September 12th: NFL Preview

The Patriots won the Super Bowl seven months ago, beating the Seahawks on a last second interception. It was one of the best conclusions to a Super Bowl in recent memory, leaving plenty to be excited about heading into the 2015 season.That being said, the ZP: Left Fielder takes a look at what to expect this season. Who will win each division? Who will play in Super Bowl 50? Let’s take a look!

NFC North:

1. Packers

Aaron Rodgers will be without some of his best weapons, but that shouldn’t stop him from leading the Packers to yet another NFC North title.

2. Lions

Last year’s playoff team is relatively intact, with the exception of a running back who wasn’t all that helpful, and a defenseman who was a giant distraction. They’ll be challenging for a playoff spot come December.

3. Vikings

Teddy Bridgewater left a good taste in the mouths of Minnesota fans, but will have to prove he’s the real deal. Plus, getting back the best running back in football can only help. They’re still a piece or two away from contention, though.

4. Bears

The Bears lost their top Wide Receiver and didn’t do nearly enough to improve on defense. They’ll be better than they were last year, but still no cigar.

NFC East:

1. Eagles

This pre-season, the Eagles look good. Like, really good. Chip Kelly gets to prove whether or not he’s the real deal in the NFL with a stockpile of talent.

2. Cowboys

DeMarco Murray was a huge reason this team was successful last year. This year, they’ll have to prove they can do it without him. They can, but not nearly as well. A wild card spot will be their best shot at the playoffs.

3. Giants

The Giants could be the team that surprises people. Eli Manning has learned his new system, and this could be the year everything clicks. Unfortunately, the rest of the division is too strong to leave any space for New York.

4. Redskins

Oh, poor Redskins. RGIII is done, Cousins has a lot to prove, and the Redskins are playing in a stout division. Jay Gruden came in to solve a mess, and instead became part of the mess.

NFC South:

1. Panthers

There are literally no receivers in Carolina. This is a bummer for a team with one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and a defense to keep them in the game. The Panthers will struggle at times, but they will keep pace and be there at the end for a third straight division win.

2. Falcons

Matty Ice is a huge arm that has a new toy in running back Tevin Coleman, who will complement his passing game well. The defense is a question mark, but with the offense, this team should be challenging for the division when all's said and done.

3. Saints

It wasn’t long ago that the Saints were the cream of the NFC. Now, though, they’re falling by the wayside a little bit. They lack of solid running game, and their defense is relatively nameless. With Brees and Payton, they’ll stay competitive, but they won’t be able to keep pace.

4. Buccaneers

The Buccs made some good moves to strengthen their team this offseason and advanced their rebuild well. Jameis Winston could provide to be the quarterback of the future. The future isn’t here yet, though, as Tampa Bay needs at least one more year to get to the promised land.

NFC West:

1. Seahawks

The Seahawks were 36 inches away from winning the Super Bowl, and are hungry to get back there again. They have all the tools with which to make it happen, as the Legion of Boom remains dominant and the offense continues to roll between Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch.

2. 
   49ers

San Fransisco is without it’s head coach, who we will come to find out is the genius behind the machine. Colin Kaepernick is going to bounce back, though, and the defense will show up big, as the 49ers give Seattle a hard time.

3. Rams

Last year, the Rams looked like they were a quarterback shy of a playoff run. They got what they think is their man in Nick Foles, plus Todd Gurley to boot. That being said, this team will scare me next year, but this year has more growing to do.

4. Cardinals

The Cardinals were everyone’s favorite team last year, and then got caught by the injury bug in the worst way. If everyone can come back strong, they could be in a position to compete. They won’t surprise anyone anymore, though, which means a return to earth for Arizona.

AFC North:

1. Bengals

Cincinnati has made the playoffs every year for four straight seasons (and 5 of 6), and has all the pieces to continue to succeed. They are the team everyone wants to hate on, but their run game is strong and the defense could be formidable. They lead a strong division that could include three playoff teams.

2. Steelers

Two of Pittsburgh’s best tools will be missing the first few weeks of the season, getting things started on a rough note. They will turn things around and have a strong second half, but it won’t be enough to win the division. A wild card spot will have to do.

3. Ravens

The Ravens held two leads against the Patriots during the AFC DIvisional round, but couldn’t repeat their 2012 playoff run. They’ll be in the playoffs again, but as a wild card team, as they have a bad habit of starting off slowly and heating up late in the year.

4. Browns

The Browns are a confusing team. In constant rebuilding mode, they have a quarterback that they soured on almost before he hit the field. If Johnny Manziel can pan out, this could be a big team a few years down the road. Either way, this isn’t the year in Cleveland (when have we heard that before?).

