The Las Vegas Raiders have found their replacement for Derek Carr at the quarterback position by signing Jimmy Garoppolo. Maybe the plan all along was to reunite Garoppolo with his former offensive coordinator from their New England days, Josh McDaniels, who is the Raiders’ head coach. Garoppolo was drafted by the Patriots and played in New England for three seasons and only started 2 games, as he won them both. The Patriots already had Tom Brady in place, and owner Robert Kraft was not going to replace his love child. Even though you think McDaniels and head coach Bill Belichick’s pipe dream was to move on from Brady, who was getting too big for his britches, and insert in Jimmy G to steer the Patriot dynasty to excellence. Now Belichick will have to live this dream through his former disciple, McDaniels, as they now have Mr. GQ for three years for 67.5 million of which 34 is guaranteed. The Jimmy Garoppolo signing is going to either make or break McDaniels who has not had much success at the head coach position. Can Jimmy G change McDaniels’ luck?

Last year, Jimmy Garoppolo saved the San Francisco 49ers season as the coaching staff went with Trey Lance as the starting quarterback. Lance would only last two games as suddenly Jimmy was the man again. Garoppolo did his thing and went 7-3, completing 67.2% of his passes with 16 touchdown passes and only 4 interceptions. Garoppolo’s season would then suddenly come to an end with an injury to his left foot. Garoppolo would miss the remaining 5 games and the playoffs. The 49ers were in good hands with Brock Purdy who took over the quarterback duties and went perfect in the 5 games Jimmy G missed. Purdy’s injury in the playoffs would eventually end the 49ers’ road to the Superbowl. This is what you may encounter signing Garoppolo because injuries have followed him like dark clouds as he has only played 1 full season as a starter without missing time. Garoppolo missed 30 games during his tenure with the 49ers with all kinds of injuries from his thumb, ankle, and shoulder. When Jimmy G is healthy, all’s he does is WIN BABY! Taking the saying of the Great Al Davis former owner of the silver and black. Garoppolo is 40-17 as a regular season starter and is 4-2 in the post-season and led the 49ers to Superbowl LIV, which resulted in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Garoppolo is 31 years old and has completed 67.6% of his passes while tossing 87 touchdowns with only 42 interceptions and has 14,289 passing yards to his credits.

Derek Carr had his worst season of his career in Josh McDaniels’ system last season. It will be interesting to see if Garoppolo thrives in McDaniel’s system over Kyle Shanahan’s system he’s been in the last 6 seasons. The Raiders have signed wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, who was a brief teammate of Garoppolo back in New England. Then the Raiders signed another former Patriot, their best wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, to a three year deal. McDaniels is familiar with Meyers and vice versa. The Raiders have one of the best receivers on their roster in Devante Adams. Garoppolo will have a good running game behind him with one of the best backs in the league last year, Josh Jacobs. You definitely can compare the talent on the 49ers offense and the Raiders offense is pretty close. Who’s the back up quarterback for the Raiders? Last season, Jarrett Stidham, another former Patriot, knew McDaniels’ system but has signed with the Broncos. This is looking good for the Raiders, but they are a team that needs a quality back up to steer the ship if injuries occur once again for Jimmy. You hope the back up knows this system, because it seems like it’s not for every quarterback in the league. Does this Jimmy signing make the Raiders able to knock the champs off their perch? Does it make you better than the Chargers or the Broncos? The Raiders defense has talent on that unit, but they could use some help. Garoppolo is used to that 49ers defense that can shut teams down after a mistake perhaps. I like Jimmy Garoppolo being the man and the guy which the 49ers never thought of him as drafting Trey Lance high in the first round instead of getting a piece to help that 49ers roster at the time. I hate the Patriot way of any kind. It would be fascinating to see Bill Belichick & him love struck for Jimmy blossoming under his former clown. I really don’t think McDaniels is cut out to be a head coach in the NFL. His mind is always on this offense and seems he can’t juggle the other duties that come with being the head coach. When the regular season starts, we will see if Jimmy G continues to win baby!!

The XFL are building some nice fan bases that bring out that College atmosphere of fun and crazy shenanigans.

The Battlehawks were greeted with a sold out home-opener… just a sea of blue in St. Louis. The ratings of the XFL may be slipping, but people at these games are certainly enjoying themselves. XFL week 5 we see a slight movement with Seattle on the rise. The top and the bottom of the rankings are still holding their spots at the half way point coming up of the XFL regular season. Week 5: Slainte for a Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

#8. ORLANDO GUARDIANS (0-4) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

Terrell Buckley should never be a head coach again in any league, including pee wee football. The coach of the Guardians is in over his head & you can tell that on the sideline every week. If the Guardians don’t beat the other team with no victories this season, the Vipers this week, the Guardians will have a perfect season with no victories and be cemented last in the power rankings. Even the Canadian Football League has chimed in on the state of the Guardians. It’s not good and the second half of the season could be like a burning highway wreck which people slow down to look at and know why. Who is Charleston Rambo?

John Rambo’s son I imagine. Charleston had an 81 yard touchdown catch at least for that play on the field. He was the opposing team’s nightmare, just like his dad.

#7. VEGAS VIPERS (0-4) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

Las Vegas changed their offensive coordinator as his watch started with a bang. Brett Hundley’s fumbling of the first snap of the Vipers first series led to a Defenders score. Hundley was replaced by Luis Perez at quarterback due to injury. He did pretty good but a scoring chance which originally was called a touchdown showed he was short of pay dirt as the call reversed. The ten second run off killed any chance of points before the end of the first half.

The Vipers should have a win by now. Head Coach Rod Woodson has this Viper team competing every week. Unfortunately, the team has had too many bad breaks as the ball does not bounce their way in almost every game. I think the snakes will strike next week at home in their snake pit versus the Guardians.

Luis Perez finished up last week versus the Defenders throwing for 283 yards with two touchdown passes. The Vipers need to maintain what they have going and get that break that this team has coming to turn around a bad season so far.

