Dynasty Football

Captain of the Ship

As those of you who have followed me for a while have come to now, I am a die-hard Buccaneers fan. That has come with its fair share of agonizing seasons and this past season was no exception. With Raheem Morris (below) rounding out the trifecta of fired Florida coaches, the time has come to select a new head coach for the Bay Area.

As the hunt continues, it appears the only record the Bucs’ organization is going to break this season is most coaches interviewed. That’s not exactly what the fans (or the players) want to see but it is nice to see that they are taking this seriously.

I have a few candidates in mind and, while teaming some of these guys up sounds nearly impossible, I think they would be just the kick in the ass the Bucs need to turn it around and become serious contenders. The pieces are all there for the Bucs. When you look at individual positions, it is hard to find a weakness on this team. The problem for the Bucs is that they don’t really seem to comprehend the whole ‘team’ idea of football.

So let’s take a look at a few scenarios I think would complement the Bucs perfectly.

1. Head Coach – Mike Zimmer (left)

     Offensive Coordinator – Tom Clements

            So, Zimmer is currently the Defensive Coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and there is no doubt about his ability. He’s a great defensive guy who I think would work well with the players (he’s had his hands full of troubled players with the Bungles). But that defensive mindset would leave a glaring hole in our offense, which is why Tom Clements would be the man for the job. Clements is currently the QB coach for Green Bay (yes, he coached Brett Farve and Aaron Rogers). The key to the Bucs offensive struggles was the more than lack-luster performance by Josh Freeman this year. I think bringing in Clements as the OC allows us to be a defensive minded team (which is a good idea with our team being so young) while allowing Clements to focus in on problems with Freeman which infected our offense this year.

2. Head Coach – Mike Zimmer

     Offensive Coordinator – Rob Chudzinski

            Zimmer is picked again here for the reason given above but now I’ve swapped out Clements for Chudzinski. Now this situation is fairly unlikely but man would it be perfect. Chudzinski is currently the OC for the Carolina Panthers so odds are he isn’t going to jump ship for another OC position (especially on a team like the Bucs). But after watching him implement a system that aided in Cam Newton having one of the best statistical rookie seasons for any QB, I can’t help but wonder what he could do with Freeman and the rest of this young Buc offense.

3. Head Coach – Joe Philbin

    Defensive Coordinator – Mike Zimmer

            Philbin is the OC for the Green Bay Packers so he obviously knows how to run an offense which seems to be where the Bucs want to go with their next head coach. Again, this pairing seems like a long shot because Zimmer might not want to jump ship on the Bengals just to take another coordinator position. That being said, I think Philbin could be a great coach for this young offense. Green Bay is also a very young squad and that didn’t seem to slow Philbin down at all. Obviously I’m a big fan of Zimmer, as he has been in all 3 of these scenarios, but I think it is going to be very important for Tampa to emphasize defense if they want to be successful moving forward (just ask Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson).

4. Head Coach – Mike Sherman (right)

    Coordinator – TBD

            Another guy associated with Green Bay has his hat in the ring for this one. Sherman was a head coach for Green Bay a couple years back before going to coach for Texas A&M. He wasn’t exactly stellar at A&M but he’s got a pretty good track record otherwise. He also has ties to the Bucs front office, which is apparently why he is considered the front-runner by most. I’m not terribly excited about the idea of hiring Sherman but they must see something in him that I just can’t yet.

Note: Clements and Chudzinski are both considered prospects for the head-coaching job for the Bucs but I don’t see much of a change in the styles of those guys and Morris. Yes, I think they are actually better coaches and more equipped to handle the team but they seem to thrive as being the friend & coach as opposed to the disciplinarian the Bucs seem to need. 

Playoff Predictions

So my buddies and I threw down some cash and filled out an NFL playoff bracket. Here is what mine looks like. Tell me what you think.

WildCard Playoff:

TEXANS over Bengals

SAINTS over Lions

STEELERS over Broncos

FALCONS over Giants

Divisional Round:

PATRIOTS over Steelers

RAVENS over Texans

PACKERS over Falcons

SAINTS over 49ERS

Conference Championships:

PATRIOTS over Ravens

SAINTS over Packers

SUPER BOWL XLVI:

PATRIOTS over Saints

  Total Points = 24-21        

I wanted to place MVP Aaron Rogers in the Super Bowl for the second straight year but I also want to win my bracket. I don't see Tom Brady having any real trouble reaching the Super Bowl with the team he has around him. And I'll take Brady in a Super Bowl over any QB that has ever lived. I also don't see the Saints or Packers having any difficulty getting to the NFC Conference Championship. There I imagine Brees will just barely edge out Rogers in a surprisingly low scoring affair.

