Divisions to Watch in 2017 Part 5 NFC East

Divisions to Watch in 2017 Part 5 NFC East

Robert Knuckles

“Best division to Watch in Football”

For the past couple of years the NFC East was seen as a weak division in football but after watching it last year it had become very competitive and this coming year should be even more interesting to watch.

1. Dallas Cowboys

In 2015 The Dallas Cowboys were 4-12 making them last in the NFC East but with that 4-12 record got the Cowboys a high pick in the 2016 draft. The Cowboys got running back Ezekiel Elliott from Oklahoma. Arguably the best running back from last year’s draft. People around the NFL was giving huge praises for the Cowboys. Tony Romo with the best offensive line, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and new running back Elliott was going to make a huge noise in the NFL but during the pre-season Romo suffered a back fracture injury against the Seahawks. Seeing Romo injured wasn’t good news for Cowboys fans until a young star named Dak Prescott came into the picture

Prescott was a fourth round pick that many people believed to be the second string quarterback to Tony Romo but Prescott soon took the league by storm. Prescott lost his season debut against the Giants but won 11 straight eventually having a 13-3 record being first in the NFC.

Prescott’s numbers for a rookie were incredible completing 67.8 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,667 yards and throwing for 23 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. Prescott’s partner in crime Elliot had a great rookie season rushing for 1,631 yards.

These two rookies led the Cowboys to the divisional round of the playoffs where they fell short to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Despite them losing Prescott led a huge comeback to tie the score before the Packers won by a field goal.

The Cowboys offense was just spectacular but their weakness was their defense and it showed in the playoffs, while their offense can compete against big time teams their defense had their troubles.

In the off season the Cowboys lost cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr. They also lost veteran safety Barry Church. The Cowboys signed veteran cornerback Nolan Carroll but it wasn’t enough to fill in the other huge roles.

In the draft the Cowboys got defensive end Taco Charlton to help with their pass rush. In the second round they drafted cornerback Chidobe Awuzie who can potentially start.

The Cowboys did address their problems but they are asking a lot from their rookies. Can these rookie cornerbacks make a huge impact? We’ll have to see.

2. New York Giants

In 2015 the Giants probably had the worst defense in the league. In the off season the Giants spent $200 million on cornerback Janoris Jenkins aka Jack Rabbit, defensive end Olivier Vernon and defensive tackle Damon Harrison. Now question comes to mind is that is the money worth these additions? Answer to that is… yes. Giants defense became one of the best in the league. Not only did the free agency signings helped but the Giants also drafted cornerback Eli Apple last year and second year safety Landon collins had a breakout year becoming an all pro safety. Dominic Rodger Cromartie had a good year as well. The offense under Ben Mcadoo was still good. Eli Manning had weapons in wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard and Victor Cruz coming back from a devastating knee injury. Now despite all these weapons the offense line was bad, there was no running game and Eli didn’t have the best year.

In the off season Giants released Cruz and Rashad Jennings and signed veteran receiver Brandon Marshall which was one of the biggest moves this offseason. Brandon Marshall is itching to make his playoff debut and he might just do that with the Giants this year. Not only is Marshall a great addition but he can also be a mentor for Odell. In the draft Giants got tight end Evan Engram making the case that for the first time in his career Eli Manning has four great weapons and giving defenses big trouble.

Many people say that the Giants defense are the Cowboys Kryptonite last year but will the Cowboys finally get the upper hand on the Giants? We’ll have to see.

3. Washington Redskins

This could be a surprise for some people. With their general manager Scot McCloughan being this off season the franchise seems to be sinking and with the handling of Kirk Cousins contract doesn’t look good. To make matters worse they lost Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon two huge targets for Cousins.

In free agency the Redskins signed wide receiver Terrelle Pryor from the Browns on a one year prove it deal. They still have Jordan Reed, Fat Rob and Josh Doctson. In the draft Redskins addressed a serious need in defense. Redskins drafted defensive end Jonathan Allen and his teammate linebacker Ryan Anderson. These two can be potential starters and help this defense. This team can be a sleeper in the NFC East

4. Philadelphia Eagles

Another sleeper of the NFC East. The Eagles were off to a good start with a 3-0 record with rookie quarterback Carson Wentz but everything started falling apart after the bye week and finished 7-9.

The Eagles got busy in the off season. They got rid of Connor Barwin due to his performance. They signed defensive end Super Bowl Champ Chris Long to replace Barwin. They also acquired defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan in a trade who’s excited to play in a Jim Schwartz's defense. The Eagles did have trouble with sacking the quarterback. They would create the pressure but just not finish.

