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NFL Week 8 Matchups To Watch 2014

Chris Maurice
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NFL Week 8 Matchups To Watch 2014

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With 14 games left in Week Eight there is a lot going on. There are a lot of big name players left to watch as they showcase their talent, and three more divisional matchups to enjoy. Let’s take a look at some of the best player matchups for Week Eight:

Brandon Marshall vs. Darrelle Revis: This matchup could be extended to include Alshon Jeffery vs. Brandon Browner. The Bears offense looked horrible last week, but when Jay Cutler plays well they are almost unstoppable. Well, assuming Cutler plays well (which, granted, is a huge assumption) Marshall will be matched up against the best in the game, Darrelle Revis. On top of that, Jeffery will be up against Brandon Browner who is quite the defensive player himself. Revis and Browner excel at press coverage, taking away the easy check down passes and short throws from quarterbacks. Marshall and Jeffery have the strength and talent to go down the field with the Patriots secondary, so this game will once again come down to Cutler’s ability to get them the ball.

Le’Veon Bell vs. D’Qwell Jackson: Bell has quickly become one of the top running backs in the league this season. His speed and explosiveness make him a problem for defenses everywhere. The Indianapolis Colts linebacking core, led by D’Qwell Jackson and Jerrell Freeman, has the quickness to match and corral the Steelers back as well as the power and toughness to bring him down when he bursts through the offensive line. This game could easily come down to third-and-short situations. If the Colts can stop Bell on third down consistently they’ll have no problem leaving Pittsburgh with a win.

Chip Kelly vs. Todd Bowles: This should prove to be one of the best games of the day. Chip Kelly is an offensive genius, and Todd Bowles is slowly being realized as a defensive mastermind. Even with all of their defensive injuries this season, Bowles has managed to put together a top squad. The Cardinals are able to confuse quarterbacks with their unique 2-3-6 defensive package with a wide variety of blitz schemes. Nick Foles is going to have a problem analyzing this defense, and LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles are going to have trouble trying to break free either from the back field or lined up as wide receivers. However, Kelly knows this; and he will certainly come up with something to combat the Cardinals defensive power. All things considered, this will be a great chess match between two of the best in the business.

NFL Week 8 Preview 2014

Chris Maurice
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NFL Week 8 Preview 2014

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It’s Week Eight in the NFL, and Peyton Manning is competing with DeMarco Murray of all people for the MVP talk. We may also be about halfway to seeing both Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan fired from their respective teams. With that said, let’s dive into to Week Eight:

Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons: Both of these teams were supposed to have great offenses this season, but unlike the Falcons the Lions have actually been able to win with their defense. The Falcons look worse than last year, and have yet to win outside of Atlanta. This game is in London and counts as a home game for the Falcons, but that’s good enough.

Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This will most likely be a sad game. Teddy Bridgewater had one good game, but that may be the only one we see out of him. The Bucs look just as bad as the Vikings this year, but playing at home in front of a still-passionate fan base they should be able to pull off the win.

Chicago Bears at New England Patriots: The Bears can’t win at home for some reason, but at least they’ve done pretty well on the road this year. The Patriots barely snuck by the Jets last Thursday Night at home, so unless they play better this week they won’t be so lucky. The Patriots could very easily be looking past the Bears to their matchup with the Broncos next week, so the Bears can definitely pull off the upset as long as the good Jay Cutler shows up.

St. Louis Rams at Kansas City Chiefs: Sure, the Rams are coming off a big upset over the defending Super Bowl champions, but that doesn’t make them good. It’s very unlikely that we’;; see another Rams upset this weekend, especially against a Chiefs team that’s very good at home. This isn’t a divisional game, so the Rams aren’t really a threat to Kansas City.

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers are actually coming into this game with a better record than the Seahawks, sitting at 3-3-1. Both of these teams are starting to get desperate, so this should be a good game. Russell Wilson doesn’t play well on the road, and the defense hasn’t really shown up this season either so that’s not good news for Seattle. Cam Newton has a chance to silence his critics once and for all if he can pull off this win.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets: Kyle Orton looked horrible last week, but the Bills still managed to pull off the win. Geno Smith actually looked pretty good last week, but the Jets lost in typical Jets fashion. The Jets are now 1-6. If these players actually want Rex Ryan to keep his job they better start playing like it. Unfortunately, they just aren’t good. Orton will probably pull this one out of thin air again, but a win is a win for Buffalo.

Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars won last week. Against Cleveland. I couldn’t believe it either. Miami also pulled off a win somehow in Chicago. Both of these teams looked horrible before last week, and they’ll be back to mediocrity this week. However, Blake Bortles has turned the Jags into a somewhat competitive team; so an upset win at home may be possible. But, they are the Jaguars; so let’s not get our hopes too high.

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans: The Texans should have no problem winning this game. They could have beat the Steelers last week, but they self-destructed and gave up three touchdowns in a little over two minutes. The Titans are a bad team, and Zach Mettenberger—who the Titans announced will be starting this week—is a horrible quarterback. Even Ryan Fitzpatrick is better than him, and it’s still up in the air whether he’s actually a quarterback or not.

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals: Everyone has been betting on the Ravens this week, but that may not be the smartest investment. The Bengals have a horrible offense this year without A.J. Green, but they still have not lost a game at home this season or last season. The Ravens are sitting quiet at 5-2, but they haven’t shown much ability to win on the road yet. The Bengals can use this opportunity to take back control of the division.

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals: Both of these teams look good at first glance, but if you look closely at the Eagles they could easily be 3-4 right now had a couple of plays not gone their way. The Cardinals on the other hand are flying high, and they need to keep winning if they want to knock off the Seahawks as division champs. At home, the Cardinals should have no problem taking down the Eagles.

Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers really only won last week because the Texans imploded at the end of the first half. The Colts offense won’t do that, and the Colts defense won’t give up three touchdowns in two minutes. The Colts should have no problem running over the struggling Steelers.

Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns: Last year literally no one would have cared about this game. The Browns actually have some life in them this year even though they lost to the Jaguars last week, and the fan base is actually getting back into Cleveland football. The Raiders looked good against the Chargers, but they aren’t good. Derek Carr isn’t ready to go into Cleveland and win. They’d be better off just using this week as an extra week of preparation for Denver.

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints: It’s desperation time in New Orleans. Drew Brees blew the game last week, so with the home crowd behind him in a primetime game he should have no problem coming back and getting the offense going again. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t done well on the road this year, and New Orleans is a very tough place to play. Look for the Saints to pull the upset.

Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys: Colt McCoy looked decent last week, and the Redskins actually won, but the Cowboys are 6-1 and look really good this year thanks almost entirely to DeMarco Murray. IF you’re expecting the upset of the year, you may want to look elsewhere. Probably not going to be a very good Monday Night game.

Peyton Manning Takes On Denver Scoreboard Operator With Good Reason

Shane Mclendon
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Peyton Manning Takes On Denver Scoreboard Operator With Good Reason

peyton manning takes on denver scoreboard operator

Things were going great for the Broncos last Thursday night as they were trouncing the Chargers. But late in the game a mishap changed the focus of the game. No, Peyton Manning didn’t throw a pick six with one of those fluttering ducks he sometimes lofts up. The Broncos defense didn’t give up a 80 yard bomb to Phillip Rivers like they did in the playoffs versus the Ravens a couple years back. The refs didn’t make a ridiculous call to let the Chargers back into the game. No, the mishap was the fault of the scoreboard operator for Denver. That is according to Manning himself.

The most meticulous quarterback in the history of the NFL was upset that he had to call a timeout when his call at the line couldn’t be heard. Check that, he was mad as hell! It appeared that he was blaming theBroncos fans for not knowing the right time to be loud. But he blamed the scoreboard guy in the post game presser. “I have no problem with our fans. Our fans are great. I’ve got a problem with our scoreboard operator,” Manning said. “I’m gonna have a little talk with him.” The reporters thought Manning was being funny as they chuckled a bit. But the future Hall Of Famer went on to note that the scoreboard guy “didn’t have his best night.” Manning was totally serious. He blamed the guy for playing music at the wrong time and showing Phillip Rivers on the sideline which caused loud boos while Denver’s offense tried to operate.

I would say that most any other QB would be labeled a baby after something like this. But Manning gets a pass. He is a professional in every sense and he wants things run the right way, right down to crowd handling by the stadium workers. Peyton gets a pass because he is so well liked by the media. I look for Manning to do something in the next couple days to make a joke out of this and offer something nice to the scoreboard guy as a kind gesture. Manning is aware of his public image and I am sure he doesn’t want to come off looking like a jerk. His team was well ahead so it is not like calling a timeout because of some crowd noise at his home stadium was going to cost him a win. But the guy is a perfectionist and wants every aspect of the games to go as planned. Clearly he didn’t want to waste a timeout over something silly.

Did the timeout really matter that much in the grand scheme of things? No. But it matters to Peyton Manning, so it matters to his teammates and his franchise. I would compare it to crazy stipulations in music stars’ concert contracts. They have weird requests like a bowl full of only red M&Ms, room temperature bottled water, or 27 red roses in their dressing rooms. On the surface these stipulations in singers’ contracts make them appear diva-ish or just plain crazy. But these small details are mandated for a good reason. It is not about the candy being right or the water not being too cold. It is about the venue getting the tiny details right so they will get the big details correct. If a singer is going to pitch a fit over the wrong number of flowers in the dressing room, what will they do if the stage is not properly lit?

If the Denver scoreboard operator playing music at the wrong time gets him publicly chastised, what is a running back going to get if he lets Manning get blindsided? What happens in a team meeting when a receiver drops a couple balls during a Broncos game? The point is that you best be on your game when you are affiliated with Peyton Manning. That goes from the top on down to the bottom of the Broncos organization. He expects perfection from himself and the people around him. That is why all his receivers do so well. It isn’t like he just gets lucky and has outstanding wideouts and tight ends each and every year. They either play up to his level or they would have to find work elsewhere.

Look for the Denver scoreboard guy to up his game the rest of the season. He needs to get in the film room and study the tendencies of the Broncos’ opponents. He better know when to amp up the home crowd and when to tone it down. It might even be a good idea to get a few music requests from #18 himself asap.

2014 NFL Trade Deadline Bringing No Drama

Shane Mclendon
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2014 NFL Trade Deadline Bringing No Drama

nfl trade deadline 2014

If any of you were waiting for some blockbuster NFL trades to ignite your team for the second half of the NFL season, you were reaching. Your disappointment level is likely higher than fans of Nucky Thompson after the finale of Boardwalk Empire. The NFL just doesn’t do trades. Sure there are trades made, but involve no one of any consequence. I am not sure if teams just don’t want to be tricked into being the Vikings in a Herschel Walker type deal or they are just scared in general. Whatever the case may be, NFL blockbuster trades just do not happen very often.

The last big trade involved New England taking a seemingly washed up and disinterested Randy Moss off the hands of Oakland for a 4th round pick. Moss was rejuvenated after getting out of that black hole and went on to set records with Tom Brady and the Patriots. The Raiders got some guy named John Bowie who was last seen playing football in Canada and is probably an insurance agent currently. The Raiders basically got rid of a headache that was Randy Moss at the time. The Patriots got a Hall Of Famer who was reenergized by having a fellow Hall Of Famer to actually get him the ball.

These are the kind of trades that happen in the NFL now. A guy becomes a problem. Another team thinks they can work with him and a trade is made. At worst, the receiving team can cut the player if he doesn’t pan out. At best, they get a good player at no real cost in terms of high draft choices or key personal. The team that casts off the unneeded player may not get much in return but at least they shed themselves of a player that is either not producing or is a locker room nightmare.

NFL.com went as far as to have a mock trade list. They went overboard with mock drafts before the official draft last spring. But a mock trade list? That is really a reach. They know most of those trades were never going to happen. The NFL just wanted to create as much buzz as possible around the trade deadline. The biggest headline of a trade that actually happened…..safety Mark Barron to the Rams from Tampa! Don’t know who that is? No worries, no one else does either. But that is the top trade headline on NFL.com. They would have been better off to keep their mock trades up instead of the real “news”. It is most likely that Barron will not even be in the league come August 2015. This trade is irrelevant.