Think I'm dead on or bat shit crazy? Post a comment below and let me know.

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Week Three Top Performers & Projections

Carolina Panthers over the Jacksonville Jaguars

MVP: Cam Newton

Cam Newton’s massive numbers in the yardage category are only to be outdone by the unreal numbers of Tom Brady. I expect Cam to have another huge day against the Jags and finally get a W.

New England Patriots over the Buffalo Bills

MVP: Tom Brady

Just get used to the fact that for every week that the Patriots play I will be selecting Tom Brady as the game’s MVP and 9 times out of 10 I’ll be right.

San Francisco 49ers over the Cincinnati Bengals

MVP: Frank Gore

A pretty disappointing season for Gore so far with weak performances in the first two games, I expect Gore to come out find the endzone a few times against the Bengals. Sidenote: Anyone else think of the Bengals as a prison team more than a professional team?

Cleveland Browns over the Miami Dolphins

MVP: Colt McCoy

I don’t know why but I absolutely love this kid. He’s accurate, he’s smart, and he’s good with his feet. What’s not to like about the sophomore out of Texas?

Detroit Lions over the Minnesota Vikings

MVP: Matthew Stafford

Two weeks and two dominating efforts for Stafford. Now he faces a Minnesota team that just can’t seem to hold it together after blowing a huge lead on Sunday against the Bucs. Start him with confidence.

New Orleans Saints over the Houston Texans

MVP: Drew Brees

In what I assume will be one heck of an offensive shootout, Drew Brees wins out with just a few more weapons in the passing attack than Houston can handle. I also expect another big game for Tate if Foster is sidelined again.

Philidelphia Eagles over the New York Giants

MVP: LeSean McCoy

McCoy has been a fantasy stud the past two weeks and, while Vick has been cleared to play, I would expect Philly to utilize their ground game even more to take the pressure off of their $100 million asset. And when Eli is tossing the rock you can expect a few turnovers which are just what Philly needs to seal the deal.

Tennessee Titans over the Denver Broncos

MVP: Chris Johnson

It’s now or never for CJ2K if he wants to hold off Ringer before Tennessee decides to go to a committee system. CJ hasn’t been able to get it done and he hasn’t exactly been facing the toughest run defenses early. I expect him to finally prove to everyone he was worth that big contract.

New York Jets over the Oakland Raiders

MVP: Mark Sanchez

Sanchez has so many weapons in his offensive system and I expect him to lead the entire team to a big day. Expect this game to be high scoring with the Jets prevailing in the end.

San Diego Chargers over the Kansas City Chiefs

MVP: Philip Rivers

Jamaal Charles going out for the season all but seals the fate of the Chiefs this year. Thomas Jones is too old and Dexter McCluster is too brittle. I expect Rivers to be on the field a lot since the Chiefs will struggle to move the ball and should have plenty of fantasy points for you by the end of the 3^rd quarter.

Baltimore Ravens over the St. Louis Rams

MVP: Joe Flacco

It’s been the Ray Rice show in Baltimore the past few weeks and last week we saw their offense fizzle out in embarrassing fashion. I think Flacco will come back this week with a chip on his shoulder and start lighting it up against the Rams’ secondary.

Green Bay Packers over the Chicago Bears

MVP: Aaron Rogers

Remember that rule I had for Tom Brady always expected to get the MVP award? The same rule applies Rogers. Sidenote: IF Cutler can stay off the ground, I expect him to sling the ball around pretty well too.

Arizona Cardinals over the Seattle Seahawks

MVP: Kevin Kolb

The only week Seattle isn’t going to lose this season is week 6 when they have their bye week.  I expect Kolb to dominate Seattle’s secondary and connect on a few deep balls with Larry Fitzgerald in the process.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Atlanta Falcons

MVP: Josh Freeman

The Bucs won’t be able to manage a 17 point comeback like they did against Minnesota last week. But I can expect that, down by 4, Freeman improves on his legacy by marching down the field and punching it into the endzone in a close win.

Pittsburgh Steelers over the Indianapolis Colts

MVP: Ben Roethlisberger

I think the Colts may have it in their best interest to enter the Andrew Luck lottery. I expect Big Ben to keep up the chemistry he has with Mike Wallace working for a big day against the Colts.

