NFL 2020 Week 2 Soapbox - Body Damage

 We have had years in the NFL when many teams suffer from injuries.  I can remember a few years where more than half of the teams had their first string quarterback on injured reserve at the same time.  However, I cannot remember a time when we have had so many injuries in just the first two weeks of the season.  While the 49ers are the most shocking example, it is interesting to note that there is only ONE team that does not have an injured starter -- the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Bears Khalil Mack will be a gametime decision; if he plays, that makes the Bears the only other team to have their intact Week 1 starting roster playing in Week 3.

So what is the cause of all of this?  The 49ers are blaming the new turf in Giants Stadium, and the number of ankle and knee injuries, usually due to cleats catching in the turf, suffered by BOTH the 49ers and the Jets in their game does seem to add merit to that claim, but that doesn't explain the other teams.

The type of injuries, however, DO help point to the problem.  So many of the injuries are joint, muscle, or ligament injuries.  When else do we see such a prevalence of similar injuries?  Marathons or decathlons, especially when the participants have not sufficiently warmed up.  The body is not used to the type of repetitive stress that lengthy physical activity places upon it, and the key areas that will stress first are joints and muscles, and the connective tissues.  

So what makes this year so stressful?  The lack of a sufficient offseason and preseason.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most teams did not have team practices, or even allow organized gathered workouts at their facilities.  Players were left to devise their own physical conditioning programs to regain or maintain their status.  There were no preseason games to gradually progress to playing four full quarters.

Let's look a typical year to really understand the impact.  Many teams have spring training, usually for rookies or new transfers.  It combines physical activities with playbook training, to work the newbies into the roster.  Then, in the middle of summer, training camp begins.  Most team training camps begin slowly, with calisthenics, running drills, tackling, and other separate activities, but little practice of actual game conditions.  Gradually contact drills are added, and then practice scrimmages, and then full contact practices twice (or more) a day.  Then, one month before the start of the season, you have the preseason games.  Here players experience actual game conditions, but nobody plays the entire game.  Veterans who are not competing for a position may start by playing just one drive, or perhaps a single quarter.  Players competing for a roster spot will be rotated in and out to see how they react to different plays and configurations.  Gradually, as the roster is trimmed and the coaches are forming the Week 1 starting roster, players will play longer and longer in each preseason game.

But notice how players are gradually escalated to full four-quarter full-contact conditions.  This is done to let the body adjust to each level, and gradually building up resistance and conditioning.  This year, the league did not have that.  No spring training, an extremely short training camp, and no preseason games.  As a result?  Many of the players' bodies are not yet conditioned to playing a full football game, with all of the physical demands required.  Thus, we are seeing a large number of these stress injuries. 

Now, the advantage is that stress injuries take less time to heal, so that the players will miss fewer games than from a broken bone or ACL, but it certainly means that we will see much more roster juggling in the weeks to come.  Will we reach a point in the season when the players' bodies will have adjusted to game play?  Probably, but it may not occur for a few more weeks. Until then, welcome to the 2020 "normal".

NFL 2020 Week 2 Power Rankings and Week 3 picks

 We're only two weeks into the new season and we've already seen some strange results.  Houston's tough schedule has them starting 0-2, yet the new confines of Las Vegas seem invigorating to the hot-starting 2-0 Raiders.  The unnamed Washington team (I am getting to that post, I promise!) sits atop a pathetic NFC East and the Cardinals lead a powerful NFC West.  Let's get right to the numbers:

NFL Team Power Rankings

1.  Baltimore Ravens (2-0) : Thanks to a massive blowout against the Browns in Week 1, the Ravens sit atop the league's tower, glaring down at all of the other teams.  Their defense is fierce and Lamar Jackson has their offense clicking.

2.  Green Bay Packers (2-0) : The Pack needed to get out to a quick start, and they have.  I don't know how long they can hold their position, as the injury bug has already hit them in their thin receiving corps.

3 (tie). Arizona Cardinals (2-0) : They followed up a surprise defeat of San Francisco with an absolute domination of Washington.  This team certainly has everything going for it right now.  They combine a stingy defense with a tight offense, and the offensive line is doing one of the best jobs in the league right now.

3 (tie). Los Angeles Rams (2-0) : While playing closer games than the Cardinals, the Rams have shown a toughness and tenacity that keeps them contenders to the very last whistle.  Don't ever count this team off; they are most dangerous coming from behind.

5. Seattle Seahawks (2-0) : Yup, you see that right.  Three of the Top Five power teams come from the NFC West.  Seattle doesn't win in a flashy glamorous style, but they have many tools and many different schemes to throw at an opponent.  You never know what to expect from this team, on any side of the ball.

6.  Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) : The defending Super Bowl Champs have looked good, but their offense doesn't quite seem to have the same spark that they did at the end of the season, and during postseason, last year.  They will likely improve, but we know they can do better.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) : The return of Big Ben has sparked this team, on both sides of the ball.  This is the type of "run hard" bruising Steelers team we have come to expect throughout their history.

8.  Las Vegas Raiders (2-0) : I never expected to have this team in my Top Ten, but Outlaws in Grey and Black apparently want to show off for their new host city.  Coach Jon Gruden has really opened up the playbook, and this team is showing us stuff we haven't seen since the John Madden days.