Would I have liked to have seen Johnny Manziel traded to the Jets or Jay Culter sent to Tampa Bay? Sure, why not. Those trades would have created some buzz, but they were never going to happen and they were brought up on the official NFL site as jokes basically. That is what the NFL trade deadline has become, a joke. There is no need for a deadline in truth. They could let teams trade all year long. It wouldn’t affect much. Teams are so scared to make moves and restricted by the salary cap, the deadline is the least of barriers to meaningful trades.

I don’t know if the NFL would be better off making more moves like we see in the NBA, where stars are moved more frequently. I don’t want big shake ups happening all the time. Every now and then it would be nice to see some changes made through trades. I remember the Herschel Walker trade like it was yesterday. People forget that Walker had a decent NFL career and led the league in rushing a couple of years in Dallas. I thought the Vikings would be on their way to the Super Bowl after getting the stud running back. It turns out that the trade did convert a team to a Super Bowl champion eventually. It was just the team that got rid of the star.

Trades can make a big difference in the NFL. It appears that big time moves won’t be happing much anymore though. We will have to stick with fantasy football for our addiction to blockbuster trades. Speaking of which, I need to make several fantasy moves, as I am on a six game losing streak of suck.

Seattle Seahawks Tackling Video Could Turn Tide On Head Injuries For NFL

Shane Mclendon
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Seattle Seahawks Tackling Video Could Turn Tide On Head Injuries For NFL

pete carroll seattle seahawks tackling video 2014

Pete Carroll and his staff have done a great thing for football as a whole with their release of the “Hawk Tackling Video“.  There are some tremendous insights in the video, which is about 20 minutes long. Football players, coaches, and parents of players will benefit greatly if they will heed the tackling techniques shown in the Seahawks Tackling Video. Even if you are just a fan of football, you should see what tackling is supposed to look like.

The more this helpful video is spread, the better off players will be. And guess what…..the better off defenses will be as well. Not only are these tackling techniques safer for all players involved in the game of football, the techniques actually work better. It turns out that launching yourself wildly into a ball carrier is not the best way to take him down to the ground. Old school fans like myself know this, but over the past decade fundamental tackling has been replaced by head shots and diving at a runner without wrapping them up with the arms. This new video could help turn the tide on bad defense as well as the huge problem of head injuries in the NFL, college, and youth football.

The video speaks for itself and is certainly worth 20 minutes of your time if you care about the game of football. I care about it. A lot. I know that in a perfect world, football would not exist. Guys ramming into each other is fun to watch but not good for their bodies. But as long as it does exist and we are nowhere near a perfect world, we might as well promote the best possible ways for guys to tackle each other. They are the bread and butter of the game. Without the best players, we will be left with a mediocre game to watch. And believe me, if the tide isn’t turned on these head injuries, some parents will keep their boys out of football. That means that some of the best athletes will be baseball players, soccer guys, golfers, or basketballers in the near future. I know I would have a hard time letting my kid play football if I had a boy. I love football, but the concussion issue is too big a risk.

I have said for years that I couldn’t understand why coaches let their players lower their heads as they hit one another. Lowering the head involves having your face parallel to the ground so that the impact is at the crown of the helmet. I was taught as a young kid that was a big no-no in youth football. It was the main point from our coaches. Neck injuries were the biggest concern with the lowering of the head. But for some reason, players got into this bad habit over the years and no one bothered to correct it on a large scale. No commentators mentioned it and it got worse and worse. Not until the concussion issue in the NFL got big publicity did anyone bring up hitting with the crown of the helmet and the dangers that come with it.

The NFL brought in medical experts to go over film once they were forced to do something about the problem of head injuries. After seeing tons of footage of running backs lowering their heads and ramming into defenders with the crown of their helmets (heads), these medical experts could not believe there had not been a catastrophic injury as a result. They noted that severe neck injuries should have happened on many occasions and the fact that they did not was simply a miracle. The NFL needed a group of medical wizards to tell them what my Pee-Wee football coaches told me…..keep your head up!

The Seahawks were the perfect team to put out this tackling video. A team that sucked as a defense would not have quite the impact that the Super Bowl champs might have. They do employ the Legion Of Boom after all. Passive defenses don’t get to have awesome nicknames like the LOB. The Hawks are a top tier defensive unit and any team, pro or otherwise, would be smart to pay attention to any instruction they have to offer. Pete Carroll is a great defensive coach and always has been.

One of the best examples that these Hawk tackling tips can help prevent head trauma is the footage of rugby games. These guys hit pretty damn hard in their game. They are known to be tough guys as well. And guess what, they don’t use freaking helmets. That means they are forced to avoid tackling by leading with their domes. You would have to be an idiot to tackle a runner head first with no gear to protect your cranium. So the rugby players do what football players used to do. They tackle by leading with their shoulders with the head to the side of the ball carrier. They actually wrap their arms around the runner and drive through the offensive player to get them down. This is how you stop forward progress, which is the most basic goal of a defensive football player. If the rugby guys can do this, and are smart enough to know it is best, surely our nation of football gurus can spread this knowledge to all the football players in the USA.

Football is in danger right now. Not in danger of going away, but in danger of too many penalties costing teams games for being aggressive. In danger of parents holding kids out of this great game. In danger of losing veteran players to awful brain injuries and even suicide as a result. I pray that the Seahawks video can make a huge impact on the future of football on every level. I love this game and I don’t care to see the guys who entertain me destroy each other permanently. There is a sensible way to tackle a man and Hawk Tackling is the proper way to get it done without soft play. Big time hits don’t

NFL Week 7 Recap 2014: Peyton Manning Makes History

Chris Maurice
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NFL Week 7 Recap 2014: Peyton Manning Makes History

Peyton Manning made history this week, breaking Brett Favre’s all-time passing touchdown record, the Jaguars won, the Patriots almost lost to the Jets, and Antonio Brown had a bad week which means he only scored 20 points for your fantasy team. Needless to say, it was an exciting week. Here we go:

New York Jets 25 at New England Patriots 27: The Jets had every opportunity in the world to win this game and get their season back on track, but it just wouldn’t be Jets football if they didn’t screw it up. Tom Brady did okay, but his completion percentage continues to be mediocre. Geno Smith on the other hand wasn’t horrible. In fact, the Jets had a chance to win the game; but their last second field goal attempt was blocked which perfectly sums up the season for the Jets so far.