Dallas Cowboys over the Washington Redskins

MVP: Tony Romo

The man with the punctured lung changed the nation’s perception of him simply by taking the field. And then again by leading the Cowboys to victory in overtime. As one of his teammates said after the game, he’s going to have to do it again to really make us believe and I think that’s exactly what he does. The Iron Lung rides out onto the field and finishes off the victory with a precision pass to the endzone to seal the victory.  

A Look Back at Week 2

Buffalo Bills defeat the Oakland Raiders 38-35

MVP: Fred Jackson

Yes, I gave the MVP award to Jackson for this game purely because of the numbers he put up (117 yards rushing, 2TDs, and 27 receiving yards). But had I have told you that Ryan Fitzpatrick would have 7 touchdowns, 1 interception and a QB rating of 109.6 in the first two weeks you never would have believed me. You have to give credit where credit is due and, I’ll admit it, I’ll be pulling for them next week against the Pats.

Green Bay Packers defeat the Carolina Panthers 30-23

MVP: Cam Newton

This makes it two weeks in a row I’ve picked Cam as my MVP in a game his team lost. But I have my reasons. Apart from the Philidelphia Eagles, the Green Bay Packers are essentially expected to coast into the playoffs and make a serious bid for the Super Bowl yet again. That is exactly what made Cam’s performance so impressive. Cam is now second in passing yards in the league with 854 in two games. Yes, he did give the ball up in the second half like he was allergic to it but he was dictating the game in the first half against the best defense in the National Football League. All I have to say is, until this kid starts acting like a rookie, I see no reason to continue to treat him as one.

Detroit Lions defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 48-3

MVP: Matthew Stafford

A healthy Stafford has proven to be an extremely dangerous one. I wanted to believe in the Lions last year but couldn’t shake my memory of that 0-16 team a few years back. Well, they’ve definitely put those years behind them as they improve to 2-0 in monstrous fashion. Stafford slang the rock for nearly 300 yards and four scores against albeit a weak Chiefs secondary. Quite the day for quite a young team.

Cleveland Browns defeat the Indianapolis Colts 27-19

MVP: Peyton Hillis

I wanted to give the award to Colt McCoy yet again but his 211 yards and one TD just aren’t going to cut it. Hillis looked like he was back in the swing of things for the rushing game against the Colts. 94 yards and two scores was exactly what the Browns needed to push them past the Manning-less (Manning can also be substituted for win) and bring them to 1-1 on the year. In some other division I may even put them as an outside shot at the playoffs, but I don’t see Big Ben or the Ravens D having any part of that.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Minnesota Vikings 24-20

MVP: Josh Freeman

I wanted to put LeGarrette Blount down for MVP because of a 70 yard, two score game in what was essentially his first game of the season but I just have to show Freeman some big time love here. In only his third year in the league, Josh Freeman is considered an excellent 4^th quarter QB. I swear, I watch every game and sometimes I think he lets the other team hang around purely so he can finish them off in dramatic fashion. I realize the Bucs had nearly all of their home games blacked out last year but there has to be a less heart-wrenching way to sell tickets.

New Orleans Saints defeat the Chicago Bears 30-13

MVP: Drew Brees

No surprises here. Rebounding from a tough loss to the Green Bay Packers last week, the Saints stormed back behind Brees’ 270 yards and 3 TDs to improve to 1-1. Until the Bears can learn how to protect Jay Culter for more than like 8 plays, they are going to continue to struggle against any defense.

New York Jets defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 32-3

MVP:  The NYJ Defense

Yes, anytime the opposition is held to just 3 points it is pretty easy to credit the defense with the win. That is especially true when the defense only allows 3 third down conversions on 12 attempts and never allows them into the red zone. That’s quite the sad day for the lonely fan in Jacksonville who purchased NFL red zone to watch all those MJD touchdowns. But come on, they can’t play Tennessee every week.

Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Seattle Seahawks 24-0

MVP: Ben Roethlisberger

I wanted to give this to the Steel Curtain for all of the reasons I just picked the Jets above (plus the fact Seattle didn’t even attempt a field goal) but, after 5 turnovers last week, Big Ben gets this award with a side of redemption. Passing for nearly 300 yards and a touchdown isn’t that impressive against such a weak team but it does mean I don’t have to bench him for McCoy next week in one of my leagues. Cheers to that.

