Patience Is A Virtue: Illinois Building a Winner

It's amazing how you don't know what you have until it's gone.

Two years ago, the Illinois football program started their season with big wins over Arizona State, the Pac-12's preseason dark horse, and a high powered Western Michigan offense. After the 6-0 start came the surprising 0-6 finish that ultimately led to the demise of Ron Zook.

While the 0-6 finish shocked Illini nation and the Big Ten. After Illinois trounced a pretty awful Indiana team, the Illini proceeded to lose three expected games to Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan. The shocking loss was Purdue, who was actually quite strong despite their poor football reputation.

A loss at home against Wisconsin wasn't anything unexpected but then there was another shocking loss to Minnesota, a game Illinois should have won but pretty much didn't show up.

When you look closer at that season, Illinois was incredibly reliant on four guys, two of which were pretty big playmakers and ended up being first round picks in the following year's NFL Draft. Defensive end Whitney Mercilus and wideout AJ Jenkins were the primary playmakers that season and Jenkins was sophomore QB Nathan Scheelhaase's favorite target. Once Illinois beat Arizona State and jumped into the top 25, everybody saw if you take away Jenkins and make those mediocre backs and two and three option receivers beat you, the Illini weren't going to have much success. And obviously they didn't.

Whitney Mercilus tore the country apart the first six games of the season, then they got into the grueling Big Ten season and he didn't fare as well. He played well enough though, Houston liked him and took him late in the first round in that following spring in the NFL draft.

Illinois had two first round picks on that team, and two second round picks. Two offensive lineman, a defensive lineman and their top receiver.

After the 0-6 finish, Ron Zook of course met his fate at Illinois and was ushered out. Looking back, even though Zook was run out of town, he really had quite a tenure at Illinois as far as recruiting and developing terrific, young players. He just could not turn it into postseason games.

A new era.

Enter Tim Beckman. Expectations are now [once again] high because of a new Athletic Director who brings a lot of hype, promise and a new way of doing business. Expectations are high because a team full of talent underachieved the previous season.

But rightfully so, there were people who said, who is Tim Beckman? Oh-- he's had one stint as a head coach and had one winning season -- in the MAC no less. Needless to say, there wasn't a lot of enthusiasm surrounding his hire.

Beckman hadn't even blown his whistle to start his first practice and the deck was already stacked against him.

How's so?

For starters, do I need to mention the four top 60 picks they lost to the NFL draft?

So he's already down four studs on a team with almost no skill position talent. Literally no running backs. Donovan Young was the only runningback on the roster that had carried the ball in a college football game before. He relied on a handful of true freshman and a couple redshirt freshman.

He's already walked into a quaterback controversy because he had the two year starter Nathan Scheelhaase and promising pocket passer Reilly O'Toole. That didn't make things better. His offensive and defensive lines have little size on top of everything else.

It just wasn't going to happen for him. Not one coach in the country would have come in and made Illinois any sort of contender in the Big Ten with that team. Not one. Not Urban Meyer, not Nick Saban, not Les Miles, not Chip Kelly, not Brian Kelly. Not one.

Illinois goes 2-10 under Beckman the first year and doesn't win a Big Ten game. Not really surprising. At least to me. The Illini fan that put too high of an expectation on this man was calling for his head. I know a lot of people don't like Mike Thomas, but I respect his decision to give Beckman a second year. After all, when you sit back and look at it objectively, Illinois wasn't in a position to win at all.

Then Beckman loses more key players. Offensive lineman Hugh Thornton was a second round pick to the Colts. Akeem Spence gets lost to the Bucs in the fourth round of the spring's NFL draft. Michael Buchannon was a 7th round pick to the Pats. Illinois was already very shorthanded, and it got worse in year two for Beckman.

But then this fall, with expectations already low, you start to see some things you can build on. After an injury plagued season and battling two differing styles of co-offensive coordinators, Nathan Scheelhaase is finally looking like he could be a relevant Big Ten QB with stability in the play calling. The run game is getting going thanks to the effective air game.

They escape a scare from Southern Illinois. They handled Cincinnati, who has been a dark horse in the American Athletic Conference, and are now sitting at 8-2 on the season and in the driver's seat to challenge Louisville and Central Florida. They played tough with the Washington Huskies, who were an early season surprise in the Pac-12, at a neutral site in Chicago. If we're being honest, I don't think anyone gave Illinois a chance in that game, but they played tough all day and made it a game late. The Illini lost, and it would be the only loss of their non-conference slate.