9.  Buffalo Bills (2-0) : With Tom Brady gone, the Bills are getting their shot to be top dogs in the AFC East.  They still make a few too many mistakes and costly penalties, but they are starting to clean up their play.

10. Chicago Bears (2-0) : People scoffed when Mitch Trubisky was named starting quarterback over Nick Foles, but his dramatic comeback in Week One silenced many of them.  Trubisky needs to play a full consistent game, as he has had a bad half in each week.  Fortunately, the punishing Bears defense keeps teams from getting too far away.

11. Tennessee Titans (2-0) : Not a dominant opponent, but they are consistent and make few mistakes.  A close win is still a win, and this team wins most of their close games.

12. San Francisco 49ers (1-1) : Closing out my top tier is the last team in the NFC West.  I don't think they will remain here, as they suffered key injuries in their last game, but at least the 49ers gain a week here.

NFL Divisional Power Rankings

1.  NFC West : With all teams in the Top 12 in the Power Rankings, and all teams with positive point differentials, the top spot was obvious.  Definitely a division to be feared, their toughest opposition will be among themselves.

2.  AFC West : Excellent performances by the Chiefs and Raiders, as well as great play by the Chargers, compensate for a faltering Broncos team.  Likely the source of at least two playoff teams.

3.  AFC North : Baltimore is dominant, the Steelers are tough again, and even the Browns showed spunk in shaking off a horrible loss to Baltimore to win last week.

4.  NFC North : Minnesota has been a disappointment, but the Bears are doing well and Green Bay will excel, so long as they can keep enough players healthy.

5.  AFC South : Often the weakest of the AFC divisions, this division has started well.  Once the Texans get through their horrible start of a schedule, they should help bolster this division as well.

6.  AFC East : The Patriots are competent without Tom Brady, but their fans (and coach) demand more than competence.  The Bills lead, and if tensions brew in Foxborough, this division could fall.

7.  NFC South : Carolina and Atlanta are not looking good, the Saints lost a surprise to the Raiders, and the Bucs are still finding their connections.  There is potential here, but it hasn't been tapped yet.

8.  NFC East : Nobody has a positive point differential.  Nuff said.

Week 3 picks

Thursday night

Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars: The rampant injury problem hasn't really devastated these two teams yet.  Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is still getting used to pace of the NFL, while freshman phenom Gardner Minshew continues his amazing performances in his second year.  Add in the Jaguars strong defense, and things look dark for Miami.  JAGS, 17-13

Sunday early games

Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons:  The Bears seem for real.  I would prefer that QB Mitch Trubisky gets more consistent, but the Falcons are floundering, and the Bears stingy defense will just shred them.  BEARS, 20-17

Cincinnati Bengals at Philadelphia Eagles  The Eagles' offense has looked poor so far this season, and now half of their wide receiving corps is either injured or resting (possibly due to Covid?) for this game.  The Bengals haven't looked horrible, they haven't been able to manage to win yet.  Against a debilitated Eagles team, they'll get that win.  BENGALS, 20-13

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers:  The scheduling gods continue to spit on Houston, as they travel to a rejuvenated Steelers team.  Deshaun Watson has really been pretty good, but the Texans have been hurt by mistakes and a defense that seems to have lead weights in their shoes.  If they don't remove those weights this week, the speedy Steelers will hand them loss #3.  STEELERS, 21-16

Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots:  Okay, I'll admit, it looks like the Raiders are for real this season.  Derek Carr still makes some costly mistakes, but the running game and defense have saved the day for the Raiders twice.  Make that three times, as the defense will have to rush and pressure the still-gelling new-look Patriots to help guarantee a win.  RAIDERS, 23-17

Los Angeles Rams at Buffalo Bills: This game should be very close, and it will probably come down to the wire.  In those situations, I favor the team with the better defense, and that's the Rams.  RAMS, 23-20

San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants:  I don't think any team was more devastated by injuries last week than San Francisco, who lost three key offensive players, including starting quarterback Jimmy Garrofolo.  Fortunately for them, the Giants lost their MAIN offensive contributer, running back Saquon Barkley.  The 49ers defense will squelch what remains of the Giants offense, allowing the 49ers to win in a game where they will likely be very little scoring.  49ERS, 16-10

Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings have really been poor on both sides of the ball.  It's strange, as they have the same talent to sent them to the playoffs last season, but they just don't seem to have the rhythm.  If they can't find it, they're in trouble, especially playing the Titans defense.  TITANS, 23-16

Washington [Fill in the blank] at Cleveland Browns:  The Browns improved greatly after an opening weekend fiasco against the Baltimore Ravens, and they are driving to continue to drive down the memory of that game.  A strong win against Washington would go far towards doing that.  Browns QB Baker Mayfield has not been too consistent, but he has some great talent around him, and a turnover-happy defense that would be glad to give his offense a short field on which to work.  BROWNS, 23-16

Sunday late games

Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers:  Justin Herbert gets his second start in place of Tyrod Taylor, the Chargers QB who had his lung punctured by his own team doctor!  Herbert was very impressive in his first NFL game, and given the lackluster Panthers defense, he should impress again.  CHARGERS, 24-16

Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks:  The Seahawks defense is a little banged up, but it should be sufficient to beat the Cowboys, whose offense just can't seem to work in synchronicity right now.  SEAHAWKS, 26-23

Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals:  The surprisingly strong Cardinals, with their pounding defense, will make mincemeat of a Lions team that has just deflated since the start of the second half of their game against the Bears in Week One.  CARDINALS, 24-13

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts:  Let's see, which team do I think will play LESS badly?  COLTS, 17-13

Tampa Bay Bucs at Denver Broncos:  The new Bucs offense is starting to click, while Denver continues to struggle to find a workable play scheme.  BUCS, 27-17

Sunday night

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints:  The injury bug has started for the bench-thin Packers, but they still have enough starters to make this game competitive.  If the Saints don't self-destruct like they did on Monday Night, they should prevail.  SAINTS, 34-31

Monday Night Football
Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens:  The defending Super Bowl champs face the most powerful team in the NFL.  Lamar Jackson has the offense moving, and the defense is stout.  Patrick Mahomes may pull off a late fourth quarter miracle drive to win, but I'll pick the Ravens D to prevent that.  RAVENS, 31-27

The Big Ten sell-out

 Well, it finally happened.  The last hold-out among major NCAA conferences that still placed academics and students above sports has finally decided to join the same money-grubbing sports-crazed fever of the rest of the country, as the college presidents of the Big Ten, under pressure from the new Big Ten commissioner, voted unanimously to play football in the fall.

What makes this decision shocking is, just a few days earlier, Rutgers president Jonathan Holloway had firmly stated that he, and other Big Ten presidents with whom he had spoken, did not believe it was safe, and derided President Trump's interference in the Big Ten's process as a "blatant and desperate political ploy."  Yet, Holloway gave in the pressure of Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska, and (of all institutions!) Iowa to play football this season.

Let's break this down.  The boosters (who, let's face it, are the primary driving force behind this effort) of Ohio State wanted to play, because there is a chance for the Buckeyes to play in the National Championship Playoffs, and, to the boosters, that's the only thing that matters.  Furthermore, parents of highly-touted players of Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska, and Michigan wanted their children to play on national television, to improve their draft position so that those parents could sponge off their kids for the rest of their lives.  The common thread in all of this?  Greed.  Nobody really cared about the players (and certainly didn't care a whit about any of the other students on campus), but only their own personal concerns.

So, we had Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska, Michigan, and Iowa (and we're not sure why THEY fell into this category) who wanted to go ahead and play football, mostly to keep ensuring money rolling in from boosters and football-crazed alumni.  On the other hand, we had Rutgers, Illinois, Northwestern, and Indiana feeling it was a bad idea.  Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maryland, Purdue, and Michigan State remained mostly silent on the issue, except the Spartans wanted to play their in-state rivals Michigan if the Wolverines played.

Now, it's a little understandable why some schools remained solidly on the side of safety -- they didn't rely so much on the money from boosters and sports backers.  Rutgers, Illinois, Northwestern, and Wisconsin all get more of their donations from academic supporters and alumni who hit big in business due to their education at those institutions, and target academic improvement with their endowments.  (Note: there may be more than those four schools who get a majority of their financial donations targeted for academic or general purpose means, and not focussed on sports improvements, but those are the four that I know, and I cannot find detailed information on the financial endowments and donations on the other schools).

So why didn't those schools vote against it?  Why was it important to make it unanimous? Those schools could have taken a stand, even if they lost the vote. 

They didn't even need to lose the vote.  The Big Ten charter demands that 60% of the schools vote in favor of any conference-wide resolutions in order for the proposal to pass.  With 14 schools currently in the conference, that means 9 schools are needed to ratify.  Those four schools, along with Indiana, number five.  All they needed to do was to sway ONE of the "on the fence" schools to their side, and the Big Ten would have remained football-free this fall.  It would have been pretty easy to sway a school, too.  After all, look at the problems all of these other conferences have had with being able to play during this pandemic.  In just the first two weeks of the college football season, over ten games have been cancelled or postponed.  All teams are playing with smaller rosters, due to either sick players or players holding out this season, concerned for their own health and well-being (smart move!  I have to give credit to those athletes; they're not just "dumb jocks").

What makes this worse is that the Pac-12 and MAC are influenced by the Big Ten.  Since the Big Ten voted to play, that means those two conferences are likely to do so.  The MAC has already announced that they will be taking a new vote this week.

And will all of this turn out the way those football obsessed boosters and parents want?  Given the percentage of teams currently playing (or planning to play, which brings in the illness-plagued SEC, where one team, LSU, has already announced that ALL of their players either have Covid-19 or were exposed to it), is it likely that some, if not many, of these NFL-hopeful players will get sick, miss games, and likely jeopardize their draft position.  And will Ohio State make the playoffs?  As discussed by Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit during last night's Miami-Louisville game, the selection committee will have an interesting time decided the merits of teams who will be playing a wide array of games.  How do you measure a team who played ten games against a team who played seven or eight?  How do you measure a team that plays only in-conference opponents, who they play all the time and know well, versus a team that played non-conference patsies (of course, that can be an annual question for teams that schedule their non-conference games against weak opponents)?

