Carson Wentz is a Problem.

I’m sure that you are all very much aware of how good Carson Wentz is. I don’t think a lot of people really understand the level of football IQ the guy has, his accuracy combined with his football IQ is astonishing and he looks like an 8 year vet at this point. He reminds me of a more mobile Big Ben in his prime because he just doesn’t go down. That Houdini escape from the sack against the Redskins on Monday Night Football was something I had to watch 3 or 4 times to understand what happened, his strength is just unmatched by any QB in the league right now other than maybe Cam Newton. If you did not know he was going to be a freak in the league, you didn’t watch his rookie season, that much was obvious, but there weren’t very many people that thought he was going to be THIS good. The signs were there, the only concern I had with him was his deep ball accuracy-which has obviously changed. Carson Wentz is my top pick for MVP at this point of the season. Through 7 games he has put up 17 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions with a completion percentage of 61.6, 1,852 yards and a passer rating of... Wait for it... 104. Now I know that doesn’t have anything on the rating of 120 that Alex smith has but that is only because Alex smith has somehow avoided to throw any interceptions this season, but other than that, Wentz has more TDS and is only trailing in total passing yards by about 120. I haven’t even touched his running ability yet. Wentz has amassed 196 rushing yards and has broken off 3, 20yd+ rushing plays. His ability to make plays and extend the pocket is almost comparable to Aaron Rodgers. His only flaw seems to be fumbling, flumbling 14 times last season and a total of 7 times this season, if he can get those numbers down, he could very well be on his way to being the best QB in the league. Wentz has played incredible this season and will be winning hat MVP award this year. NFC east defenses for the foreseeable future is in for a rough time.

Better early than never for finals predictions

There have been so many moves made this offseason with all-star players, that I have no doubt things are going to be shaken up for both conferences in major ways. Although every team that made major all-star moves this offseason did it with only one issue in mind; how to match up against the Cavs and the Warriors. Those teams have unreal levels of talent, it was crazy to me that a roster could be so stacked when KD first signed with the Warriors. Now I look at the Cavs roster and think the same thing, there are so many star talents on both the starting lineup and the bench that any guy could go off on a given night and handle the scoring load. In the east, I don’t think any teams are going to have the talent to match up with the Cavs and beat them in a four-game series. For that reason, I’m taking the Cavs as my finals contender in the East, without a doubt. The west is a bit of a tossup for me, because I know the Thunder have the talent to beat the Warriors, but I need to see them play together and develop some chemistry first before I can make such a bold statement. The Warriors are just the complete package of talent, chemistry, and great coaching which has led them to dominate the league the way they have in recent years. So, my pick for the west has to be the Warriors, as much as I would love to see a championship hungry Westbrook take them down. Trust me, I’m just as sick of seeing the Cavs and Warriors in the finals every year as you are, but there’s no denying their talent. This year’s finals is coming up all Cavs for me though;they know their only concern is the Warriors, and with the super team that surrounds Lebron this season, I just don’t see them being stopped in the finals. I’m sure it will come down to a suspenseful game six or seven, and the games will definitely beexciting to watch with that much talent on the floor at one time. 

​I also wanted to include my honorable mention teams as I think they have the best chance of beating the big two monsters in the NBA. These two teams are the Thunder and the Timberwolves. The Thunder are going to be so much fun to watch this year, a big three made up entirely of cold blooded scorers is a scary sight. Not to sleep on Steven Adams either, that guy deserves a lot of respect for the work he puts in on the glass and the consistent buckets he gives them in the paint. If the Thunder can get their chemistry right and figure out how to slow down the Warrior’s transition game, I think they have a good shot at beating them. Another strong contender that has what it takes to beat both super powers is the Timberwolves. I can’t begin to explain how excited I am to see this team play this year, they have a roster loaded with young talent and definitely have the athleticism to keep up with the Cavs and Warriors. Jimmy Buckets gives them a solid scorer and lock down defender that I think will match perfectly with the playstyle of Karl-Anthony Towns and company. The only downside to the Timberwolves is that they are young and injury prone, a tough combination to deal with during a championship run. Definitely keep an eye on these teams throughout the season as they are some top contenders for the throne this year.​-Tyler Smith

