detroit-lions

FORMER ST.LOUIS RAM LANDS HEAD COACHING JOB FOR THE BATTLEHAWKS IN THE UFL

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Do you remember when St.Louis had an NFL football team? Arch-city actually had two NFL teams at different times in history. Both came in from another city and then moved again to another city. The Cardinals came from Chicago to St.Louis & then moved to the desert in Phoenix, Arizona. The Rams left LA for St.Louis only to move back to LA. The City of St.Louis has been getting their football fix off their Spring team, the BattleHawks. The St.Louis BattleHawks have played in the XFL & then survived the merger with the USFL to form the UFL, where they are still playing in present day. The new head coach of the BattleHawks has ties to all three St.Louis football teams. He never played for the St.Louis Cardinals. He was certainly drafted by the Phoenix Cardinals. Then years later helped St.Louis Rams win a Superbowl with Kurt Warner on the team, known as the greatest show on turf. Ricky Proehl has been the wide receivers coach for the BattleHawks for a few seasons. Now he has been named the new head coach of the St.Louis BattleHawks in the UFL this upcoming season.

Ricky Proehl was a solid wide receiver in the NFL for 17 seasons living life in the middle of the field. He was a security blanket for most quarterbacks he played for, moving the chains while taking on some big hits by defenders. He was originally drafted by the Phoenix Cardinals before they change their name to the Arizona Cardinals. In 1990 he was drafted in the 3rd round 58th overall in the 1990 NFL draft. Proehl would play for six different franchises which also included the Bears, Seahawks, Panthers, and Colts. He has played in 4 Superbowls over his career winning one with the 2000 Rams who beat the Titans & then ending his career with the Colts who beat the Bears in 2006. He played on the Rams team that lost to the Patriots which was the first title Tom Brady won that started that Evil Empire dynasty of New England. Then in 2004 the he played on the Panthers team that would lose another close game to Tom Brady’s Patriots. Proehl played in 244 NFL games in his entire career in regular season where he caught 669 balls for 8,878 receiving yards. He hauled in 54 touchdown catches. In the post-season he caught 23 balls for 363 yards for 4 touchdowns. One of those post-season touchdowns was a biggie in the 1999 NFC Championship game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He caught a 30 yard pass from Kurt Warner to help the Rams move on to the Superbowl. That game he finished with 6 receptions for 100 yards which included the touchdown. He never had a 1,000 yard receiving year but came close a few seasons. I remember he played for the Bears one season on a team that was not particularly good. He was fun to watch that season as he caught 58 balls in 15 games for 753 yards with 7 touchdown catches. His last season playing with the Colts he only played in 2 games & caught 3 balls for 30 yards as he probably knew it was time to hang up the spikes for good. He went to Wake Forest University and still has records there that are still standing for the Demon Decons. He leads the University with 2,949 receiving yards and 25 touchdown catches.

After his playing days came to an end, he went into coaching. Ricky Proehl’s first job came from the Carolina Panthers organization in 2011 as the offensive consultant. He was the wide receiver’s coach in 2015 for the Panthers team that went 15-1 in regular season. In 2022 he became wide receiver’s coach for the BattleHawks under Anthony Becht. Ricky has two sons that played the same position as the old man, wide receiver. Austin Proehl was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2018 in the 7th round. He was cut before the season started. Austin did make some noise in the reboot of the XFL. In 2020 he played for the Seattle Sea Dragons. On February 8th, 2020, he caught the first XFL touchdown in the reboot league. He caught two touchdowns that opening game which were tossed by Brandon Silvers. Austin was coached by his father on the BattleHawks in the XFL as a wide receiver. Austin would play in several NFL teams training camps and never make it to the NFL stage. His brother Blake was an undrafted wide receiver who also went to a few NFL camps and did not make it.

Now Ricky Proehl could be looking to pad his legendary status on the gridiron in the city of St.Louis. Arch-City is most known as a baseball town. The first love of the town is the beloved Cardinals, where it’s a sea of red every home game. The hockey team the Blues have made some as they won their first ever cup in 2018-19 season. The city of St. Louis have been starving for an NFL team. They are the only team in the UFL this season that will play their home game in a stadium that has the capacity for an NFL or college style game. The UFL is going with small venues for the entire league except St.Louis because they sell out spring football games. Ricky will have his work cut out for him taking on this job. First he has big shoes to fill replacing Anthony Becht who has moved on from St.Louis and has taken the Orlando job which is one of three new cities with teams this upcoming season. Becht is 22-8 in regular season over the last few seasons which is the 2nd best winning percentage during that span. Ricky is 57 years of age and this will be his first ever head coaching gig. The BattleHawks have been one of the best teams in regular season but have failed in the post-season play. If Ricky can change that, he could cement himself into the number two spot in the Mount Rushmore of football in St.Louis. You know Kurt Warner will always be number 1. I think overall it is an interesting hire. Nothing is given in the UFL as these teams play hard and have plenty of talent to go around. Just because Ricky is a name, he may not be the guy. Like the NFL this is football and if Ricky has a quarterback, they may be very tough to beat. Going over the middle for 669 grabs in the NFL for 17 seasons shows you the work mentality he will provide. The touchdowns in post-season show he should not be underestimated for what he could do as the main guy and leader of your football team.