#6. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (2-2) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

The Renegades were greeted with a full house in St. Louis at their home opener. The Renegades players probably felt they were squaring off in the Thunderdome or in some kind of Gladiator arena. Some of these players probably have not played in front of a full live studio audience since their college days. Same story for the Renegades as the quarterback change to Kyle Sloter has only averaged out to ten points a game roughly in the last two games. Sloter, a gunslinger by choice, threw three interceptions against the Battlehawks defense. Inside St. Louis stadium, the noise caused some penalties for this Renegade offense. Sloter made poor decisions as he still does not look comfortable in the Renegades offense like he was in the USFL in a Breakers uniform. Head Coach Bob Stoops has to find more offense from his team if they want to make it to post-season. Renegades defense has won the two games for this Arlington team.

#5. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-3) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Brahmas have been in every game they played and only come away with one victory. Each game the Brahmas defense has been awesome keeping this San Antonio in each of these contests. Could Reid Sinnett be the guy to take over the offense behind center? Sinnett, out of University of San Diego, has had some time in the NFL with Dolphins, Eagles, and Buccaneers in their camps. Jack Coan has played well this season for the Brahmas, but the team is not getting the down field passing they should. Which opposing teams are stacking the box to stop the Brahmas running attack which can be solid in a balanced attack? Last week, Coan went 20-39 for 189 yards, no touchdowns, and lots of short yardage passing. Coan is in the middle of the pack in quarterbacks statistical wise in the XFL. Brahmas can turn things around playing an import divisional game against the Renegades in week 5. Will Hines Ward pull the trigger on his quarterback position?

#4. SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS (2-2) MOVED UP ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Sea Dragons starting off 0-2 now have won two straight. In both loses the Sea Dragons lost two close contests. Last week Sea Dragons are finding their way to put the fatality into the opposing team as they posted another loss on the Brahmas.

During this game, Ben DiNucci becomes the first quarterback this season to pass for over 1,000 yards. Wha’ts not being talked about is the Sea Dragons running game. We know the Sea Dragons have the top passing attack in the XFL. The Sea Dragons running back, Morgan Ellison, has become one of the elite backs in the league.

Ellison had a 1 yard rushing touchdown that helped Seattle win their second straight. The way he runs, he makes opposing defenses work hard to bring him down every time he carries the rock.

#3. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (3-1) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

The seas of blue as football once again returns to St. Louis. You can see one Battlehawk fan saluting the Rams owner who took his franchise back to LA after 20 seasons of loyalty. This is what every owner or every Spring Football league dream would be seeing this kind of attendance at each stadium that has a team across the league.

The Battlehawks had 38, 310 fans on hand to watch their team dominate the Renegades. The Battlehawks played with a pep in their step in front of the home faithful. St. Louis’ defense had three interceptions off Kyle Sloter. Darius Shepard, one of A.J. McCarron’s weapons hauled in a 27 yard touchdown pass. McCarron had a good day at the office completing 20-27 for 214 yards with two touchdown passes in his home debut.

#2. DC DEFENDERS (4-0) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

The Defenders have everything working for them as they are clicking on all cylinders. This includes tandem quarterbacks as it’s good to be king.

The Defenders will mix and match you with two quarterbacks every game. D’Eiq King, this kid runs the option with authority as he ran for two touchdowns, and hit Jequez Ezzard on a 32 yard touchdown strike. In King’s interview after the game, he sounds like a great team guy who’s having fun on the football field every week and to make a two quarterback system work you need to be supportive of the other guy. Head Coach Reggie Barlow has done well getting this team to play well.

Mr. Bounty gate, Gregg Williams, has the Defender defense at one of the best units in the league. Minus the bounties put on the quarterback’s head.

Those New Orleans Saints days are over as a tamer Williams is making this defense execute without the extra scratch on the line.

#1. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (4-0) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

Another Brandon Silvers weapon, Travell Harris, had a pair of touchdowns to keep Houston undefeated and still has not lost a game going back to the XFL reboot of 2020. Brandon Silvers, who leads the XFL in touchdown passes, had three more as he had a monster day completing 24-30 for 239 yards as he is one of the best quarterbacks in the XFL. Houston’s schedule will get tougher in the next few weeks with an upcoming game versus the Sea Dragons and then another one versus the Battlehawks. Can Houston maintain their perfection?

The Chicago Bears were not wasting any time out of the gates like a racehorse as soon as the bell rang saying that the NFL free agency has begun. Many of those past Bears teams that had money to spend, would put stupid money on players on their last legs. This new regime of the Bears signed a stud at the linebacker position taking one of the Bills’ biggest cogs on that defense. For a change, the Bears are signing a player in his prime; 24-year-old linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to a 4-year deal worth 72 million, of which 50 will be guaranteed. The Buffalo Bills were up against the salary cap and no way they could sign their defensive captain to that kind of money. Edmunds will get the largest four-year deal by an inside linebacker in the NFL. The Bills would have loved to have Edmunds back, and he should have been a guy that never hit the free agency market. Edmunds has been a starter day one since he was drafted in the first round by the Bills out of Virginia Tech, 16th overall. The thing about Edmunds is he is a really good player and yet has not hit his highest peak on the gridiron.

When the Bills drafted Tremaine Edmunds, he was only 19 years old and was the second youngest player ever selected in NFL history. Edmunds will be 25 in May. Edmunds has started all 74 regular season games he has ever played and all 8 post-season games the Bills have played since his arrival in Western New York. Edmunds is a two-time pro-bowler and has been the Bills defensive captain the last 4 seasons calling the plays in the huddle. Only his rookie year he did not call the defensive plays. Edmunds can tackle and has that Brian Urlacher speed to track down running backs in the back field. Edmunds has had at least 100 tackles in each of the seasons he has played. Edmunds has been improving his pass coverage but has defended 35 passes with 5 interceptions. Edmunds has racked up 6.5 sacks in his young career as he’s not been used as some linebackers that just pressure the quarterback. Edmunds’ rookie year he had his first interception off quarterback Sam Darnold and became the youngest player ever to accomplish that in NFL history. Last year, Edmunds played in 13 regular season games, still had 102 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and a sack.