But once again, the Big Ten season rolled in and the Illini fell on hard times. Three tough losses to Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Michigan State really did not sit well with Illini nation after a better than expected start.

Then they go to Happy Valley to take on a very surprising Penn State Nittany Lions group that was overachieving with almost nothing to look forward to. The Illini start slow, make a game of it in the second half, and unfortunately fall on an interception that could have set up a tie.

Then Illinois plays a back and forth contest in Bloomington, Indiana but late mistakes cost them.

They host Ohio State who are ridiculous favorites, and for good reason. But Illinois showed heart, if nothing else, and made Ohio State earn the victory. Late mistakes did in Illinois, but all Ohio State fans I've heard from say they saw fight and heart with Illinois, one thing Tim Beckman has been all about since he started.

Illinois wrapped up their Big Ten season with a nice but ugly road win at Purdue (a win's a win, who cares how it looks right?), and a bad loss at home where the Illini led and could not hold on. And while a bowl game was out of the question several weeks ago, there's reason to say the future of the Illini football program is bright.

The Illini got off to a fast start this season and there was a lot more energy and optimism behind the team. Then they fall on hard times in their first three Big Ten games. Give this team, and coaching staff credit for keeping spirits high and the distractions from the outside at a minimum. I truly believe Beckman has a lot to do with this.

Like I said, the talent level isn't there, but it's coming. I feel like I'm as high on the future of the Illinois football program as anyone I've come across. And I'm not an eternal optimist, so I feel my enthusiasm is real.

The future.

To be honest, I'm glad QB Nathan Scheelhaase is out after this year. It's not that I think he's a terrible QB, because he's not. But if he was to come back next year, you'd have a very muddy QB situation. But now, while it's murky, it's not completely impossible for Beckman to make a decision. You'll already have the return of senior Reilly O'Toole, a young Chicago-native and highly touted QB Aaron Bailey, but I think Tim Beckman's decision is going to be easy, and it comes from a central Illinois native from a powerhouse football school in suburban Springfield.

Wes Lunt.

I've been high on this kid out of high school in Rochester, who transferred in this past summer from Oklahoma State after his time in Stillwater was more of a hurricane than still-water. The kid is a winner and obviously has talent, as he was the first true freshman to start at QB for the Cowboys in almost 20 years. Beckman in the past has dubbed Lunt the best scout team QB in the country. Lunt had to sit out this year because of NCAA transfer rules, thus the 'scout team' status.

On top of a promising QB situation, no matter how it plays out, the Illini should have a plethora of options for those QBs to throw to.

Playmaker Josh Ferguson, who accumulated over 1300 all purpose yards this season, returns for his junior season. RB Donovonn Young is likely to return for his senior season, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has a Rashard Mendenhall or Mikel Leshoure type year that pole vault's him into a second or third round NFL pick.

Along with the quality backs the Illini should boast, the receiving core is going to greatly improve. While Illinois is losing their three top receivers, there are a pair of guys coming in out of Junior Colleges that I think are going to excite Illini fans next year.

The highest touted among them is Tyrin Stone-Davis. Stone-Davis is a 6-3, 195 pound receiver, where some recruiting sites have him as an elite JuCo player, others don't necessarily see the same. The one website I've become very fond of, 247sports.com, has him as a top 25 JuCo recruit, where as Rivals.com and ESPN.com have him farther down. In watching some of his film, he's a very impressive looking wideout. He has a lot of speed to go along with that big frame, and has incredibly good hands. The speed has allowed to him take advantage of the underwhelming amount of corner talent at the JuCo level, but none the less, he is going to allow the Illini offense to stretch the field with downhill, downfield routes and big play ability.

