Tag Archive: kansas city chiefs

2020 NFC Divisional Round Playoff Predictions!

January 11, 2020 Adam Thomas

Man, how sweet are the graphics Randy’s been cooking up lately? You should just stop reading the column now and scroll back up to bask in their glory.

Appreciating the Star Wars graphics is an apt way to start the blog as last week, while I went 1-1 in my picks, I totally whiffed on my Star Wars analogy. Here I thought Titans coach Mike Vrabel was young Anakin to Belichick’s older and wiser Kenobi–the implication being that the young Padawan would eventually be chopped to pieces on Mustafar. I should’ve known that it was more like Vrabel being Anakin to Belichick’s Palpatine! Of course it would be Anakin (aka Darth Vader) who ended up destroying Palpatine and the evil Empire  by chucking the old man’s lightning scared body down a Death Star II reactor shaft, just like it was Vrabel who ended the Patriots empire by, well, winning a football game. Not quite as dramatic but alas, good riddance.

While the Titans beating the Patriots last week (hooray!) was no doubt surprising, I’ve got to think that the Vikings beating the Saints was arguably the bigger upset. I thought the Saints were the team to beat this year and had them going to the Super Bowl to represent the NFC.

So what can we surmise from last week? That every team has a chance to win it all. I am basing my picks solely on the assumption that we are most likely NOT going to get a 1-2 match up in both the NFC and AFC. One of these underdogs has to get through and I think the lower seeds in the NFC are stronger than those in the AFC. So it has to be one of these teams. The hard part is picking which one that will be…

Minnesota Vikings (+7) @ San Francisco 49ers

Looks whose all grownsed up!  Kirk Cousins showed up last week and ‘You like that’-ed all over the Saints! What a thing to behold. Add that to sentences that I never thought I’d find myself typing.

This week, he will try to catch lightning in the bottle again on the road against the 49ers. I am so very tempted to take the Vikings here—mainly because of Dalvin Cook and the Minnesota run game against the 49ers weak run defense. But I just can’t. I think the niners get the job done at home, though the Vikings cover.

49ers 27 Vikings 21

Seattle Seahawks (+4) @ Green Bay Packers

It’d be really cool to see the 49ers play the Packers in the NFC Championship—a throw-back to the mid-90s where the two teams faced off in the playoffs in 1995, 96, 97 and 98—but here’s where I think the upset happens. Russell Wilson in the post-season is no joke and I think he makes just enough plays with his legs to ultimately win a cold, low scoring game.

Though the Packers have Aaron Jones, who has been a beast this year, I think Aaron Rodgers makes one big boneheaded play—like a red zone INT or a strip sack fumble late—and the Seahawks prevail.

Seahawks 20 Packers 16

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2020 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Predictions!

January 10, 2020 Randy Neil

Ok. So. Last week didn’t really pan out how I projected and I put up a mighty goose-egg for the wild card round.  Who would have guessed that Kirk Cousins would finally emerge from his cocoon into a beautiful butterfly? Not me.  And definitely not you. But I digress!

We decided to switch it up this week and exchange conferences. I will be doing the AFC and Adam will be coming later with the NFC picks.  Sounds like the Headrush crew is dialed in exactly where we need to be in order to come up with some frothy Divisional Round predictions!

Tennessee Titans (+9.5) @ Baltimore Ravens

There are a lot of things at play here.  The Ravens have won 12 straight games going into the playoffs and were blowing the doors off of people while they were at it.  Strangely, their last loss came to the Cleveland Browns in late September.  They lost by 15.  How silly is that?

The Ravens did end up playing, and beating, the Browns more recently, so it’s not like we can attribute that anomaly to anything — but it does show that almost everything hinges on Lamar Jackson (super obvious).  He threw 2 picks in their loss to Cleveland and only threw for 247 yards.  If anyone has played fantasy against someone starting Lamar Jackson, you and I both know, that’s a mediocre day for him.

Pair that thought with the memory of Jackson’s only playoff appearance where he had 25 passing yards in the first 3 quarters and there were calls to have him get benched for…. JOE FLACCO.  Man, things change so much over the course of a year.