I don't think this will turn out well for the teams, schools, student body, and even the reputation of the Big Ten.  For instance, there may be alumni like myself, who have gladly donated during the annual fund raising drive, as I know that I would not be where I am today without the quality of education that I received from the University of Illinois, who may change their mind.  After all, these schools have shown that the wants and desires of the sports department, and the sports boosters, have taken precedence over the safety of the students and the consistency and quality of the academics.  They might decide, like I am, that the school no longer needs, nor desires, our annual donations.

NFL 2020 Week 2 picks

 I am skipping my Power Rankings for a week.  Without a preseason, and since most of the Week 1 games were divisional matchups where the teams know each other, I don't think we got a really good picture of what teams are capable of.  The Power Rankings will be part of next week's column.

That said, let's jump right to my prognostications.

Thursday game

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns:  It's Week Two and already Baker Mayfield is facing criticism and fears of being replaced.  Granted, he looked atrocious against Baltimore last week, but they did have to face that strong Ravens defense. Joe Burrows was decent in his debut, but he is still leaning heavily on some of his collegiate tricks.  NFL defenders are smarter than that, and will soon devise ways to shut him down.  Will that be this week?  BROWNS, 20-17

Sunday early games

Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys:  The Cowboys looked a little unsettled and confused on offense without "guiding hand" Jason Garrett.  Atlanta put up quite a few points against Seattle, but showed that their own defense is lacking.  Except the Cowboys to take advantage of that.  COWBOYS, 30-27

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins:  The Dolphins defense was able to slow the Brady-less Patriots, but I don't think the same can be said for the efficient Bills offense.  BILLS, 28-13

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Bucs:  Tom Brady had some problems against the Saints defense, but Carolina is a different story.  Brady finally started to connect with his slew of receivers in the fourth quarter, and I think that will carry into this game.  BUCS, 24-13

Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers:  The Broncos showed a strong defense on Monday night, but the Steelers have an even better one.  More importantly, the Steelers have their offense moving again, even though their ground game wasn't quite what we've come to expect from them.  Given the strength of the Broncos front line, that may actually help the Steelers in this game.  STEELERS, 23-17

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers:  The Packers showed that, when they are healthy, their offense is potent.  The squad is still mostly intact, so the Lions will have problems.  PACK, 27-16

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans:  The Titans offense sputtered on Monday night, but their defense was solid.  The Jags had it easy against the Colts, so without a preseason, I don't think they're quite ready to face this defense.  TITANS, 20-13

Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles:  I did not expect that the team with the win coming into this game would be the Rams.  The Eagles made too many mistakes against Washington last week, but I think they'll clean that up.  The risks Jared Goff took paid off against the Cowboys secondary, but the Eagles is another story.  This could be a close game, but I like the Eagles D to pull this one out and prevent a late touchdown.  EAGLES, 23-20

Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts:  The Vikings are on offensive explosion, and the Colts defense just isn't equipped for that, nor can their offense keep up.  VIKINGS, 35-20

New York Giants at Chicago Bears:  People criticized the decision to start Mitchell Trubisky, and he did look shaky in the first half.  He righted himself, though, and pulled off the comeback, assisted by the defense.  That same defense will make life hard for the Giants, which rely too heavily on Saquon Barkley.  The Steelers defense exploited that on Monday night, and the Bears will do so this week.  BEARS, 23-16

San Francisco 49ers at New York Jets:  The 49ers got stung by the Cardinals last week, but the Jets don't have the same firepower, nor do they have as good a defense.  49ERS, 27-16

Sunday late games

Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans:  I don't think any team has a tougher schedule to open the season than the Texans.  They opened against the Chiefs, and now start their home schedule with the tough Baltimore Ravens.  Man, the scheduling gods hate the Texans!  RAVENS, 34-17

Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers:  The Chiefs bring their high-powered offensive road show to Los Angeles.  They should light up the City of Stars with an impressive performance, better than what the Chargers will produce.  CHIEFS, 31-20

Washington Who-Dem at Arizona Cardinals:  Okay, so the Cardinals defense is something to fear.  They certainly gave the 49ers fits last week.  Washington QB Dwayne Haskins is more used to tough defenses (come on, he practiced against one of college football's fiercest defenses!), but I think his NFL inexperience will prevent a Washington victory.  CARDS, 20-17

Sunday night game

New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks:  The Pats won last week because Cam Newton was allowed to be Cam Newton, but that won't last.  He's already irritating his coach by bragging on social media and taking all the credit for the win.  Bill Belichick believes in the "We are Team" attitude, and Newton's ego will quickly cause friction.  The Seahawks are great at causing tension on teams they face, and so they will push the Pats as far as they can.  SEAHAWKS, 27-24

Monday Night Football

New Orleans Saints at Las Vegas Raiders:  How many people want to see the two dynamic offenses of Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes face each other in the Super Bowl?  I certainly do, and a second win here moves the Saints closer to that goal.  Their obstacle?  No team in the NFL has a better recond on Monday Night Football than the Raiders.  They might pull off the upset, but I'll still favor the Saints. SAINTS, 31-24

NCAA and ACC hates players

 Interesting title to the post, eh?  This will likely be the only NCAA-related post I write all fall, unless even more stupidity and absurdity is demonstrated (wait a minute, this is the NCAA we're taking about - absurd and stupid behavior is rampant.  Okay, I won't promise that this will be the only NCAA column).