Tremaine Edmunds comes from a football family. Tremaine and his brother Terrell were both picked in the first round in the 2018 draft. Terrell Edmunds was picked number 28 by the Steelers as he also plays defense like Tremaine but at the safety position. Terrell also went to Virginia Tech. Their older brother Trey played on the offensive side of the ball like his father. Trey Edmunds was a running back and played in 37 games for the Saints and Steelers from 2017-21. Then the father with the magic genes he passed down was 2-time pro-bowler at the tight end position. Ferrell Edmunds suited up for the Dolphins from1988-92 & then did two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Bears signing Tremaine Edmunds basically replaces Roquan Smith, who the team traded to the Ravens at the deadline for a 2nd round draft pick. You wonder if Smith was offered the same kind of contract that Edmunds has. Smith wanted a longer deal on the years. You look at the bright side for the Bears: they got younger at Smith’s position and got a draft pick out of the deal. The Bears have money to spend as they will add more defensive players like Edmunds to the team. This move is a good start for the Bears because you are getting a guy in his prime years in only his second contract in the NFL. Edmunds was coached his entire NFL career by Lesile Frazier, one of the ’85 Bears. You have to respect him for helping this linebacker become something very special in the NFL. Edmunds brings the Bears a Captain on the field & a main cog to make this defense go round and round. Plus, Edmunds is a great locker room guy & awesome teammate who has that personality where people gravitate to him. I like this signing better than when the Bears made the trade for Khaili Mack who at the time I was very excited to watch him unleash on a douche like Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Edmunds will be a guy that gets the Bears defense off the field because this guy can tackle and chase you down like you owe him money. It’s a solid start for General Manager Ryan Poles making this deal happen.

I run my own NCAA March Madness and every year we pick the teams out of a hat for my friends and family. After we pick all the teams I will let everyone know who was not present at the luck of the draw, who they got. I think some people, even my own blood, think I make up some of these Universities. A few years back a friend of mine told me, “Why you giving me hockey teams for my March Madness pool?” We all love the Cinderella stories that occur early in the tournament. Back in 2018, the Baltimore DMV who came in as a 16th seed took out number one Virginia. I call it Baltimore DMV which it sounds like, but the college was UNBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), who are nicknamed the Retrievers. This season I have never heard of Furman University or Kennesaw State.

Is Furman University located in a far galaxy where Wookies roam? Furman University’s nickname is the Paladins which are knights. You can probably classify Chewbacca, Han Solo’s sidekick, as some kind of knight with more hair than armor. Furman is located in Greenville, South Carolina and has been around since 1826. Last time Furman played in the Big Dance, you’d have to go back to 1980 as they were the number 10 seed. In 1974, Furman University won their only March Madness game beating South Carolina in the first round. In the 1970’s, Furman was kind of a big deal as they made the tournament in 1971, 73, 74, 75, 78, and last time in 1980.

The Furman logo looks too fierce for a Liberal Arts school. The 2023 Furman team had a record of 27-7 this season and will be a 13th seed ready to play #4 seed Virginia. The Paladins won the Southern Conference tournament as they beat Chattanooga in the championship to seal the deal and get in this year’s tournament. Which is automatic berth winning your conference tournament. Plus, the Paladins got revenge on Chattanooga who beat them in the 2022 conference champions on a walk off 3 point shot at the buzzer. Head coach Bob Richey is in his 4th season on the sidelines.

I’m sure Bob Richey does not wear a fur coat like David Puddy on Seinfeld. Furman is a team that averages 17.1 assists a game which is good for 8th in the country. They have three guys on the team that have dished out over 100 assists alone this season. Furman is a very disciplined team where they make the passes to find the open shot.

The legend of Frank Selvy at Furman University is still talked about in present times. Selvy scored 100 points against NewBerry February 13, 1954. Selvy has a place in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame as he led the country in scoring two seasons in a row.

FEELING LIKE THE FIRST TIME

This will be the first time ever that Kennesaw State University has made the tournament. Kennesaw State is located in Georgia, which I had to look up. The University has only been around since 1963. Kennesaw started off as a Junior College. Talk about starting from the bottom and moving up the ladder. In 1988, Kennnesaw became of College status. Then in 2015, the school merged with Southern Polytechnic state and became a university. It’s a public research university.

Perhaps the University did some research on famous owls giving a hoot, so don’t pollute. Kennesaw University went 26-8 this season as they won the Atlantic Sun Conference by beating Liberty in the Championship. The Owls are coming in as a 14th seed and play number 3, Xavier, in the opening round.

The Owls head coach, Amir Abdur-Rahmin’s, secret to success word is not Boner from the show Growing Pains. It’s one word BONE and the players follow the Bone slogan. BE-ONE-NO-EGO. The Owls squad is 10-3 in games decided by 5 points or less this season.

So Furman University and Kennesaw State will be my two schools I’m hoping will get that magical Cinderella story. I did mention the Baltimore County team that beat number one, Virginia. Could Furman University do the same thing against the same school, Virginia?

Who would not LOVE to see the Fur-Man get on a pair of those Cavaliers from Virginia? Then Kennesaw State winning their first ever tournament victory for the first time.

Like having your first beer. Both the Owls and Paladins I will be rooting on to make history and not be some stupid hockey team name. If either team wins, they will make history and people will remember them just like that Baltimore Maryland Street department squad. If either one of these teams loses in the first round, we will forget about them . Then 40 years into the future, the next time they get back to the tournament when Robots are doing all the writing, someone will say the same things about these schools. These are my two hopeful upsets as just a fan.

We all remember what happened last time the Chicago Bears had the top choice at the quarterback position in 2017. The Great Mitch Trubisky! The door number three prize by any other team’s standards in the 3 quarterbacks taken right away in the first round that year. The Bears could have had Patrick Mahomes, a two time Superbowl winner. The Bears could have had Deshaun Watson who at the time would have been the safe risk at the time because of his time at Clemson playing in the College playoffs. Now Monday morning quarterback Watson would have cost you 230 million guaranteed if you still wanted him to be your guy behind center. Would the massage therapists all around the Chicagoland area have caved in and gave Watson whatever he wanted? Those were the dark days of the 2017 draft, as the Bears have a new regime this go around and don’t want to walk the same line as the old Ryan/Matt combo. This is the new Ryan/Matt show and they believe they have a quarterback in Justin Fields.

