Pete Carroll – The Future Is Now Sports

Week 9 Recap

Mike the Ace and D.K. review two matchup with four playoff contending teams.

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (38 – 3 Saints)
Mike The Ace @TheAceWriter

For those of you who tune in to the podcast, you may remember the NFC South Offseason Review episode from this summer. Towards the end of this episode, Chris, D.K., and I had a discussion about which team would win the NFC South title.

Chris & D.K. threw their support behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while I picked the New Orleans Saints to win the division. After a second Saints-Bucs matchup, it looks like my take will be correct. The Saints completed the sweep in dominating fashion, pummeling the Buccaneers on the road. New Orleans imposed their will on this game, dominating on both sides of the football.

Offensively, the Saints like to use multiple players to keep the defense guessing. Sean Payton is a fantastic play caller, and he gives his quarterback several options on any given play. Quarterback Drew Brees completed passes to NINE different targets in the first quarter alone. The Saints drove down the field with ease the entire quarter, jumping out to a 14 point lead.

The Saints’ defense held it down as well, not allowing a first down until about the middle of the 2nd Quarter. After the Bucs’ earned their initial, first down, Tom Brady would go to throw an interception on the very next play. Brady had a terrible night, finishing the game 22 for 38, with 209 yards and 3 interceptions.

New Orleans played this game with an intensity that Tampa Bay simply could not match. This game was over at the half, with the Saints leading 31-0.

The two Saints vs Bucs matchups we have seen do not determine the division winner just yet. The Saints have a commanding 2-0 lead on the series, but there is still plenty of football left to be played. The Buccaneers are still in good standing, sitting at a 6-3 record. The Saints are a half game ahead (6-2), but I do think the Buccaneers should be very concerned.

This matchup seems like one that heavily favors the Saints. I’ll save the details for another podcast episode, but the Saints seem to have the Buccaneers’ number. The Saints’ offensive line did whatever they wanted to do Sunday Night, and they continue to prove to be one of the best units in all of football. The NFC has some powerhouses at the top of the division, and I don’t think you can keep the Saints out of that conversation.

Seattle Seahawks @ Buffalo Bills (44-34 Bills)
DK @ayeyoo_biggs

In a battle of two playoff contenders, the Bills and quarterback Josh Allen, proved they are the real deal. Allen continued his MVP campaign through the ground and air and dissected the Seahawks secondary.

Josh Allen went 31-38 with 415 yards and 3 TDs, also adding a touchdown on the ground. I was thoroughly impressed with Josh Allen, and the way he lit up the once vaunted Seahawks defense. I guess we have to put in a caveat that the Seahawks are currently the 24th best pass defense in football, but this was still a big game for Allen. He delivered. I enjoyed seeing him and Stefon Diggs attack Jamal Adams and the secondary. I was impressed by the steady Bills’ defense, and the way they got after Russell Wilson. They did give up a few points at the end, but that was not inductive to the complete game they played. They held the Seahawks to 57 yards rushing, something I thought I would never see from a Pete Carroll offense.

Russell Wilson has started to have up and down performances, after starting off read hot and becoming the MVP front runner. This game, he went 21-41 for 390 yards, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions. One of those interceptions were in the red zone on a 4th & 1.The other interception was in the middle of the 4th quarter, where he was just trying to make something happen. He didn’t get much help in the run game as, as I mentioned earlier, only getting 57 yards on 17 attempts. That same offensive line also allowed Wilson to get sacked 5 times, causing two fumbles. I know we truly all went to “Let Russ Cook” but moving forward they will need more balance in the run game to help take some pressure off Russ and the offensive line. DK Metcalf does continue to be a bright spot for them with 7 catches for 108 and a TD.

I feel like the Bills just wanted this game more. I loved the direction they’ve been going in for a while with head coach Doug McDermott, and the defense they have built. With Josh Allen and weapons like Stefon Diggs, and the emergence of running back Zach Moss, the offense continues to get better and more creative each week.

For the Seahawks, the loss of Chris Carson is showing more and more each week. One of the former Miami Hurricanes, DJ Dallas or Travis Homer, need to step up and help out the offense and the quarterback. As for the pass defense, they are playing far below league average, and will not last long in the NFC West playoff picture if they don’t step it up.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Week 17

Michael Lipscomb

My weekly review of the games around the league. Recognizing greatness and talking a little trash! Got a problem with it? Hit me up on Twitter: @TheAceWriter or tweet at the website’s page @TFINS_

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Check out the Underrated Performance of the Week at the bottom of the page too!

The Good – Philly clinches 4th seed in NFC. Will host Seattle during wildcard weekend.
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants. Eagles win 34-17.

The Eagles were able to control their own destiny to earn their playoff spot. After conquering the Dallas Cowboys in week 16, Philly had to win their final game against the New York Giants to clinch the 4th seed in the NFC.