The NCAA has proven during the last couple of months that they do not care about the safety and security of students, not even their precious athletes, by demanding that his football season be played.  The NCAA cares only about the money they receive from corporate sponsorships of the bowl games and the money received from televised broadcasting of the games.

My evidence?  Their treatment of teams and conferences who have acting in ways to ways to safeguard their students, both the athletes who would play the games and the students who would crowd in socially-unacceptable fashion to watch and enjoy the games.  The NCAA pressured the four conferences who chose not to play this fall, and even threatened them.  Not only is the NCAA going ahead with FULL postseason plans, which includes all 32 bowl games (who the hell will be playing some of those games?  Teams with three or four victories?) and the playoffs, but they threatened the Big Ten and Pac-12 with being blackballed from the 2021 playoffs (and as many bowl games as they could) if they didn't play this season.  That's right, the NCAA said, "Play this season or you get no postseason money next year."  What a crazy Trumpian form of strong-armed tactics!  I fully acknowledge the Big Ten, Pac-12, Mountain West, and Mid-American conferences, as well as half of the independents, for their courage and sensitivity (and common sense) in cancelling or postponing their seasons.

Truthfully, looking at the situations currently experienced by teams that chose to play, more schools should step up.  Announced this morning in pre-game shows, many teams have a large number of players unable to play for their teams, either due to Covid quarantine or suspension due to violation of campus social distancing rules.  Notre Dame is short at least ten players, both Syracuse and North Carolina (who played each other today) are missing large chunks of their squads, and Iowa State lacks key members of both their offensive and defensive lines, which might explain how Louisiana was able to beat them 31-14.  Furthermore, three Big XII schools: TCU, Oklahoma State, and Baylor, announced that they are cancelling their next two games, and perhaps extend it to a third week, although they are attempting to reschedule to play as many games as possible. Those cancellations and hopeful rescheduling measures are due entirely to Covid outbreaks among their players, and that large numbers of their players now need to quarantine for 14 days.

The worst example?  Georgia Southern has lost 33 players from their team.  That's more than half of their entire squad!  Just who will suit up and take the field for the Eagles, second stringers and practice squad members?  These guys will be going up against tough, well-conditioned first stringers from their opponents.  It's a guarantee that these players will get hurt!  But, Georgia Southern doesn't care, because the Sun Belt, basking in a new television contract with ESPN that guarantees broadcast of ALL Sun Belt games all season (since there are so few conferences playing), won't allow the Eagles (or any Sun Belt team) to cancel their season.

The NCAA doesn't care about the risk of Covid to their athletes.  I think North Carolina coach (and former Texas Longhorn bigwig) Mack Brown summed it up best during his post-game interview, when he called social distancing practices "social injustice."  Yup, the Tarheels coach showed the attitude of both North Carolina and Texas residents when calling measures to keep people safe during the pandemic "injustice."  I hope most of his first stringers catch Covid, or throw illegal campus parties and get expelled (and BOY am I happy to hear on the news the number of schools with the backbone to actually enforce their social distancing rules.  Across the country over 300 students have been excelled for throwing parties that violated social distancing rules, and I know that number will at least triple before these irresponsible teenagers learn to alter their behavior).  Then North Carolina can be a losing team, reflecting the losing personality of their coach, and show they never deserved their preseason Top 25 position to start with.

NFL 2020 Week 1 Soapbox: Sell-Fins-Less

 Well, the Miami Dolphins gave me the topic for my first editorial blog of the NFL season.  I was going to talk about Daniel Snyder and the ridiculousness of the Washington Who-Cares, but I can put that off for a later week.

So, earlier today, the entire Miami Dolphins team blasted the league's "equal time" decision to play both the National Anthem and the unofficial Black Lives Matter anthem, "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" at all opening weekend games.  The players have stated that they will remain in the locker room rather than participate in "fluff and empty gestures."  Instead, the Dolphins want the league to use their considerable influence and call political leaders to FORCE change.

Excuse me, what change do you want the league to do?  Isn't this the same league that players criticize and deride as "out of touch" with social needs when they discipline players for drug use, beating on their girlfriends, and violating team rules?  If you don't think they have any social consciousness, just what type of social change do you think the league would consider?  From past experience, it would apparently be something that the players wouldn't like, because the league believes in setting and enforcing rules regarding responsible behavior, something solely lacking in a large number of professional football players.  Just what were the Dolphins players thinking?  Oh, wait, that's right, they're football players.  They DON'T think.  Their brains are all splattered due to frequent helmet hits so they have no cognitive ability left.  Hmm, brain scientists have determined that the main factor that separates human beings from the rest of the animal community is their ability to think rationally.  Since football players don't think, wouldn't that make them animals instead of humans?  No wonder all of the team names reference animals; it's kinship for the players.

