As is tradition for the Chicago Bears, great defense and a strong rushing attack led the way while the passing game struggled to get its footing. Despite missing defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and linebacker Noah Sewell, the defense with the most takeaways in the league added four more to their tally, picking off Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler three times and forcing him to fumble as well, bringing their season total to sixteen. Montez Sweat finally made his impact felt this season as he was the man with the strip-sack on Rattler and notched two tackles-for-loss. 

On the ground, the Bears were spearheaded by the two-headed monster of D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai. In last week’s match against the Commanders, Chicago finally managed to get the running game going with 145 yards after averaging just 102 yards per game in the first four weeks. The upward trend continued as Swift and Monangai had 124 and 81 yards, respectively. The offensive line will need to keep their newfound form going if they wish to keep this winning streak alive. 

Their passing game, however, was yet again out of sync. Quarterback Caleb Williams had easily his weakest performance of the season to date, as he only managed to complete 15 of his 26 passes for 172 yards and no touchdowns, while also throwing a poorly read interception in the first quarter. One bright spot from the contest was Williams’ magical ability to escape sacks and spread the ball around, completing passes to eight different receivers, including D.J. Moore, who hauled in 3 passes for 43 yards. 

Monday Night hero Jake Moody picked up where he left off in Washington, as he once again kicked four field goals in relief of Cairo Santos, who is still dealing with a thigh injury.

The Bears continue to be one of the most penalized teams in the league, as they racked up 92 yards worth of them on 10 yellow flags thrown. Not all of these flags looked totally legitimate, but finding a football game that doesn’t have any poor officiating calls is about as hard as finding a hot dog with ketchup on it in the stadium. 

However, despite the passing struggles, penalties, and Chris Olave catching two touchdowns, the Chicago Bears have still managed to win four games in a row to sit at 4-2 going into next week’s matchup with Baltimore, as their MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson, returns from injury. Are the Bears finally good? We’ll find out soon enough.

The post Chicago Bears Extend Win Streak to Four with 26-14 Victory Over Saints appeared first on KRUI Radio.

This is the first time in a long time I can say that the Dolphin’s future looks really good. This team is very young and performing better than expected, despite being 3-3, with major holes.

The things that excite me most are the young players that the Dolphins drafted getting quality time in a starting role. The free agents we signed are also immediately making an impact on the field impact. This is something that I have noticed that the team has failed to do in the past. I personally think this is why the Dolphins have been in a purgatory of mediocrity these past 4-5 years.

They had the pieces to be a very competitive team but failed to fill holes in the offseason to get there. The biggest example is Ryan Tannehill. I always saw the Tannehill we are seeing nowadays, but the Dolphins inhibited Tannehill by surrounding him with an atrocious offensive line. The one year Tannehill had a consistent and healthy offensive line, he led the team to an 8-5 record before injuring his ACL in a game against the Cardinals. This is the same injury he did not get surgery for and then later fully tore in training camp before the start of the following season. That was hands down Tannehill’s best season because the Dolphins successfully put a good team around him.

The offensive line was also my biggest worry when the Dolphins selected Tua Tagovailoa 5th overall in this year’s NFL draft, and the offensive line he was inheriting. According to ProFootball Focus, the Dolphins offensive line ranked last in passing and rushing efficiency. Tagovailoa looked like a generational passer at Alabama but had the advantage of having a great offensive line every year. Miami had holes to fill in almost every offensive line position.

The biggest surprise so far this year is how good the Dolphins offensive line has looked through the first 6 weeks. They have had three of their draft picks start games and played well. One of the rookies, Robert Hunt, got his opportunity due to an injury of another rookie offensive, Austin Jackson. Free agent guard Erik Flowers has proved that his switch from tackle to guard last year was not a fluke success, but a true positional fit.

This team still has some major holes that keep them from being a good team. They lack a run stop linebacker and really need a free safety. The latter especially hurts because Minkah Fitzpatrick has become a star for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This doesn’t change the fact that he quit on his team and demanded to be traded as a second-year player. Nevertheless, Miami needs to find players in this upcoming draft to fix these problems if they hope to have the elite defense they are trying to build. On the offensive side, Miami really needs a wide receiver that can take the top off a defense and make plays after the catch. Devante Parker and Preston Williams have both looked like good receivers that will be integral parts of the passing game, but they don’t have these attributes. I would personally love Jaylen Waddle out of Alabama. He has proved to be elite at these two things and would already have chemistry with Tua Tagovailoa. The other spot on offense is running back. This is not as necessary as the Y receiver because running backs are easy to come by. For this spot I want either Travis Etienne out of Clemson or Najee Harris out of Alabama. Both these backs have shown they are special in their own perspective.

Overall, Miami is still in a year where expectations are for young players to get in game experience and to illustrate their growth as players. Winning is not everything this year. Winning is rewarding of young players out performing their expectations. This year already this team has lost winnable games because of young players making mistakes. For example, Bobby McCain leaving his over the top zone against the Bills allowing John Brown to score a 50 yards touchdown on third down. Or Preston Williams dropping a 2 yard touchdown in the same game. These mistakes do not make me worry as much as they used to because this team is young. They still are in the process of building something. In the process of building something, there are bound to be setbacks and mistakes. Instead of falling apart this team has used their shortcomings as growing tools. Brian Flores is building a culture in Miami that I believe will translate into something great for the future of the Miami Dolphins.

The post Opinion: The Future is Bright in Miami appeared first on KRUI Radio.

With no preseason, a lot of fans wondered how the games would look in the early weeks. Would teams start sloppy? What effect would limited fan seating have? How would the rookies fare without the traditional amount of preparation?