The other wideout is a lesser touted, but none the less, still an impressive overall athlete: Geronimo Allison. Allison is a lanky and long 6-3, 180 pound receiver. Watching video of Allison, you would think a guy like him would be a Stone-Davis mold, using his speed and length to stretch the field for the offense. While he can, one thing I notice is he's a very good route-runner. He goes over the middle of the field in the teeth of the secondary without fear. He has great awareness when making plays along the sidelines, and is a terrific blocker. I look for him to be a solid slot man in the spread offense Bill Cubit has introduced at Illinois with the ability to play outside the numbers. Most websites have him down in the 50-60 range of JuCo recruiting ranks, but ESPN actually has him ahead of Stone-Davis. (Anyone who knows me, knows I do not think much of ESPN, so this means nothing to me)

Junior college transfers are very good way to quickly fill positions while you wait recruit a high level player or develop a younger player. Since the Cam Newton (a JuCo transfer) led Auburn Tigers won a national championship, junior college recruiting has really taken off. One of the nation's top college quarterback's Zach Mettenberger was a transfer out of a community college, along with Auburn QB Nick Marshall. Both were highly recruited players by Georgia, and were kicked off the team for off-field incidents. Interesting fact, Aaron Rodgers wasn't even recruited by a single Division I school out of high school except Illinois, who offered him a chance to earn a scholarship as a walk-on, to which Rodger balked. He decided to walk on in junior college, and was later offered a scholarship by Cal, and of course, the rest, as they say, is history. So there is proven value in recruiting junior college kids.

I mentioned the coming Illini QB controversy that Beckman will likely field questions about all winter, through the spring and into the fall. I've seen Reilly O'Toole and Wes Lunt play live. I've not seen much of Aaron Bailey, but his accolades and hype make me think he is the real deal. My thought on why Lunt wins out the QB controversy is quite simple.

Illinois is not an option driven offense, which is where Bailey would thrive. Making decisions at the line of scrimmage and making plays with his legs. His arm is said to be solid, but that remains to be seen as he's seen little time on the field for the Orange and Blue thus far.

O'Toole is a very good QB, there's no doubt about it. I must admit, the one game I saw him live, I was impressed, but not blown away. He throws an accurate, yet not very strong ball down the field.

Wes Lunt however, fits perfectly, like a glove really, into the Cubit spread offense. He can make accurate, deep throws. He can thread-the-needle in the middle of the field. He can make sideline throws. And guess what he'll have at his disposal if he's named the starter? All the types of talented receivers that fit into his style of play.

Lunt is not a burner though. He's not going to make big plays with his legs. But he'll make just about any throw you ask him to. In a spread offense, that's what you want.

I know Bailey is dubbed by a lot as the QB of the future, but truthfully, it would not surprise me if he's asked to learn to be a receiver, or even a safety/LB hybrid in the next year or two. He's definitely big enough, strong enough, and enough of an athlete to make the switch and pick things up in a short amount of time.

Lunt and Bailey starting next year, will each have three years of time left at Illinois. I understand Beckman will be/is on the hot seat, but he would be foolish not to make the QB one of his two talented sophomores.

One of these guys will be the next great Illini QB, I truthfully think Illinois should make it Lunt and move Bailey to a skill position or defense. Both are winners, winning state championships with their respective schools, and you can bet both are not going to lose the QB battle without a fight.

No matter how it plays it, fireworks should be aplenty in Champaign over the next few years as we wait to see if Tim Beckman can indeed be the man to turn this program into a winner.

Offseason Profiler: Robinson Cano

As we inch closer to the annual Winter Meetings, the baseball offseason really kicks into high gear, and this year's winter could be quite captivating.

Heading into this holiday season, we know a lot of things. The most obvious being Robinson Cano highlights a pretty underrated class of free agents. A lot of teams have a lot of money to spend this year, E.g. the Mets, Cubs, Mariners, and Rangers amongst others. The pitching market this year is incredibly deep. The outfield market is aging but still very much solid. And the middle infield, or the infield market in general is rather slim.

I'm glad the winter meetings are a few weeks out still because I have a lot of hypotheses on what we could be in store for this winter. I'm not going to divulge all of them in one sitting, that would just be too much, so today I'm starting with Robinson Cano.

Cano's representative is, Roc Nation Sports, Jay-Z's firm. At this point in time, their biggest client is Cano. But his agency has also landed NBA superstar Kevin Durant, who will soon hit NBA free agency.

It surfaced early this morning the Mets were summoned by Jay-Z to talk Cano. By sounds of it make it, the Mets were more interested in feeling out how Roc Nation would do business, whereas Roc Nation was trying to pitch Cano to the Mets.