This game wasn’t a cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination. The Eagles didn’t take command of this game until late in the 3rd quarter. The Giants were down 20-17, and had possession of the ball.

Quarterback Daniel Jones was unable to handle a low snap, and the Eagles recovered the ball on the Giants 2-yard line. Philly would punch the ball into the end zone on the following play. The lead would balloon to 34-17 by the end of the game.

The Eagles have been one of the most up and down teams this season. It was good to see them step up and dominate the most crucial quarter of their season.

Carson Wentz completed his first full season this year. He reached 4,000 passing yards, and broke the single season Eagles passing yards record. Wentz is also the first player to record 4,000 career passing yards without having 500 yards to a single wide receiver.

Wentz and coach Doug Pederson have battled injuries and adversity all season. This offense has struggled for sure, but this tandem was able to get the job done over the month of December.

I believe Philly will be able to win their matchup with Seattle over wildcard weekend.

The Bad – Seattle Seahawks lose division title game, drop to 5th seed in NFC.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks. Niners win 26-21.

<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4gD6FVED_oFSBPxkOkgKyqtP3zOjQIF7gwIOrjwTQLZxTGbs8ARTYGiwFDEUJDZpmoa_MmEH9ahRuMl2ijybDKKtqA1e1uWXGeBKi9SFJRtUas_41nEkWdajunE9N0C3tcG774FC" alt="<p>Seattle Seahawks' John Ursua, left, makes a catch at the one-yard line to give the team a first down with less than a minute left as San Francisco 49ers' K'Waun Williams tackles during the second half of an NFL

Stephen Brashear, AP

The NFC West has been a war zone the entire season. The third best team in this division is the 9-7 Los Angeles Rams. The Rams won’t be making the playoffs this year, after losing in the Super Bowl just last season

The two big dawgs in this division are the Niners and the Seahawks. Both teams have had outstanding performances from their respective players and coaching staffs this season.

The Niners were able to travel to Seattle and claim the division title. They played a well-rounded game, and Jimmy Garrapolo made plays in the passing game to get them out to an early lead.

The Seahawks offense took forever to get going. They were down 13-0 until Tyler Lockett found the end zone late in the third quarter. As usual, Russell Wilson still found a way to rally his guys late.

Wilson and the Seahawks were able to scrap back into this game, and give themselves a chance to win on the last drive. With 2:18 left in regulation, the Seahawks worked their way down the field, but were ultimately stopped in the red zone.

The drive would end up covering 72 yards over 15 plays, but the Seahawks were denied on the 1-yard line.

In the red zone, the Seahawks made life difficult for themselves by having a delay of game on 2nd & 1, from the 1-yard line. After two incomplete passes, the Seahawks were faced with 4th & 5.

Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister was able to make the catch, but was stopped short of the end zone on 4th down. The ball was turned back over to the Niners with just 9 seconds left, and the game was over.

The Seahawks had the chance to host a home playoff game and win their division. As a 5th seed, they will be traveling to Philadelphia during wildcard weekend.

The Ugly – Patriots lose home game against Miami. Finishes with the 3rd seed in conference, missing chance for wildcard bye.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots. Dolphins win 27-24.

The Patriots will be hosting a home wild card game for the first time since 2009. New England has been to 11 straight playoff appearances, and they are a team that usually has the first round playoff bye.

Going into week 17, New England was scheduled to earn the 2nd seed in the AFC if they could beat the 4-11 Miami Dolphins. The Patriots were treating this game as a must-win situation and played all of their healthy starting players.

The Dolphins were able to take care of the defending champions on the road. The Patriots offense started out flat, and the defense kept them in the game. As the New England offense got itself together, their defense began to unravel.

Tom Brady and the Pats offense gave the team a 24-20 lead with 4 minutes left in the game. The Dolphins had nothing to play for in this game, but were determined to get this win.

The Dolphins maneuvered their way back down the field. Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick found tight end Mike Geisecki in the back of the end zone to retake the lead with 24 seconds remaining in the game.

Geisecki did a good job of winning his route against a safety in man coverage, on the 5-yard touchdown catch. The skinny post route from the 6’6” tight end would seal the deal on the regular season, for these two teams.

As the 3rd seed, New England is scheduled to face the Tennessee Titans in the wildcard round. The Titans are a surging team that has found their offensive stride since making Ryan Tannehil the starting quarterback. The Titans defense is also elite, and they threaten to knock New England out in the first round.

The Patriots could have avoided this wild card matchup by beating the worst team in their division. Instead, they have to try and stop the strong running game that the Titans present. I predict the Titans win this game in Foxborough.

No Underrated Performance of the Week this week. Instead here are my wildcard weekend predictions!

Bills over Texans
Titans over Patriots
Saints over Vikings
Eagles over Seahawks

This will be a GREAT weekend of football.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Week 16

Michael Lipscomb

The Good – Packers’ defense stands up on Monday Night Football. Green Bay solidifies themselves as elite team of NFC North.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings. Packers win 23-10.

