Quick Hits: Preseason Week Four

And so starts another new series, Who You Got?! This series will be every Thursday before kickoff and will basically give you an idea of how each game of the week will go down. I refuse to do final score projections because a) it is impossible to predict a majority of the time and b) it's silly. The teams I project to win will be in bold. Along with my prediction of the winner of every game, I give a brief look at why I am picking each team to win. That's about all the explanation this needs. Let's get started (p.s. I obviously hate your team if I pick them to lose).

Thursday Night Football (5:30 pm AZ time):

Carolina Panthers @ Denver Broncos

A Super Bowl 50 rematch to open the regular season?! How kind of you, NFL. This game will be intense and I wish I could watch it live (stupid education getting in the way). Regardless, I’ll pay plenty of attention to what happens and how everyone played. For my money, the Panthers should be pretty pissed off going into this game. The Broncos lost some key contributors on defense and count me in as a non-believer in Trevor Siemian. Panthers will walk in and should win a close game.

Sunday Morning Football (10:00 am AZ time):

Oakland Raiders @ New Orleans Saints

The Raiders are a hot, young team on the rise and the Saints are an older team that looks to be regressing. The Saints defense should also be one of the worst, if not the worst, the NFL will see this season. The Raiders offense, featuring Derek Carr and Amari Cooper, should put up points with ease. While the Saints should be able to put up points, their defense will get them inti a shootout. Quite frankly, I don’t believe the Saints offense can muster more than 20 points against this Raiders defense.

Cleveland Browns @ Philadelphia Eagles

The Browns are bad. Bad enough that an Eagles team featuring rookie Carson Wentz at quarterback should walk in and win a game that may look close on the box score but won’t be in reality. Ryan Mathews has to love this matchup against a mediocre Browns run defense. The Browns defense in general should be bad. If RGIII can return to his rookie season form, this game could go to the Browns. I’m just not a believer.

Minnesota Vikings @ Tennessee Titans

If Teddy Bridgewater was playing quarterback for the Vikings, I would take them in a heartbeat. This game, however, I lean towards a young and talented Titans team. The Vikings just simply won’t have the chemistry at quarterback no matter if Shaun Hill or Sam Bradford is the starter. The Vikings defense will have to win this game, but unless they can score two touchdowns and get a couple field goals, I don’t think the Vikings can take the beating of the Titans power run game right now. They certainly aren’t helped by the fact they are on the road in Tennessee.

San Diego Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs were the hottest team in the NFL last season, winning 11 straight games before losing to the Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Chargers are coming off a four-win season and will be without their number one pick Joey Bosa. Keenan Allen is back, so that’s good news. But Rivers, behind a porous offensive line, will be under duress all day long. Meanwhile, the Chiefs will be without Jamaal Charles. Spencer Ware will likely get the start, but the Chiefs will through mistake free football led by Alex Smith.

Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets

I so badly want to pick the Bengals in this game. But without Tyler Eifert and with an inconsistent ground game, the Bengals might lose a shootout. I am banking on the Jets offense to pick up where the left off last season, but A.J. Green could have fits going up against Darrelle Revis. On the other side of things, the Jets wide receivers (Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker) should have a field day against an average secondary that lost interceptions leader Reggie Nelson this offseason. A stout defensive front seven led by Muhammad Wilkerson will help the Jets turn the Bengals into a one-dimensional offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons

The Buccaneers a young team with a bright future. I don’t think they are playoff bound just yet, but this is a great opportunity to show the world who they are this season. The Falcons have a great offense matched with a below average defense. The Falcons should struggle to get any pressure on Winston as he fires bombs to Mike Evans (provided he catches them). All the Buccaneers need to do is slow down Julio Jones… good luck with that. Even in a hostile environment, I think the Bucs have a better defense that wins them the game in the long run.