Cincinnati Bengals 0 at Indianapolis Colts 27: Well the Bengals are apparently one of the worst offenses in the NFL without A.J. Green. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around the score was 24-0 and the Colts outgained the Bengals 443-42 in net yards. That’s right—Indianapolis outgained Cincinnati by 401 yards through the first three quarters. Andy Dalton had 55 yards at that point. The Colts on the other hand did really well. Andrew Luck’s 344 yards and two touchdowns were way too much for the Bengals to handle.

Tennessee Titans 17 at Washington Redskins 19: The biggest news from this game is Kirk Cousins’s benching. That’s right, Colt McCoy got to play. The former Texas Longhorn’s first pass was a 70 yard touchdown to Pierre Garcon. In fact, McCoy was 11-of-12 throwing mainly check down passes. Charlie Whitehurst is still not good at football, so that’s how the Redskins won.

Miami Dolphins 27 at Chicago Bears 14: The Bears offense really lost this game. They didn’t do anything. Jay Cutler looked horrible. Cutler finished with only 190 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and three total fumbles. Against Miami’s defense. Sad. Tannehill did pretty well, with 277 yards and two touchdowns; but it wasn’t very hard with Cutler setting him up in positions to store.

Cleveland Browns 6 at Jacksonville Jaguars 24: THE JAGUARS WON THE JAGUARS WON!!!! That’s right, the Jaguars have gotten their one win out of the way this season, and they may be able to win another by the time it’s all said and done! Blake Bortles had three interceptions, so he did his best to lose; but Brian Hoyer just wouldn’t let him. Hoyer finished 16-of-41 for 215 yards, an interception, and a lost fumble. Coming off a big win over the Steelers this was pitiful. Fans in Cleveland will be chanting for Johnny Football if Hoyer does this again.

Seattle Seahawks 26 at St. Louis Rams 28: The Seahawks have been exposed for the second week in a row. The best play of the game was the 90 yard punt return for a touchdown the Rams had. Tavon Austin faked catching the punt; and Stedman Bailey, who was standing on the opposite side of the field from Austin, actually caught it, bringing it back 90 yards untouched. Obviously that’s a very brief description, but look it up if you haven’t seen it because it was awesome. And as always, Richard Sherman had to run his mouth claiming that he recovered the punt at the end of the game and causing more controversy.

Carolina Panthers 17 at Green Bay Packers 38: There’s really not much to say about this game. Obviously the Panthers are not a very good team. This game was 35-3 before Cam Newton was able to do anything. Newton managed only 86 yards by halftime, and most of his second half yards came in garbage time at the end of the game. Rodgers did well, with 255 yards and three touchdowns; but that no longer seems to mean anything against Carolina’s defense.

Atlanta Falcons 7 at Baltimore Ravens 29: Matt Ryan had absolutely no help in this game, but it’s not like he’s done anything this season anyways. The Falcons suck even though they really should be good this year. Ryan finished with only 228 yards and a touchdown, mainly because he was being sacked or pressured on most plays. Joe Flacco had a much better game, although he did finish with two interceptions. Both picks were by Robert Alford, who Flacco targeted most of the game.

Minnesota Vikings 16 at Buffalo Bills 17: A one point victory at home over the Vikings is nothing to brag about, but considering how badly the Bills played it’s always nice to end up with a win. Kyle Orton really stepped up at the end of the game, winning the game for the Bills on the final drive. Orton finished with 283 yards, two touchdowns, and two turnovers earlier in the game. Teddy Bridgewater had another pitiful performance, finishing with only 157 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. In fact, Bridgewater was able to complete only four passes after halftime, effectively ruining any chance the Vikings had of winning the game.

New Orleans Saints 23 at Detroit Lions 24: The Saints looked like the finally had a road win in the bag until Drew Brees of all people messed it up. Brees was the last person Saints fans were expecting to screw up, but his late fourth quarter interception lead to a Lions touchdown. Aside from the costly interception, Brees had 342 yards and two touchdowns. A fantastic game until the end. The Lions defense is truly number one in the NFL, and once again showed the ability to step up in clutch situations.

Kansas City Chiefs 23 at San Diego Chargers 20: The Chiefs looked much better than they have at any point this season, and clearly the Chargers are not as good as people seem to think they are. The Chiefs were coming off a bye week, and the Chargers were looking over them to their Thursday Night matchup with the Denver Broncos. However, there are no excuses—Philip Rivers had his worst performance of the season. Rivers’s main problem was on third down where he was only able to convert three times. Alex Smith wasn’t fantastic, but he did well enough to beat a good San Diego defense.

New York Giants 21 at Dallas Cowboys 31: Well, at least the Giants tried in this game. DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant proved to be too much for the Giants defense. Tony Romo did well thanks to the amazing play of Bryant, who proved to be too much for Prince Amukamara. Murray is officially the best running back in the NFL this season after breaking Jim Brown’s record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games to start the season. Murray now holds the record at seven and could easily make it 16. Eli Manning did fantastic despite the loss of Victor Cruz, but it just wasn’t enough.

Arizona Cardinals 24 at Oakland Raiders 13: Well Derek Carr is back to the list of bad quarterbacks. Apparently last week was a complete fluke. Carr finished with 173 yards and that’s it. Carson Palmer on the other hand did pretty well finishing with 253 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Larry Fitzgerald was very quiet again, finishing with only 21 yards.