Here's the deal, as a Mets fan, Cano is an exciting possibility, for about three or four years. In that ball park though, once Cano hits 35 or 36(he's 31), his power numbers are going to drop. His defense is already based purely on ability, but as he ages, his range will surely decrease and easy routine plays for him will become, well base hits given up by the likes of Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, and the list can go on. He might be able to maintain a high batting average and on-base percentage, but his baserunning is already suspect, and with aging knees and joints, he will just become a log-jam on the bases if the Mets were to have any speed behind him in the line-up.

Like I said, Cano is an exciting possibility, but realistically, he's a flashing red lights sign that says "STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY!"

My take on why the Roc Nation camp called the Mets: The Mets have money to spend, and Cano has no takers except the Yankees. Simple. Roc Nation is trying to drum up suitors to match their ridiculous asking price, and ridiculous is being polite at this point, 10-years at $350-million and give the Yankees a tangible sense there are in fact, other teams interested in Cano's services.

This is unfortunate because right now, Cano is one of the most dynamic hitters in baseball. He hits a high average, he hits a lot of homers, and he drives in a lot of runs. The more impressive part about all this is, he did it in a poor Yankee line-up last year. Mark Teixiera, Curtis Granderson and A-Rod were all out for a majority of the season, and Cano was still able to drive in 107 runs.

So to say Cano isn't work the $350-million isn't outrageous, but it's also not fair. The biggest red flags right now are the fact Cano is reaching free agency for the first time at age 31. That is the biggest thing keeping someone from opening up their check book.

We all know the Dodgers would be courting Roc Nation and Cano if they hadn't just spent $28-million on Cuban defector Alexander Guererro. So the high paying Dodgers are all but out. I've seen reports of Texas kicking the tires on Cano. To me that's certainly a fit financially, but then they make an already chaotic and problematic situation in their middle-infield worse.

I've heard at least three baseball insiders say each year you hear about high-priced free agents as not having a market, and then they go to another team. But truly in this situation, Robinson Cano will begin, what I believe will be, a trend of aging, high-priced free agents that become less appealing and fewer teams willing to take on the big contract demands by agents like Roc Nation Sports or Scott Boras. We've seen the likes of Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and Carl Crawford make big money because of what they've done, instead of what they will be able to contribute. I truly believe with cap penalties and international budget constrains coming because of overspending, fewer and fewer teams willing to give a 31 year-old star a 10-year contract.

Now that doesn't mean the Robinson Cano's of the baseball world won't be able to make a buck. If I had a guess, if Roc Nation lowered their asking price to five years at say $150 to $200-million, you'd have the Rangers, Mets, Cubs, and even the Dodgers lining up to take him on. That's not unreasonable for a guy that has at least two or three MVP years left in the tank, then you can afford the two years where the numbers decline, but you still have the fear of those MVP years in the back of a pitchers mind.

In the end, Cano won't get $350-million at 10-years. He's likely going to get a little bit more than Dustin Pedroia, but the contract length will likely be similar. I see an 6-8 year deal, probably in the $175-million range. And yes, Cano is worth every bit of that to the Yankees.

The fact of the matter is, the Yankees need Cano in a desperate way. Granderson is headed elsewhere. Teixiera gets older by the year, and that wrist injury is going to effect his numbers and effectiveness with the bat. Who knows if A-rod will be available. Any outfielder they add won't be a suitable replacement for Cano. The pitching is in disarray. The farm system is crap.

Cano means more to the Yankees than any other team can try to monetarily exemplify. The Yankees say they will let him walk (which I think is a load of garbage), but if they do, you won't be seeing the Yankees competing at a high level anytime soon.

As a lot of New York media people believe, the Yankees will resign Cano for the simple reason, Boston just won the World Series, and they have to as they say, "Keep up with the Jones'".  

Football Friday: Week 9

It's another football Friday, and with the World Series wrapped up, all eyes will shift to the National Football League. And for the casual fan who's not watched much of the League to this point, there's certainly been better weeks to get into it, as there's really not a match up that just screams game of the week. I think a lot of that has to do with Denver, Detroit and San Francisco on bye for the week. With that, let's get to it for the Week 9.