Buffalo Bills @ Baltimore Ravens

OH NO, I TOOK THE RAVENS. I AM SUCH A HOMER! Hold up one second and let me explain before you attack me. Of course the fan in me will take the Ravens every week, but I am objective and not afraid to say what needs to be said. Therefore, the Bills are playing without their top two draft choices due to injury. The Ravens will roll out a unit that is completely healthy and stable thanks to Mark Trestman returning as the offensive coordinator. Both defenses are young with talented play makers, and the Ravens should have trouble with Sammy Watkins. In the end, the Ravens speed at receiver and dynamic backfield prove too much for the Bills defense that struggled to rush the passer last year.

Chicago Bears @ Houston Texans

The Bears will be a very fun team to watch this season, as they could either be 9-7 or 6-10. The defense appears to be much improved and could wind up a nice sleeper for this season. The offense has Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White at wide receiver, two big bodied, big play targets for Jay Cutler. The Texans have a J.J. Watt… oops. The Texans defense will harass Cutler all day long and bait Cutler into some bad interceptions. The Texans new and improved offense needs some time to gel, but some extra possessions curtesy of the defense will help with that problem.

Green Bay Packers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Oh man, I want to take the Jaguars so badly… I just can’t bring myself to do it just yet. Aaron Rodgers gets Jordy Nelson and an in-shape Eddie Lacy back. Against a young Jaguars defense, these vets should move the ball well. Rodgers will take a few sacks, but it won’t be enough to stop him. The Jaguars offense should be able to keep themselves in the game for a while before a costly turnover proves to be the biggest difference maker. This is the Jags season! I can feel it! Just not this week…

Sunday Afternoon Football (1:05 and 1:25 pm AZ time):

Miami Dolphins @ Seattle Seahawks

I don’t have much to say about this game at all. Brand new head coach in Miami travels to face the 12^th man and one of the best teams in the NFL. Ryan Tannehill struggles. Russell Wilson throws darts while running for his life. The Seahawks win by at least two possessions.

Detroit Lions @ Indianapolis Colts

I may be alone in believing in the Lions to be a decent team this season, but Andrew Luck is back. With Luck back, the Colt’s offense could be hard to stop, against the pass at least. Ziggy Ansah will live in the Colt’s backfield, but it won’t be enough to stop T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief’s after the catch abilities. Not to mention, we have to see how the Lions handle life after Calvin Johnson. The Lions do have some nice options at receiver, but now we will truly see just how important Megatron was to this offense.

New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott was electric in the preseason. Now let’s see how he handles first team defenses that will run complicated blitzes and zones. I think Dak will struggle in his first game while the Giants offense can’t be stopped against this terrible Dallas defense. The Cowboys will have to manufacture a pass rush, thanks to suspensions to pass rushers Randy Gregory and Demarcus Lawrence, and that will lead to some big plays by the Giants offense. Oh, and I didn’t even mention Odell Beckham, did I? even in Jerry’s World, the Giants should come out on top with a crucial division win.

Sunday Night Football (5:30 pm AZ time):

New England Patriots @ Arizona Cardinals

Oh man, I can’t wait for this game. Put this down as my game of the week, because this will be a classic smash mouth football game. Two Super Bowl contenders go head to head after both teams lost in their respective conference championship back in January. For what it’s worth, I would take the Cardinals even if Tom Brady were playing. But take Brady out of the equation and throw in Jimmy Garoppolo behind a bad offensive line and this could get ugly. I think the Pats keep it close, but I take the Cardinals with ease.

Monday Night Football (4:10 and 7:20 pm AZ time):

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Washington:

This Steelers offense will be high flying, even without Martavis Bryant. I believe in Josh Norman this year, but Antonio Brown will definitely get his dues. This Washington offense could end up being one of the better units in the NFL if Kirk Cousins can pick up where he left off and the team can get some semblance of a run game going. Both teams will feature average at best secondaries with great front sevens. The Steelers just have better talent offensively than Washington, and win in a shootout.

Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers:

The 49ers are bad. They will lose a lot of games this year. I promise. The Rams have a great defense and Todd Gurley to power the offense. The 49ers have Torrey Smith and not much else offensively. This will likely be a lopsided game. Give me LA by two possessions. Sorry, San Fran… it’s gonna be a long season…

Preseason NFL Award Predictions

To go with my preseason projections, I've decided to predict the major NFL awards with a brief case for each winner. Some of these ideas will be original, and others will seem like I am copying people simply because of how easy it is to say that person will win the award. I feel like that's all the description you need. Let's do this.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Here is your first case of an easy pick. There are plenty of rookies I expect to make immediate impacts (hello, Corey Coleman), but none will even come close to the kind of production Elliot will be able to put up. When finding a home Elliot during the draft process, no place was more ideal than Dallas. Featuring the best offensive line in the league and a dominant wide receiver in Dez Bryant, Elliot was a match made in heaven. Now with Tony Romo down and another rookie in at quarterback in Dak Prescott, Elliot looks to be the biggest feature of the offense. While Dak gets acclimated to NFL defenses, it will be very easy to give Elliot the ball and let the man go to work. Elliot can also catch the ball and make plays out of the backfield. With an offensive line that could make lanes for a semi-truck, expect Elliot to get 300+ total touches and see the end zone close to 10-15 times.

Projected stats: 310 carries, 1,250 rushing yards, 9 touchdowns, 35 receptions, 300 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns

Runner Up: Corey Coleman, WR, Cleveland Browns

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jalen Ramsey, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars

My top ranked player from the 2016 draft class lands with a defense on the rise and a head coach who helped to turn Richard Sherman into the man he is today. Sounds like a perfect place for the former Florida State defensive back. Ramsey’s versatility will take this defense to the next level. Matched with other studs in Tashaun Gipson and Johnathan Cyprien in the secondary, Ramsey looks to have plenty of opportunities to force turnovers and be a lockdown corner from day one. While cornerback is typically a hard position to translate to the NFL, Ramsey has the tools necessary to make a near seamless transition. Don’t be fooled, there will be plenty of bumps in the road, but Ramsey is too talented to overlook as the defensive rookie of the year. Did I mention he is phenomenal against the run? That will surely help his numbers. His impact, however, is what will truly elevate his play to the next level.

Projected stats: 65 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 sack

Runner up: Robert Nkemdiche, DE, Arizona Cardinals

Offensive Player of the Year: Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

This essentially came down to a coin flip between Brown and Julio Jones. Ultimately, I find the Steelers offense to be slightly more well-rounded than Atlanta’s and opted to go with Brown. Plus, if you look at Brown’s stats from last season (136 receptions, 1,834 yards, 10 touchdowns) and how much better they could’ve been had Ben Roethlisberger played a full 16 games it is insane. Brown is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL and in arguably the best offense in the NFL. If Brown and Big Ben stay healthy, there is a legitimate opportunity for Brown to get 2,000 receiving yards and 145+ receptions. He would be the first player ever to do both. That is more than good enough for me to name him the OPOY.

Projected stats: 150 receptions, 1,950 receiving yards, 14 touchdowns

Runner up: Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Defensive Player of the Year: Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Oakland Raiders

I was in the camp that Mack should have won the DPOY last season over JJ Watt/ I am not trying to take away from the greatness of Watt, but I felt that Mack was slightly more dominant. I mean for goodness sakes, the guy had two All-Pros at two different positions last year! That’s about as good as it gets. Regardless, Mack remains in a position to dominate once again and Oakland got some more pass rushers to help alleviate double teaming him. Mack might be the best outside rusher in the NFL and is certainly entering the prime of his career at 25 years old. The sack record could be within Mack’s reach, but 15+ sacks seems more than reasonable. Even if he doesn’t get the sack numbers, Mack does so much more than rush the quarterback. He is Oakland’s most valuable player and he will show that once again this season.