The Green Bay Packers are the least respected 12-3 team in the NFL. It’s not difficult to understand why. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has shown signs of regression. They have a lack of explosive offense weapons on offense, and their defense has struggled to stop the run at times this season.

With all of that being said, this team is still 12-3, and will clinch a first round bye in the playoffs if they can win in Week 17.

Green Bay held strong against the 10-5 Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. This win secured the divisional crown, and put them in a prime position to make a deep playoff run.

The Packers defensive line overwhelmed the Vikings offense. Vikings’ Quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked five (5) times in this game, and the Vikings offense totaled a measly 132 yards for the game.

The Vikings were without star running back Dalvin Cook, but they did have their two star receivers available to them in this game. Adam Thielen was targeted four (4) times and did not make a single catch, while Stefon Diggs only had three (3) catches for 57 yards.

The Packers defense has continued to play at a high level late in the season. They have not allowed more than 15 points in any game, during the month of December. If this team can keep that momentum on defense, they will be a dangerous opponent to play against, come playoff time.

The Bad – Wounded Seahawks can’t get going against Cardinals. Hawks fall to 5th spot in NFC playoff seeding.
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks. Cardinals win 27-13.

The NFC playoff picture will be a toss up until the last week of the regular season is played. The Seahawks are in the middle of a heated race with the 49ers for the divisional crown. After week 16, the Saints, Packers, and 49ers all have a record of 12-3.

The Seahawks missed their chance at getting to 12-3, after losing at home to the Arizona Cardinals. This loss drops them to a wildcard spot in the NFC playoff bracket, which means they would be looking at an away game against the winner of the NFC East as the 5th seed.

The Seahawks still have a chance to win their division, but this loss probably cost them their chance to grab the top seed in the conference. With the amount of injuries they currently have, they would have benefited from having a first round bye in the playoffs.

The Cardinals pass rush gave Russell Wilson problems all game, as he was sacked five (5) times. The pass rush, along with good coverage from the Arizona secondary, limited the Seattle passing attack. Wilson completed just over 50% of his passes and gained just 169 yards through the air. He ended the game averaging just 5.5 yards per attempt.

Running the ball wasn’t an option either for the Seahawks. During the second quarter, running back Chris Carson suffered a hip injury. Later in the same quarter, backup running back C.J. Prosise exited the game with a broken arm. After the game, Pete Carroll announced that both players were done for the season.

The Seahawks run defense was also exposed on Sunday. The Cardinals ran for a total of 253 yards on 40 attempts in this game. The Seahawks will have to stop the run, no matter which team they face in the playoffs.

Seattle has a chance to bounce back after a subpar effort against Arizona. They have signed running back Marshawn Lynch in hopes of replacing the injured members of the backfield. They face the 49ers next week, and the winner takes the division title. The Hawks need to win this game and save themselves from a road trip, on wild card weekend.

The Ugly – Cowboys come out flat in battle for NFC East. Prescott and the offense gets grounded in Philadelphia.
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles. Eagles win 17-9.

Cowboys fans set themselves up for heartbreak if they had hope in this football team. The team suffered its 8th loss of the season at the hands of their bitter division rivals in Philly.

The Cowboys continued their trend of not showing up in big games. The team looked unmotivated, uninspired, and most importantly, unprepared.

Compared to Philadelphia, Dallas was relatively healthy in this football game. Their quarterback, Dak Prescott, was injured last week during their win to the rams and was clearly affected in this game. Outside of Prescott playing injured and an injury to linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas had most of their star players available.

I predicted that Dallas would win this game, and I wasn’t confident that it would be a close game, either. The Cowboys had just come off of a strong performance against the Los Angeles Rams, and racked up 44 points in the blowout.

They must’ve left their offense in Dallas, because they were unable to find the end zone against the Eagles. This same Eagles defense had trouble stopping Redskins’ rookie QB Dwayne Haskins, the week prior.

The Eagles played with a different level of intensity than the Cowboys in this game. Credit Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson, for having his guys ready to play. The winner of this game was most likely making the playoffs, and the better coached team came away with the win.

How many more seasons will Cowboys’ fans have to endure the Jason Garrett era?

Underrated Performance of the Week – Daniel Jones, Quarterback, New York Giants

From a national standpoint, I’m sure no one was paying attention to this lousy game.

The two basement dwellers of the NFC East faced off on Sunday afternoon, but the Giants rookie quarterback was able to catch fire.

Daniel Jones finished the game completing 28 of 42 pass attempts, for 352 yards and five (5) touchdowns. The biggest takeaway was the lack of turnovers! No fumbles, no picks thrown.

Watch all five of his scores, here!

Daniel Jones 28/42 352 yards
5 TD 0 INT

All 5 TD’s including a walkoff win for Daniel Jones! pic.twitter.com/guXBIsD7Rd
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) December 22, 2019