NFL
AFC South Down the Stretch
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As we come to the stretch run of the NFL season, as expected the AFC South is still wide open for any of the teams to get on a hot streak and take over the division.
The Texans are leading the way, followed by the Colts and Titans tied for second, and the Jaguars still alive in fourth. How will the division finish up? Let’s take a look and see.
The team that has been ready to play from the beginning is the Houston Texans. The Texans are sitting atop the division with a 5-3 record including 2-0 against division opponents so far.
Despite losing perennial MVP candidate, JJ Watt, the Texans have been able to be successful under head coach Bill O’Brien. In fact, former South Carolina Gamecock and number one pick in the NFL Draft, Jadeveon Clowney, has stepped up his game enough to possibly shed the label of being one of the biggest draft busts in the NFL history.
Offensively, the Texans must get better production out of huge free agent quarterback Brock Osweiler. Osweiler has been wildly inconsistent so far this season. The Texans look to have the easiest remaining schedule of the four teams, with only one team currently with a winning record, and the Jaguars twice.
If there was a team in the AFC South that looks as though they may be starting to hit their stride, it would be the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are one game back of the Texans but still have a game left with Houston at home.
Quarterback Andrew Luck is always a threat to take over any game. The Colts have won three straight and are coming off of their toughest remaining game, a victory at Lambeau Field over the Packers. A late season trip out to Oakland could make the difference in the Colts’ season.
The surprise team in the AFC South has been the Tennessee Titans. Quarterback Marcus Mariota has seemingly come into his own on the field as both a playmaker and a team leader.
Running back DeMarco Murray has established a true running attack to balance Mariota at quarterback. Unfortunately for the Titans, they appear to have the toughest schedule down the stretch as the Packers, Colts, Broncos, Chiefs, and Texans all still remain on the docket.
Tennessee must play better in their division, as they have lost each matchup with their AFC South counterparts.
In Jacksonville, the Jaguars are sitting in last place, and while competitive, have not been able to win enough ballgames to satisfy anyone involved.
Coach Gus Bradley is fighting for his job. Intended franchise quarterback, Blake Bortles, has seemingly regressed in his play. Bradley’s forte was for tough hard-nosed defense that led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win, but to date, the Jaguars defense has been inconsistent at best.
They have not been helped out by the offense, but the dominance that was expected has not shown itself to date. The schedule eases up for the Jaguars in the second half somewhat, but they still have a pair of games against the Texans, a trip to Buffalo, and the Broncos will come to town as well. The Jags must show improvement down the stretch, or owner Shad Khan will be looking for a new head coach during the offseason.
While the AFC South gets overlooked by most of the NFL pundits, it is and has been one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL, and this season will be no different.
Look for the Jaguars to actually play the role of spoiler in determining the eventual division winner as they close the season with a road trip to Houston, at home against Tennessee, and on the road to close the season in Indianapolis.
However, when it is all said and done, look for the Colts to beat out the Texans for the division title.
Jags Next Head Coach?
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After an offseason of pundits and media touting the Jacksonville Jaguars as sleepers to win the AFC South, and possibly make a run in the playoffs, it now appears that owner Shad Kahn will look to replace head coach Gus Bradley.
The team has regressed, especially offensively, and time seems to have run out on the Bradley experience. With that being said, the question is of course, who should be the next coach of the Jaguars?
One candidate that makes the most sense is former Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith. While in Atlanta, Smith rode with young Matt Ryan at quarterback to very successful seasons early on.
Smith finished his tenure in Atlanta with a 66-46 record, and won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year once and The Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year three times.
Mike Smith earned the Falcons head coaching job by building a resume with stops at college and in the NFL. Smith is currently the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In fact, Smith has several ties to the Jaguars organization, including being the defensive coordinator under former head coach Jack Del Rio. Smith also has a solid working relationship with current Jaguars general manager, David Caldwell.
He is a solid defensive mind, but has shown a propensity to bring in the right offensive coordinator to make his team difficult to stop. Mike Smith’s tenure in Atlanta came to a negative close, as the team took a precipitous downturn record wise.
However, much of that had to do with injuries and poor draft picks by Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. Smith deserves a second opportunity to be an NFL head coach, and Jacksonville could be a great fit for both Smith and the franchise.
If the Jaguars do not listen to me and decide to go in another direction, there are others that could be the next coach in Jacksonville. Who are they? Let’s take a look at a couple of them.
The first place to start would be in the Northeast, specifically New England. The Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, has reestablished himself as a legitimate NFL head coaching candidate.
McDaniels got the head coaching job of the Denver Broncos and flamed out faster than water on a campfire.