AFC East:

1. Patriots

Without Tom Brady, this team would have had a tough time. With their hero, though, the Patriots are the Patriots we all know and maybe don’t love so much. They will have an easy line to the playoffs and will get to defend their title come January.

2. Dolphins

Ryan Tannehill is slowly becoming a very reliable quarterback, and the team as a whole will see some competitive games. If it weren’t for the Patriots, they’d have a chance, but it looks like another year of watching January from their sofa.

3. Bills

The Bills are so, so close to breaking through and ending their playoff drought. Last year, all they needed was a quarterback. Well, this year, they have a fun new horse in LeSean McCoy, but are still missing the quarterback they need. They’ll miss by the slimmest of margins, and continue to suffer in Buffalo.

4. Jets

It is a circus in New York. The Jets have talent, but can’t seem to keep that talent on the field performing well. Brandon Marshall will be fun to watch, but Ryan Fitzpatrick does not a playoff team make.

AFC South:

1. Colts

The Colts sit in the worst division in football, which means many overlook the fact that they are quite good. Luck has all the weapons to be an MVP this year, and they will finally put together the pieces that brought them so close but just outside of the Super Bowl.

2. Texans

The Texans are a good team that is fun to watch. Brian Hoyer could find a good fit here, and the addition of Jadeveon Clowney for a full year will pair well with the best player in football, J.J. Watt. The Texans will threaten for a Wild Card spot, but may miss by a technicality.

3. Titans

Mariota time in Nashville is upon us. Many had their doubts, but the pre-season proved he has what it takes to run an offense. The Titans are a few pieces shy of a good team, though, and will need another year or two of rebuilding.

4. Jaguars

Because of some interception issues last year, everyone is forgetting about Blake Bortles. With T.J. Yeldon, the offense could look much better. Let’s not forget, though, that it is still the Jaguars, and will be seriously short of what they need.

AFC West:

1. Broncos

Everyone is ready to jump off the Peyton Manning bandwagon, but it’s a little early to be writing his NFL-obituary. The Broncos have a stout defense and a litany of weapons for Peyton. There is no reason Denver shouldn’t storm to a first-round bye in the playoffs.

2. Chargers

Every single year the Chargers are right there on the cusp of the playoffs. This year, they’re going to be right there again, and again fall short, as they did last year. Philip Rivers will be good but not great, as we all have learned to expect.

3. Chiefs

The Chiefs are very “take-em-or-leave-em”. Jamal Charles keeps them electric in the run game, and Alex Smith is fine, but not great. The defense could be a bright spot, but this team has no flash to make a run for bigger than 9 wins.

4. Raiders

The Raiders have been rebuilding for about a decade now. Derek Carr is a huge step in the right direction, and Amari Cooper is a great target for him. That being said, the Raiders have more work to do to make it happen. Maybe in another decade...

NFC Championship Game: Seahawks over Eagles

The Legion of Boom squares off against the Legion of Zoom. Both flying teams will have momentum on their side after big finishes to the regular season. The Hawks have been there before, though, as Wilson shows Sam Bradford what winning in January looks like.

AFC Championship Game: Colts over Broncos

A rematch of last year’s AFC Divisional round, the Colts will be flying high after taking down the Patriots a round earlier, while the Broncos will have squeaked by the Bengals on the strength of their defense. It will be on of the best League Championships in recent memory, with Luck leading the Colts to his first taste of the biggest show.

Super Bowl 50: Colts over Seahawks

The Seahawks have been here three straight times, but it is the Colts’ high flying offense that will hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Luck is the MVP with a game winning drive with two minutes to go, while Marshawn Lynch gets plenty of touches by no pay dirt. Colts take home the ring in Super Bowl 50.

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June 30th: Holding Out for a (Football) Hero

Hockey season is over. Basketball season is over. Too much of America is baseball illiterate. Which means it is officially time to start beating the football horse to death.

Training camp is right around the corner, and teams begin to get their first look at what the 2015 season will look like on the turf, as well as on paper. This is, of course, assuming the players show up.

Some don’t, you see. Some players are going through contract negotiations, and choose to sit out of training camps and workouts, in favor of holding out for a bigger contract. Some are worried about their health, and don’t want to hurt themselves during an active contract conversation. Others feel under-valued, and are going to remain off the field until they get what they believe they so rightly deserve.

Adrian Peterson tried the tactic, hoping to get traded by the Minnesota Vikings, a team he felt didn’t do enough for him while he was experiencing legal problems last season. Martellus Bryant, the Bears Tight End, stayed (loudly) away from optional mini camp, telling reporters that he was looking for a new deal. Dez Bryant, after being franchise tagged by the Cowboys, feels slighted that he isn’t able to provide for his family (yeah, he tweeted about how 13 million won’t cut it because, ya know, #Family1).