For the most part, everything has been largely the same. Offenses are clicking, breakout stars are being born, and the Jets still suck. Sure, it’s weird to see Lambeau Field empty, and Mike Zimmer doesn’t look quite right with a face shield, but once the camera focuses in on the field and the center snaps the ball, it’s easy to forget that we’re in the midst of a pandemic.

In a year of uncertainty, it is important to remember to focus on the brightside. But as all football fans know (some better than others), the NFL is not all sunshine and rainbows. Alas, every team has a frightside – an unpleasant, uncomfortable cause for concern that for 31 teams cannot be avoided.

Without further ado, here are my 1^st quarter performance reviews for the teams in the NFC North.

Chicago Bears

The Brightside: The Bears are 3-1. While it hasn’t been pretty bears fans should be counting their lucky stars that they’re 3-1, as a team’s record is ultimately the only stat that matters in the NFL. Cowboys fans would give anything to win 3 ugly games right about now.

After a little more than 3 years, it appears the Mitch Trubisky era is over in Chicago. Midway through their Week 3 game in Atlanta, Head Coach Matt Nagy pulled Trubisky in favor of former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles who went on energize the Chicago offense and lead an improbable 16-point comeback. While Foles followed his heroic performance up with an absolute dud against the Colts, I think Bears fans have seen enough to know that Mitch Trubisky is not their answer at quarterback. I would rather take my chances with a hot-n-cold slinger like Foles.

The Frightside: They just haven’t played well. Outside of the 4^th quarter in Detroit and Nick Foles’ spark against Atlanta, the offense has been miserable. The kicking game is still unreliable. Perhaps most disappointingly, the Bears’ defense hasn’t been the overwhelming force its been in past years.

It’s also impossible to deny that the Bears have had some luck on their side this year. They could easily be 1-3 or 0-4. It took a miraculous 17-point 4th quarter comeback and wide-open drop in the endzone by D’Andre Swift to beat the Lions. In the following week, the Giants had the ball at the 10 yard line with a chance to win the game right at the end. And in Week 3, the Falcons comically blew a 16-point lead with 7 minutes left. The Bears have had the good fortune of starting the season with a very weak schedule. By the eye test, this is not a 3-1 team. If the offense doesn’t improve soon, Chicago could quickly find their season in a downward spiral.

Key Stat: The Bears are currently averaging 9 points in the first half.

Detroit Lions

The Brightside: Their uniforms look great. When thinking about areas where the Detroit Lions have improved in the past few years, team uniforms are the first thing that comes to mind. Very aesthetically pleasing.

However, looking for actual football positives is difficult. It appears the Lions are headed for an offseason of immense change. Head Coach Matt Patricia is a dead man walking and the Lions are likely to have a very high draft pick. With change comes hope. The Lions are still at least year or two away from competing in the NFC North, and the focus right now should be on taking care of the future. Hopefully, number 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah and D’Andre Swift can continue to show improvement over the course of the season.

The Frightside: I could’ve written an entire article on this section alone. Unfortunately for Lions fans, these have been the same old Lions. That means blown leads, dropped passes, swiss cheese defense, and immeasurable disappointment. Right when you think they’ve hit rock bottom they find a new low.

While Matthew Stafford hasn’t been the problem, the Lions have failed to build a team around him for the past 10 years. As the soon to be 33-year old Georgia product moves past the prime of his career, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Lions become contenders with him at the helm. It might soon be time for the Lions to part ways with the former #1 pick and truly start fresh.

Key Stat: The Lions are 0-3 this year in games in which they’ve had an 11+ point lead.

Green Bay Packers

The Brightside: After a 13-3 season last year, a lot of people, myself included, thought the Packers would take a step back in 2020. Boy, were we wrong. Watching the Packers play offense is like watching a steak knife go through warm butter. There’s just no stopping it. Through the first four games, the Packers were averaging a league-leading 38 points per game. Even with a decimated receiving corps, Aaron Rodgers is still playing some of the best football of his career.

Part of Rodgers’ success can be attributed to the fact that this is the best backfield Green Bay has had in his tenure. The Packers currently have the 4^th most rushing yards in the NFL, primarily powered by the shifty and explosive Aaron Jones who trails only Dalvin Cook for the league lead in rushing. While Rodgers and Jones receive much of the credit for the offense’s success, it would be a mistake not to mention the offensive line. Allowing only 3 sacks so far, the Packers’ offensive line has been as good as any this year. As a result, Green Bay is the only team in the league to rank top 5 in both passing and rushing yards.

Seeing as the NFC North appears to be one of the weaker divisions this year, the Packers are extremely well-positioned to win the division title and compete for the number one seed in the conference. This might be Aaron Rodgers’ best last chance to get to another Super Bowl. Enjoy the ride, Packers fans.

The Frightside: It can’t get much better than this. At some point, the offense will come back to Earth. Aside from a game in New Orleans against a Saints team that struggled out of the gate, the Packers have played a relatively weak schedule. It is yet to be seen how Green Bay stacks up against the NFL’s top class. Last year, they were manhandled by the 49ers twice, and the two teams will meet again in San Francisco on November 5th. Before that highly-anticipated showdown, the Packers will have a chance to prove themselves in Tampa against Brady and the new-look Bucs. While the Packers are currently flying high, losses against these two teams might mean another year of a Green Bay team that’s good but not good enough.

Key Stat: The Packers have scored in every quarter this season.

Minnesota Vikings

The Brightside: Seven teams make the playoffs this year. While the Vikings certainly haven’t gotten off to the start they wanted, once September ended the team woke up and secured a critical win against Houston that should provide hope that the season isn’t dead yet. Dalvin Cook is a stud. Kirk Cousins has been to the playoffs before. Mike Zimmer has historically been a good coach. It’s not like the Vikings are a perennially underperforming regular-season team. Given the newly expanded playoff structure and the fact that the NFC as a conference is relatively weak this year, I’m not counting the Vikings out just yet.