Eagles got weapons for Wentz by signing receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith to help take the pressure off Jordan Matthews. Eagles probably had the worst wide receiver core due to A LOT of dropped passes. The Eagles also got guard Chance Warmack to add more depth to the offensive line.

In the draft Eagles got defensive end Derek Barnett who broke the legendary Reggie White’s sack record. In the second round Eagles surprisingly got cornerback Sidney Jones who suffered an achilles injury at his Pro Day. It’s been said that Jones was the best cornerback in the draft before suffering his injury. Now he might not play this season but it’s about future and the Eagles might have gotten their future cornerback. In the third round Eagles draft another cornerback in Rasul Douglas who could potentially start but he’ll be competing against Jalen Mills and Patrick Robinson.

After the draft Eagles still needed a running back. Ryan Mathews can’t stay healthy and doesn’t seem to be he’ll be on the Eagles roster this year. Surprisingly Eagles signed two-timed Super Bowl Champ running back Legarrette Blount. Blount is a huge upgrade at running back. He’s a strong runner and can run up the middle and can set the tone for other running backs in Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles. This is a different time from last year and expect the Eagles to make some noise this year.  

In the end every team has a shot to win this division. It might be the toughest and most funniest division to watch. The NFC East has to face the AFC West and the NFC West so their schedule will be a lot tougher.

Now every team does have a weak point. Dallas with their secondary. They lost three of their starters and Nolan Carroll got arrested recently so he might be suspended. So can these rookies make an impact?

The Giants do have weapons on the offensive side of the ball but what about their offensive line and running game?

The situation going on with the Washington Redskins. Can Kirk Cousins come through at big moments and get them over the hump? And after what happened in the off season does Cousins want to even play in Washington?

Philadelphia Eagles secondary still might be a problem. You have two good safeties in Rodney Mccloud and Malcolm Jenkins but they have two rookies and a second year player in Mills. Robinson is the only real cornerback veteran, so teams might target the secondary a lot.

The whole Nation should pay attention to the NFC East. Just like cornerback Josh Norman said “It’s going to be a battle.”

Divisions to Watch in 2017 Part 4 AFC West

Divisions to Watch in 2017 Part 4 AFC West

Robert Knuckles

“Everyone has a chance”

I can’t wait to talk about this division. For the past couple of years the AFC West ras run by the Denver Broncos but last year the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs showed Denver that you guys aren’t winning the division. Quarterback for the Oakland Raiders Derek Carr had a great year completing 63.8 percent of his passes and throwing for 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. Carr’s tremendous season came to an end in week 16 when he suffered a broken fibula.

Now despite Carr’s injury I don’t think they would’ve won the division. The Chiefs were the only team that didn’t lose to a division rival and those games can play a crucial part of winning a division. Denver and the Los Angeles Chargers fell short of making the playoffs but after this draft and free agency I believe every team has a shot of winning this division.

1. Los Angeles Chargers

I’m going to start off with the team that finished last in the division. In a division that's dominated by defense quarterback Philip Rivers and his offense look to show that they can be problem for Denver and Kansas City. The Chargers drafted wide receiver Mike Williams who’s one of the best receivers coming from the draft the draft next to Cory Davis. Williams is like a Dez Bryant. He can’t break coverage but is a physical freak and locate the ball. Put Williams on the opposite side of Keenan Allen can bring problems to corners. The Chargers still have Pro Bowl Tight End Antonio Gates and young running back Melvin Gordon who looks to make 2017 a breakout year.

Now the defense might not be to the level of their offense but defensive end Joey Bosa had a great rookie season with 10.5 sacks and won defensive rookie of the year despite not playing a full season. Cornerback Casey Hayward had his best season leading all cornerbacks with seven interceptions and got in his first Pro Bowl.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Next we’ll talk about the Division winners. In free agency they got defensive tackle Bennie Logan which probably had to be the biggest move. They also probably had the biggest surprise in the draft by getting quarterback Pat Mahomes in the first round. Many people were scratching their heads but at the same time people have to look quarterback Alex Smith. Smith hasn’t been getting the job done in big time games. Smith couldn’t get anything going in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Steelers. Coach Andy Reid pretty much did something similar in Philadelphia when he drafted Donovan McNabb when they already had a quarterback in Doug Pederson. Now Mahomes isn’t going to be the starter but Smith is playing with a chip on his shoulders and has to perform great. Kansas City defense will still be great with Justin Houston, Marcus Peters, Eric Berry and adding Logan will help.

Offense is the biggest question. The Chiefs still have receiver Jeremy Maclin, Tight End Travis Kelce and superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill who’s just a stud and can play anywhere. This team can win the division but when it comes to the big moments what can Smith do?