Now that I’m done playing devil’s advocate, I will note that Jackson ended up with 169 yards and 2 TDs in the 4th quarter of that game and nearly led a come back over the Chargers for his first playoff win. He was literally transforming in that game into an elite talent and I expect a whole bunch of the same.

The Ravens will win, but the nearly 10-point spread is what makes this pick hard.  If the Ravens get ahead early, the Titans are likely to abandon their best weapon, Derrick Henry, and sink further into a hole.  The patience and game-planning of Mike Vrabel will dictate how close of a game this is.  My gut tells me that anyone capable of irritating and out-coaching Bill Belichick has some wits about them to keep the game close.  Just watch that video and relish in his anger.

Ravens 31, Titans 24

Houston Texans (+9.5) @ Kansas City Chiefs

Is it possible for two underdogs to cover?  Well… maybe.  The Texans did play and beat the Chiefs earlier in the season, but a lot has changed since the week 6 matchup.

For starters, the defensive line and linebackers for the Chiefs looked much different.  They had a plethora of defensive players out due to injury and the Texans ran for 192 yards! Almost everyone hurt in that game is back and they have added another veteran in Terrell Suggs now.

Patrick Mahomes was recovering/playing-through his ankle injury.  Sammy Watkins did not play in their earlier game and Tyreek Hill had just returned from his injury.

Add all of those players at their prime — combined with a bye week to rest, Damien Williams healthy, and Andy Reid’s record when coming off of a bye.  AND they’re at home.

I don’t think there’s much Deshaun Watson can do to bail out the Texans in this game.  I think the Chiefs will more than cover.

Chiefs 35, Texans 17

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TheHeadrush Mock Draft (or at least the first 5 picks)!

April 25, 2013 Adam Thomas

Today is the big day. Arguably my favorite ‘sporting’ day of the year. I absolutely love the NFL draft and have been obsessed with it since January. You know why? Cause the team I root for (the Raiders) is terrible, and these are the 3 days of the year when I am filled with hope (well, I guess I am filled with hope on opening day too, but then that hope gets crushed).

Anyway, I am only going to try and guess the top 5 picks here, and since I expect there to be a gazillion trades on Thursday, if I mock a player to a team and they eventually get picked by that team, I am counting that as a win.

1.) Chiefs: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

2.) Jaguars: Ezekial Ansah, DE, BYU

3.) Raiders: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia (Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said that you have to evaluate a player by tape rather than workouts, and that you have to take a difference maker–rather than someone who does a lot of things OK but not any one thing great. He was also in person at Jarvis Jones’ pro day. I’m connecting the dots and going out on a limb and saying they trade down and eventually end up with the man who had 85 tackles and 14.5 sacks last year).

4.) Eagles: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia (It’s either him or Dion Jordan, but I see Chip wanting a playmaker on offense. This will also be after they trade down and then they’ll take EJ Manuel in the second round).

5.) Lions: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A & M (after trading up to Oakland’s spot).

Alrighty, that’s all I’m doing because the rest is a crap shoot.

I did enjoy Randy’s article yesterday about how Philadelphia still has a potent offense, only to see them put up a whole 3 runs on the Pirates. Randy has more faith than me, but I don’t want this to be misconstrued as me hating on the Phillies. I’m just realistic.

There are only 3 teams in the NL with worse records, and I don’t see much light at the end of the tunnel.  But that’s OK, you know why? Cause I love rooting for the underdog. So let’s hope they turn it around and Atlanta falls off as cliff shall we?  Here-here!

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I’m Sick of Hearing About Tony Romo…. Already…

September 27, 2011 Randy Neil

Sometimes, I like to think of a story as a meal. You want to start the readers off with something wonderful to drink, enchant them with some light appetizers, and then make your point with the meat and potatoes. Every once in a while, I’ll end the meal with some sweet desserts. Today…. we’re going to start with steak the cook dropped on the floor in the back.

Tony Romo is getting so much praise for a mediocre performance, it’s making my stomach turn. This is the problem with national exposure, I suppose. They need something to discuss and “analyze”. Lord knows nobody wants to dissect Rex Grossman’s performance, so Tony Romo is getting commended now as an elite quarterback that has taken control of his team. Is that what 255 passing yards and an interception gets you?