The Frightside: Frankly, the Vikings have been one of the league’s biggest disappointments. Considered by many to be preseason NFC North favorites, the Vikings came out of the gate looking sluggish and mentally unprepared. Embarrassingly, Kirk Cousins somehow managed to get sacked for a safety in each of the first two games.

Probably the most concerning aspect of this year’s Vikings is their defense. For the past several years, Minnesota has had a stout, aggressive defense with talent at all three levels. However, this offseason they lost several key players including Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, and Xavier Rhodes (not to mention Stefon Diggs on offense). The result? A young, inexperienced secondary that has struggled and a defense that has allowed the 4^th most yards per game. If the Vikings are going to right the ship, their defense needs to improve.

Key Stat: Through 4 games, Kirk Cousins has thrown 6 interceptions. He threw 6 all of last year.

The post NFC North Performance Reviews Through One Quarter of the Season appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Besides the point of the insanity of this game, if there is a play that needs to be analyzed the most in the winning one.

For those who haven’t seen the play, this will be crucial in seeing the field and following along with me.

https://youtu.be/xskiXon53kY?t=5m13s

First things first, let’s give some background knowledge of the spot Alabama is in. Freshman QB Tua Tagovailoa (for the sake of the readers and my typing let’s just call him Tua) just took a huge sack instead of throwing the ball down to his check down man for an easy gain. The mistake from Tua put Alabama in a 2nd down and 26 yards to go on the 41. Alabama needs to get back yards and hopefully get close enough to get a shot at the first down. Because of this offensive coordinator Brian Daboll calls for a play to do exactly this. The play is Gun Y Trips Weak Seattle

Okay okay, I don’t expect everyone to know exactly what this means so I’ll explain it to you. Gun is the basic formation, Gun is just a short way of saying Shotgun, which I hope people know what that means. Y Trips Weak is the formations package basically telling the players what way to lineup for the play. The Y in the package stands for the Y receiver, which in this case is the tight end position, so the package is calling for Trips on the strong side of the field with the Y receiver. For anyone who doesn’t know what the strong side of the field is, it is the side where Alabama has their tight end lineup. For this case, Alabama has tight end Irv Smith Jr on the right side of the field. That sets the right half of their formation as the strong side of the field, with the left side being the weak side of the field. The weak part of the call is telling the halfback where to lineup next to the QB. So, obviously halfback Najee Harris lineups on the weak side of the field next to Tua. Lastly, Seattle is the concept of the play, for this it’s the passing concept that Alabama wants run for their play. For Madden nerds including myself, Seattle is most otherwise known as Four Verticals.

Alright, now lets flip sides to the other side of the ball, and focus on Georgia plan for this play. Georgia since they’re riding high on a huge sack to drag Alabama down to their 41 in a 2nd and 26 position. Georgia runs a basic 3-4 defense, nothing too complex as head coach of the Bulldogs, Kirby Smart, has a mentality of just outplaying other teams with speed and athleticism. This is evident in the majority of their season where they love to run twists and blitz meanwhile having their secondary hold and cover the receivers 5-10 yards off the line, and hopefully long enough for their defensive line to get to the quarterback, basically not allowing short passes and betting on their pass rush to have an effect before long pass concepts can develop. This is very similar to the recently well spotlighted Jaguars defense, where they run this concept to perfection. Another example of this is the play right before the one we’re featuring. They run a basic 3-4 against Bama and although Tua on this play has number one receiver Calvin Ridley open on a deep comeback 15 yards downfield, Georgia gets to Tua and forces him to beat them in the breakdown of the pocket which causes him to never see Ridley and take the sack.

After this, they line up in the same sequence of Cover 2 Man in the 3-4 Eagle package. This means that Georgia will be in the 3-4 Eagle formation, this is telling the players where to lineup. In a basic 3-4 lineup there will be 3 defensive tackles, the one of in the middle is considered as the nose guard, with 4 linebackers. For the linebackers, there are 4 different positions for each backer but were just gonna focus the outer two as the middle two aren’t important to the play. The one that will sit on the strong side no matter what is called the Sam backer, he is the fast guy who is strong as pass rushing but can be expected to cover the Tight end or in this case the slot receiver. The guy on the weak side is called the Will backer, he will always sit on the weak side of the field. The Will is usually known for also being fast but being more reliable on sealing the edge preventing cutbacks and reverses. Also, he won’t have to rely on pass coverage very much so he’ll most likely be better suited for rushing the Quarterback.  The Eagle part of the call tells where for the linemen and linebackers to lineup, this is also known as the defensive front. There are three main ways for them to lineup. Eagle, Over, and Under. Eagle is just known as the base way to lineup in 3-4. You can tell which one the defense is in by the way of where the nose guard defensive tackle lineups. If the nose guard lines up on the head of the Center, that means it’s Eagle. If he lines up on the strong side of the Center, it is Over, and finally, if he lines up on the weak side of the Center it’s Under. The Cover 2 Man part is the coverage concept for the rest of the secondary to run. In this example it is Cover 2 Man meaning that there are only two safeties and they will both be running zones at the top of the field, meanwhile the Man is calling for man coverage on the receivers, meaning they will be covering the man instead of covering a zone of the field.