3. Oakland Raiders

Next is the team that many people believe can give The Patriots problems this season and maybe even go to the Super Bowl. Raiders had a great offense this past year with Derrick Carr. Carr’s offensive line was the 4th best in the NFL giving Carr great protection and giving huge holes for the running game. Carr has a great wide receiver duo in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Now they did lose Latavius Murray to the Vikings in free agency but they got Marshawn Lynch to come out of retirement and this has to be one of the greatest stories. Lynch is an Oakland kid that loved the Raiders and during his time playing in Seattle he would always spend time in Oakland and helping out the community.

Now people say that Lynch won’t dominant due to missing a year of football but some don’t see it that way. Lynch will be playing for his hometime something that he has dreamed of doing. Lynch will have plenty of motivation to get back to beast form and he’s playing behind one of the best lines football unlike in Seattle.

Oakland’s defense was their kryptonite. Most games Oakland’s defense had at least 30 points scored on them. Free agent linebacker Bruce Irvin didn’t have an impact but looks to bounce back in 2017. They still have big time stud Khalil Mack who looks to get paid big after the 2017 season. Now last year the Raiders drafted safety Karl Joseph in the first round. He played okay in first season and hopes to play even better this season. This year in the draft Oakland got cornerback Gareon Conley in the first round. A corner that the Raiders desperately needed. Now Conley is still being looked into with the rape allegations but the Raiders believe that he’s innocent. If they didn’t then why draft him? In the second round they got safety Obi Melifonwu. It doesn’t hurt to have depth in the secondary. Now Oakland only has this year and next year before they move to Las Vegas so this team will be motivated to win championship for this city. The Oakland Raiders have return to dominance.

4. Denver Broncos

Another team that I have bouncing back are the Denver Broncos. Denver does have a couple question marks starting with quarterback position. Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch are young so time will tell to see if these young guys can get the job done. The offensive line was a problem last season and they seemed to fix that by getting guard Ronald Leary in free agency and drafting offensive tackle Garett Bolles in the first round.

The other big issue with Denver was the fact that they were ranked 28th against the run. They hope to change that by getting nose tackle Domata Peko and defensive end Zach Kerr. Denver still has the best secondary in the league.

Now we still have to see how Denver’s offensive line can do this season and we also have to see what their front seven can do to stop the run and last but not least who’s going to be the starting quarterback? Is it going to be Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch? And whoever starts will they be able to elevate their game.

Every team in this division has a shot to win. Now the AFC West do have to face the NFC East, a division that is on the rise so they have a challenge and it’s going to be a fun division to watch.

Divisions to Watch in The 2017 Season Part 3 AFC North

Divisions to Watch in The 2017 Season Part 3 AFC North

Robert Knuckles

“This Might Surprise People"

Time for another Division to watch article. I hope you guys enjoy reading these articles as much as I did writing them. Now this article might surprise people a couple mainly due to the fact of a certain team that’s going to be on there. So let’s dive right into it and talk about the AFC North.

1. Cleveland Browns

So let's start with the team that had the most first round picks and that's the Cleveland Browns. Like i said before this pick might surprise some people but I really believe Cleveland has something special coming up. In the draft the Browns got defensive end Myles Garrett from Texas A&M, safety Jabrill Peppers from Michigan and tight end David Njoku from University of Miami, all of this in the first round. They have all this young talent that coach Jackson hopes to make into big time players. Garrett was the first person drafted whom people argue is the best person in the draft. Now people have been questioning Garrett’s work ethic so now he’s pretty much playing with a chip on his shoulders.

One questionable pick is Jabrill Peppers. Now no one knows what position he’ll play. Peppers only got one interception as a safety. He’s going to need more than that to play safety in the NFL and he’s going to learn how to cover. Peppers also played linebacker but he’s pretty small for a linebacker. All we do know that Peppers is an athlete. Jackson is going to have a position for him. From what I heard there were rumors that they might put Peppers as a wide receiver.

In the second round they drafted DeShone Kizer from Notre Dame who can possibly be their franchise quarterback. He might be red shirted but don’t be surprised if he does play. Jackson see’s something special in Kizer so time will tell.

Now I don’t see the Browns winning the division but I can see them being very competitive and having all this young talent can show a bright future.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

Next we have the division winners the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the 2016 the Steelers had a high power offense with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown who many people argue is the best receiver and running back Le'veon Bell who many people also argue is the best running back in football. The only problem with the Steelers is their defense. In the draft they got inside linebacker T.J. Watt from Wisconsin to help with the front seven. They also drafted running back James Conner from Pitt. Bell will sometimes get injured or get suspended so they'll need depth with the running back position. Deangelo Williams is a pretty good back up but having three headed is extremely helpful.