The Bears general, Ryan Poles, got a king’s ransom for the number one pick with the deal they pulled off with the Carolina Panthers. Some experts say the Bears could have done better and gotten even a bigger haul. Just knowing Bears history and not wanting to repeat the actions of Ryan Pace, the then General Manager of the Bears, who got fleeced by the 49ers to move up one spot to get Mitch Trubisky knowing the fact that San Francisco was not in the market for a quarterback. Ryan Pace’s first round picks were absolutely duds except for linebacker Roquan Smith. The new Ryan traded away Smith at the trade deadline last season. Ryan Poles will still get to show us what a number one draft pick should look like as the Bears will get the Panthers’ ninth spot. The deal is the Bears will pick ninth while the Panthers will have pick number one looking to add a quarterback. The Bears will get veteran Wide Receiver D.J Moore from the Panthers along with the 2023 second round draft pick, 2024 1st rounder, and a 2025 second rounder. The trade with the Panthers getting Moore means the Bears are building this team around Justin Fields.

The three top quarterbacks that are projected to go in the 2023 1st round of the NFL draft not in any special order are: University of Alabama Bryce Young, University of Kentucky’s Will Lewis and another Ohio State signal caller in C.J Stroud as Bears have did that/done that with Justin Fields. Not having an answer at the quarterback position since the 1940’s when Sid Luckman was leading the charge on the gridiron. The Bears would have found the lemon out of these top three choices and went down Mitch Trubisky Boulevard once again. We know Justin Fields can run like Forest Gump with 70 yard gallops for touchdowns. I like how Justin Fields can throw some nice dimes on the deep ball. Without having the protection in a good or even decent offensive line, we did not get see how Fields can do with the short patterns. Slant plays, side line tosses, screen passes with that right touch. We know the Bears are stocking draft picks like those hoarders during the pandemic that brought up all the store’s toilet paper. We know the Bears will have Uncle Scrooge type of money to spend on the best toys in the game. What if one of these young quarterbacks listed above is the next Patrick Mahomes and Fields turns out like every other Bears quarterback we have seen? Having the number one draft pick was earned by the team and fans for watching that hot garbage of season. Only certain franchises have the magic touch and pick their right guy like the Colts getting Peyton Manning which is not a no-brainer. For the Bears, that would be like a person who does not like public speaking – a train wreck. The Colts would then get Andrew Luck right after kicking Manning to the side of the road. The Packers getting Brett Farve, then Aaron Rodgers. Will Jordan Love be the next thorn in the side of the Bears? Maybe Rogers can sell Love a percentage of his Bears team.

The Bears could possibly get one of those quarterbacks with the number 9 pick. That would be what the Bears like to take – the leftover door prize. I think the Bears should draft a quarterback in later rounds. The Bears getting D.J Moore instantly improves your wide receiving core as he now is the best one the team has. That number nine has to be an offensive lineman of which the Bears may have the first pick in that position by then. Pick of the litter? Here we go again. I really can see the Bears going defense in that number 9 selection. You know it too. The Bears have the money and draft capital, and if Justin Fields is the man behind center and can make Chicago a staple in the playoffs, avoiding picking at number one will mean nothing. I think Ryan Poles could of waited after free agency, closer to the draft, and fleeced some team for more riches. I think the number one draft pick for the Bears brass is a game of hot potato… get rid of it as fast as you can. These potatoes always have a way of finding the Bears, especially if one of these kids in the upcoming draft becomes the next Tom Brady. You can’t make these things up as a Bears fan.

Derek Carr picks the Big Easy over the Big Apple and has a 4 year deal with the Saints for 150 million. When Derek was told by the Raiders to seek out a trade partner, it was the New Orleans Saints people he was talking too. When Carr was granted his release from the only team he has known and played for the Raider, there was something about seeing what else was out there for the 31 year old quarterback. That’s when the New York Jets came calling. The Jets are an upcoming team with a young talented defense that can get to the opposing team’s quarterback. The Jets have some nice assets on their offense as well with young talent manning the skill positions. The Saints many think of as being in salary cap hell because as an organization it would be easier to scrap everything and rebuild. The Saints have a solid defensive unit if they can keep it together due to salary cap issues. The Saints have some nice veterans at the skill position. Why would Carr choose the Big Easy over the Big Apple? Not everyone who has ties with the Saints, like the signing of Derek Carr.

Only certain players can play in the biggest media market in sports, which is New York City. When you play in front of the New York faithful, you need thick skin. The people of New York are passionate fans and if they don’t like something on the field, court, or ice they will let you know what they are feeling. Even though New York is the biggest city in the states, but it’s a place that does not sleep as someone will always be scrutinizing you on and off the field. The Jets differently need a quarter back as the clown car is maxed out in all the quarterbacks they have selected in the first round over the last several years. Jets have been the door mat of the AFC East and finally all the young players drafted have come together as the missing ingredient is the quarterback position. Can a guy like Derek Carr take that kind of pressure from his the team and a city of desperate Jets fans who want post season football? Carr has played in the AFC his entire career and knows the playoff picture is very crowded with all the great teams in the conference. Look at the AFC East facing Josh Allen and the Bills, then the Dolphins with their air show, and let’s not forget the Patriots as Bill Belichick would find dirty pictures of your own mother to win a game against you. Then Carr knows about Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs who just won the Superbowl. The AFC is loaded as we should mention the Chargers, Bengals, Ravens, and up and coming Jaguars. You know the conference will also have a mystery team thrown into the mix by the time the season starts.