San Francisco 49ers 17 at Denver Broncos 42: Peyton Manning now holds the NFL record with 510 touchdowns and counting. Manning could have easily thrown for nine touchdowns in this game, but he allowed Ronnie Hillman to score two rushing touchdowns and didn’t even play in the fourth quarter. This game was an absolute blowout. Manning’s final stat line was amazing: 22-of-26 for 318 yards and four touchdowns in three quarters. Manning couldn’t miss—those four incompletions were basically all drops. Colin Kaepernick on the other hand couldn’t hit anything. Blaine Gabbert threw a touchdown in this game. That’s kind of funny.

Houston Texans 23 at Pittsburgh Steelers 30: After J.J. Watt recovered a fumble and set up the Texans for a field goal to make the score 13-0, the Steelers scored three touchdowns in 73 seconds. Le’Veon Bell had two touchdowns and Ben Roethlisberger had a 35 yard touchdown pass to Martavis Bryant. This surge was helped by an Arian Foster fumble and a Ryan Fitzpatrick interception. The rest is history. Fitzpatrick is still not good at football.

Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Taylor Swifts Dark Side

Julie Wein
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Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Taylor Swifts Dark Side

taylor swift bodyguards

Not a week goes by without some juicy new celebrity gossip being discussed by media and fans alike. This week’s celebrity gossip covers the good and the bad that Hollywood causes or brings out in people.

Country darling Taylor Swift may lead a glamorous lifestyle thanks to her music career behind the scenes her life has a dark side to it. In an interview she recently did with Esquire Magazine she talked about how she has no choice but to surround herself with bodyguards constantly.  After confessing that she never wanted to concede to constant protection she went on to admit that she hasn’t driven in six years, because her security team has to drive her. Through social media Taylor was threatened by a man who followed her on social media and claimed to be married to her.

In other celebrity news, Kelly Osborne got a tattoo in tribute to the late Joan Rivers, who she worked with on an E! Entertainment show. The star got a bumblebee tattooed on her arm. In the wake of the death of Joan Rivers, a rumor was spread that Kelly Osborne is leaving her show on the E! Network. Kelly has vehemently denied the rumors and stated that she is returning for another season of the show.

In an awkward appearance on the red carpet for the recent Angel Ball, Sofia Vergara was speaking to a reporter about her current boyfriend Joe Manganiello when her ex fiancé materialized behind her. Sofia was said to be distracted by his presence, though she did smile at him before turning back to the reviewer. The ex -fiancé reportedly said hello to Sofia, though she said nothing back.

The Kardashian family doesn’t have too many touching moments between them but Kim is reportedly emotionally wrapped up in sister Kendall’s new modeling career. Kim has admitted that when she sees Kendall walking the runway she gets emotional because she feels like she is watching her own daughter live her dream. She has stated how proud she is of Kendall and how Kendall worked so hard to make a modeling career happen.

In other Kardashian news Khloe is reportedly having a hard time getting Lamar Odom to finalize their divorce on his end. This is reportedly causing tension for Khloe as she is accustomed to getting her way and getting it quickly. The next step in getting what she wants is for Khloe to file a Request for Dismissal or Enter a Default. Either way she will finally get her much coveted divorce… which she seems to covet more than she did the marriage to Odom in the first place. Only in Hollywood…

Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul is publically speaking out after Toys R Us pulled the show’s action figures from their shelves. A mother in Florida started a petition to get the action figures removed and Aaron Paul is livid as a result. The mother made the argument that Breaking Bad is a show with mature plots that are not appropriate for children. In a tweet that garnered a lot of attention from both Twitter users and the media Aaron Paul stated that Barbies can be more damaging to children than the Breaking Bad action figures, but Barbies are still sold at the store. He also tweeted that selling the violent video games Toys R Us sells are still on the shelves since the Florida mother didn’t protest against them.  Another tweet by Aaron Paul encouraged his followers to support a petition to get Breaking Bad action figures put back on the shelves at Toys R Us. Once he posted the link to the petition 12,000 people reportedly signed it in support of bringing back the toys. Fellow Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston also publically joked about the Florida mom, stating that since she had Breaking Bad action figures pulled he was going to burn his “Florida Mom” action figure.

Jennifer Lawrence has now joined the ranks of Hollywood home owners as she recently purchased a $7 million five bedroom house that was, at one time, the home of Jessica Simpson. Lawrence’s new house was built in 1991 and includes a media room, gourmet kitchen, home gym and a master bedroom that boasts its own private deck. Located on the property is a koi pond and gated courtyard.

Captain America star Chris Evens is reportedly back together with ex- girlfriend Minka Kelly after the two ended a previous relationship in 2013. In previous months the two traveled to Massachusetts together to spend time with his family. The two reportedly also recently had dinner together at Chris’s house in L.A. The couple has been off and on since 2007.

Kristen Stewart recently announced that after working non -stop for two years she is taking a much needed break from acting. The star wants to pursue other artistic and writing endeavors in downtown L.A. She has stated that she loves hard work and simply wants to try a different type of it.

In a bid of nostalgia NBC is reportedly set to produce a remake of the TV series Bewitched. The show will begin to air for the 2015-2016 TV season. The updated version of the show is said to follow the life of original main character Samantha’s granddaughter, Daphne, who will be in her 20s when the show begins.  Much like her grandmother did she will use her magical abilities to make her way through her life, though this reportedly will do nothing to help her sustain a love life.

George Clooney owns a brand of tequila called Casamigos and it was recently announced that he will now also have a new product made in Mexico. A press release to announce the new product stated that it is finally ready to be bottled after having been extensively tested.

That’s this week’s celebrity gossip out of Hollywood. Stay tuned next week for more juicy stories from the lives of beloved celebrities.

Russell Wilson Joins Derek Jeter’s New Website Venture

Shane Mclendon
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Russell Wilson Joins Derek Jeter’s New Website Venture

If you haven’t checked out Derek Jeter’s new website, “The Players’ Tribune“, you should do so. There isn’t much content there yet but the look of the site is enough to take a few seconds to give it a glance. Danica Patrick is featured at the top of the homepage at the moment, so that is certainly worth a look.