As a football player, you are being paid millions of dollars to play the sport you love. You sign a contract to play ball and come to practice, and are asked to do your job. For these men to refuse to play or participate because they are engaged in discussions for their NEXT contract is ridiculous. You have a job to do, and you should be executing on it.

If I were an executive for a day, I wouldn’t entertain the notion of a holdout. You want to take yourself off the field to get more money out of my team? Good luck with that. Teams should have no faith in a player who is willing to put his own paycheck ahead of the team that he is already under contract to play for.

You don’t see baseball players hold out. Baseball players talk contract during the off-season, then put it on hold from March to October. Hockey players and basketball players don’t hold out. They wait until the offseason to do their contract work. Sure, football is a more violent sport, with a much greater chance for injury, but that doesn’t change the fact that players know what they sign up for.

Even more importantly for the sports world: fans don’t hold out. You don’t get to stop going to work because you don’t think you get paid enough or don’t think you have enough job security. Go ahead and try it if you want; you’re going to get fired. Football players should be held to the same standard. You signed a contract to play football. So go play football. If not, don’t expect to play football later.

I understand the need to take care of one’s family, especially in a sport as violent as football. Football players have an average career length 3.3 seasons long (according to the NFL Players Association), so players have to do everything they can to line up their contract before injury catches up to them. That can’t come at the expense of the team dynamic, though, and should be all squared away by the time players are ready to take the field. If they aren’t, then it is time to play out the contract you have, and prepare for next off-season, when you can get the chance to look for a new one. Any player who holds his team hostage because he is unhappy with his current deal isn’t really aware of the way the business world works, and should not be expected to contribute to the team in a positive way.

Players are a vital part of the football experience, of course, and teams should be doing what they can to look out for the individuals that make the game what it is. That being said, the players need to remember that a contract is their agreement to be on the field when they are expected to be there, and should be honored, regardless of a desire to get a new, better one.

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November 27th: NFL Week 13 Predictions

Last week, the ZP: Left Fielder went 13-1-1 (we didn’t make a pick in the Bills-Jets game. It must have gotten lost in the snow.) That was by far our best week of predictions, which means we are ready to gaze again into the crystal ball. This week features seven games with serious playoff implications for both teams. By next Tuesday, the playoff picture will become even more clear. Here we go:

Bears at Lions

All of a sudden, the Bears have won two in a row and the Lions have lost two. Is this a ray of hope for Chicago? Nope. The Lions will be looking for blood on their favorite holiday and Jay Cutler will have a false sense of security. This will get ugly early.

Eagles at Cowboys

This is one of the best match-ups of the year, and one everyone has been looking forward to. I’m expecting the Cowboys to be playing with some grit, and look to score home-field advantage. I see this as a home victory, while the Eagles will get revenge soon.

Seahawks at 49ers

Last week’s beatdown of the Cardinals could be all it takes to launch the Seahawks right back into it. I see them as a scary team, no matter what their record might say. The 49ers, meanwhile, have been nothing better than “fine” this year, and it will take better to beat the defending champs.

Chargers at Ravens

Oh, how far the Chargers have fallen. They barely squeaked by the Rams, and while the Ravens had a strong win against a home-dominant Saints team. The AFC North is the strongest team in the league, and I see the Ravens only getting stronger.

Browns at Bills

The Bills have taken advantage of a relatively easy schedule to jump out to a decent record. The Browns, meanwhile, are keeping pace against the incredibly talented AFC North. They keep things interesting by making it to 8-4.

Titans at Texans

The Texans look to be a quarterback away from a chance at the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Titans look a team away from winning anything. Zach Mettenberger should wear a GoPro so he can get a photo of J.J. Watt sacking him this time.

Redskins at Colts

Colt McCoy, the third string quarterback, actually gives the Redskins a better chance, but not when he’s facing off against Andrew Luck. The Colts should take the rest of their season to focus on how they’re going to string together a playoff run.

Giants at Jaguars

Hey, look! It’s a team the Giants can actually beat! While the rest of the world is now squarely on the Odell Beckham Jr. bandwagon, the Giants blew a lead against the Cowboys. The Jaguars are a great opportunity for them to bounce back.

Panthers at Vikings

I loved the Panthers last year, and it makes me sad to see how badly Cam Newton is struggling in Carolina. That being said, the Vikings are just good enough to get teams to actually try hard, but not good enough to be able to compete.

Saints at Steelers

The Saints are limping their way into being the best terrible team in the NFC South. The Steelers are as unpredictable as they come, but should be able to keep the Saints honest. Plus, against the Saints, Big Ben has the arm to win a potential shoot-out.