Truthfully, I have learned during 40 years as a football fan to ignore most of the (frequently incoherent) garbage that comes out of the mouths of these players.  I wish other fans, and especially the sports media, would learn to do the same thing.  If there was no audience for these ridiculous statements, the players would eventually shut up and most of them would go back to their actual (overly-)paid JOB -- playing football.

If there is justice in this world, the Miami Dolphins will finish dead last (or close to it) this season, a scenario not out of the realm of reasonableness, then draft a hard-nose socially-minded college star who doesn't practice and fails to contribute any value to the team (not unlike a certain be-afroed former 49er I have discussed in my columns previously) and continues the Dolphins streak of futility on the field.

NFL 2020 Week 1 picks

 Time to dust off the crystal bowl, pull my prognosticator's robe out of the closet, and pull on the funny-looking wizard hat.  The NFL Ace is back to bedazzle, amaze (sometimes myself), and pierce the veil of time to see what Tuesday morning exposes.

Thurs Sept 10

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs:  The Chiefs begin their Super Bowl title defense with a battle against DeShaun Watson and the Texans defense.  After being followed by a documentary crew for a while, the Chiefs are hyped to show off Chiefs 20.20, and they should find a way around the stiff Texans defense.  CHIEFS, 28-17

Sunday early games

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions:  Mitch Trubisky steps up to prove why he won the starting position, and he gets to do it against a pretty pathetic Lions team.  Hmm, maybe he have to quiet the critics next week, as this should be a cruise.  BEARS, 27-13

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens:  Everyone is crowing about the Browns, but the Ravens are still the most powerful team in the AFC North.  RAVENS, 20-13

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings:  We start the NFC North action with a contest that should be close and exciting.  Vikings QB Kurt Cousins is interested in showing off everything he learned this off-season, while Aaron Rodgers and the Pack know they need to win every game they can while the entire squad is healthy.  Neither team will go away quietly.  VIKINGS, 24-20

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars:  ** UPDATE ** Phillip Rivers did not get an preseason to gel with his new teammates, and he doesn't take to changes really well.  The Colts will start slowly, and probably lose this game, but improvement is on the horizon.  JAGS, 16-13

Las Vegas Raiders at Carolina Panthers:  Like the Golden Knights, I predict the Raiders will have some success in their first season in Las Vegas.  I think they'll have success outside the city, too, as they get to beat up on the hapless Panthers.  RAIDERS, 23-16

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots:  I don't think either team will make this the type of classic shoot-out we've gotten used to when these two teams meet, but the result will be the same.  PATS, 20-17

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills:  The Bills begin their march to capture the division crown by knocking down a Jets team that is probably simply happy to get out of town.  BILLS, 24-16

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Whozits:  Since they won't name themselves, I'll honor Dr Seuss and give them a meaningless name until they find a meaningless one for themselves.  DC is not allowed to come to the stadium (although thankfully President Trump has not followed up on his threat to send in his stormtroopers into Democratic cities with protesters like DC; at least, not at the time of this post).  That'll be about the only good thing about this game for the home fans.  EAGLES, 27-17

Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons: This game will likely finish closer than it would later in the season, as Seattle is still warming up.  SEAHAWKS, 24-20

Sunday late games

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers:  No contest, as the defending NFC Champs run wild.  49ERS, 31-16

Los Angeles Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals:  Neither offense will be clicking, so defenses will be on display.  Well, the Chargers' will be, anyway.  CHARGERS, 17-13

Tampa Bay Bucs at New Orleans Saints:  Without preseason, it may take a game or two for Tom Brady to get used to his new targets, and Gronk can't catch everything.  SAINTS, 30-24

Sunday night game

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams:  Dallas comes out of the gate as the featured game on Sunday.  Under that spotlight, you know Jared and the Rams will play hard, too.  The trickery of the Cowboys will prevail, though.  COWBOYS, 28-21

Monday Night Football

Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants:  The now traditional Monday Night opening doubleheader starts in New Jersey, as a team still getting acclimated to their new coach hosts the feisty Steelers.  Not a good start for the Jersey boys.  STEELERS, 23-17

Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos:  Monday ends in Mile High as the Titans try to get used to the rarified air to open with a win.  The Broncos haven't gotten in tune yet, so this game will end on a sour note for the Denver faithful.  TITANS, 20-10

NFL 2020 Divisional previews

 Welcome to NFL 2020 -- the year of COVID-19.  All stadiums will play the first two to three weeks without fans, some have already said that seats will be empty all season.  Some teams have banned tailgate parties in the parking lots (let's see how much that is enforced).  It's the year of the armchair quarterback (or armchair commissioner, for the fans of fantasy football).

AFC North

1.  Baltimore Ravens (13-3/5-1 in division):  The Ravens roster remains relatively unchanged from the team that was the top seed in the AFC last season, and will compete for that again.  QB Lamar Jackson is looking strong, and his running ability may draw defenders to him, opening some potential holes for Mark Ingram.  Jackson has a strong receiving corps to back him up.  The defense lost some strength, but they gained some capable players who should be easily inserted into their strong defensive scheme.