The NFC South is the place to be and fastest route to the playoffs. The NFC South was the worst division in football last season. It was Tom Brady’s Buccaneers who took the division title with a losing record. Right now Derek Carr is the best starting quarterback in the NFC South. Carr is familiar with the current head coach of the Saints, Dennis Allen. Allen was Carr’s first coach in the NFL his rookie year even though he only coached the first 4 games of the season before he got shit canned by the front office. Allen was involved in selecting Carr in the first round of the draft that year. The Saints need somebody that can play quarterback better than Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton. Carr is better than both Dalton and Winston. Carr is no Drew Brees, but he is the best quarterback after DB (Drew Brees era). The Big Easy are very passionate about their football team. Compared to New York fans, they are a picnic at the park on a sunny day. New Orleans is down south which has some of the nicest laid back style of people. Carr has played his career in Oakland and Las Vegas as weather fits him by suiting up with the Saints rather than playing on the east coast with the Jets.

Sometimes people that speak the truth can be wrong, but they bring the Debbie Downer to the table when you think things might be looking up for your sports organization. Former New Orleans Saints quarterback, Bobby Herbert, said, “if the Saints traded for Derek Carr we still ain’t winning nothing.”

The Saints signing Derek Carr is not the same move the Rams made trading for Matthew Stafford. The Rams were a stacked team and had everything ready for a veteran quarterback to be inserted behind center. The Saints are not ready now to make that jump to the Superbowl. When I think of Carr and Stafford, I think of these guys as middle of the pack talent of quarterback talent in the NFL. Hebert is right that the Saints can definitely win their division; if not, they should be taken out back of the shed and be shot in the head. Hebert went on to say that Carr is an upgrade over Dalton but only by a few more victories. The Saints roster is not good enough to win the entire thing. How does a team get better when you’re always in salary cap hell? Last season Carr had his worst year in his career. You can point the finger at Josh McDaniels, head coach of the Raiders and a Bill Belichick puppet. Carr had his best ever wide receiver to throw to. Carr’s former college teammate, Davante Adams, one of the best receivers in the NFL. Carr had a stud running back in Josh Jacobs. Carr is the leader in most of all the Raiders all-time passing stats. Jay Cutler is the all-time leader of all the Bears passing stats. Can Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas stay healthy and find his old form as one of the better receivers in the league? Last year’s rookie, wide receiver Chris Olave, has blazing speed and had a very nice first season in the NFL. Alvin Kamara, a stud running back, is dealing with some off the field issues in Nevada. Carr lead that DUI team the Raiders had before they hired McDaniels to the playoffs where Raiders won games and made the Police blotter every weekend. Carr would be playing with a chip on his shoulder the way he was sent home before the season ended. New team & new environment can be a game changer in some of these players’ careers. Maybe the Saints will find a way to add depth to their roster. Drop the dead weight and get bodies on this team that can gel with some of the nice pieces they have in place. I don’t see this move turning out to be the next Russell Wilson of Denver. I don’t see this move being Matthew Stafford to win it all. I don’t think Carr could have gotten the Jets through the post-season with all those heavy weight battles in the AFC. The Big Easy will be very entertaining to watch the Saints games, but this is not those Sean Payton teams with Drew Brees. These Carr teams making the playoffs winning one round is what you will get after that home on the couch to watch the rest of the playoff action blossom.

During the 1990’s on the hardwood court, Shawn Kemp was the Reign Man in a Seattle Supersonics uniform. Kemp played the power forward position, and he made it rain on the opponents doing the dirty work and putting points on the scoreboard with powerful dunks. Kemp was a six-time NBA all-star. In 1996, Kemp and Gary Payton would get the Sonics to the NBA finals only to fall as another victim to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. After 8 seasons in Seattle, Kemp would move on to Cleveland and play for the Cavaliers. Suddenly the Reign Man seemed to make it rain at the local doughnut shop putting on massive weight as he was never the same basketball player who was drafted in the first round in 1989. The Reign Man would lead the league in snacks and children with different mothers. When his NBA career came to an end, Kemp would have some troubles with the law like he did this past week. Kemp, who is 53 years old, was involved in a drive-by shooting in Tacoma, Washington.

The Reign Man is facing felony charge over a shooting involving two vehicles. Shawn Kemp is claiming self-defense after confronting a person about a stolen phone. The Reign Man tracked his I-phone to this individual as tempers flared and weapons were drawn & shots were fired. The incident took place at a Tacoma mall about 30 miles south of Seattle. Around 2pm local Washington time, officers responded to report over the radio that shots were fired. The police report says one of the drivers fired off several rounds at the other’s car. The Pierce County Corrections reports say that Kemp was booked into jail with suspicion of a felony drive by shooting charge. No charges have been filed on the X-NBA star until the investigation is complete. Kemp’s lawyer chimed in saying his client fired his gun after being shot at.

This was not Shawn Kemp’s first rodeo with the law. In 2005, Kemp was arrested with another man in Shoreline, Washington as Police found them having a pistol and some cocaine with 60 grams of marijuana. Then in 2006, Kemp was found with the Hemp in Houston, Texas. Kemp stayed in the Washington area after his 14-year basketball career. Kemp did six seasons outside Seattle as he played 3 seasons in Cleveland, 2 seasons in Portland, and 1 season in Orlando. The Reign Man scored 15,347 points in a storied NBA career in which he averaged 14.6 points per game. Kemp was also a guy that could block shots and get the rebounds which made him an all around star on the hardwood courts in the NBA. Kemp finished his career with 8,834 rebounds which averaged out 8.4 boards per game. Kemp blocked 1,279 shots in which he averaged 1.2 swats on his victims per game. Kemp has also scored with 6 different mummies as he racked up seven children in which two of his sons played college ball. Kemp tried several comebacks in the NBA after his last season in Orlando probably needing money to pay off his child support. Kemp was too fat, too slow, and too old by then to be playing professional basketball. Kemp would open up a sports bar in the Washington area which closed in 2015. However, Kemp has been having success in the hemp business which seems like his second love. Where does Hemp come in before or after basketball, or before or after making it reign in the bedroom? Did we forget to mention doughnuts. Kemp opened up a cannabis dispensary in 2020 at which his former teammate, Gary Payton, was on hand for the grand opening. Kemp has done well as rumors of a second store is in the works. Kemp has also been part of a group trying to get a NBA franchise back to Seattle. This is after the Supersonics left the state of Washington, moved to Oklahoma City, and turned into the Thunder. Will the Reign Man be detained after the investigation is complete is the biggest question as the prison system lacks potential new mummies especially in men’s prison? Hope the Reign Man’s final chapter is not up in smoke.