Raiders at Rams

Well, we can say the Raiders at least won one. At the same time, the Rams have been playing hungry, with big wins against the Seahawks, 49ers, and Broncos. I think the Rams might be a forced to be reckoned with in the future.

Bengals at Buccaneers

The Bengals, like the Steelers, are utterly unpredictable. That being said, the Buccaneers couldn’t get the win against a pretty awful Bears team, so the Bengals shouldn’t even have to break a sweat.

Cardinals at Falcons

The loss to Seattle should dent the Cardinals’ confidence just a little, but this Falcons team should offer an awesome opportunity to bounce back. The bigger concern is no longer if the Cardinals will make the playoffs. It is what they’ll do when they get there.

Patriots at Packers

This is the game that everyone wants to talk about. Both teams have appeared nearly unstoppable since Week 5, but one will have to take a loss here. I’m going home-team, although I don’t like picking against Tom Brady.

Broncos at Chiefs

Two weeks ago, this game was being billed as the game that would decide everything. Now, the Broncos look like a team biding their time for the playoffs and the Chiefs look like a team that lost to Oakland. I think it will be close, but not THAT close. Never Bet Against Peyton (from now on, NBAP)

Dolphins at Jets

Miami was one quarter away from pulling off an upset against the Broncos last week. Unfortunately, Peyton was Peyton, and that was that. The Jets are turning to Geno Smith (again), but it won’t do them any good. This team can’t wait for this miserable year to be over.

Playoff Outlook based on ESPN Playoff Machine:

AFC:

Seed 1 - Patriots

Seed 2 - Broncos

Seed 3 - Steelers

Seed 4 - Colts

Seed 5 - Ravens

Seed 6 - Bengals

NFC:

Seed 1 - Packers

Seed 2 - Cowboys

Seed 3 - Seahawks

Seed 4 - Saints

Seed 5 - Cardinals

Seed 6 - Lions

January 18th: THIS Given Sunday

If the television networks and journalism community could have a meeting at the beginning of the year and write a script for the NFL season, I’m sure they would in a heartbeat. This year, though, it doesn’t look like they would have needed to. They are getting everything they could have dreamed of.

The NFL Conference Championship games are to play this weekend, with the Broncos hosting the Patriots in the AFC and the Seahawks squaring off against the 49ers in the NFC. Both games feature rematches of earlier regular season games. The Broncos and Patriots game went to overtime. The Seahawks and Niners split their season series.

That would have been enough to set the stage for an epic Sunday of football. Now enter the quarterbacks. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are the golden boys of the NFL. Each has almost 2 decades of success in the league, with a combined four Super Bowl rings. Yet, each has something to prove. Of those four rings, only one belongs to Manning, who has been accused of being a regular season stud and a post-season dud. Brady, on the other hand, has made two Super Bowl appearances in the last 5 years, and failed to win it both times. He and his depleted wide receiver corps are playing with a chip on their shoulder, looking to prove that the Patriots are truly the sum of its (somewhat undersized) parts.

In Seattle, the contrast is a little more conflicting, rather than complimenting. Russell Wilson is clean-cut, well-spoken, and proper. He plays with a good head on his shoulders, and uses his small size to make a big statement. Colin Kaepernick is tattooed, edgy, a fierce competitor, with huge physical talent and a cannon for an arm. Both have been in the league for a fraction of the Manning/Brady era, yet have already accumulated wins at a historic pace.

The NFL TV community loves to say “Any Given Sunday.” Basically, anyone can beat anyone else if all of the pieces fall into place. This often leads to the playoffs looking nothing like they did in the predictions issued at the beginning of the year.

This year, the parity in the league was even more intense. There was a graphic that showed how each team has beaten a team that beat someone else, winding around in a circle. It was meant to prove that, if the Broncos beat the Chiefs, who beat the Cowboys, who beat the Eagles, all the way around and around until the Bengals who beat the Patriots, who beat the Broncos, than the league has reached a certain level of competition.

The matchups this weekend, though, were exactly as many envisioned. It also shows, only mildly arguably, that the best four teams in the sport are playing for a chance to go to the Super Bowl.

With plenty of storylines, these matchups offer the kind of television that CBS and Fox Sports producers can drool over. No matter what happens in the game, nothing is as good for them as a matchup that Sportscenter can’t stop talking about.

The scores, of course, are much harder to predict, but that didn’t stop every sports analyst from attempting it. Vegas has the Broncos and Seahawks as the favorites, while many others believe that the underdog role suits both the 49ers and Patriots just fine.

None of it really matters. What does matter is that, on Sunday, every NFL fan will be glued to the television. Because as much as we love a surprise hero or a Cinderella, we save our big dances for the kings of football.