2.  Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8/4-2):  Big Ben is slowing down, so expect to see QB Mason Rudolph under center this year, either to replace an injured starter or to allow Ben to rest for a series.  Either scenario will likely be needed, as a stable offensive line is countered by a weaker receiving corps, so opposing defenses will be playing much closer to the line.  As always, a stable defense, but no real standouts.

 3.  Cleveland Browns (6-10/3-3): Some people are predicting the playoffs for the Browns, but I don't see it.  A new coach often struggles in the position, and Kevin Stefanski has some rough edges to smooth over before he has a fluid team.  QB Baker Mayfield still needs work, and backup Case Keenum is not reliable enough as a long-term solution if Mayfield stumbles or gets injured.  That situation could happen, as offensive line is one area that needs work.

4.  Cincinnati Bengals (2-14/0-6):  Starting a rookie quarterback in a year without preseason games in this black-and-blue defensive division?  Not a good idea, no matter how good egocentric Joe Burrows thinks he is.  Welcome to the NFL, guy!  Try to keep the turf out of your mouth (actually, that might shut you up).

AFC East

1.  Buffalo Bills (10-6/5-1):  What's this, a new team on top?  Yessir!  QB Josh Allen looked good last year, the offense was clicking, and they plugged some defensive holes in the off-season.  The Bills excel at fast-paced game play, something many of the defenses in this division struggle against.

 2.  New England Patriots (7-9/4-2):  The Pats suffer a losing season, but not just due to the loss of star QB Tom Brady.  Who the hell thought bringing Cam Newton here was a good idea?  Cam is a free spirit who likes to improvise on the field, while Bill Belichick is the ultimate control freak.  QB and coach will clash, and Newton will still do whatever he wants, leading to a chaotic offense.  Fortunately the defense is good enough to get them out of some scrapes, but his will be a tough year for Pats fans.

3.  New York Jets (5-11/2-4):  QB Sam Darnold is not developing as quickly as the Jets hoped, so we might see some of Joe Flacco before the season is over.  RB Le'Veon Bell will become the offensive star, making the Jets look even more like their stadium-sharing NFC counterparts, who have Saquon Barkley (more on him later). 

4.  Miami Dolphins (2-14/1-5):  QB Ryan Fitzpatrick looked good last season, but he's getting old.  He's lost some zip on the ball.  This means we'll see Tua long before he is ready.  That will require a completely different offensive scheme, as Tua likes long passes and quick play while the cerebral Fitzpatrick likes the short yardage ground control game.  Tua will force too many plays, and the defense isn't strong enough to hold back opponents.

AFC South

1. Houston Texans (10-6/5-1):  QB DeShaun Watson has a great stable of receivers to throw to, and these guys can rack up lots of yards after catch.  For the ground game, Watson will be the top rusher.  A strong defense makes this team a threat in every game.

2.  Tennessee Titans (7-9/3-3):  QB Ryan Tannehill is capable, but not outstanding.  Fortunately, he has a great slate of receivers to help him.  If any get injured, though, their corps is thin and weak.  The defense is decent but has some holes, especially on the line.

3.  Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11/2-4):  A great defense, but no outstanding receivers.  That does help inconsistent QB Gardner Minshew.

4.  Indianapolis Colts (3-13/2-4):  Geez, how little faith do the Colts place in QB Jacoby Brissett?  They won't place him on the top of the depth chart (their unofficial chart has him at #2 with NOBODY at #1!).  Makes you wonder if they are shopping for a starting QB among the teams' 53-man roster cuts.  The Colts have a bunch of great receivers, who really support Jacoby, but lack of support from the team office may demoralize the QB and his receivers.

**UPDATE:  Now that the Indianapolis Colts' website has updated their roster (with the start of the semester I've been a little too busy to keep up with personnel changes), Jacoby is Number Two because the Colts got Phillip Rivers to be starting QB.  That will push the Colts to second place in this division, but the Texans are still too talented for the Colts to get past.

AFC West

1.  Kansas City Chiefs (14-2/6-0):  The defending Super Champs will look like it.  This team gelled during the playoffs.  Unpredictable QB Patrick Mahomes has "catch-all" tight end Travis Kelce and three quick receivers to help run the top scoring offense in the league.

2.  Los Angeles Chargers (8-8/3-3):  QB Tyrod Taylor is capable but not outstanding.  He has a bunch of stable receivers, but no real standouts.  This team will live and die on their defense, and the corners need some work.

3.  Las Vegas Raiders (7-9/2-4):  The NFL Outlaws travel to Las Vegas!  If there was ever a more appropriate location for a particular team in ANY professional sport, I can't think of it.  The Raiders have a good offense behind QB Derek Carr.  The defense has holes, both on the line and in the backfield.  Their linebackers are going to be running all over the place.

4.  Denver Broncos (4-12/1-5):  This team is still coming together.  Of all of the teams in the AFC, this one could have definitely used the four preseason games.  While they will improve as the season progresses, they suffer from a tough schedule.

NFC East

1.  Philadelphia Eagles (12-4/5-1):  The Eagles have the best receiving corps in the division.  With Jalen Hurts there to back up oft-injured QB Carson Wentz, this team has all the firepower to win this division again, and compete for the top seed.

