Was
the risk of making these moves worth it and will they pay off?
The
Minnesota Vikings lack of confidence in Case Keenum throughout the 2017 season carried
over to the offseason as they did not offer the quarterback a contract. Then they turn around and pay huge money to
Kurt Cousins, who has never won a playoff game.
I
always felt throughout the 2017 season, that the Vikings disrespect of Case and
lack of loyalty was disgraceful. Now they roll with Kurt, who I happen to like.
But remember there were plenty of Viking players in the locker room last season
that did not care for the way Case was treated.
I
believe the Vikes are the best team in the NFC North and I hope there is no
carry over for the team execs letting go of Keenum, Bradford and Bridgewater.
Case
moves on to the Denver Broncos, where they felt he was worth the risk of
putting their franchise for 2018 in his hands.
Thursday
the 9th we saw 10 of the 12 NFL preseason games go OVER the
total. That was not expected, since most
early preseason games tend to be played under the number. That was
not the case. It seems as if the handcuffs the league has put on the defenses
has finally left the door open for even more scoring, which has been the trend
lately.
Most
viewers of the Browns/Giants game came away very impressed with Baker
Mayfield. He was very poised in the pocket and did not put himself
in harm's way, which is what we usually see from newbies. The Browns
may have found a quarterback that can stick in Mayfield. That being said, they
do have Tyrod Taylor as their starter for now who also looked very sharp in the
NFL Week 1 preseason opener. We will see how that all turns out. The Browns
have taken plenty of money on the season over/under win total. Up
from 4.5 to 6 and now 5.5. It is tough to bet on an organization as
bad and dysfunctional as the Browns have been the last few decades.
Some
teams did not show up in week one, so don't try and put too much stock in what
we saw. The Rams didn't even start their offensive number ones, who got
plenty of work in the previous week's scrimmage with the Ravens. Weeks
two and three tend to show more reality as the starters will get more work.
Especially week three, which is commonly known as a dress rehearsal for week
one regular season. They might as well skip week four which is really a joke.
It's more for those final cuts and to see who stays and who goes.
From
what I am hearing, Aaron Rodgers is quite pissed that the team let go off wide receiver
Jordy Nelson, who was his friend and favorite go-to guy at wide out. Not to
mention a fan favorite. Nelson when to the Oakland Raiders where he will be
catching balls from QB Derek Carr. The best team overall in that division is
Minnesota, so any disfunction elsewhere
will only serve the Vikings march to the conference title. This may be the last
go round for Rodgers and McCarthy.
I'm
still looking for a real battle between the Saints and the Falcons for the NFC
South Division title. Those two teams are loaded, with great QB
leadership. I lean toward the Saints to win the battle, but it will be close.
The
Eagles are solid but who will contend for the NFC East? I'm not looking for
Dallas or the Redskins but feel the Giants have a leg up on those two. Losing
Dez could be a plus but losing Witten will hurt the Boys. Alex Smith has taken
over the signal-calling for the Washington Redskins. He has been a winner
everywhere he has played, not flashy but a solid quarterback.
The
Seattle Seahawks offensive line in game one of the preseason was horrendous. I
am not a fan of how HC Pete Carrol has handled this club the last few years.
The Rams will step up and be very solid with the Niners contending. The
Hawks and Cards are not in the mix this year.
I may
have under estimated the Ravens. QB Joe Flaco may have needed the
push of looking over his shoulder at Lamar Jackson and RGIII contending for his
job. That could be a big plus and the Ravens do have a good coaching staff.
All-in-all
is should be an exciting football season, especially with the new rules in
place. Buckle your seat belts and enjoy the ride.
Check out Jim Feist's picks here.