still have an incredible defense. Von Miller may be the best linebacker since LT. I'm not kidding. This guy is amazing. He recently said that he thinks 30 sacks in one season is attainable, and I bought it. He is the one guy that can do it. Aqib Talib, even with all the headaches he brings, is one of the better corners in the league, and if he gets his hands on the ball, he is housing it. Brandon Marshall is an incredible linebacker. One of the best in the league. Chris Harris Jr is lockdown as the other corner. Bradley Robey and TJ Ward are amazing safeties. Their D-Line is very good too. The defense is not the problem. The problem is the offense, and more importantly, it is the QB. Trevor Siemian is not a starting NFL QB. He was barely a Big Ten starting caliber QB in college. Paxton Lynch looks scared and slow out there. He may be a career backup. Those are guys they are counting on to run the offense. That is unsettling. Demayrius Thomas may have already played his best football. He is still good, but he hasn't been the same the past 2 years. He drops way too many easy passes too. I like Thomas, but I feel like he may not be an elite receiver anymore. Emmanuel Sanders is a great receiver that will go over the middle of the field, but that looks to be taking its toll on him. He is still a legit deep threat, but with Siemian and Lynch throwing the ball to him, does his downfield speed really matter? I don't think so. The Broncos do have a lot of options at running back, but none of them are great. CJ Anderson was supposed to take a big step last year, he did not. He barely got 3 yards a carry. Devontae Booker may be the future, but he doesn't get enough touches. They signed Jamaal Charles, but can he stay healthy and will he even be on the team when the season starts? Both are reasonable questions. The Broncos have an incredible defense, but the offense is very far behind due to the lack of a quality QB. They also play in a very, very good division. Wins will be hard to come by, but the defense will keep them in every single game.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He enjoyed being on the path of totality for the great eclipse of 2017. He thought his regular sunglasses would be sufficient to see the show. He is now unable to read this sick burn. (Just kidding, he watched it all through his homemade space toy).

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Ty has Three Questions and One Plea for Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson gives lions a good name. I hope he doesn't leave

With the news of Calvin Johnson retiring, I'm going to pose three questions today. Is he is truly retiring, is he trying to get a new contract, or is he trying to get out of Detroit? That's the first three things that popped into my mind and I'll try to answer each one individually today.

First, let's look at the first one, is he really retiring? I don't know, but I do know, this is the one scenario I believe the least. Sure, Peter King, who's a total idiot and 100 percent in the bag for the NFL and Roger Goodell, was on "PTI" yesterday and he didn't hesitate when asked if he was really retiring. He was quick with an emphatic yes. He seems to think that the NFL has taken a toll on his body. Other journalist seem to agree with this assessment. And yes, he has been in the league for almost 10 years now, and that will take a toll on your body, especially when you are the number one receiver on your team. Not only was he the number one guy, but he was, as little as two years ago, the best receiver in the game. He was unstoppable. Matt Stafford would throw into double and triple coverage over and over again and Johnson would some how come down with the ball. That being said, he would end up getting hit a lot more than say a Dez Bryant or a Demaryius Thomas. Those guys had QB's that would throw the ball to the outside or low so they could get out of bounds or down to the ground without absorbing multiple hits. That's not the case for Johnson. He would go after every jump ball and every pass over the middle, no matter what, subjecting himself to getting blown up by safeties and linebackers alike. And, in the past two years, while he's been great, he hasn't been the same player that he was. He was dropping more passes and fumbling the ball a lot more. I personally think he was trying to protect himself, the right thing to do, and that was causing the new problems. So, yeah, maybe he is actually retiring. One person can only take so much pain and hitting and it's his right to walk away if he wants to. I just don't buy it, in my personal opinion.

The next question I will try to answer is, is he trying to get a new contract. Let's face it, football has the shortest shelf life as far as a career in pro sports goes. Players are lucky if they can play for 10 plus years and they will still walk away with lifelong injuries. Players can also get cut at the drop of a hat. Look at a guy like Steven Jackson. He was one of the top running backs in the league less than 5 years ago, he leaves the Rams, joins the Falcons, barely plays and gets cut before this season starts. Sure, he got signed by the Patriots at the end of the season, but that's because they were desperate for a running back. These guys need to get contracts that benefit them because of how short their careers usually are. And the contracts, they are, for the most part, extremely heavy with almost impossible bonus goals. Some guys have clauses in their contract that have things like, score 20 rushing touchdowns or get 20 receiving touchdowns or record 22 sacks or throw 45 touchdown passes or have 125 catches or get 10 interceptions. They want these type of things done in one season. That's insane and damn near impossible. The last QB to throw for more than 40 TD's in a season was Peyton Manning two years ago. Sure, Julio Jones had 125 plus catches this year, but he had to average damn near 10 catches a game. I can't think of the last running back to rush for 20 plus touchdowns. And I don't think any cornerback has had more than 10 interceptions in a season. These contracts are ridiculous. With that being said, Calvin Johnson is probably trying to restructure his contract to be a bit more friendly and the Detroit front office probably told him to take a hike. But now, he says he's retiring, maybe that front office will change their minds to work with their best player since Barry Sanders. That would be a smart business move by Calvin Johnson.

The last question I'll attack, is he just trying to get out of Detroit? If he is, he will have to be traded, which poses the biggest road block to this tactic. He is under contract and the only way he could leave Detroit is by trade or if they just straight up cut him. They aren't going to cut him, but what if a great deal comes across their desk? Let's look at a few contenders who could use a guy like Calvin Johnson to put them over the top. First, the New England Patriots. They don't have any decent draft picks to offer, but they have some depth at running back and on defense. They could offer up Dion Lewis, Chandler Jones and a later round pick to add Calvin Johnson. I don't think Detroit would do it, but New England would be stupid not to. Can you imagine how good their offense would be with Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Calvin Johnson. Damn that'd be scary. But, the Patriots have bigger issues, mainly their offensive line. How about the Green Bay Packers. Now, I'm sure Detroit would be very hesitant to trade Johnson to a division rival, but what if the Packers offered Davante Adams, Richard Rodgers and either James Starks or Eddie Lacy. The trade would help both teams and the Packers would have three of the best receivers in football. They could line up Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson and Calvin Johnson. That move would make me very, very happy, but I know it won't happen. One last team I want to talk about is a team getting ready to play in the Super Bowl, the Carolina Panthers. They have Cam Newton, but their receiving core leaves a lot to be desired. Guys like Jericho Cotchery and Ted Ginn Jr are only getting older and they aren't that great to begin with. They have young receivers that still need to prove themselves in Devin Funchess and Kelvin Benjamin, but add Calvin Johnson to that mix, I can't think of a better mentor for them. I'm sure they'd have to give up one of those young guys and a defensive star, say Josh Norman, but I think the Carolina front office would be foolish to not try and get Johnson to go along with Cam Newton. That would be one hell of a QB and WR combo. Johnson made Stafford look good, so think of what he would do for Cam Newton, who's already a star. I know that all these are pretty far fetched, but crazier things have happened in the NFL.

To wrap it all up, I just hope Calvin Johnson isn't really going to walk away at 30 years old. I thoroughly enjoy watching him play football and I have family members that are big Lions fans and Calvin Johnson has been their only hope for the last decade. He is an awesome football player that is in his prime and I think it'd be crazy for him to walk away, but it's his choice and his life. If he does walk away, it's been a ton of fun to see you play. But, if you stick around, which I hope and think you will, it will be a pleasure to watch you make one incredible catch after the next.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. Tune in tomorrow to the X Millennial Man and hear Ty's "big game" prediction. Once you give a listen make sure to follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.