2.  Dallas Cowboys (9-7/5-1):  The Cowboys have a great offense except where they need it the most -- offensive line.  QB Zac Prescott needs time to set up his plays, and I don't know if this line will provide him that.  The defense needs some time to gel, too.

3.  New York Giants (5-11/2-4):  Saquon Barkley will still be the star of this offense.  New coach Joe Judge has his hands full honing the talents of this raw squad.  At least he has a good corps of wide receivers to help QB Daniel Jones, and then Colt McCoy.  Why both?  This porous offensive line is going to get Jones hurt.  On the other side of the ball, they have plenty of linebackers, but most of them are only mediocre.

4.  Washington (2-14/0-6):  This is a team in search of an identity.  They don't even have a team name yet!  Their new uniforms look like they stole them from the USC Trojans (perhaps they did.  After all, the Trojans aren't playing this fall).  With owner Daniel Snyder under investigation for sexual assault and harrassment, I don't think COVID would be necessary to keep the crowds away.  This is a tough spot for QB Dwayne Haskins, who loves to show off for a crowd.  How will he perform without one?

NFC North

1.  Chicago Bears (10-6/4-2):  The Bears on top?  Am I crazy?  Especially since they played journeyman QB Mitchell Trubisky ahead of Philadelphia phenom Nick Foles on the depth chart?  Yes, I think the Bears will win the division.  The other teams are down a bit this season, and coach Matt Nagy had these guys working during the offseason.  Trubisky worked especially hard, working with the same guru who has bolstered Kurt Cousins and Ryan Fitzpatrick.  While the offensive line still needs a little work and the receiving corps is thin (the starters need to stay healthy), a favorable schedule helps give this team a shot at the divisional title.

2.  Minnesota Vikings (9-7/4-2):  Trubisky's workout partner, QB Kurt Cousins, improved over the off-season, but the offensive line didn't.  He'll still have to do most of his work on the run.  The defensive line has concerns of their own, especially on the ends.

3.  Green Bay Packers (9-7/4-2):  Definitely a capable team, but no really standouts (other than QB Aaron Rodgers) and thin in places.  This team often fights injury problems, and that could hurt them badly this season.  Also, Lambeau Field will be devote of the fierce crowd that fuels this team.

4.  Detroit Lions (3-13/0-6):  This team has two fragile 12-year veteran QBs in Matthew Stafford and Chase Daniel, and they have to work behind the worst offensive line in the division (and this year, that is really saying something!).  They might as put a bunch of quarterbacks on speed dial, as they'll need to find 3rd and 4th quarterbacks at some point this season.  Kearse's suspension cracks an already fragile defense.

NFC South

1.  New Orleans Saints (11-5/5-1):  Could this be the final season for Drew Brees?  There's talk that might be true.  If so, you know this team will work extra hard to reach the Super Bowl.  Despite some questions about the strength of the right side of the offensive line, this is a solid offense.  The defense was overhauled, but strong corners and talented depth makes this team a contender.

2. Tampa Bay Bucs (10-6/4-2):  Florida welcomes Tom Brady and Gronk to their team, and the offense wakes up.  Gronk will be Brady's favorite target, but Brady likes to spread the wealth, and there are enough hands to catch his passes.  Let's hope his off-season conditioning was good, because there are questions about the strength of his offensive line, so opponents might get into his backfield.  The defense is a patchwork of players who starred on other teams.  If they can reach a level close to their past, this will be a stiff defense indeed.

3.  Atlanta Falcons (6-10/2-4):  The offense has great running backs, but the receiving corps is thin after Julio Jones and Calvin Ripley.  Short passes and dump-offs seem to the key to success.  The "twin Matt" quarterbacks of Ryan and Schaub have a total of 30 years of NFL experience.  Tom Brady is ageless, but I'm not sure the same can be said of these two.  Since the offensive line has some questions, the team better hope they are healthier than their age would suggest.

4.  Carolina Panthers (4-12/1-5):  QB Teddy Bridgewater is back, but he has some slim pickings among the receiving corps.  Like the Falcons, I see plenty of dump-off passes in this team's future.  The Panthers have a better offensive line, but a much weaker defense means they will be playing "catch-up" ball most of the season.

NFC West

1.  San Francisco 49ers (13-3/5-1):  A return trip to the Super Bowl seems likely for this well-honed and experienced team.  I don't see any concerns anywhere -- not a claim I can frequently make.

2.  Seattle Seahawks (11-5/4-2):  The defense is not what we are used to seeing from this squad, which puts more pressure on Russell Wilson's offense.  We might even see some trick plays when Geno Smith goes under center, I figure will happen a few times each game.

3.  Los Angeles Rams (7-0/2-4):  QB Jared Goff likes fast play, but I'm not sure he has the receiving corps to make that work.  The defense looks good, but they can be beat.  Consistent speed seems to be a concern on both sides of the ball on this team.

4.  Arizona Cardinals (6-10/1-5):  This team has issues with its offensive line.  If QB Kyler Murray can prevent getting the tar beaten out of him, he might succeed, as he is surrounded with talented wideouts.