Alright, now on to the spotlight play. Alabama lines up in Gun Y Trips Weak and Georgia goes into their  3-4 Eagle. Because of the trips on the strong side, it forces the Sam backer to cover the slot receiver. Fortunately, Georgia had subbed their normal Sam backer for a defensive back making it a false nickel coverage, meanwhile still being in a 3-4 Eagle. This also forces the strong side middle linebacker to cover the tight end. Leaving the weak side middle linebacker on a spy since Tua is an athletic and mobile QB. This allows for a large opening in the middle of the field in front of the safeties. To attack this space, Alabama wants to run Seattle which will allow for both the tight end and Slot receiver to get into this zone which is the main concept of Seattle. The tight end is supposed to attack this space on the left hash being the throwing window for him, meanwhile, the slot will be attacking for the right to the middle of the hash markers with that being his throwing window. The picture will show this. Obviously, the slot receiver takes primary responsibility of being the main read for the quarterback as the tight end will drag down the middle backer allowing for the slot to be in a 1 on 1 with either the safety or sam backer depending on if the backer breaks off of him to cover the check down being ran by the running back, attacking the middle of the field. It is important to understand this concept as this is exactly how Alabama won the game on this play call.

As you can see in the picture, the safety on the left Dominick Sanders, is cheating out of position to his left. This is all because what we previously were talking about. In Cover 2 Man both of the safeties have to cover the top of the field not letting anyone behind them. Thus, it opens up the middle of the field 10-15 yards downfield. Since, Sanders is an intelligent player he cheats in on his left assuming that Alabama is about to attack this area, which he is correct on. Although, when the plays starts he goes back to his normal area, but he is constantly reading Tua’s eyes looking at where he is reading the field which keeps him cheating over to his left and playing more in the middle of the field. This entire time as Tua is looking on the right side of the field, specifically for his slot receiver as the play is designed for, and due to the cheating by Sanders at the beginning of the play. Tua knows that as long as he can freeze Sanders in middle of the field by looking him off, he’ll have his receiver on the streak open for the bomb over Sanders. 

Just like that, Tua looks Sanders over, checks to the left and lets it go to an open DeVonta Smith for the championship winning touchdown to end the game. It is all because of this cheating over to the middle of the field that allowed for Devonta Smith to get open since Georgia’s cornerback covering Smith let him go thinking that he would have Sanders for help. However, there was no Sanders even near to him.

In defense, if Sanders had stayed in position, Tua still had his slot receiver open in the middle of the field for at least a 15 yard gain meaning Alabama still would’ve gained major yardage on the play, but it would’ve caused Alabama to try and convert a 3rd down, which they were only 3-14 all game. It also would’ve given Georgia a chance to get a stop and force a field goal out of struggling and rattled kicker, Andy Pappanastos, who was only 2/4 and had previously missed the potential game winning kick by a far measure. I’m not saying Georgia would’ve won, I’m just saying that Alabama would have a much better chance at losing without Tagovailoa playing the Seattle call like a professional pianist, and if we can learn anything from this game,  anything can happen in the national championship.

The post Chalk Talk: How Bama beat the Bulldogs appeared first on KRUI Radio.

This trade leans towards Kansas City’s benefit. They not only cleared $17 million in cap space with sending Smith off, they ended the quarterback debate. It is now Patrick Mahomes time. Mahomes was selected 10th overall in last year’s draft and started one game last season. He is now 1-0 as a starter.

As both teams are happy with what they received, there is one uncertainty still remaining. Where will Kirk Cousins be playing for the 2018 season and beyond?

The Scenario

Kirk Cousins had a pretty steady career with the Redskins. He went 26-30-1 in Washington while throwing for 16,206 yards, 99 touchdowns, and 55 interceptions. He also led the Redskins to two playoff appearances, one in 2012 and the other in 2015.

Kirk Cousins’ numbers aren’t the greatest, but he still is one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the NFL today. At the age of 29, he still has some decent years ahead of him.

The Redskins front office has never been high on Cousins. Not due to his character or ability, but they expected that Robert Griffen III would’ve been the one to carry them to the promised land. Especially with the money they were paying RG3, the praise never came to Cousins.

Once Cousins lead them to a playoff appearance, the skepticism never left. With this recent trade, Cousins has a shot to play for a team that will value him. But, there will be a hefty price to whoever wants to take him in.

These teams are just a few on the radar for Cousins, but at the end of the day, who knows who will spend some dough for him.

The Candidates

1. Cleveland Browns:

Oh no, another quarterback that will fall victim to the Browns. With lots of cap space, they could be able to outbid any other team for Cousins. Not to mention, they were also trying to get Alex Smith to be a Brown before the trade.

However, with a few new members in the front office, we could see some coaching switches. Head coach Hue Jackson plans on staying, but maybe new offensive and new defensive personnel may turn things around. And by turn things around, that means a win or two.

Although the Browns may be able to meet Cousins’ price demand, there isn’t much else that is appealing about this team. A lot of young players with potential, but that is all you can look forward to. If Cousins other deals fall through (which they probably won’t), we could see him joining this team and having quite a bit of money to take to the bank.

2. New York Jets

The Jets are coming off a pretty surprising season. One thing that stays uncertain, is the quarterback position. While Josh McCown had a solid year, he is also 38 years old, and will be 39 before the season starts. And with former quarterbacks in Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, and Mark Sanchez, the Jets have yet to find a stable option.

The money is there for New York, but is the potential? Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson had a remarkable year, having 64 receptions for 941 yards and 7 touchdowns. That is about it, and not much else. With that being said, we could see the Jets draft a quarterback, as they hold the number six pick in this year’s draft.