KCvsBUF - While this match up does not stand out as a premier match up, I think it could be sneaky good. I know the Bills don't have a good QB, but I think this game comes down to the run game that can have the most success. The Chiefs have not really dominated a game, other than Jacksonville and the Giants, and really how impressive is that? I think the front seven of Buffalo is incredibly good, which could give the excellent run game of the Chiefs a hard time. I think if Alex Smith has to air it out, the Chiefs offense will struggle. That's not to the Chiefs can't win, because their front seven is as good, I think better, but I'm taking the Bills to hand the Chiefs their first loss on the road. Buffalo 20 Kansas City 16

MINvsDal - The ability of the Cowboys to find ways to lose games is remarkable, but they have the opportunity to bounce back against a putrid Minnesota Vikings unit. The Cowboys defense is incredibly beat up, I think resulting in a shootout. The key for the Vikings in this game is clock control. They have to keep the Dallas offense off the field. For the Cowboys, they have to shut down the run obviously, and make Christian Ponder be the one to beat them. I think it's a shoot out and a pretty high scoring game. Dallas 34 Minnesota 20

TENvsSTL - With the way Kellen Clemens plays Monday, I can't see how the Rams win another game unless they can find lightning in a bottle with someone else. Tennessee has a pretty underrated team. I will say though, the Rams defense played very well in the Monday night game last week. If, and that is a questionable if, they can play to that level again this Sunday, I can see the Rams pulling off the upset. I think they play well, but not well enough. Tennessee 16 Rams 9

NOvsNYJ - The Jets have played well at home, and not great on the road. The Jets success is very much hingent on the run game, and going against the #1 rush defense will force them to air it out. I think this home game is going to be different. The Saints are rolling, and I think they continue on. New Orleans 31 Jets 17

SDvsWAS - West coast team going east is always a tall task for the road team. Washington actually played well for about two and a half quarters until the flood gates opened in Denver. I think Washington continues to get better. I think this ends up being a shoot out, and while you don't want to get into one with Philip Rivers, I think RGIII and the Skins make enough plays to take this one. Washington 35 San Diego 31

ATLvsCAR - Injuries are too much for Atlanta to overcome. I think Cam Newton has a big day against a very depleted secondary. Carolina will prove they are for real, but I think they'll still have some doubters. Carolina 24 Atlanta 20

PHIvsOAK - This will be an interesting game I think. Oakland's defense shuts down the run very well, but with Nick Foles as the QB, I'm thinking Chip Kelly will want to air it out. The Philly defense is not very good, and I think Terrell Pryor and company put up big yardages. I see another shoot out in Oakland this week. This could be a fun game to watch. Oakland 34 Philadelphia 33

TBvsSEA - One might see this game and say, well there's no doubt about who's going to win this. I think Darelle Revis will take away now number-one wideout Golden Tate, forcing someone else to step up. But overall, I think Marshawn Lynch has a big day, thus leading the Seahawks to a win, though I don't think it's as big of a margin as some are expecting. Seattle 34 Tampa Bay 16

BALvsCLE - Baltimore is coming off a bye, and while playing on the road would concern me, it's in Cleveland and I think the Ravens will be rejuvenated and healed, thus I think they take it to Cleveland. Baltimore 23 Cleveland 14

PITvsNE - Pittsburgh is showing progress after a dismal start to the season. If they can keep Tom Brady in check, they give themselves a great chance to win this game. I think in the end, Tom Brady being at home is the difference, but it's not by much. New England 20 Pittsburgh 18

INDvsHOU - Maybe eight weeks ago, this looked like a good matchup, but with the struggles of Houston, it appears it's not as appealing. Out of the bye though, the Texans have a chance to make up a small bit of ground. Also off the bye, the Colts have had a chance to work other receivers into their offense after the loss of Reggie Wayne. I look for a good game, and while I want to take the Colts, I think the Texans play a very solid game at home. Houston 21 Indianapolis 20

I'll throw together a Monday night preview Monday morning.

Like I said, if the casual fan is just now getting back to the NFL, they picked a tough week to find exciting matchups.

Week Eight Recap: Winners and Losers

Week 8 of the National Football League is in the books, and what a brutal week of football. I'm not sure there is a lot here to discuss, but we'll dive right in with these recaps.

DALvsDET - This game was just weird. Calvin Johnson over 300 yards of receiving yards. The Cowboys again find a way to lose a game they should have won. Detroit really came through in a big spot, and the depleted Cowboys defense gets a pass I think. I don't think things come down to Romo only on the offense. The offense played terrible for Dallas. Dallas had a chance the past few weeks to solidify themselves in the NFC East, and once again could not. I'm buying Detroit going forward.