In week three, XFL pulled out all the punches. The Defenders and Battlehawk players certainly did not hold back.

Is the quarterback play getting better after three weeks? Not much movement in the power rankings going into week 4, as Seattle is on the rise. Approaching mid-season in the XFL, we should know better after this week who are the contenders and who are the pretenders. XFL week 4 power rankings are rolling in so I hope you enjoy the ride.

#8. ORLANDO GUARDIANS (0-3) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

Let’s give you the bad news first for the Guardians. Turnovers and penalties still haunted this team in a week 3 loss to the Renegades. The good news is the Guardians played their best game of the season versus the Renegades, losing a very close one 10-9. Week three the Guardian defense played well holding the Renegades to only ten points after giving up 30 points per game the first two weeks. The Guardians made some cuts coming in to week 3 in hoping to improve that offensive line. What do you know? It did pan out as Paxton Lynch played the full game behind center as he scored a late 4th quarter touchdown to give his team a 9-3 lead. After what this Guardian team went through week two, this was by far the best & a much needed performance to keep the wheels on the bus for at least another week. When you get cut from an XFL team, especially a team at the bottom of the barrel, where do you go after this in your football career?

#7. VEGAS VIPERS (0-3) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

The Vipers, just like the Guardians, showed improvement as they played their best game of the season. It was a close one with the Sea Dragons. The Vipers showed improvement on the offense in which Brett Hundley looked like a quarterback that had more than a cup of coffee in the NFL.

Hundley was throwing dimes against the Sea Dragon defense connecting on two 50 yard strikes for a pair of touchdown passes: one to Jeff Badget & the other, John Lovett. Hundley had 66 yards on the ground and scored a touchdown as the Vipers offense put 26 points on the score board. The Viper defense could not hold the lead as the Sea Dragons’ late touchdown was the difference in the game. Could this be a sign of a turn around in Vegas? Stay tuned.

#6. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (2-1) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

Even though the Renegades won the game last week versus the Guardians, I have dropped them one spot in the power rankings for only scoring ten points versus the Guardians. The Guardians have been giving up 30 points per game and they probably should have won that game last week versus this Renegade team. The Renegades offense came to life at the very end to win this 10-9 thrill ride. We know it’s been the Renegade defense that has kept this team in ball games and gets the credit for having this team right now with a winning record. The Renegades defense had two take-aways versus the Guardians, and I think if they did not get either of the two, Arlington would be 1-2 right now. Could Kyle Sloter have been rusty getting his first start in the XFL taking over for Drew Plitt who was inconsistent in the first two weeks?

If it was rus,t Kyle Sloter came up big in crunch time to hit Tyler Vaughns with a 15 yard strike to tie this game up. Then the Renegades converted the 1 point conversion to win the game. Renegades need to generate more offense if they want to be a playoff team at the end. They have the defense.

#5. SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS (1-2) MOVED UP ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Sea Dragons have three of their receivers in the top 6 in receptions after three weeks. The Sea Dragons won their first game of the season last week when quarterback Ben Dinucci hit Josh Gordon on a 65 yard strike to finish off the Vipers. Gordon had a whale of a game with two touchdown catches for 118 yards.

Gordon is tied for number six in catches with 13 for 225 yards and 3 touchdowns. Blake Jackson has 18 catches for 121 yards with 1 touchdown. Jahcour Pearson leads the league with 23 grabs for 272 yards and one touchdown catch. DiNucci had a great game throwing for 377 yards with 4 touchdown passes. If DiNucci avoids turnovers, this Seattle team could be one of the toughest teams in the league to face.

#4. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-2) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

This was one of the first Battle of Texas games, as the XFL has three teams from the Lone Star state. This game was a measuring stick for the Brahmas against the Roughnecks. Brahmas had a big victory over the Guardians in week two and knew Houston would be a tough test. The first half, the Roughnecks had a 22-7 lead. San Antonio would win the second half as they added a touchdown and held the Roughnecks scoreless. It was a big goal line stand by the Roughnecks defense that prevented the Brahmas from a comeback victory at the end. I like the Brahmas’ defense & it is one the best units in the league. The offense against the big dogs could be a concern. Jack Coan, who looked like a upcoming superstar in the league at quarterback, only threw for 64 yards against the Houston defense. The Brahma running game could not muster up much as they were stopped in their tracks. The Brahmas right now are hovering in the middle of the pack and can be going in any direction as they need their first significant kill.

#3. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-1) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

The Battlehawks did not have the late game magic like they did in the first two weeks with a pair of comeback wins. The Battlehawks shot themselves in the foot with 4 turnovers against one of the best teams in the league, the Defenders. The DC defense had a pick six and the Defenders scored 9 points off St. Louis turnovers in a tight game that the Battlehawks lost by one score. St. Louis did give the Defenders a battle all the way to the end, which this game featured an all out brawl between the two teams.

It seemed from the start of this one that both teams hated each other with lots of plays having extra activity. Both Defenders and Battlehawks play in the same division and play each other again in a few weeks. It should be fun to watch two league heavyweights go at it in the ring on the field. Despite the turnovers, A.J McCarron still played well tossing 4 touchdown passes with 262 passing yards. The running game could be a concern for St. Louis… the lack of it. Next week, the Battlehawks will finally have a home game after playing on the road for the first three games of the season.

#2. DC DEFENDERS (3-0) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

In the second home game of the Defenders, the beer snake is alive and well.

The fans in DC were treated to a dandy with their Defenders welcoming in the Battlehawks. The fans had more lemons in the crowd dressed up like them then being tossed on the field. The DC fans, probably a nice drunken crowd, created a beer snake like they do were able to watch their team brawl it out with division rival Battlehawks.