There is a little hope in Jets fans that their new quarterback will Cousins, but more are banking on getting their next franchise quarterback through the draft. Drafting a quarterback has a lot of more pros than cons. One HUGE pro, is that it is a LOT cheaper than the deal that Cousins will be wanting. I see the Jets being in the middle of Cousins’ list of future destinations.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Will the Jags pull the plug on Bortles or not? Many fans think so, but there are some experts saying one more year to prove himself wouldn’t be a terrible idea. The thing is, at quarterback, a offseason can do a lot of good for them. A little time to rest, to improve, and to get more comfortable. Well, Bortles is running out of time to become comfortable, which is why we could see Cousins take his spot.

Although the price tag may be a little much for the Jags, they could be major contenders in the AFC next season. Imagine if they had Cousins going against that Patriots defense in the AFC championship. If Nick Foles can put on a fantastic display, it is pretty safe to say Cousins could do the same.

This destination shows a lot of promise, probably the most, if not, a close second. Why? Well the stout defense will be back, and with lots of anger. The future is bright in their receiving core. And Leonard Fournette started to show some flashes of greatness in his first season. If Cousins wants to immediately make an impact, the Jags look like a promising place to play. The only thing he will have to worry about, is if the organization is willing to match the price.

4. New York Giants

Another New York team with quarterback problems. What’s new? Although Ben McAdoo is no longer the Giants’ coach, there is still uncertainty on how this team will be. With a flashy receiving core, having Odell Beckham Jr. as the star, Cousins could have some reliable weapons.

However, none if this happens if the new coach will play Eli Manning. Insert Pat Shurmur, former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator, now Giants’ head coach. We should expect Eli Manning to make a statement next season. Especially with a crafty play caller in Shurmur.

Lots of things have to go Cousins’ way if he wants to head to the Big Apple next season. The Giants could have a stout offense, but lots is still to be desired from the defensive side of the ball. Especially in the secondary. The Giants could make this happen if Manning isn’t their guy anymore. But, all signs are pointing towards Manning being the quarterback for the 2018 season.

5. Minnesota Vikings

The story that is Case Keenum is one that Vikings fans will tell for generations to come. However, there is still much speculation on how certified Keenum is for the job. This debate is a little more complex, however. Teddy Bridgewater is a free agent, and so is Sam Bradford. All 3 quarterbacks have contributed mightily to the Vikings in the past 3 years.

The Vikings are more likely to sign Bridgewater or Keenum, as Bradford’s injury ridden career seems to bring more risks than rewards. Although quarterback position is still uncertain, the surrounding pieces are still quite promising.

With Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen at wide receiver and Kyle Rudolph at tight end, Cousins will have a number of weapons. The line is much improved, and not to mention, Dalvin Cook will be returning next season after suffering a season ending injury in 2017. Cousins could fit right in. ‘Could’ is the key world, because the Vikings have yet to name an offensive coordinator, as Pat Shurmur is now the head coach of the Giants. Money will be tight for the Vikings, but Cousins could be the missing, reliable piece they need.

The Verdict

Some names other than the ones listed are the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, and the Miami Dolphins. Lots of teams has Cousins on their radar, but does he have them on his?

According to KFAN broadcaster Paul Allen of Minneapolis, Minnesota, some reliable sources have informed him that Minnesota is at the top of Cousins’ list on locations where he wants to be next season.

We may find out soon, and possibly after the draft. The draft could play a huge part for the decision of Cousins. Even though the rumors of him wanting to join the Vikings, we could see the Jets as the front runners, as of now.

Whoever lands the purchase of Kirk Cousins, they will have a stable player at the quarterback position. As they should, thanks to the hefty price that will come with him.

The post Where Will Kirk Cousins Land? appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Iowa has had the best of luck with these kinds of stories. Just this year, the Kinnick Wave captured the hearts and minds of the nation, even winning the annual Disney Spirit Sports Award. But, if you had the chance to be at the Purdue-Iowa slaughter at Carver, the annual Chris Street reminded the Iowa faithful of why we love sports.

January 19^th, 2018 marks the 25^th anniversary of the passing of Hawkeye legend Chris Street. Street lived out his dream, even if it was marked short. The legend of Chris Street was never about his stats. Street’s passion was such a high intensity that the only thing you’d be able to do is be in awe. And smile. Chris did that a lot, another level of the legend. Not only did Street have an unparalleled passion for the game, but his lovable personality and magnetic smile was equally a force to be reckoned.

Iowa fell in love with Chris Street because Street was Iowa embodied. Street had the “Iowa Nice” personality commonly found in the Hawkeye State and held the tenacity of the court that is a by-product of his tough, blue collar work ethic. But, more than anything, Chris Street woke up everyday wanting to do nothing more than to play basketball for his Hawkeyes. The University of Iowa released a video and showed the same video during halftime of the Purdue-Iowa contest one day after the 25^th anniversary of his passing. The following link goes to the inspirational tribute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48dGMn_muYk.

The game prior to and following the Chris Street tribute did not have the match the intensity of the Iowa legend. Purdue put Iowa out of the game in the first ten minutes of the first half and merely poured on the point. Making the game seem like nothing more than a morning stroll, the Boilermakers sliced through the soft Iowa defense on its way to a Big10 record in most 3-pointers in a game. 20 shots fell out to 33 attempted from beyond the arc for the third nationally ranked Purdue squad. Iowa could and would not come close after taking an early 3-0 lead in an eventual 87-64 loss.

Purdue will be taking their talents back home to West Lafayette, Indiana in a matchup against Michigan on Thursday, January 25^th at 6 pm CST. The next game for the Iowa comes with another tribute to Chris Street. However, in this Tuesday contest against the hated Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa will be wearing the Gold jerseys. Iowa faces Wisconsin on January 23 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 6 pm CST.