CLEvsKC - The Chiefs struggled, which surprised me. But man, the Browns are not good, but they are playing with a lot of heart. I'm not completely buying the Chiefs, but I wouldn't go as far as to say they're not legit. Because they are. Their defense is absolutely tremendous.

MIAvsNE - Just when it looked like the Pats were going to implode on themselves, their defense comes out and bails out the incredibly beat up offense for New England.  The Pats shut down Tannehill and the Dolphins completely in the 2nd half. After a tough loss to the Jets last week, the Pats started slow but turned in on late.

NYJvsCIN - I don't know about anyone else, but I am not surprised by the 40-point difference here. The Jets have been up and down consistently this year. And this was the down week, right on schedule. The Bengals are also ridiculously loaded on offense, and their defense is solid. The Bengals D against an offense that is a little overrated at times. Not surprised by this game what so ever.

PITvsOAK - Also not surprised by this at all. It is so hard for any team to go across the country and win, the Steelers are just another example of this. It's not impossible, but it is incredibly difficult. I am impressed with Terrell Pryor. He has guys that can make plays around him. While I don't expect Oakland to win a lot of games, but if they can play some games close, I would be impressed if they at least compete in a pretty tough AFC.

WASvsDEN - I watched a good portion of this game, and the Redskins defense looked much better until things fell apart in the 4th quarter. And the Broncos offensive line is very compromised. If you can get pressure on Manning with your front four, you've got them in a pickle. I thought Washington  played well in the first half, but RGIII is not making smart decisions. He looks much better, but he was fortunate some of his throws did not get picked off.

ATLvsARI - If you didn't think the Falcons were depleted to the point of their season being over, now you're a believer. Arizona is not this good. The Falcons are not this bad either, but they are so beat up, it's hard to see them doing anything going forward. I don't mind the Falcons playing for next year at this point. They need some defensive playmakers. They are loaded on the offensive side of the ball, but I think they need to be assessing the future of their defense.

SEAvsSTL - Well, the Rams front seven showed why I was so high on them last night. They shut down the very good Seattle run game. And Russell Wilson did not have a great game. I very much wonder if Sam Bradford plays this game if the Rams pull off the upset. I have to think they do. The Rams crazy enough had a shot at winning this game at the end and couldn't execute. It may not be this year, but the Rams have something cooking on defense. They have a very, very good front 7, and a secondary that may be a playmaker away from a Seahawks like defense.

NYGvsPHI - Chip Kelly will get a pass this year because his offense has been so banged up, but I think if next year, they struggle this much, his leash will be short. Their offensive decision making is terrible and yes, the defense didn't allow a TD, but the Giants offense is not a very good offense right now. And after an 0-6 start, the Giants are unbelievably still in the hunt for the NFC East. I mean it is a long shot, but how many times have the Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin led Giants been in this situation and turned things around very quickly. The NFC East could easily be won by a 7-9 team.

Big Winners from Sunday:

1) Detroit Lions - The Lions had their backs against the wall and Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson made plays down the stretch and really showed the NFL some grit and said they were legit.

2) New England Patriots - The Pats also showed some grit and toughness Sunday after a terrible start. They rallied together and even though their parts are a little beat up, they showed the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.

3) Denver Broncos - The Broncos offense bounced back after about six quarters of very suspect play. I liked the toughness I saw from Peyton and the offense and the defense stepped up and played aggressive even though they were playing from behind for a while.

4) Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals are starting to roll and click on all cylinders. I really think this team has big things in store for the second half. Andy Dalton is a streak QB and I think he's about to go on a big hot streak.

5) New York Giants - I know it was ugly, but a win is a win and a team that needed a win got the win. The Giants have built up some momentum. While I still take a wait and see approach, I think the Giants could have a big run in them if the offense can get themselves together because the defense is playing rather well.

Biggest losers - This was tough because the football was so ugly and some games I thought, were pretty predictable.

1) Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins just melted down in the 2nd half of their game and to lose the game that way has them reeling. Their taking more steps back than steps forward.

2) Pittsburgh Steelers - It looked like the Steelers were building up some momentum, and a game a lot of people thought they should win with ease, they instead can't get anything going against a surprising Oakland team.

3) Seattle Seahawks - Even though the Seahawks won, I think the rest of the league has been served notice the Seahawks cannot win on the road. Yes they won at Houston, but I mean let's look at where Houston is at right now, and that victory looks less and less impressive. I think the Seahawks are a very solid team, but on the road they are not as strong.