If that’s the case, Cam Newton is the greatest quarterback of all time….

I understand that Romo was hurt, I get that. He’s overcoming huge adversity. There is an immense amount of national coverage that the Cowboys receive over most teams. He has a punctured lung. The guy is playing through terrible pain, and what appears to be a terrible supporting cast. That still doesn’t qualify him as an elite quarterback, and I hardly see how this game was the game that got him over the top in people’s eyes.

The kicker made 6 field goals. That’s the only points the team scored. Just let it be what it is.

While Tony Romo was busy saving children from burning wreckage with his bare hands, Michael Vick was busy getting destroyed by the New York Giants.

Vick was getting punished repeatedly on Sunday. It looked disgusting. The offensive line is atrocious this year. Next to Jay Cutler, Michael Vick may be the most sacked quarterback of the year.

Vick complained to the media after Sunday’s game, stating the referees don’t call the same penalties to protect him that other quarterbacks get. Two things come to mind when I heard this :

1) I honestly believe it’s a combination of his offensive line sucking, him running around a lot, and referees not calling those particular penalties when they should. At some point, when he’s on the ground, one of those three things just happened. Sure, he does scramble more than most, but there has probably been about a half-dozen cheap shots I’ve seen where Vick goes down after he’s released the ball, and nothing has been called. The guy’s kinda tiny and easy to push around.

2) This is what happens when you instate a rule that has no real boundaries. The “roughing the passer” rule has become so gray and vague, it’s hard to tell what is and isn’t a penalty anymore. It’s not fair, and it gives people like Michael Vick a lot more weight in their argument. Leaving a decision up to a particular referee during a quick 4-second instance leaves a lot of room for errors.

I suggest that all quarterbacks are placed in a large synthetic polymer bubble with some sort of release mechanism that ejects the ball out of the bubble for passes. If a defensive player manages to roll the ball more than once, the quarterback is sacked. This, of course, will lead up to the famous “half-roll” controversy in Superbowl 2024.

So, let’s look at some of the standings after week 3 and play a little real or fake.

The most surprising of all may be the Buffalo Bills, who lead the AFC East with a 3-0 record. I don’t know how they are winning, or how they defeated the Patriots this weekend, but they did, and Ryan Fitzpatrick now looks like a God. I gotta say fake. I don’t see this lasting the entire year and I still think the Pats are going to take that division.

The Oakland Raiders are leading the AFC West and the Kansas City Chiefs are 0-3. Did we step back into the early 2000s? This is real folks. McFadden is probably going to be the best running back at the end of the year when all is said and done, and those guys are mean. Even with the Chargers winning early in the year (which is super-rare for them), Oakland swept that division last year, and they look more dominant than ever.

The Dallas Cowboys lead the division at 2-1, tied with the Redskins, and the Eagles are in last place at 1-2. It turns me to say that this is real. I don’t envision Michael Vick playing all 16 games (which he’s only done once in his career) and you’re telling me Vince Young is gonna get it done? I don’t see it. This division is packed. I think the Eagles will definitely contend, but it’ll be like the Patriots missing the playoffs at 11-5 two years ago.

I also have to take a moment to say this, and trust me, I’m befuddled saying it as well…. I think Rex Grossman is no longer a shitty quarterback. (Looks left, looks right) I’m not saying he’s great or anything, I’m just saying he’s good. He’s average, or better. The real reason I’m saying this is because of his post-game press-conference last night. I honestly liked how he handled himself. He answered the questions correctly and seemed to be way more intelligent and assured than the Grossman of 2008. His play is reflecting that. Ok, I’m done….

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead the NFC South at 2-1. This I believe to be real. I picked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the Superbowl. After Week 1, that looked silly, but now they’ve won 2 games and are atop their division. I like Josh Freeman. I think there’s something special about that kid. I also think that the NFC South is going to be a pretty tough division with the Falcons, Saints, and… Panthers (cough, ahem…) I see the Bucs winning the NFC South with a 9-7 or 10-6 record and making a great playoff run.