The post Forever 40: Remembering Chris Street appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Case and Point

The Vikings acquired Case Keenum in March of 2017, mostly for the role of backup quarterback. Keenum began at QB2 this season, sitting on the sidelines as Sam Bradford had a career game during opening week vs. the New Orleans Saints. However, Bradford injured a knee during practice, and hasn’t looked the same since.

Keenum got the start in Week 2 versus the Steelers, and that is where the Vikings took one of their two loses this season; the other loss coming from the Detroit Lions in Week 4. Keenum didn’t look the greatest against Pittsburgh. But to his credit, he was only taking reps with the starters for one week and the Steelers defense has looked solid. The following week, he proved that he could not only manage a game like a usual backup is asked to do, but make some plays like a starter is asked to do. Keenum threw for 393 yards with 3 touchdowns against the Buccaneers in Week 3. Those numbers are high in Keenum’s career marks, which made Vikings fans skeptical if Keenum was the real deal or not, due to Tampa’s depleted defense at the time.

After losing to the Lions in Week 4, Case and the Vikings haven’t looked back. They are on a seven-game win streak and sit at 2nd place in the NFC and 3 games ahead as they sit in 1st place in the NFC North Division. The Viking defense has been looking unstoppable, as they shut down the highest scoring offense in the NFL in the LA Rams in Week 11. But, Case Keenum and the offense have done more than enough to keep winning games.

What about Teddy?

This is where the real talk begins. Teddy Bridgewater is now cleared to play, and has been for 3 weeks at the time of this post. Coach Zimmer has mentioned that Teddy has been making great plays during practice. He is also quoted telling the press that asked about the debacle that, “…we have a plan.” A lot has changed since he has made that statement. One, Case has seemed to be getting better and more confident. And two, the Vikings haven’t lost.

However, Teddy is a huge ‘locker room guy”. He is always shown mentoring other teammates, cheering after great plays, and being an overall great teammate. The adversity he has been through really shows what kind of player he is, but more importantly, what kind of man he is. For being drafted as the Vikings next franchise quarterback, he hasn’t played a full scale NFL football game in 1,052 days at the time of this post. That is a very long time to be away from a game and take from where you left off.

Now, nobody in the world, especially Vikings fans, expect him to be great right away. But as Everson Griffen, defensive-end for the Vikings, said, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” The Vikings are winning with Keenum, and to be frank, they shouldn’t take him out.

What’s Next?

The Vikings still have some big games to play yet this season. They play at Atlanta and Carolina in the next two weeks, and still have to play at Green Bay before the season ends. The key to winning in the NFL, according to Keenum, is to “…have fun and take each day at a time.”

The Vikings sure look like they are having fun, and the stats back them up. Overall, the quarterback debacle is something that this team shouldn’t worry about right now. I feel that Case earned his spot for the rest of the year, and that he should not have the pressure of always looking behind him for Teddy. Maybe, however, running from Teddy is what is motivating Keenum to be playing so well. And if that is the case (no pun intended), well, keep on keepin’ on, like Joe Dirt used to say.

As for the offseason, lots could happen. We could end up signing Keenum for a longer deal, but will have to pay him a good chunk thanks to his deal he signed in March. And if Bridgewater and Keenum battle it out, the starting QB for next season will be proven. Both guys are loved by this team and fanbase, so there is really no wrong way to go.

Final Assessment

My final opinion on this matter is that the Vikings should definitely, without a doubt keep Keenum in there for the rest of the season. Even if he has an off game, he needs to know that he has earned the trust of the coaching staff and his teammates. I believe he has earned that right, as he has done more than enough to contribute for this team.

As for next year, I wouldn’t mind seeing Keenum remain as the starting quarterback. However, I feel his leash should be a little tighter, as Teddy will now have a full offseason of preparation under his belt, which would be his first since his horrific injury. If Teddy were to beat Keenum out for the job before the season starts, that means that Teddy is right for the job.

Bradford? I don’t see him on the team next year. With what is still a mysterious knee injury, it doesn’t seem too bright for him on the Vikings roster, and any other roster. I feel for the guy because he gave it all for this team and did a remarkable job considering how he was added a week before the 2016-17 season even started. He even set the single season completion percentage record, which is now 71.6%.

All in all, this will be a season to remember for Vikings fans. Especially after last season, which was a season to forget after starting 5-0 then finishing 8-8. The quarterback play will be a huge key to success, as it is for any team. Thankfully, the Vikings rushing attack has gotten better and their defense is top five in the league. Not to mention, they have a huge home-field advantage thanks to the new U.S. Bank Stadium that opened last year, which is hosting this year’s Super Bowl. Will the Vikings be the first team to play in the Super Bowl in their own stadium? If the trend continues, it is very likely that they will.

The post The Vikings QB Debacle appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

Younger brother of future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt. Same college, Wisconsin, as elder brother J.J. Watt. Similar draft hype as J.J. Watt coming into 2017, as we see at midseason, the hype was not misplaced. 7 games into the season, T.J. Watt has put up tremendous numbers. 21 solo tackles, 5 additional assisted tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 interception. Very strong start from his first outings as a professional, looking forward to seeing this young man grow into the monster that T.J. Watt can become.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

This may be a controversial pick for some, but a tough decision for me nonetheless. Running back Kareem Hunt and Quarterback Deshaun Watson will battle to the end of the season for the award.