Derek Jeter’s plans for this new web platform is to offer a place where athletes can communicate with their fans on a more personal basis. He was known for never rocking the boat with controversial statements or weird rants. He is a smart guy who knew first of all, how to conduct himself. He was a professional in every sense. He was also aware of just how the media can take a small statement and turn it into a week’s worth of tabloid-like material. So he had to be careful of what he said so he did not have to deal with any extra drama from the media. He played in New York, so he did not need any additional pressure on him.

Jeter’s vision for The Players’ Tribune is simple. He will have athletes write their own stories. They will be able to share thoughts that won’t fit into a ten second soundbyte. And hopefully the athletes will be able to go into deep detail about themselves as well as topics that are of interest to them as well as the fans. A key to this working will be having editors that are athletes as well. Who better to edit the pieces written by other athletes? Some may disagree but I find it to be a fresh new way to do things in a media world that has already been turned upside down with the internet, social media, and way too fast instant analysis.

derek jeter website players tribune 2015 russell wilson

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to read any incoherent ramblings of just any meathead sports star. I want to read articles from thoughtful people who actually have something to say. I don’t think there is any danger of Jeter just letting anyone sign on to write a few lines of gibberish, no matter how big a star the athlete is. They will need to be worthy of using this new platform.

Russel Wilson is going to be a big part of the website it appears, as he is listed as a senior editor. Wilson is an NFL sensation in just his third year. No one seems to have anything bad to say about him in the league. It is all praise for how hard he works, the hours he devotes to film study, and the way he goes about being a professional football player. I think Jeter picked a great player to represent the NFL in one of his early hires. The fact that it is Derek Jeter that picked Wilson says a lot about the young QB for Seattle.

Wilson’s role will be a senior editor and he will be doing some writing himself. He already has a piece up on the site about domestic violence, which I will get to in a moment. I don’t know how much time an NFL quarterback would have to work on outside projects like this during the season. But the offseason would allow him time to add more of his own content to the website. During the grind of the regular season, I would assume he has some free time on flights to do some work for The Players’ Tribune. He is such a grinder that he likely uses down time to study film at home any chance he gets though.

It is very fitting that Wilson’s first article was about domestic violence. I don’t have to tell anyone how big of an issue this has become for the NFL over the past couple of months. Wilson went at the issue head on in his post titled, “Let’s Talk About It” http://www.theplayerstribune.com/lets-talk-about-it/. He admitted to being a bully back in his younger years. He talks about the reasons he did it and how he might understand how football players have a hard time keeping the violence on the field. Many fans see the violence each Sunday, but don’t fully grasp what it takes for guys to get in that aggressive mode practice after practice and game after game. Wilson says that it is hard to leave the mean part of yourself on the football field when the game ends. He is right of course, but we as fans don’t live that life so it is hard for us to identify with that feeling.

Wilson is clearly not scared to tackle tough topics, even those so close to home like domestic violence. It would be easy for him to talk about any other topic. He could have talked about hunger, disabled veterans, or even Cancer. All worthy topics. But he chose to go at a problem specific to his livelihood. It was good to hear a voice from the players section of the league that didn’t say something stupid like some other athletes did during all the Ray Rice talk. It was also refreshing not to hear simple clichés that don’t mean anything at all. We don’t need more, “we have to get our house in order”, Roger Goodell empty talk.

Real discussions about the real people involved in these violent acts is what is needed to improve the situation. Clearly, the NFL, along with society in general, has a problem with domestic abuse. It can’t get corrected without real talk that confronts the issue from all angles. I am proud that Wilson has the character to step to the plate on this matter. I am also extremely proud that Derek Jeter provided a great place for him to write such a piece. I am looking forward to more soon from the new platform. Twitter gave us access to athletes’ random thoughts, which is sometimes not so great. This new launch from Jeter will hopefully bridge the gap between fans and the athletes we follow. It is off to a nice start with the addition of Russell Wilson.

NFL Week 7 What To Watch For 2014

Chris Maurice
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NFL Week 7 What To Watch For 2014

nfl 2015 logo image

Cam Newton vs. Clay Matthews: Cam Newton is finally looking good after coming back from his surgeries this offseason. Newton sucked his first few weeks back, but he has put up over 30-points per game each of the last two weeks including 37 last week against a very good Cincinnati defense. Newton also had 107 yards rushing this past week, showing that even an ankle surgery can’t slow him down. Newton brings his hot streak into Green Bay where he will face a Packers team that loves to put on a show for their fans. Newton will have to compete with the excellent pass rush of Clay Matthews. Matthews will have a lot of help containing Newton this week with Julius Peppers lining up with him. Look for Matthews and Peppers to try containing Newton and forcing him to throw downfield—a task that will be much more difficult for him without Kelvin Benjamin on the field this week.

Drew Brees vs. the Lions Defensive Line: The Detroit Lions have the number one defense in the NFL this season led by the outstanding play of Ndamukong Suh. Suh, along with Ezekiel Ansah, has been causing absolute havoc in the backfield of opponents this season, destroying the rhythm and timing of quarterbacks. The New Orleans Saints haven’t been able to do anything this season on offense or defense, especially on the road. The Saints need to start winning soon if they want to keep up in the NFC South, and Drew Brees will have his work cut out for him this week against the number one defense. Brees will need to be able to get rid of the ball fast. Look for Brees to go to Jimmy Graham a lot if he’s back in the lineup, because if he holds the ball to long it’ll be a long, painful night for Saints fans.

Peyton Manning Chases History: Peyton Manning is going into Sunday Night’s game sitting on 505 career touchdown passes—only three behind Brett Favre’s all-time NFL career touchdown record of 508. Playing at home against a struggling San Francisco 49ers defense, Manning could very easily tie the record this Sunday, if not break it. With another 10 games to go after this one, Manning will absolutely shatter this record; so it will probably be a very long time before we get to watch it broken again. It’s always fun to see a long-standing record fall, so you may want to tune in Sunday Night to watch.