Don't Lose Hope, Cowboys Fans

Wow it feels great to be writing again. Last Sunday I lost my dog so I spent every hour looking for him, leaving no time to watch football, therefore I had nothing to write on. This week I am doing something I haven’t done yet, partly because I felt it would be too predictable also due to the fact that I just had other subjects to get off my chest but the time has come for me to write about the Cowboys. Now, the Cowboys have had a bit of a shaky start thus far, and really should have just one loss if it wasn’t for two choked leads in a row… believe me when I say this bye week was a gift sent from god for this team. The entire season and preseason I never really expected the Cowboys to do much this year because of the massive overhaul of their defense that the front office decided was the best course of action in order to become a better team in years to come. As the year progresses, I am starting to realize that not only the cowboys, but the entire NFC has a chance to come out as champions. (Except obvious teams like the 49ers, which if they get a nice QB they’ll be a lot better in years to come under Kyle Shanahan, but that’s for another day) Aaron Rodgers going down possibly for the season holds an immense impact on the entire NFC, opening up a new hole in the NFC for anyone to take, and my fellow Cowboys fans, I have a feeling it’ll be Dallas. Dak has been performing great, the offensive line is finally starting to gel, but the offense never really was the problem, now was it? The defense has been atrocious, but not without some flashes of what could be a step in the right direction. Anthony Hitchens and Sean Lee are both expected to be healthy after the bye, which takes an enormous load off Jaylon Smith’s shoulders, that being the major contributor to his declined level of play. The bye week also gives the D-line, a D-line that has all its starters now, a week to mesh better together. This D-line, led by DeMarcus Lawrence should be able to step up their play for the rest of the season. Chido Awuzie should be healthy as well, we still haven’t really seen what he’s capable of, however, Jourdan Lewis and Xavier Woods are playing very well and the addition of another talented DB should help the defense regardless. Speaking of Joudan Lewis, he has been playing surprisingly well, especially in his ability to tackle, recording 19 tackles in just four games. He has shown tremendous patience in coverage already recording 5 pass deflections in his 4 games, this kid’s is only going to get better and better. Now if only they would start Xavier Woods over Jeff Heath… Do I think the Cowboys’ defense could be one of the best in the league? No, maybe in years to come, but not this year. Although, I do believe they can step up with the development of their young players and pull it together to take over the void the great Aaron Rodgers left in the NFC.

D Rose is Back on the Attack

Derrick Rose stole my heart forever in his 2010-2011 MVP season, he played ball like a man possessed, and was simply unstoppable that year. Needless to say, D Rose hasn’t been the same player in recent years, mainly due to the fact that he can’t seem to finish out a season without having his knees take a crap on him. No matter how bad things looked for him though, I always knew that he would get his chance to take the league over as he did in the past, and it looks like the Cavs are gonna be the team to give him that chance. I think most of Derick Rose’s problems in recent years can be summed up in one statement he made recently when asked about what his approach to the game has been, "I was in a dark place years ago, man, By a dark place I mean, I was playing, like, revenge basketball, and that wasn't my way of playing basketball.” If you have watched any film on Rose from after his initial ACL injuries, and his trade to the Knicks, it is easy to see that this statement is nothing but the truth. He seemed to be playing like he had something to prove to the league, that the injuries wouldn’t hold him back and that he could still be the same athletically dominant player that he was before, however that was not the case. You could see his frustration constantly as he was not able to put up stats and blow by defenders so effortlessly like before.

Being a part of this Cavs superteam this season is going to put Derrick Rose in the perfect position to have the success he’s been looking for. He will not have the same pressure as before to be playing at an MVP level every night, given the fact that he has countless superstars surrounding him that can take on the scoring load any given game. If somebody would have told me in 2010 that Derrick Rose and Lebron James, two of the strongest players in the east at the time, would be on the same team one day, I would have never believed them. Now that dream has become reality however, and watching the show that this Cavs team is going to put on this season will be an honor that might just bring a tear to my eye. Considering Isaiah Thomas will be out until as late as January with his hip injury, D Rose is going to have his opportunity to show the Cavs organization what he can do with a starting role. I predict that he will come out strong and average around 20 points and 6 assists per game, and if he is able to lead the Cavs to a strong winning record, perhaps he will be able to hold onto his starting position even when Isaiah Thomas is ready to play again. Regardless of what happens this season with the superteam plagued league we are in today, I am very excited to see what Derrick Rose will do running one of the strongest squads in the NBA this season. Let’s just hope that his knees and his jumper can get on the same page this year and stay strong all 82.

-Tyler Smith: The Whitest Cracker You Know

Aaron GODgers

Aaron Rodgers is the most talented QB we have ever seen. Yes, Tom Brady is the GOAT because one SB is not comparable to five but Aaron Rodgers is the most talented and yes there is a difference. We have seen year after year that team has struggled with their run game and defense yet Aaron Rodgers seems to find a way to get it done. Never since he has been the starting QB has he ever fallen below 60% pass completions. He has had one losing season in his entire career as a starter, and that was his first year at the helm. This man almost singlehandedly brought the Packers to the NFC championship in the 2016-2017 season; beating the cowboys to get there… I’m still upset about that one. The packers without Aaron Rodgers? I wouldn’t say they would finish over 8-8, and I feel a little generous. Aaron Rodgers is somebody that you could compare to a Lebron, in which he makes his team play at a much higher level. Have I mentioned his ability to extend plays? He has a sixth sense in the pocket, has excellent accuracy on the run and if there is still no one open down field he has no problem running it himself with 2,595 yards and 25 TDs in his career. Aaron Rodgers avoids sacks with his ability to extend plays but also avoids turnovers like no one has ever seen. He has an Interception percentage of 1.6. Tom Brady’s is 1.8. Rodgers has 307 career TDs and only 75 interceptions. With his ability to sling the rock like he does in the pocket and out, his ability to avoid turnovers at an elite level and his ability to run the ball, Aaron Rodgers is the most talented QB of all time. The Cowboys play him this week, and man, I am not happy about it. Playing Aaron Rodgers is like playing Madden 18 on All-Madden against the computer, no matter what you do he always knows where to throw. Like Stephen A. Smith always says, “He’s a baaaaaaaaaaad man”.