4) Atlanta Falcons - If the Falcons weren't finished before this week, they are now.

5) Dallas Cowboys - You can't let a game like this slip away. Especially when you are less than two minutes from a very impressive road victory and all you need is a first down. The Cowboys once again are letting the NFC East slip through their fingers, and if their not careful, it very well could.

Power Rankings
1) Kansas City Chiefs
2) San Francisco 49ers
3) New Orleans Saints
4) Indianapolis Colts
5) New England Patriots

That's a wrap for another week of NFL action. I can't believe we're halfway through the year.

If you like what I'm posting, give me a follow on Twitter @sethalaurence

Cards Look To Move On After Disastrous Game 1

Everything went wrong for the St. Louis Cardinals in game 1 of the 2013 World Series, but for Cardinals fans, there is hope for things to turn around.

From poor fielding to an injury to one of the game's best postseason hitters since Reggie Jackson to the best postseason pitcher the Cardinals have had since 2006 got shelled , the World Series couldn't have started much worse. But, I think things are going to turn around for St. Louis.

I know the Cardinals hoped for more from Adam Wainwright in Game 1, but Jon Lester is a very good pitcher. Losing to him is nothing to be upset about. After Lester, I think the rotation really drops off for Boston.

Starting pitching was going to be the key for St. Louis to win their second Championship in three years, and fourth in ten years. But here's the thing, while Adam Wainwright was not very effective Wednesday, the Cardinals absolutely have the edge in the pitching department going forward. A lot is made of the Koji Uehara at the back end of the bullpen for Boston. But if one of their starters doesn't go deep in the game, the Red Sox may struggle because of the lack of quality depth in their bullpen.

While if a Cardinals starter struggles, they have several live, but also reliable arms to turn to. What I like about the Cardinals going forward is Michael Wacha has pitched incredibly well this October. John Lackey has really only had one good start this postseason when he outdueled Justin Verlander in a crucial game 3 victory for Boston.

When you get into the 2-3-2 format of the postseason, the road team taking one game in the first two games is incredibly crucial. The thing I worry about with Michael Wacha tonight being overwhelmed by the atmosphere at Fenway. While homefield advantage in baseball is almost minimal, there's a very select few places where it has an impact and Fenway Park is one of those places. It's a very small ballpark with the crowd on top of you all over the park. It's one of the unique atmosphere's in all of baseball.

But I think the advantage he has is seeing what happened last night, and I think his mentor, Adam Wainwright will give him plenty of things to do through the day leading up to the start in hopes of not getting overwhelmed.

I like Michael Wacha to come out tonight and give the Cardinals another stellar start.

However, if he can't, it's not over and here's why: The Cards head back home.

Homefield advantage in baseball is almost non-existent, but, the Cardinals gain a huge advantage by removing one of the bats of David Ortiz or Mike Napoli because the DH is eliminated. Both killed the Redbirds in game one with huge hits, and to get one of them out of the line up is a tremendous advantage.

While the Red Sox could put Napoli in the outfield, it's unlikely as Napoli is all but a defensive liability anywhere on the field but first base. And no, he is not going to catch. John Ferrell has pretty well established that well before last night's game.

If the Cardinals can steal a game in Boston, I like their chances of heading home and taking two out of three in St. Louis. They will face Jake Peavy Saturday night, and Peavy has not pitched well at all in the postseason.  He's one of a number of guys that have waited to play in a World Series, and are now getting a chance, but he's not doing a great job of taking advantage of it.

Clay Buchholz is the likely starter right now for game 4, but he's battled injuries to this point since they clinched a spot in the World Series. I really question if he can overcome that to throw an effective game.

While the Cardinals haven't announced their games 3 or 4 starters at this point, I have to think Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn will get the nod. If that's the case, they've got to be relieved they likely won't face Mike Napoli or David Ortiz.

After we shift the series to St. Louis, we could really see a slugfest of a series, which does not favor the Cardinals, but with power arms in the bullpen, I have to think Kelly and likely Lynn will be on short leashes.

I've thought all along the Cardinals depth in their rotation and bullpen were the X-factor for them. They don't have a lot of bench depth, which really showed last night, as after Beltran left the game on what was a tremendous catch.

I said from the beginning the Cardinals will win the World Series, and I've learned to never count them out. I'm still going with the Cardinals.