NFL Week 7 Preview 2014

Chris Maurice
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NFL Week 7 Preview 2014

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Peyton Manning is only three touchdowns away from making history, Tony Sparano made the Raiders look competent last week, and Seattle is clearly not the team they were last season. Who knows maybe the Jaguars will surprise us next and win a game. Or not. Here’s Week 7:

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts: Neither of these teams looks overly good anymore. They’ll probably both end up winning their respective divisions and then getting knocked out pretty quickly. The Bengals defense couldn’t stop Cam Newton, so they’ll definitely struggle against Andrew Luck. Since the Colts are at home they have the edge in this game.

Tennessee Titans at Washington Redskins: The Titans had to block a last-minute field goal to beat Jacksonville, so going into Washington will be a little too much for them. The Redskins look horrible, but even they can beat the Titans.

Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears: The Bears offense looks good when Jay Cutler doesn’t screw up, and the Dolphins still have not been reminded that Week One wasn’t the Super Bowl. Cutler is liable to screw up at any time, but even if he does the Bears should still be able to edge out the Dolphins this time.

Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars: A big win over division-rival Pittsburgh puts Cleveland in the perfect position for an upset. Fortunately for Browns and their fans they have a bye week. Sure, the Jaguars looked all right against the Titans; but does that really count? The Browns should have no problem pulling out the win, but the Jaguars may be able to keep it close.

Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams: The Seahawks showed us last week that they aren’t the same team they were last season. They have trouble playing on the road, and clearly other teams are not nearly as afraid of playing in Seattle as they were last season. The Rams don’t have the talent to upset the Seahawks, but since they’re at home they might be able to keep it within a touchdown.

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers: The Panthers have been playing much better recently, and they even managed to put up 37 points against a solid Bengals defensive unit. The Packers have struggled a bit this season, but at home they’ve had no problem at home this season. Cam Newton isn’t up to the challenge of outplaying Aaron Rodgers, so the Packers should be able to pull it off.

Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens aren’t an overly good team, but the Falcons are absolutely atrocious on the road. Actually, come to think of it they can’t really win at home either. Joe Flacco certainly won’t have another five touchdowns this weekend, but he should have no problem taking down a weak Falcons defense.

Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills: Kyle Orton is a pretty good quarterback, and Teddy Bridgewater has yet to prove that he can play consistently at the professional level. After throwing three interceptions last week, Bridgewater will have to prove himself again this week. Buffalo has a pretty good defense, so that may be a little too much to ask. The Bills should be able to pull off the victory, but Bridgewater just might be able to keep the game close.

New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions: The Saints offense has not been working recently, whereas the Lions defense has greatly improved this season. However, the Saints desperately need to turn things around; and with Mark Ingram and Jimmy Graham supposedly back in the lineup this week they may finally be able to turn things around. If the Saints can’t pull this one off their season is pretty much over.

Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers: Philip Rivers is having a career year, and the Chiefs only real accomplishment is beating New England; but that’s not really a big deal since the game was at Arrowhead. The Chargers are definitely going to want to crush the Chiefs this week after nearly losing to the Raiders in Oakland. Not good news for Chiefs fans.

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys: I want to say division games are usually close, but the Giants-Eagles game showed us that that is not always the case. The Cowboys are coming off a big win over the Seahawks in Seattle, and they are probably going to be pretty cocky coming into this game. New York on the other hand is coming off a bad loss to Philadelphia that included the loss of Victor Cruz for the season. Dallas will probably still pull of the win, but look for the Giants to keep it close.

Arizona Cardinals at Oakland Raiders: The Cardinals are a good team, and with Carson Palmer back they are much better. The Raiders also showed some signs off. With Tony Sparano as the interim head coach, Derek Carr also looks much better. I don’t want to say that the Raiders will upset the Cardinals because the San Diego game could have easily been a fluke. Look for the Raiders to have a great game at home again.

San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos: The 49ers struggled to beat the Rams Monday Night, whereas Peyton Manning is only three touchdowns away from the NFL all-time touchdown record. Manning should have no problem at least tying the record on Sunday Night in front of the home crowd; in fact, he may be able to break it if the Niners are doing particularly badly.

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers: After being absolutely pummeled by the Cleveland Browns last week, the Steelers know they need to start winning especially if Mike Tomlin wants to have a job at the end of the season. The Texans are decent, but any team with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback will never be good.

Steve Smith Not Close to Washed Up

Shane Mclendon
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Steve Smith Not Close to Washed Up

 

steve smith not washed up 2015 imagesIf anyone thought that the Carolina Panthers were smart in dropping Steve Smith after last season, they need to check their own football IQ. Smith is making his old team look dumb, for lack of a more appropriate word. The 14 year NFL veteran is paying big dividends for the Baltimore Ravens, who had sense enough to sign Smith as a free agent this offseason. The Ravens are 3-1 and their new offensive weapon is playing like he took a big gulp from the fountain of youth in the offseason. The Panthers got a close up look at just what they are missing in last weeks’ loss to the Ravens as the 35 year old Smith scored two touchdowns in a lopsided win for Baltimore.

I love when a veteran player is dropped for salary cap reasons and it comes back to bite the team that dropped the player in the first place. Fans always whine about players not having loyalty to a team or community. But they don’t think about it the same way when a player is just tossed aside like a hot dog wrapper at a NASCAR event. Steve Smith played played 13 great seasons for Carolina when most of the so called NFL experts thought he would barely make it as a punt returning pro football player. He was never injury prone and only missed more than a couple games in just one season. Over those 186 games in Carolina he racked up over 12,000 yards receiving along with 67 touchdowns. I’d say he gave everything he had to the team that drafted him out of Utah. Once they felt he was used up, he was dismissed and being the prideful guy Smith is known to be, he was pissed. He already had a chip on his shoulder from the moment he was drafted…probably from the moment he was born. Guy is a tough human being, trust me. Being told he was no longer valuable to the Panthers just made it worse on his opponents.

At four games into the 2014 NFL season, Smith sits at third on the receiver yardage list. He is behind only Julio Jones and Jordy Nelson in that category. His 17.2 yards per catch average is the best in the league so far. How would you like to have that stat for a receiver on your team? Dez Bryant is nowhere near that number and he is considered one of the best in the NFL as a deep threat. Even Megatron is behind that average by about a yard per catch. I would say Steve Smith is one of the most dangerous receivers in the league right now. He is smart, motivated, and clearly still has the physical ability to do serious damage to a secondary.

