Big win for the Redskins as Jonathan Allen Drops to #17

By John Moore

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Jonathan Allen Drops to #17, Big win for the Redskins

As a die-hard Redskins fan, I never thought (prayed) that Jonathan Allen would fall as far back in the draft like he did. I wanted him last year when he declared for the 2016 draft but later went back to finish college.  The arrival of Allen is a sweet homecoming for the former Crimson Tide who grew up playing High School football just five miles from Redskins Park in Ashburn, and was also a Redskins fan. He admitted that when the Redskins appeared on the board to pick, he was hoping that Washington would be the one to get him on the stage with a No. 1 jersey.

Allen isn’t the rusher who screams off the edge, but he is a pass rush threat due to his powerful hands, giving himself opportunities while reading the ball. The Alabama starter played in a 3-4 base defense and lined up all over the line. Playing mainly as a base end before pushing inside on passing downs. He turns speed to power with body control and contact stability while also showing the ability to cut through gaps and beat blockers. Similar to how the Seattle Seahawks use Michael Bennett. Allen is one of the most talented prospects in the 2017 draft class and deserved a top-three overall consideration.

The Redskins dealt with defensive struggles that last two seasons. The unit ranked 28th in 2016, allowing 378 yards per game. It struggled against the run (24th) and the pass (25th). Allen’s selection represents a concrete step forward within the team. They have taken a step in the right direction with this pick. Allen will be paired with the two free agent defensive tackles the Redskins signed during free agency, Terrell McClain and Stacy McGee, which was a total overhaul of the defensive line, don’t forget Zach Brown as well. To be able to see Allen line up with Kerrigan, Brown, McClain and, if healthy, Galette on the line and Breeland, Norman, Cravens and Swearinger in the backfield, I believe this is a big improvement on defense that fans have been asking for, for years.

Now that he’s in the NFL, Allen hopes to create his own legacy, but he’ll closely watch some of the top players to see how they attack opponents. Notably Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. “For me, my motivation is to prove why the Redskins were right and smart for drafting me,” Allen said. “That’s going to be my motivation. So, I mean, it’s definitely going to sit in the back of my mind, but I have a job and I have a business to do, and that’s what I’m going to do.” Jonathan Allen will be wearing the #95 this coming season.

 

Staying Focused

With 40 games left to play (and 30 NL East rivalry games remaining), the Washington Nationals stand eight games ahead of the second-place Miami Marlins. Even though the Nationals have some breathing room in the East, the Nats currently hold winning records against all their division opponents. The team can’t afford to lose their focus over the next two months. But, is it possible that Washington’s schedule presents disadvantages for an October-bound team that likely won’t play a “must-win” game again this season?

We can only hope that if the Nats and the Giants meet in October it has the same outcome. The Nationals have 13 games left against the Braves and seven against the Phillies.

That is a lot of games against some bad teams. This was the criticism of the Nats hot start. That they didn’t earn it because they were beating up on the Marlins and Braves. Turns out the Marlins were actually good and the Nats only played the Braves six times at the start of the season. The big question is can the Nats stay sharp while facing a bunch of patsies down the stretch.

I’ve always been a believer that in sports you train above what you’re trying to do. If a fighter is preparing for a 15 round fight then he should train for 18. It’s important to be sharp in those last few rounds. Baseball is different, though. Even if the Nats were facing the Cubs or Giants a bunch in September they might only catch the back end of their rotations with their front and Bochy might be resting certain relievers on those days or be giving starters days off. In the playoffs, it’s going to be your top guy against their’s and no one is going to be getting a day off.

While the Cubs and Giants at their worst are still better than the Braves at their best there is no guarantee that the Nats would be tested against those better foes. The Braves in September are also going to be a better Braves team than they have been at any point this season. Expect some of their high ranking prospects to actually be getting playing time and that could test the Nats more than a Cubs team that has everything locked up and it’s not like the Nats aren’t going to rest more players when they lock things up.

The idea that fighting until the end is beneficial is a myth. The Nats hitters are still going to face pitchers that are trying to get them out and the Nats pitchers are still going to be facing hitters that want to get hits. And, let’s face it – there isn’t a bigger test for a Nats pitcher than Freddie Freeman, and even if the Nats go 13-0 against the Braves they can still make it work by trying to score 10 runs a night or shut them out every night. If beating the Braves by itself isn’t enough of a test the Nats will just have to make it one.

The baseball pundits of the world are on the cusp of getting their wish: the Washington Nationals soaring back into a playoff spot. If you take some time to dig through the various “expert predictions” that were released throughout the winter, the Nationals were a common fixture to represent the National League in the World Series. 

Proving last year wasn’t a fluke

By John Moore

 

The Carolina Panthers aren’t going to go 15-1 again. Of course no one thought they would win 15 games last year, however. Everything nearly went right, until they lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. The good news is they have the league’s reigning MVP in quarterback Cam Newton, who is getting his top wideout, Kelvin Benjamin, back. The Panthers won’t have the benefit of surprising teams again, and it’s not like they’ll try to surprise anyone on offense. They’ll remain the same run-first, ball-control team that somehow led the NFL in points scored. The shocking decision to let Josh Norman out of his franchise tag opened a big void in the secondary, and the Panthers are now facing an entire rebuild at cornerback. Fortunately for them, the front-seven should remain one of the most lethal forces in the game. They might not have elite edge rushers, but the interior of the defensive line will be a nightmare for many opposing quarterbacks. Behind those big bodies, Linebacker Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, and Shaq Thompson can roam free, ready to make plays all over the field.