However, Deshaun Watson appears to be more elite. Starting merely 5 games, Watson has still thrown for 1,297 yards, 15 touchdown, 5 interceptions, completing passes at a 61.5 percent clip. Deshaun has even rushed for an additional 202 yards with two touchdowns on the ground to compliment. Despite all this, an even more impressive stat is Watson’s total QBR at 80.8. This rating leads league, higher than the likes of household names such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and even defending MVP Matt Ryan. This earns him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Comeback Player of the Year: Rob Gronkowski, New England

Playing a mere 8 games last year, Rob Gronkowski had yet another injury riddled season. Despite playing only half the season, in two of the eight games, Gronkowski was nowhere to be seen with no receptions. His season ended with back surgery, putting Rob on the shelf for good. Entering the 2017 regular season, Gronkowski’s health and durability had become a large question mark for the New England offense. Nonetheless, the Gronk has bounced back in a way few experts projected. With 452 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 29 receptions, Rob Gronkowski has nearly surpassed the entirety of last season’s output. 25 receptions, 540 yards, and only 3 touchdowns was the 2016 statline among his eight outings. Barring another injury, *knock on wood* Rob Gronkowski should own this year’s Comeback Player of the Year award.

Coach of the Year: Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

The Rams may just be the surprise of the year. Following a miserable 4-12 record, the 2017 offseason did not show many roster changes, expecting to repeat the previous season’s failures.

Despite only notably adding wide receivers Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, the Los Angeles Rams has made unbelievable changes moving forward. Their 5-2 record can be accounted due to the mindset of Head Coach Sean McVay. Following up the abomination of a coaching job completed by Jeff Fisher, McVay continues the dominant march of the defense. Additionally, Sean McVay has made the necessary changes to turn around the offense from a piddling 14.0 points per game in the 2016 to an astonishing 30.3 points per game, the highest scoring offense in the league. Coach Sean McVay is the difference moving this Rams football team past its previous mediocrity, earning McVay the 2017 Coach of the Year award.

Defensive Player of the Year: Melvin Ingram, Los Angeles Chargers

Bringing in a mighty 8 and a half sacks and 25 solo tackles, the LA Chargers have a beast at linebacker. The six-season veteran has made strides from an already elite level. Melvin Ingram has also forced two fumbles, recovering one. Ingram seemingly steps up his game daily, with the best of his outings coming within the last three games. Incoming offenses must be wary when moving the ball in his direction, giving space for other elite defenders to make plays. Defensive ends Joey Bosa and Chris McCain, cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Desmond King, and the entirety of the Charger defense benefit from his mere presence on the field.

Offensive Player of the Year: Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Prior to this week, Alex Smith was the frontrunner for this season’s MVP award. Despite this, Smith is being thwarted by a younger, more mobile quarterback. However, do not dare take anything away from Alex Smith. Twelve years into the league, Smith is seemingly putting up his best numbers yet. Passing for 1,979 yards, 15 touchdowns, and zero turnovers. All of this coming on a 72.4 completion percentage, enabling the Chiefs a hot 5-2 start. This record not only leads the the AFC West, but also leads the entire AFC. Their record matched only by the Patriots and Steelers. Capping off his impressive numbers, Alex Smith leads the entire league in passer rating at 120.5, solidifying him as the Offensive Player of the Year.

MVP: Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Quite possibly the most difficult move was the decision to give the MVP nod to Carson Wentz. Despite having overall worse numbers by a slight margin, Wentz tops Alex Smith in a much more important category: Wins. The Eagles have soared high to grab the best record in the NFL, winning six of their first seven. Aided by the struggles of their NFC East rivals, as well as key injuries to top NFC contenders, such as Aaron Rodgers, Dalvin Cook, and Josh Norman, the Eagles seem to have a smooth ride to a first-round playoff bye. Wentz is passing for a remarkable 1,852 yards and 17 touchdowns, and completing 61.6 percent of his passes, with only 4 interceptions to rebut. Maintaining a total QBR of 72.7, a league wide third best, the impressive numbers by Wentz will be the determining factor for deep postseason success.

The post NFL Midseason Honors 2017 Edition appeared first on KRUI Radio.

In 2015 Blake Bortles was coming off his rookie campaign in the NFL, which was sub-par to say the least. The first year is always rough for a rookie Quarterback in the league, so the optimism was still there for Bortles after year one. Sure enough, Bortles made the stride that everyone had hoped for his second year and all the sudden the team from Jacksonville was a threat to compete in the AFC South.

During his 2015 season Bortles put up statistics some of the best QB’s in the league. He ranked top five in touchdowns and top ten in yards for the season while only 23 years old. He beat out the likes of players such as Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and Ryan Tannehill in both categories. While there were many positive outlooks to his season, it is not a hidden fact that there were some struggles as well. A good amount of Bortles’ stats got inflated during “garbage time” of games making it look like he played much better than he truly did. He also struggled with completion percentage and interceptions throughout the season. Nonetheless the potential for Bortles was shown, and there was optimism that through lowering interceptions and raising his completion percentage he could be a solid Quarterback in the league for time to come.

Surrounded by Young Talent

Jacksonville saw this potential in Bortles and has constantly surrounded the team with young talent through the draft. On the offensive side, they have drafted young players such as Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns at receiver, both who played huge roles in the 2015 offensive success. They also have addressed the running game to complement the passing attack as they drafted both T.J. Yeldon and Leonard Fournette, as well as lineman Cam Robinson. Lastly, notable draft picks have been made defensively, drafting Myles Jack, Dante Fowler Jr., and Jalen Ramsey. These players have progressed extremely well thus far in their careers and show a bright future for the team.

But wait, that’s not all the help the Jaguars are giving Bortles, there is more. Jacksonville has gone out and made numerous free agent signings over the past couple years to better the team. Signing Malik Jackson and Calais Campbell on the D-Line, and AJ Bouye, Barry Church and Tashaun Gibson in the secondary.

Can Bortles Make the Next Step?