McDaniels went back to New England, with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, that tends to make one look better, and that is why McDaniels is a big-time risk as a head coach.
It is not only the offensive coordinator, but the defensive coordinator Matt Patricia who will get a definite look for several head coaching jobs in the NFL this offseason. Patricia has done a stellar job running the defense for the Patriots, and tends to get overlooked as Tom Brady and the offense get most of the attention.
Patricia is intense and seems to have the loyalty of his players, but again similar to McDaniels, Belichick deserves the bulk of credit for the Patriots’ success. Especially the defense, as that is Belichick’s expertise. Be careful going after Patriots coordinators, the Patriots have not missed a beat when replacing seemingly irreplaceable coordinators over the years.
One sentimental choice may be the very first head coach in Jacksonville, Tom Coughlin. Coughlin had a strong run as the head coach of the New York Giants and feels as though he was forced out too soon.
How much does he have left in the tank at over 70 years of age? Players tend to tune the hard-nosed disciplinarian out over time, but if he can get the results that a Coughlin-coached team usually has, would it be worth it?
It is always a gamble when rolling the dice on a new head coach, and they often are a roller coaster ride of highs and lows.
The best bet for the Jaguars would be to give Mike Smith a second chance as an NFL head coach. Smith has the resume and the previous relationships with the Jaguars front office to make it a great fit.
Grades for the NFC South
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We’re in Week 8 of the NFL season so it’s about half way over. We have an idea who the contenders and pretenders are around the league. I’m going to take a look at the NFC South and see what grade each team earns on their midterm.
Atlanta (5-3) is first place in the division. Last season they had the same record after their first eight games. We all remember them starting hot and winning their first five games but only finishing 8-8. It appeared they might be doing the same this year after loses to Seattle and San Diego in consecutive weeks.
They scored in the final seconds to beat Green Bay 33-32. We think of Green Bay as an elite team but they are dealing with several injuries. Their top two running backs were out and they also did not have two receivers (Randall Cobb & Ty Montgomery). So, Aaron Rodgers was still able to throw for 246 yards, 4 touchdowns, no interceptions, complete 74% of his passes and rush for 60 yards with a depleted offense. That’s scary.
The defense is 25th in the league in total defense. The offense ranks first. The defense has to play better to make the Falcons contenders. They gave up a 17-point lead to the Chargers last week. They also came back to take a fourth quarter lead at Seattle but they could not stop the Seahawks offense. They could easily be 7-1 right now. I give them a B-.
Tampa Bay (3-4) is tied for second in the division. The Buccaneers are dealing with injuries to their top two running backs, Doug Martin and Charles Sims. Jacquizz Rodgers played well the last three weeks but suffered a foot injury in Sunday’s overtime loss to Oakland. He may also miss some time. Receiver Vincent Jackson was placed on injured reserve with an ACL injury.
The Bucs are shorthanded so understandably they are having problems moving the ball and being consistent on offense. Their ranked 16th in total offense and 26th in total defense. They swept Atlanta last season and beat them in the season opener. They play the Falcons at home Thursday night and a win will put them back in the playoff hunt. Expectations were low before the season started so I give Tamp Bay a C.
New Orleans (3-4) is tied with the Bucs. They had the upset of the week, beating Seattle at home. The Saints are second in the NFL in total offense and Drew Brees is still one of the best quarterbacks even in his late 30’s. He’s third in the league in passing yards and he’s completing 70% of his passes.
Have you noticed a theme yet with the defenses? It’s like a competition to see who can do worse. New Orleans is winning that with the 28th unit in total defense. The Saints finished 7-9 the last two years. I think head coach Sean Payton is in danger of being fired with another losing record. Grade: C-.
Carolina (2-5) has not lived up to expectations in 2016. The Panthers are the defending NFC Champions and they had the best record in the NFL last year at 15-1. They used to take team pics on the sideline and Cam Newton would smile and ‘dab’ after scores. Now things aren’t going so well. They lost cornerback Josh Norman and the secondary really misses him.
They gave up 300 yards to Julio Jones in Week 4 and currently rank 20th in total defense. Grade: F.
Best QB Division In NFL?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When it comes to sports, it feels like we have a statistic for just about everything. Such and such is shooting this particular percentage from beyond the arc in the right corner. This particular batter has a certain batting percentage when there are two on two out, facing a left handed batter. That team has a record of whatever when playing on the third Sunday of the month of the season, on the road, against a divisional opponent, when the game is at 4:00 and nationally televised.