Tennessee Titans defeat the Baltimore Ravens 26-13

MVP: Kenny Britt

After an impressive and dominant win over the Steelers last week, I don’t think anyone was anticipating an offensive stall against the Titans.  For going for over 130 yards and a score for the second straight week (last week he had two scores), Britt has to be the MVP again. The kid was on pace last year to finish as the number one receiver before he got injured. If this guy can stay healthy all year he may just pick right up where he left off.

Washington Redskins defeat the Arizona Cardinals 22-21

MVP: Rex Grossman

Rex is making me relish the fact that I wrote that article about him before the season started more than any post I’ve ever drafted. Is it getting to extreme to feel that his play on the field is now a personal vendetta against me to prove me wrong? Well hell Rex, I’ll admit it, you’ve won me over. The Redskins are currently the only 2-0 team in the NFC East and Rex’s 291 yards and two touchdowns proved to be enough (oh, and Gano’s FG but he’s a kicker so come on!) to get the win against the birds this Sunday. Hey Rex, you put up 4 TDs against the Cowboys and I may even buy your jersey.

Dallas Cowboys defeat the San Francisco 49ers 27-24 (OT)

MVP: Tony Romo            

It’s hard not to give Miles Austin the award here considering he did have 143 yards and 3 touchdowns but he didn’t have any broken bones so he lost some points in that category. Romo on the other hand actually took that stat box uncontested and that is why he wins out this week. Romo left the game with a fractured rib which meant Kitna had to come in which 9 times out of 10 means your team loses. Well, it took Romo just one play in OT to hit Holley (I didn’t know who he was either) for a 77 yard reception which set up the game ending field goal. So to who I believed to be the softest QB in the league until today, congrats Tony (I’m looking at you now Cassel).

Denver Broncos defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-22

MVP: Kyle Orton

Orton may have only thrown for less than 200 yards and two touchdowns and rookie Andy Dalton may have thrown for over 300 yards and two scores as well but I’m still giving it to Orton. Why you ask? Because as long as Orton doesn’t lose the game, Tim Tebow won’t be seeing any playing time at QB. So yes, other guys in this game deserved MVP honors but as long as Orton keeps Teblow of the field he’ll keep getting respect from me.

Houston Texans defeat the Miami Dolphins 23-13

MVP: Daniel Thomas

There were a lot of guys here who had great fantasy days, most of which were on the winning side (Andre Johnson and Ben Tate) but Thomas made a name for himself Sunday. Thomas is a rookie who was thought to have lost his job to Reggie Bush based on the pass happy Miami style of offense. Thomas took 18 carries for over 100 yards while running behind his pads. He seems to be running in a way that fills the void Ronnie Brown left when he skipped town for Philly. For the sake of the Dolphins, I sure hope Thomas can keep this up.

New England Patriots defeat the San Diego Chargers 35-21

MVP: Tom Brady

98% of the time that Tom Brady takes the field he is worthy of MVP honors and Sunday was no exception. The fastest QB to 900 yards in NFL history, Brady followed up week 1’s 500+ yard performance with a 400 yard effort. Wes Welker was responsible for most of the yards in week 1 and, in typical Brady fashion, he shook things up and connected with Deion Branch 8 times for nearly 130 yards. And for those playing in leagues where Gronkowski or Hernandez (despite the injury) are available, try to make some roster room. They will be consistent performers while on the field.

Atlanta Falcons defeat the Philidelphia Eagles 35-31

MVP: Matt Ryan

As I predicted, Matt Ryan wasn’t about to lay down and let another team bury them. While only throwing for 195 yards on 28 attempts, Ryan did manage to find the endzone 4 times against the amazing Philly secondary. Tony Gonzalez made the play of the game with a one-handed toe-tapping catch in the back of the endzone. Those watching also say Michael Turner come alive in what most predict as a down year for Turner with 114 yards on the ground and a score (he also had 32 receiving yards).

New York Giants defeat the St. Louis Rams 28-16

MVP: Danario Alexander

I know what you’re thinking. Who is Danario Alexander? The 2^nd year player from Missouri had only three receptions on Monday night but they were all he needed to record 122 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. Yes, Alexander is one of many to earn MVP honors in a losing effort but he did launch himself out of obscurity and into the spotlight on one of the biggest stages a week 2 game can provide. Just don’t expect Alexander to be getting this award again anytime soon.

I went 14-2 this week on my picks which brings me to a 21-10 total on the year. 
Love what you read or think someone else deserves MVP honors this week? Write me a comment and let me know what you think!

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