On defense, Michael Joseph adds another pick six for the Defenders defense who forced 4 turnovers and help DC score 34 points, the most in one game this season. The Defenders use duel quarterbacks and the team has to be happy seeing Jordan Ta’amu have his best game of the season tossing his first touchdown pass in a Defenders uniform. Ta’amu had 196 passing yards and beat his old team, St.Louis, as he was the team’s starting quarterback in the XFL reboot in 2020.

#1. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (3-0) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

The Roughnecks still have never lost a game this season and in that unfinished season of 2020. The Roughnecks defense is still number one in the league. This unit made a huge 4th down stand at the end of the game versus the Brahmas, which prevented San Antonio from winning the game. The Roughneck defense has not allowed a team to get past the teens in scoring. The Roughnecks offense were shutout in the second half last Sunday. Is that a concern? The Roughnecks did all their Van Damage in the first half, scoring 22 points.

Roughnecks wide receiver, Jontre Kirklin, who is Brandon Silvers’ number one target through the air had a pair of touchdowns. Silvers had a nice game with 225 passing yards with three touchdown passes.

The Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator is stepping down for the 2023 season. Frazier wants to recharge the batteries, take one season off, and return in 2024. Does Frazier need an Aaron Rodgers darkness retreat to figure out his football future? Frazier is 63 years old, has been with the Bills since 2017, and the team has had one of the best defenses in the league the last six regular seasons. Frazier, who serves the Bills as the defensive coordinator, was also the assistant head coach for the team. The General Manager of the Bills, Brandon Beane, is unsure if Frazier returns in 2024 that it might not be with the Bills organization. Frazier’s defense in regular season has swarmed their opponents like a plague of locusts. Frazier’s defense has manufactured takeaways from their opponents at a high rate. In the past two years in the post-season, the Bills defense has not been that domination machine like they are in regular season.

When Leslie Frazier took the job with the Buffalo Bills, I had sugar plums of that 1985 Bears defense dancing in my head. We all know Frazier was defensive back for the Chicago Bears and he was one of the starting corner backs on the best defense I ever have seen. That ’85 team that went on and won Superbowl XX. Frazier played 5 seasons in the NFL and was a sort of ball hawk by snaring 20 interceptions while having two defensive touchdowns. Frazier, after playing the game, has made a mark in the NFL coaching. Frazier started coaching by taking a head coaching job at a smaller college, Trinity International University, & he was there for 8 seasons. Then Frazier went to the Big Ten and took a job at the University of Illinois as a defensive back coach. Then Frazier found his first coaching job in the NFL as the Eagles defensive backs coach. After three seasons, Frazier would take on the defensive coordinator position for the Cincinnati Bengals. Frazier would move on to the Indianapolis Colts, moving up the ladder to being the defensive assistant in 2005. Then in 2006, he became the assistant head coach and took on the duties of being the defensive backs coach. Then Frazier would take his talents to Minnesota, staying there as the defensive coach, and moving up to assistant head coach while still coaching the defense. Eventually, Frazier would become the interim head coach when the Vikings fired Brad Childress. The interim tag was removed as he became the Vikings head coach and actually in 2012 led Minnesota to playoffs with a 10-6 record as they lost to the Green Bay Packers in the wild card game. Frazier went 21-32-1 as head coach in the NFL and 0-1 in the post-season. Frazier would then get fired, become the Buccaneers defensive coordinator for two seasons, & then moving on to Baltimore to become their secondary coach. Since 2017, Frazier has found a home in Buffalo working side by side with Sean McDermott.

It was too late in the game when Leslie Frazier decided to step away to get a top candidate to come in and take control over the Bills defense. The Bills will turn to their head coach, Sean McDermott, as he will call the defensive plays and still be the guy running the entire show on the sidelines. Could this be a good thing for the Bills with Frazier on sabbatical? They’ll have McDermott who was former defensive coordinator for the Panthers when Carolina made the Superbowl with the Fig Newton at quarterback. The Bills defense looked bad versus the Bengals as they could not get a lick of pressure on Joe Burrow as the Cincinnati quarterback just picked the Bills secondary apart.

The Bills were without their answer from the year before when they signed one of the best all-time pass rushers in the game, Von Miller, who was out for the season with a knee injury. The Bills were able to pressure Patrick Mahomes the year before the Bengals’ meltdown at home. Mahomes escaped the Bills pass rush like Houdini disappearing over and over. Then the Bills were not able to close out the Chiefs with 13 seconds remaining on the clock in that heartbreak loss that went to overtime. The Bills let Tyreek Hill just waltz down the field over and over especially helping the Chiefs get into field goal position during those 13 seconds to send that game into overtime.

The Bills did not get the ball as the Chiefs scored a touchdown and moved on to the AFC Championship game. Maybe the Bills need a new voice on that defense, a guy like McDermott who already gets players to play hard for him may be a good thing to help tweak that unit in the other direction. Frazier can relax knowing his guys are in good hands and enjoy being selected into the Black College Football Hall of Fame for his time at Alcorn State. The Bills defense was missing something as they did not have the eye of the tiger all year. It showed in that playoff game as the team needs something in the trenches; not to be manhandled by make-shift offensive line the Bengals brought to a snowy field in Buffalo. Hopefully the Bills will retain some of the guys who will be on the free agent market. Hope they add some pieces through free agency or by the draft to help this defense get where it should be. Maybe it’s time the old Bear from that ’85 team just hibernates and enjoys watching the game from his television set.

After two weeks, the XFL is still hanging around even with the television ratings plummeting. The games are still as sloppy as some of the fields in the XFL.

The San Antonio Brahmas make the biggest jump from last week’s power rankings. The Guardians look like the worst team in the league. Here’s week three’s power rankings of the XFL. We have to entertain you once again as some of this slop you just can’t make up. From worst to first we rank all 8 teams.

POWER RANKINGS WEEK THREE

#8. ORLANDO GUARDIANS (0-2) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

The Guardians are the Bad News Bears of the XFL. The Guardians would be better off having a Walter Matthau as Coach Morris Buttermaker take over this Orlando team.