Projected stats: 75 tackles, 16 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery,

Runner up: JJ Watt, DE, Houston Texans

Comeback Player of the Year: Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Similar to how Eric Berry was a heavy favorite last year for the COPY after his return from cancer, Luck should be considered a heavy favorite this season for the award. Luck was sent to injured reserve last season after just seven games due to a lacerated kidney. Luck, now entering his fifth season, is just 26 years old and will be entering the prime of his career soon. The cabinet is stocked with weapons for him, featuring guys like T.Y. Hilton and break out candidate Donte Moncrief. The chips are in place for Luck to succeed this year, and playing a full 16 games should put him in position to succeed. Flashback to 2014, Luck threw for 4,761 yards and 40 touchdown passes. Should he stay healthy for 16 games, and the Colts are hopeful their offseason additions to the line (including first round pick Ryan Kelly at center) can help the cause, matching that output should be his ceiling. Still, 4,500 yards and 35 touchdowns should be more than enough to win him the award.

Projected stats: 4,500 passing yards, 61% completion, 35 touchdowns, 14 interceptions

Runner up: Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego Chargers

Coach of the Year: Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars

DUVAL! This could be the year it all comes together for the Jaguars, and I am totally on board the hype train (and have been for 2-3 years). A young and talented roster featuring an up-incoming defense and dynamic offense could help this team to finish above .500 and challenge for the AFC South crown. The Jaguars definitely face an uphill battle, as the Texans have improved their offense to match their stout defense. Not the mention the Titans also feature a young and talented team and the Colts have Andrew Luck. Should all the talent come together, and I believe that it will, the jaguars have no excuse not to challenge for a playoff spot. I believe in the Jaguars and a 9-7 season doesn’t seem to be out of the realm of possibilities. That record may not seem impressive, but a top 5 offense and top 15 defense could be enough to get Gus Bradley the well-deserved credit that he is due for.

Most Valuable Player: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

It is so hard to bet against Rodgers when it comes to any facet of football. Rodgers is far and away the best quarterback in the NFL and possesses all the tools to truly assert himself as the best of the best. Rodgers stats dipped below his previous year’s totals, but bad offensive line play and injuries to Jordy Nelson impacted his performance mightily. Not to mention his receiver struggled without Nelson and dropped as many balls as the caught. This year, the Packers should host an in-shape Eddie Lacy at running back, a healthy Nelson, and an offensive line ready to improve on last year’s performance. And here’s a jaw dropping stat for you: Aaron Rodgers finished below a 100 QBR for the first time in SIX SEASONS. And he still had a 92.7 QBR. He also hasn’t had double digit interceptions since 2010. Those stats are incredible. Rodgers’ consistency and talent will absolutely have him right back in the conversation for MVP (he is only a year removed from his last MVP award) and should guide the Packers to another NFC North title and maybe even a deep playoff run.

Projected stats: 4,600 passing yards, 67% completion, 38 touchdowns, 6 interceptions

Runner up: Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals


Richard Bradshaw is available to follow on Twitter @RichieBradz36. Thank you for the read.

2017 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Preseason Edition

Let's be honest, mock drafts are essentially useless to make. They are right probably less than 1% of the time and making one before the NFL regular season even starts will have even worse odds. But who cares? They are fun and everyone loves them! They are by far my favorite material to cover when it comes to the NFL. Quite frankly, they are a ton of fun to make and the conversation that they stir up is fantastic. When I put out mock drafts, they will be ordered like this:

-        Opening paragraph

-        Mock draft

-        Bullet points about certain picks

Simple enough. Now that that’s established, one last thing. I use Vegas odds for the draft order until the actual order is announced. In example, the Cleveland Browns have the worst odds at 200/1 so they own the first overall pick. Vice versa, the New England Patriots have the best odds at 7/1 so they own the 32^nd overall pick. So I don’t hate your team as much as you think. Without further ado, let’s get mocking!

1. Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

2. San Francisco 49ers: Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami

3. Tennessee Titans: Myles Garrett, EDGE, Texas A&M

4. Detroit Lions: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

5. San Diego Chargers: Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama

6. Tennessee Titans (via Los Angeles): Jalen Tabor, CB, Florida

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jamal Adams, S, LSU

8. Buffalo Bills: Johnathan Allen, DT, Alabama

9. Miami Dolphins: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State

10. Cleveland Browns (via Philadelphia): Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

11. Atlanta Falcons: Derek Barnett, EDGE, Tennessee

12. Chicago Bears: Jabrill Peppers, OLB/S, Michigan

13. New Orleans Saints: Carl Lawson, EDGE, Auburn

14. New York Jets: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

15. Jackson Jaguars: Roederick Johnson, OT, Florida State

16. Washington: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford

17. Houston Texans: Jake Butt, TE, Michigan

18. Baltimore Ravens: Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU

19. Oakland Raiders: Desmond King, CB, Iowa

20. Dallas Cowboys: Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State

21. Philadelphia Eagles (via Minnesota): JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC

22. New York Giants: Adoree Jackson, CB, USC

23. Indianapolis Colts: Tim Williams, EDGE, Alabama

24. Kansas City Chiefs: Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB, Tennessee

25. Cincinnati Bengals: Charles Harris, EDGE, Missouri

26. Denver Broncos: Chris Wormley, DT, Michigan

27. Arizona Cardinals: Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida

28. Carolina Panthers: Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon

29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Eddie Jackson, S, Alabama

30. Seattle Seahawks: Pat Elfein, OG, Ohio State

31. Green Bay Packers: Raekwon McMillan, LB, Ohio State

32. New England Patriots: Dan Feeney, G, Indiana

-        Brad Kaaya’s stock may start slipping and to no fault of his own. This year’s quarterback draft looks intriguing; with guys like Chad Kelly and Davis Webb it’s hard to gauge where their stock will be come draft time. A wild card to keep an eye on is Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer. Kizer is a red-shirt sophomore who has tremendous upside. Should he continue to progress this season, he has a realistic shot at the first round, should he declare.

-        This is the year of the running back. A very top heavy 2017 draft looks to feature a ton of running back talent. I believe in the five running backs I pegged in the first round as well as several others who just missed the cut. Some names to watch out for include: Samaje Perine, Wayne Gallman, Sony Michel, Jalen Hurd, James Conner, Elijah Hood, Corey Clement, and Shock Linwood.

-        Last year, I had a man crush on Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey was my top overall prospect and my pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year (more detail in tomorrow’s article). This year, it’s LSU’s Jamal Adams. Adams is a big safety with ball hawking abilities as well as a fearsome presence in-the-box. Adams is already a top ten prospect for me and could easily sneak into my top five.

-        Mike Williams and Nick Chubb are huge wildcards going into this year coming off of huge season ending injuries. Williams is coming off a fractured neck and Chubb from a massive knee injury. If week one of the college season is any indication of things to come, they look like they were never injured.

-        This year’s wide receiver class looks to have plenty of names who will be second day grabs. With only a couple big names at the top, guys like KD Cannon, Artavis Scott, and the LSU duo of Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural could see a big boost in their draft stock.

-        Similar to the running back class, the tight end class looks just as deep. While I only have Jake Butt in the first round currently, guys like O.J. Howard, Jordan Leggett, Evan Engram, and Bucky Hodges could all be top 50 picks with Howard challenging for a first round selection.

-        The EDGE class has a ton of names to look for this season. With NFL team making a premium on guys who can get to the quarterback, I could easily see close to ten guys go round one. Name to watch outside of the five above include: Lewis Neal, Devonte Fields (a guy I had a really hard time leaving out of round one), and Ryan Anderson.