For the second time since 2014, Coach Ron Rivera comes into a season as the reigning NFL Coach of the Year. There may not be a better player’s coach in the league, as a former Bears linebacker he has mastered the difficult balance of keeping control while allowing his veteran to police the locker room. Much to the benefit of the Panthers, defensive coordinator Sean McDermott was again passed over for other teams’ top jobs. Panthers defense, along with Seattle’s are the only defenses to finish in the top 10 of yards allowed for the past four season. Offensive coordinator Mike Shula has an undervalued mind and has enough weapons to toy with opposing defenses.

It all came together for Newton in 2015, his league-leading 45 total touchdowns sparked the Panthers to a 15-1 regular-season record and earned him NFL MVP honors. He dominated defenses while becoming the first player in league history with 35 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns and a rating of 99.4. Jonathan Stewart thrived in his first season as Carolina’s workhorse. The Panthers have to start planning for life after Stewart, but the other backs on the roster aren’t full-time guys. Fozzy Whittaker is a good change of pace option, but he’s injury prone and Cameron Artis-Payne is just OK. Benjamin’s second season was cut short when he tore his ACL during training camp, but he is expected to be ready for this season. Even though he didn’t replicate Benjamin’s success as a rookie, there is plenty to talk about Devin Funchess’ development. Despite getting Kelvin back, Newton’s favorite target will remain in tight end, Greg Olsen, coming off another consecutive 1,000-yard season. Michael Oher solidified himself as the Panthers left tackle and will guarding Newton’s blindside for the near future. Second-year right guard, Trai Turner picked up a Pro-Bowl spot and left guard Andrew Norwell just missed it. Carolina’s line continues to be anchored by five-time Pro-Bowler center, Ryan Kalil.

The surprise decision to let Pro-Bowler cornerback Josh Norman walk, have forced them to overreach in the draft. Caroline spent three straight choices on corners, using a second round pick on James Bradberry, then trading up in the third to grab Daryl Worley, then using their fifth-round choice on Zach Sanchez. There’s a decent chance that either Bradberry or Worley will end up starting the season across from Bene Benwikere, who broke his ankle in December. They did sign free agent Brandon Boykin, who will fill in the slot position. Behind the corners is free safety Kurt Coleman, whose seven interceptions during his first season in Carolina tied for the NFC lead. Not signing veteran Roman Harper back, it will allow Tre Boston to regain his starting job.

The last time the losing team from the previous season’s Super Bowl went back to the big game was the Buffalo Bills in 1993. The fact that 23 years have passed since it happened, again shows the Super Bowl hangover is real and dangerous. The Panthers seem to have all the piece in place to make another deep run, but there’s a prevailing sense that the opportunity was lost this past February. They played their worst game at the worst time., they’ll need to move on from that before they can repeat as NFC champs.

 

 

Staying with Luck

By John Moore

A year ago, Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, called the year “Super Bowl or Bust.” After finishing with an 8-8 record, Irsay along with GM Ryan Grigson and Coach Chuck Pagano are taking a more measured approach going into the 2016 season.  Injuries played a huge role for the Colts’ last season, particularly those concerning quarterback Andrew Luck.  His loss was a setback, along with defensive tackle Art Jones and rookie defensive tackle Henry Anderson.

Eventhough Andrew Luck recently signed a contract extension to continue to be the face of the franchise, the Colts need Luck to be more of a game manager. Last season they continued to implement an offensive system that heavily relied on the passing game, in an attempt to maximize the use of Andrew Luck’s ability to push the ball down the field and TY Hilton’s ability to get separation from defensive backs. Due to this, the Colts’ were 9th in the league in passing attempts per game as they averaged 38.4 per game according to team rankings. While the Colts offensive system showed flashes of brilliance during last season, it prevented them from achieving their goal of winning football games. Due to the fact that Luck likes to hold on to the ball for a long period of time to give TY and the other wide receivers a chance to get enough separation to catch the ball. The offensive line isn’t strong or quick enough to hold their blocks to allow him to hold the ball, which leaves him more vulnerable to being hit or sacked. As a result, it increases the possibility that the offense has shorter drives which result in the defense having to go back on the field without the proper amount of rest. This leads to the defense being more vulnerable to giving up yards and points because they were not able to regain the energy needed between possessions to stop the opposing offense.

Therefore, it would benefit the Colts to turn Andrew Luck into a field general. Once the Colts made the opposing defense honor the running game by stacking the box, it will allow the Colts’ to run play action passes. This will the Colts’ receivers more man to man coverage and Andrew Luck more open space on the field to lead his receivers to the ball. Keeping drives alive while forcing the opposing team to put more players in coverage to decrease the chance of the offense scoring a substantial amount of points in a short period of time. This gives the running backs room to run the ball again. The combination of these factors decreases the likelihood of Luck being hit or taking a sack, while at the same time allowing the offense to stay on the field for a prolonged period of time. Meaning that the defense can rest between drives. If the Colts were to turn Andrew Luck into more of a game manager, they will most likely win more than 8 games.

Heading into the 2016 season, the Colts need to prove they belong in the conversation regarding the best teams in the AFC. Luck is back as the starter for 2016 and is hoping for a much healthier season than the one he had last year. Luck was inactive for nine games for shoulder and kidney injuries. A healthy and fully functional Luck will be crucial to any kind of success Indianapolis hopes to have this year. Luck has to show that he is back to the form that made him one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. Even before all the injuries took hold in 2015, the former No. 1 draft pick was not off to a great start. Luck will also be working with his third offensive coordinator in his fifth season in the league, learning a completely new system under Rob Chudzinski. Can the pass protection improve? Pagano has faith that former Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin can straighten out the Colts’ many offensive line issues. That includes providing more consistent pass protection for quarterback Andrew Luck.  It’s also a hope that Philbin can provide some stability to the offensive line in Indy.

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