Martavis Bryant will be coming back from missing a full year for violating League’s substance abuse policy. With Bryant coming back takes the pressure off of Brown. My only concern is Pittsburgh defense. That’s really the biggest kryptonite with this team.

3. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens playoff hopes were gone when they lost to the Steelers on Christmas Day. Ravens had one of the best defenses in the league. Their front seven was number one in the league with stopping the run but their secondary needed some help and getting cornerback Marlon Humphrey to go opposite of Jimmy Smith will help out. Humphrey can play man to man and can tackle. They also got inside linebacker Tim Williams who can possibly be Terrell Suggs replacement in the future.

Now my concern is that they didn’t draft any receivers. Steve Smith is retired and he was their best weapon on offense. The Ravens  defense set the tone this past season and I believe it will again in the 2017 season but can Joe Flacco and the offense get it done?

4. Cincinnati Bengals

Last but not least The Bengals. The Bengals seem to have a curse not getting a playoff win in over 10 years. They hope to end this curse this season. In the draft they got speed demon wide receiver in John Ross. Pairing Ross with wide receiver A.J. Green can mean trouble for a lot of secondaries. The Bengals also drafted running back Joe Mixon in the second round. In my opinion was the best running back in this draft but due to his altercation with the young woman Amelia Molitor made Mixon drop in the draft. Mixon and Molitor have resolved their issues which is good because if they haven’t it was going to be a long year for Mixon.

Mixon plans on redeeming himself this 2017 season. This offense on paper looks really good. Now their offensive line still needs help but getting Mixon will help out just a bit. If quarterback Andy Dalton can play like he did in 2015 watch out for the Bengals and maybe just maybe they’ll win the division and might finally get a playoff win.

In the end I believe that the division will come down between the Bengals and Steelers. Ravens defense will still be good but the offense has question marks and the Browns are a young team potential on the rise. It’s still going to be a fun division to watch.

Divisions to Watch Part 2 NFC South

Divisions to Watch Part 2 NFC South

Robert Knuckles

Another Division to Watch

Back with another Divisions to Watch article and this time I’m going to be talking about the NFC South. Back in 2014 The Carolina Panthers won the division with a 7-8-1 record and then in 2015 the Panthers won again with a record 15-1 while the rest of the division was no where close. In 2016 The Atlanta Falcons won the division with a 11-5 record. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were pretty close for at least making a wild card with a 9-7 record.

Now after free agency and the draft the NFC South will be another good division to watch.

1. Tampa Bay Buccs

I’m going to start off with the team that I’m most excited to watch this 2017 season. In Free Agency The Buccs got the speed demon Desean Jackson and in the draft they got Alabama Tight End O.J. Howard. This offense looks scary. You have the quarterback Jameis Winston coming off a pretty decent season, receivers in Jackson and Mike Evans and running back Doug Martin who looks like he wants to redeem himself after having a down year.

The defense is rising with defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and Linebacker Lavonte David. Vernon Hargreaves will get better and I can see this team possibly winning the division.

2. Atlanta Falcons

Now this is a bit of a tricky one for me. The Falcons had a great season in 2016 but fell short in the Super Bowl having a 28 point lead and choked in the end. In the off season the Falcons lost offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan who’s now the head coach in San Francisco. So the question comes to mind what’s going to happen to the offense and will the Super Bowl hangover effect them? Now with all the weapons on offense it’s tough to see them falling apart on offensive.

They didn’t do much in free agency they got defensive end Jack Crawford but in the draft the Falcons got defensive end Takkarist McKinley from UCLA. McKinley with linebacker Vic Beasley who led the league in sacks?These two coming off the edge will give teams problems. I also do believe the defense will get better now granted it was one of the worst in the league but at least three of the starters were rookies and Dan Quinn is a defensive minded guy coming into his third season of coaching and normally your third season is make it or break it.

3. Carolina Panthers

This is another team that I picked to have a bounce back season in 2017. They drafted running back Christian McCaffrey from Stanford that’s going to help Cam Newton. McCaffrey can play running back, receiver and returner. Now the size might worry some people especially when he’s playing the running back position and he might have a huge workload. In the second round they got wide receiver Curtis Samuel from Ohio State. Samuel can play in multiple positions in running back and wide receiver. Carolina got all these weapons for Newtown and I’m very excited to see what they are going to do.

Their star linebacker Luke Kuechly will come back so that front seven will return to its dominant position.