The Ravens could be a mess right now with all the Ray Rice fall out. The team could have got caught up in the chaos of that situation and got off to a terrible start. Rice was a big part of that offense and he was no longer available with the snap of a finger. Smith’s offensive output has taken up some of that slack for John Harbaugh’s offense. He is clearly the best wideout on the Ravens squad, as some other younger players have not gotten to their potential just yet. Torrey Smith has not been the receiver the team thought he would become this year. He has just eight catches compared to Smith’s 25 on the season.

Steve Smith may appear to be a hothead on the field and in interviews. That is not phony. He is indeed a hothead who has punched two different teammates over the years. He does not take any crap from anyone. Some NFL players like to play the role of tough guy. This man is a full fledged tough guy. Call it the Napoleon complex for the smaller statue guy if you want. Whatever it is that drives him, continues to make him one of the best receivers in all of football. I like to see intense players succeed. The guys like Smith that show a work ethic and a prideful approach to the game of football is a welcome site in a game that gets softer every year. New safety rules that stop any intimidating hits, smiling / hugging the opposition after losses, and some players’ general aloof disposition can be hard to watch sometimes. Smith is a throwback to the days of real hatred of the opponents. He is motivated to be the better man on the field of play. His objective is to outplay the man across from him by any means necessary. NFL coaches of the 60’s would have loved to have had a guy like Steve Smith on their roster.

I hope Ravens fans show Smith all the love he deserves while he is there. And I hope he has continued success. He has put in all the work to be a great player and has been a pro’s pro along the way. His time is short as he is 35 years old and wideouts don’t usually play long past that age, much less excel. But he is clearly not washed up by a damn site. The same vitriol that made him hold onto a newspaper clipping saying he was drafted as a “glorified tiny punt returner”, is the same feeling that has kept him at the top of the wideout charts. While Cam Newton will struggle to find a decent receiver to bail him out for the next 12 games, Joe Flacco will have the reliable “maniac” in Steve Smith to throw to. Flacco is clearly better off than Newton.

The Ravens’ upper management may not have handled the Ray Rice situation properly, but they did make a good on the field move when they signed Smith so quickly after Carolina dumped him. He is repaying their commitment to him and the Panthers are the first of many teams that will realize the what he has left in the tank the rest of the way in 2014.

Seattle Seahawks Show Russell Wilson His Value With Percy Harvin Trade

Shane Mclendon
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Seattle Seahawks Show Russell Wilson His Value With Percy Harvin Trade

russell wilson wins over percy harvin trade nfl

What it must take for a NFL team to get rid of a superstar player. That is exactly what Percy Harvin is, a superstar offensive weapon. Seattle basically gave him away to the Jets for a 6th round draft pick at worst and a 4th rounder at best. Harvin had played great for the Seahawks and yes they were paying him a lot for his services. But he was no doubt living up to his contract and justifying what the Hawks gave up to Minnesota to get him.

Teams around the NFL would kill, yes literally if they could get away with it, for a player capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. And yet the Seahawks, defending world champs, simply gave him to another team. They didn’t give him to a division foe or even a team in their conference. They shipped him across the country to the AFC. Not to mention that the team he was exiled to has no chance of making the playoffs. So this move will not come back to bite Seattle on the field against a team helped by Harvin. But clearly they will miss his offensive production and game changing talent.

So what would make a team get rid of a serious playmaker? Ask Terrell Owens. He was one of the best receivers of the past 25 years and yet he bounced from team to team late in his career. His inability to get along with teammates made him less valuable, no matter how good he was on the field. The same could be said for Randy Moss at the end of his Hall Of Fame football career. These are just two of the most prominent examples of guys getting run off because of a bad attitude, locker room conflicts, insubordination, or all of the above.

Reports of Harvin stories started pouring in after the trade went through to the Jets. A pre Super Bowl fight with Golden Tate was just one incident that was an issue with Harvin. Although a body slam that was so vicious that a teammate reported that he “thought Tate’s neck was broken”, is no slight problem. But the biggest issue with Harvin was the potential for a blowup with quarterback Russell Wilson. According to reports there is some resentment toward Wilson for his player-coach image. He is actually so devoted to the game of football that some teammates are bitter, which sounds crazy. Be that as it may, there was fear that Percy Harvin could have made things bad for Wilson in the locker room. An NFL team, or any level team for that matter, can’t have players questioning their QB1. That is grounds for reprimand…..or in this case, grounds to be sent off the netherworld of a Jets team on a losing streak of six games. Russel Wilson is the face of the Seahawks, as any quarterback should be for an NFL franchise. No player, offensive jugger or naught, is going to be allowed to challenge that fact.

Percy Harvin would have been fine jerking with wide receivers like Tate, or any other player for that matter. But Russell Wilson is untouchable. He is one of 32 of the best quarterbacks in the world. IN THE WORLD PERCY! On top of that, he is one of the top ten out of 32. What does that tell you about messing with him Percy? It tells me that you overestimated your value to the Seahawks. And I hate that. I really do. Harvin was fun to watch as a Seahawk, but now he will be relegated to the back burner. The Jets are going nowhere fast and Harvin’s highlights will be irrelevant there. On the bright side, he can body slam Eric Decker and no one will care outside of Decker’s family. And he can belittle Geno Smith with no repercussions since Smith is the 32nd best(being generous) QB in the league. Don’t mess with Mike Vick though son, he knows how to handle himself.

The Seahawks just sent a message to others in their locker room. Do not furuck with Russell Wilson. Those too stupid to receive that message will suffer a similar fate as Harvin. Take note, Doug Baldwin…you are a irrelevant receiver who could be replaced with a phone call, nay, a text message. I would resist the urge to verbally confront Russell Wilson on National TV again. That is, if you like living in Seattle. Apartments are expensive in New York and there is not much to do in Jacksonville.

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