All together you look at the talent added to the team and it is extremely hard to not see this team making strides forward, yet they seem to be going backwards. Going into the 2016 season with some of the new talent listed above on the roster, Bortles led the team to a worse record than in 2015 and he lowered his total yards and touchdowns, but most worrisome his completion percentage and interceptions did not get any better. Nonetheless it was not time to pull the alarm and worry, the team was still young and needed to improve, it was just a small hiccup of a season, right?

Hopefully so, but the current 2017 season has not gotten off to much of a better start. Bortles has only thrown for 348 yards through two games, his completion percentage is lower than his average his past three seasons, and he has thrown as many interceptions as touchdowns. And yes, there is the disclaimer that Allen Robinson is out for the season but Bortles was unable to gather any chemistry with him last year and he still has other weapons around him. While it is still early in the season, the question starts to rise, is it time to jump ship in the Blake Bortles project? The talent surrounding him is enormous and he seems incapable to lead them to victory. If so what do the Jaguars do?

Abort Mission

One alternative would be to get a Quarterback in the upcoming draft that favors the position heavily. Sadly, the Jaguars will most likely have too high of a pick to get one of the elite prospects in the draft. Their pick will most likely land a lower QB prospect that needs to be developed, which will do no good for the team as it is built to win in the next few years.

Insert a trade with the Buffalo Bills, a team that is trying to rebuild and get rid of any asset they have. Tyrod Taylor is 28 and does not fit the long-term plan of the Bills, but is a perfect fit for the Jaguars. Sure, he is not going to put up the numbers that Bortles did in his 2015 season, but the efficiency will be an enormous difference as in the past 31 games he averaged a 62.6% completion percentage, and 39 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. On top of that he brings a rushing threat with him, having rushed for 1000 plus yards and 10 touchdowns over the last two seasons.

Say what you want about Blake Bortles but the Jaguars are a team that is built to win now, and before too long pieces might start to slowly leave. The organization needs to act fast to take advantage of their current roster and Tyrod would be a perfect fit for the team in its current state, leading it to great success in the weak AFC South.

The post Time’s Up. Blake Bortles Is Past Expiration Date appeared first on KRUI Radio.

As a resident in the Chicagoland area throughout the duration of Cutler’s 8 year career, I can assure you that very few talking heads had an opinion of him that wasn’t on the extreme end of the spectrum. Cutler has been the poster boy for the “you either love him or you hate him” cliche. What bothers so many people in the Cutler fan camp is how he has been labeled in the national media as some sort of lackadaisical, incompetent individual. What bothers so many Jay Cutler haters is how people continue to stand up for him and his natural athleticism and talent, while seemingly ignoring that his arrogant persona effects his and his teammates performance. There is only one thing people can agree on when talking about Jay Cutler, and that is that nobody can agree with each other about him.

Jay Cutler is over a decade removed now in his career from the innocent, naive gunslinger who was just getting his feet wet as a professional with the Denver Broncos. While some of his negative habits from Denver have persisted while his willingness to change those habits hasn’t, the 4,500 yard pro bowl passer from 2008 isn’t coming back. The he coulda, shoulda, woulda been argument for Jay Cutler has come to a close, while he has been a surefire impact starter in this league, at almost 34 years old the dreams of Jay Cutler the pro bowler have become just dreams. Having said that, there is a reason that there was a he coulda, shoulda, woulda, argument for Cutler in the first place, as he has had a string of strange, unfortunate circumstances occur over his tenure in Chicago.

Over Jay Cutler’s first five seasons in Chicago, in games that he started and finished, he accumulated a 39-25 record. While the Bears still had a cast of defensive stalwarts in Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman, and Julius Peppers, Cutler was employed with a cast of misfits at receiver and offensive line, and his top weapon Greg Olsen was traded away after Cutler’s second season. He only had one playoff appearance but between 2011-2013 He went 22-10, only to watch his backups go 4-12 while he was sidelined with head, thumb, and hamstring injuries. By the time the Bears added Brandon Marshall, a healthy Alshon Jeffrey, Martellus Bennett, and a respectable offensive line in 2013, the Bears had the worst scoring defense in the league and gave up more rushing yards per game than any team in league history.

Over the last three years the Bears have been forced to tear down and rebuild an aging and poorly constructed roster, but Cutler’s new contract extension and lack of quarterback depth in recent drafts had forced the Bears to keep Cutler as a stopgap. While many have forced blame on Cutler for the team’s lack of success, the numbers prove he was far from their biggest problem. In 2014 he threw a career high 28 touchdowns, in 2015 he posted career bests in quarterback rating and touchdown to interception ratio while missing just one game. Last season, a broken thumb and a torn labrum forced him to miss 11 games where he was forced to watch Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley combine for a 2-9 record.

While Cutler now comes with a laundry list of injuries, he has been fully cleared medically and is now looking for a new team. Now while Cutler has been blackballed by the media for his attitude and perceived disinterest for the game, dozens of his former teammates publicly defended him after his release. The fact that so many of his former teammates, both current bears and former/retired teammates, spoke up on his behalf when they didn’t have to goes to show how wrong many people have been when describing Jay Cutler as a person.

Cutler has proven he can win with competent weapons and good defenses, something that both the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans have. Both teams have been rumored to be interested in Tony Romo, a quarterback who has been criticized for mistakes on the field very similar to the mistakes Cutler has become famous for. Romo is three years older and has broken his clavicle three times over the last 20 months, and considering Jay Cutler has made $103 million over the last 8 season, it’s fair to assume that Cutler won’t be looking for a fortune in free agency.

At 34 years old with a wife, kids, and a boatload of money Jay Cutler might feel the time is right to call it quits. But if he wants one more shot, then Houston should pick up the phone.

(Update: Tony Romo has decided to walk away from football. The Cowboys are expected to release Romo shortly.)

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