Buttermaker could drink with his players and have them clean out some pools in the Orlando area to learn a new trade. Most of these Guardians may need a new career after this season. Better option than Terrell Buckley who threw his team under the bus last week during an interview in the middle of the game.

Buckley with his first time ever being a head coach said this to the side line reporter: “We’ve got to get different guys in there. Obviously, we’ve got guys out there that are not competing that are not making plays.” Lighting a spark under his team? Is this something you should say to your team in the locker room? Not piling on the Guardians, but you can’t make this stuff up as one of their quarterbacks, Quinton Dormady, was cut by the Guardians giving out plays from the Guardian playbook to other teams.

Dormady may have tried to put the playbook on E-bay as I’m adding gasoline to the story. Dormady then was reinstated on the same day he was cut as new evidence appeared. Maybe other teams did not accept the Bad News Guardians’ pop up play book.

#7. VEGAS VIPERS (0-2) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

The Vegas Vipers had their first home game as they play their home games at Cashman Field, a minor league baseball sandlot.

The baseball movie, The Sandlot, could be better option than the former stadium of the Las Vegas Stars club at Cashman field. The field did not even have a press box as the XFL had to build a temporally one up.

The Vipers had the same result from week one. They had a lead and lost it as they played the Defenders in a game that rain came down on all night long. The Vipers threw out former NFL quarterback X-Packer, Seahawks’ Brett Hundley, which he could not give that Viper offense a jolt. Hundley’s night he completed 11-18 passes for a whopping 98 yards.

#6. SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS (0-2) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Sea Dragons are the best 0-2 team in the league. The Sea Dragons could have two wins right now, but they keep shooting themselves in the foot with costly turnovers. Both games they lost leads late in the game. The Sea Dragons start off both games looking like the best offense in the league marching down the field like a well oiled machine scoring a touchdown. Ben DiNucci hit wide receiver Jahour Pearson on a nice 54 yard play for the first touchdown of the game.

After the touchdown, DiNucci hit Josh Gordon on a 3 point conversion. Seattle built up a 12-0 lead over the Battlehawks. St. Louis came back and took the lead. Then DiNucci led another drive to retake the lead late in the game. Seattle would then lose on a field goal on St. Louis’ last drive. Seattle has a talented offense. DiNucci leads the XFL in passing yards. You don’t know what your going to get out of DiNucci each drive as it could be good, bad, or ugly as he has not put together a complete solid game. If he can, the Sea Dragons will be tough to beat.

#5. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (1-1) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

Quarterback, quarterback, and quarterback is the problem for the Renegades. Why did Drew Plitt get the starting job over Kyle Sloter in the first place? Does Plitt have naked pictures of Head Coach Bob Stoops in some kind of embarrassing situation?

Drew Plitt has thrown 55 passes in two games in the XFL completed 34 of them for 292 yards with two touchdown passes. Plitt has fumbled the ball and has tossed three interceptions. The Renegades defense won the first game of the year for Arlington. All the offense the Renegades had gotten were set up by the defense giving the offense short field to cash in. Stoops should think of Sloter week 3 as he led the New Orleans Breakers to the playoffs last Spring in the USFL.

#4. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-1) MOVED UP 2 SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Brahmas scored the most points in week two. Everyone can score the most points off the Guardians, like that girl you knew growing up that could bring you some experience if you desired. The Brahmas’ quarterback, Jack Coan, probably has the best arm in the league & had a nice day at the office throwing 3 touchdown passes for 169 yards no mistakes. Coan is tied with Brandon Silvers for most touchdown passes in the league after two weeks with 4. The Brahmas’ defense had 4 sacks in the first half. Ranthony Texada is emerging as one of best defensive backs in the league & had an interception to basically clinch the game with the fatality of the Guardians.

#3. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-0) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

I would like to see St. Louis play a complete game before I move them up the ladder. In crunch time, A.J McCarron has delivered two come back wins on the road. McCarron shows you the veteran seasoning of not panicking as he knows the game is close and has time. St. Louis was without their starting running back, Brian Hill, who was out with an injury. You have to like how Kareem Walker and Mataeo Durant kept the St. Louis attack on offense balanced. The Battlehawks defense has played well in two games. Donny Hageman missed two kicks in this game. Could have easily earned the nickname, Donny Hang-man.

With ice in his kicking leg, Donny will not be called Hangman. Instead Hageman has helped clinch both Battlehawks victories. It also keeps that feel good A.J McCaroon story alive and well.

#2. DC DEFENDERS (2-0) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

IT’S GOOD TO BE KING !!!

The Defenders can beat you multiple ways. The DC team was visiting the Sandlot in Vegas with a wet soggy turf and had no answers on offense with their starter Jordan Ta’amu. In two weeks, the lead passer in the USFL, Ta’amu, who was one of the best quarterbacks in the XFL part two has sunk to the bottom of the barrel as guys behind center this Spring season. We know the Defenders have played well on defense which helped them win in week 1. The Defenders defense kept their team in the game. Then the Defenders inserted D’Eriq King into the game as he looked like the XFL version of Lamar Jackson. Using the option play on a rainy night made the Vipers defense look silly as he used his legs for big chunks of yardage. The Vipers had no answer for King as they were shell shocked as King led the Defenders to a week two road victory.

#1. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (2-0) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

Until the Roughnecks lose a game, then I may knock them off their number one perch in the power rankings. Depending because the Roughnecks look like a complete team right now as everything is clicking. The Roughnecks quarterback is second in the league with 445 passing yards after two games and is tied number 1 in the league in touchdown passes.

The Roughnecks have their own version of Christian McCaffrey, one that can run the ball and catch passes out of the back field. Mad Max Borgi leads the league in rushing touchdowns with two after two games. The Roughnecks defense has been solid interrupting the opposing team’s game plan and making it look easy. Sean Davis has been a ball hawk for the Roughnecks with two interceptions already in two games. Not sure right now what team in this league will be able to string a loss on the Roughnecks record.