For the most part, all the stats that teams take a lot of stock in are useful, but to me, nothing beats the eye test. So, I am going to attempt to write about why I think the best collection of quarterbacks in the NFL currently reside in the NFC South, without using a single stat to back it up.
To start with, let’s go ahead and eliminate the obvious divisions that are inferior when it comes to the overall play of their QB’s: NFC West (Rams and 49ers), NFC North (Bears), and the AFC North (Browns).
That’s not to say there isn’t some fantastic quarterback play coming from those divisions. It’s just that when you’re receiving the type of craptastic play those teams I mentioned are giving, you can’t really argue they’re stronger than the NFC South.
The next two divisions that won’t make it past the second round are the AFC East and AFC South. The East has arguably the best quarterback in NFL history with Tom Brady, but Fitzpatrick is playing like the guy nobody wanted to pay this offseason; Tannehill is inconsistent, and Taylor’s play gets me about excited as watching Once Upon A Time with my better half.
As for the South, I like Luck, Mariota, and Bortles, but I’m not sold on Osweiler. Throw in Blake’s disappointing season so far, and they’ll be getting their “Thanks for playing” card in the mail any day now. I will say this though, in another three years or so you may not find better quarterback play than in the AFC South.
Now, if my math is correct that leaves only two divisions left: AFC West and NFC South. I like all the quarterbacks in the West, but Winston, Brees, Newton, and Ryan are better than anyone Denver or Kansas City can throw out there. Carr is probably the only one I’d halfway consider taking over any NFC South quarterback, and that would probably be just Winston.
The NFC East is the only division I think comes all that close. Prescott and Wentz have both surprised me with how quickly they have adjusted to the league and look like they are going to be around for a while.
Cousins seem to be able to play the part, but there’s just something about him that prevents me completely buying in. And as much as I have rooted for Eli over the years, his statute of limitations for his two Super Bowls has about run out. He can still be an effective quarterback, but as of right now, he’s probably the worst of the four. Ok, maybe they’re not as close as I thought.
When they’re all on their game, the NFC South has three of the top quarterbacks in the NFL (yes, this year I’m including Ryan in the conversation) and a young QB with tremendous upside. They may not be the league’s strongest quartet down the road, but for right now they are. If you don’t believe me, I’m sure there are some stats out there to prove my point.
Falcons Flying Above Expectations
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After Week 5 there are some surprise teams in the NFL.
Minnesota is undefeated with Sam Bradford at quarterback and a historically great defense. Oakland and Dallas are 4-1. Atlanta is another team with a surprise 4-1 record. The question is are they legit?
Swimming In Shallow Water
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Cleveland Browns have basically been the punchline for any demeaning NFL joke since Bernie Kosar was their starting quarterback. If you’re not sure who Bernie Kosar is, he’s probably the guy you actually think is Vinny Testaverde.
Much to the chagrin of my father and most fans in South Florida, over the past fifteen years or so the Miami Dolphins have been giving the Browns a run for their money. The main difference being that the Dolphins seem to really be trying to win.
Crazy NFC South
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL loves its parity. It’s one of the things that has helped it thrive as a league over the years. Just about every fan base (sorry Cleveland, I’m not looking at you on this one) goes into the season with playoff aspirations and a sense that their team has it what it takes to make a run. It really is one of the beautiful things about the NFL.
Over the past decade the NFC South has taken that parity out to dinner, married it, bought it a house with a white picket fence, and introduced it to every actor/actress on its “If I ever meet this person I get to………” list.
So far this year doesn’t seem to be any different. I know it’s dangerous to look too much into any one game, but it’s hard not to walk away from the Falcons/Panthers game this weekend and see anything different than two teams headed in opposite directions.
Measuring Up Blake Bortles
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL season is underway, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to take another step toward becoming a viable playoff contender by either challenging for the AFC South title or grabbing a wild card berth.
One reason Jacksonville is looking to take strides forward is quarterback Blake Bortles. The Jaguars franchise is directly related to Bortles’s development, and his progress as an NFL quarterback.
Is Matt Ryan Answer For Falcons?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Sometimes it doesn’t take too much thought to decide whether or not a quarterback has lived up to his draft position.
For the most part, 1st round quarterbacks fall into one of two categories. You have what we’ll refer to as the “Gigli Division” consisting of guys whose NFL careers were about as successful as the aforementioned Ben Affleck movie.
Falcons’ Offense Needs To Rise Up
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons will kick off their 51st season in the NFL, with the ultimate goal to finally bring home their first Lombardi trophy.
Head coach Dan Quinn will look to improve upon the team’s 8-8 record from last season.