4. New Orleans Saints

I never want to count out quarterback Drew Brees. He’s still one of the elite quarterbacks in this league. In free agency they got running back Adrian Peterson. Now Peterson is getting old and only has a few seasons left so time will only tell to see if he can get the job done but you do have Peterson and Mark Ingram. A double headed running back that will help out the running game. I believe in the Saints offense but their defense not so much.

In the draft they got cornerback Marshon Lattimore from Ohio State who people can argue is the number one cornerback in the draft. The Saints needed him because that secondary gives up A LOT of passes being worst in the league. The Saints did draft other defensive players and they are going to need more of them. It's a start to see what this defense can do in the future.

Divisions to watch in the 2017 Season Part 1 AFC South

Divisions to watch in the 2017 season Part 1 AFC South

Robert Knuckles

Were only a couple of months until football starts. It’s only May but it will get here as fast as we know it. I want to talk about the divisions that will be very competitive after the draft and we are going to start off with the AFC South.

Many people have looked at the AFC South as the worst division in football for the past couple of seasons but after the draft and free agency I believe this will be a very competitive division.

1. Houston Texans.

The Houston Texans won the division with 9-7 with Quarterbacks Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage but the Osweiler experiment failed miserably. The only positive thing you can say about the Texans is the defense being number 1 in the league even without their star defensive end J.J. Watt. The Texans drafted Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. This could potentially solve Houston’s quarterback issue that they’ve been dealing with for a very long time. He’s the most experienced quarterback in this draft and he’s a winner. Watson will also be around great teammates with running back Lamar Miller, Wide Receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller and a pretty decent offensive line. Watson will be competing for a starting job against quarterback Tom Savage. Houston’s defense will still be dominant. It all depends on their quarterback.

2. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have won the division in 2013 and 2014 but the past couple of seasons they’ve fallen short. Colts have been having a bad defense and this year they could be a good defense drafting Safety Malik Hooker from Ohio State was a great move. Hooker is a play maker with seven interceptions and a pick six. The Colts also drafted another defensive back Quincy Wilson from Florida in the second round. This will help the secondary now they are young but it’s better to start young. The Colts signed giants Defensive Tackle Johnathan Hankins who believes this defensive can be the best in the AFC. They also signed nose tackle Al Woods, Outside Linebacker Jabaal Sheard, Linebacker Barkevious Mingo, Defensive End Margus Hunt and Linebacker Sean Spence to add more depth to their front seven.

My only concern with the Colts is the offensive line. QB Andrew Luck had one of the worst offensive lines in football. They still have weapons in T.Y. Hilton and Frank Gore who’s getting up there but the offensive line is a problem. They might get better but against Houston’s defensive line and Jacksonville defensive line will be a challenge.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Now i did say this team will bounce back in 2017 and will win the division. The Jags drafted running back Leonard Fournette. He’s a power back that will help them in the running game and also help out quarterback Blake Bortles. Their defensive is top 10 and free agency adding cornerback A.J. Bouye lining up on the other side with last year’s rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey could be a great pair of cornerbacks. Adding veteran safety Barry Church will give the secondary leadership and getting defensive tackle Calais Campbell another veteran will really help the front out. But it all comes down to Bortles. He needs to play better this season or he’s done in Jacksonville.

4. Tennessee Titans

Marcus Mariota was coming across a great season until he suffered a broken right fibula. A lot of people argue that if it weren’t for the injury the Titans would’ve won the division. Running Demarco Murray had a bounce back season after the debacle in Philadelphia. Murray rushed for 1,287 yards averaging 4.4 yards per carry. The Titans offense tends to get better by drafting Wide receiver Cory Davis from Western Michigan giving Mariota a special weapon. People could make the argument that Davis was the best receiver in this year’s draft next to Mike Williams. Davis is 6’2. A very tall and lengthy receiver, great route runner and good speed. He didn’t show the speed at the combine but he’ll definitely show it on game day.

Titans had another first round pick and they got cornerback Adoree Jackson from USC. Jackson is a great playmaker, great athlete, great speed, good punt returner. Jackson can locate the ball as well. Don’t be surprised to see Jackson line up against number one receivers. Jackson will be up for the challenge. Now getting Jackson is a good start to help out the secondary that was 30th against the pass but Mariota is only going to get better and will keep his defensive off the field as much as potential.

With all that said about every team I truly believe the AFC South will be a very tough division. Colts and Texans always get love for Sunday and Monday Night Football but now the Jaguars and Titans might get some of that love too and not only play Primetime Thursday Night Football. I’m very excited to see where this division is going to go in 2017.