The San Francisco 49ers lead the NFC West at 2-1. I think this is sad, and real. I saw the St. Louis Rams doing way better than they are, but at 0-3 they look terrible. What really stands out is there points differential. 36 points scored, 96 points allowed. Yeeeeesh. The Seahawks and Cardinals are both pretty average, so it’s pretty much the Niners division to lose.

It’s important to note that there are literally 2 games left in baseball and they’re going to jump right into the playoffs. Don’t take things lightly. The Phillies cruised into the playoffs this year, but come September 30th, we are just like everybody else. It’s time to get serious.

No picks this week. I’ve done enough writing. Plus, I went 50%, so you don’t want to listen to me anyway….

Take a minute to digest your meal, folks. It’s probably food poisoning….

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Random Thoughts: Post First Round Edition

April 29, 2011 Adam Thomas

This draft seemed like it was one of the crappiest in recent memory.  Who are these guys?  They all look like they are 13 years old and none of them look particularly dominant in the high light videos that they showed.

Case in point: The ATL Falcons traded next years first and a bunch of other picks to trade up and grab Julio Jones.  After they did, the first video ESPN showed was Julio Jones dropping a ton of easy passes.  Then this morning, a Yahoo columnist declares the Falcons winners for taking him.  Wait…what?

The Falcons did a stupid thing.  Can you imagine if the Raiders made that trade?  Good God all mighty, everyone would be ripping them to shreds!  So to the Falcons, I bestow them with my dumbest move of the draft (DMOD) award.

1.) DUMBEST MOVE OF THE DRAFT: Falcons

2.) SECOND DUMBEST MOVE OF THE DRAFT: Panthers.  We’ve seen this movie before.  We know how it’s gonna end.  Did you see Cam Newton’s dad?  He looked like and spoke like a crooked Jesse Jackson. “I don’t…care if he’s…Mr. Irrelevant.  GOD IS GOOD!  GOD IS GOOD!”  What Cam’s dad was obviously trying to say was “CHA-CHING!  CHA-CHING!”  Sad day for the Panthers, they just won’t realize it until 2013.  Cam Newton acts like an entitled prick and he is gonna hold out for millions and then suck up the joint when he gets his chance to start.

3.) THIRD DUMBEST MOVE OF THE DRAFT: Broncos.  Yesterday I wrote that Von Miller was going to be the bust of the draft, so I was delighted to hear the pre-draft rumors that the Broncos were gonna draft him.  Then, when they did draft him and he started to cry, my dad looked at me and said, “He’s soft.”  So thank you, Broncos!  You made my day last year by drafting Tebow and you made it again this year by grabbing Miller!

(Note: If the Broncos trounce the Raiders on Monday Night Football with Tebow going off for 300 yds passing, 150 yads rushing and 4 tds and Miller gets 3 sacks, feel free to come on here and rip me a new one, cause really, I’m just trying to stir the pot.  That’s what all us bloggers do, ya know?)

4.) FOURTH DUMBEST MOVE OF THE DRAFT: The Bears.  So, let me get this straight, they wanted to trade with the Ravens but didn’t confirm it with the league, which made the Ravens lose their spot to the Chiefs.  Who in the world is running the Bears?  If that happened in a fantasy football draft, holy balls people would be at each others throats!  I can only imagine what was being said in the Ravens war room.  But at least they got that CB who is addicted to codein syrup.  Nothing bad has ever come from a little syzzzurp, right?

 

Best Moves of the draft:

1.) Lions grabbing Fairley, the DT from Auburn.  I’ve always wondered why more teams don’t just build on their strengths.  The Lions have a great DT already, why not make him even better by pairing him with the guy who was projected to go number one just a month ago?

2.) Chiefs.  Good Lord, that was a nice pick getting that WR from Pitt.  The Chiefs are winning the AFC West again next year.

3.) Saints getting Mark Ingram.  Fourth round fantasy pick anybody?

4.) Cardinals getting Patrick Peterson.  He was the best player in the draft.  Why don’t teams at number one go with the best player?  The QB thing works out once out of every 30000 picks.  It makes no sense to me.  For every Peyton Manning there are 30 JaMarcus’s.

Ah well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.  Rounds two and three are tonight.  Enjoy!

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