TIME OF DEATH OF THE CHICAGO BEARS SEASON 3:00 PM WEEK TWO

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Ben Johnson was the hottest coaching commodity out there last year in the NFL and the Bears somehow convinced the offensive mastermind to come to Chicago. This signing was supposed to get rid of the stench of all the other coaches and General Managers that walked through Halas Hall spreading manure thinking they would be the guys to get this Bears team back to the promised land. The Bears opened up their piggy bank and are betting the farm on Johnson, paying him one of the highest salaries in the league. This is the Bears – they like to thumb through the penny saver to get their guy in the handyman section with a coupon attached. The first game of the Ben Johnson era opened up on Monday night football versus the Vikings. It was a game it seemed the Bears dominated most of. In the end the Vikings made a comeback with a rookie quarterback to stun the Bears at home. Then yesterday Johnson, playing his former team in Detroit, and the Bears would be battle tested early and find out what they are made of with a measuring stick versus the Lions. The Lions annihilated the Bears 52-21. The Johnson era is starting off 0-2 and they are already 0-2 in the division. The Bears roster is supposed to be competitive. This hire was to help this fan base forget about the turds of the past like Matt Nagy and Matt Eberflus. Now Johnson may be added to this list of misfits.

Ford Field seems to be turning into the house of horrors for the Chicago Bears in the last two seasons. Last year when the visiting Bears were in Detroit, it was an embarrassment for the franchise. It was the game that eventually got the front office to fire Matt Eberflus because he thought the time outs at the end of the game roll over to the next contest. Untrue as the Bears try to run a play and ran out of time as a time out could have kept the drive going for a few more plays. Instead the Bears walk away from Detroit as the jive turkeys while Detroit hung another loss on them which was a close game actually. The Bears may have been able to tie that game if a time out was called as they were by mid-field. The final in that one was 23-20 Lions. A field goal could have sent that one to overtime. Yesterday the Bears defense brought back memories of Marc Trestman, another turd head coach that let the defense fall into shambles during his era. The hair combover head coach, Trestman, lasted two seasons in 2013 & ’14 for the Bears. Back then as a fan base, we saw week after week opposing teams hanging 40 to 50 points.

You could say the turd from last year had the Bears playing solid defense. This season I thought the Bears made a good hire bringing in the former head coach of the Saints to be the defensive coordinator. Allen had two stints as a head coach as his first was with the Raiders. He became a head coach because of what he could do with a defense. In week one versus the Vikings, who started rookie JJ McCarthy, the Bears were playing three quarters of solid defense. In the 4th, McCarthy suddenly knocked off the rust and got in a groove to lead his Vikings to a comeback win. You would think that Ben Johnson would give Allen some insight into his old players in Detroit. The Lions in week one played like kittens as the Packers had their way with them and they gave Detroit a beat down. The Lions offense quickly roared back and the Bears looked like the junior varsity team. Why do the Bears still have Tyrique Stevenson on this roster? This is the turd that taunted Washington fans last year in DC. He was late to the party in the last play of the game. Jayden Daniels converted a winning Hail Mary pass to beat the Bears. The guy who caught the ball for the Commanders was the guy Stevenson was supposed to be covering. When the Bears lost their best corner back, Jaylon Johnson, to an injury yesterday, the Lions all-pro receiver had a big day on Stevenson’s expense. Stevenson could not cover Amon-Ra St.Brown who scored three touchdowns and had 9 catches for 115 yards. Jared Goff lit up the Bears secondary with play action passes. Isn’t that what the Lions also did under Ben Johnson the last few years?

Is Caleb Williams getting better as a quarterback? This is why Ben Johnson is here. I see the same things that happened last year. The offensive line has been revamped with veterans in the off-season. The Bears O-line looks like a turnstyle at Great America Amusement Park where everyone has a good time in our back field except us. Williams is running for his life back there like last year when he almost set a record for taking the most sacks as a rookie quarterback. The Bears drafted a tight end, Colston Loveland, in the first round and have not utilized him in their offense yet. Loveland is a tight end that can run routes like a receiver and has big play capabilities. Johnson’s play calling has been baffling so far. The Bears tried a QB sneak on 3rd and 1 and did not get it. Then Johnson ran it again on 4th down and the Bears did not get it. Lovie Smith could have done that. I think he invented that kind of stupid. My eyes see the Bears are having problems grasping some of the offense that have resulted in multiple penalties. The team looks unprepared. Once, wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad said that Chicago is where receivers come to die. The Bears still have not had a franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman back in the 1940’s. Williams still has not impressed me yet so far. I know after only two weeks, teams have time to right the ship. These are the Bears we are talking about. They have been looking for a solid head coach since the day they fired Lovie. He was not the best coach. He sure looks like the best coach this team has had in a very long time. Maybe the Bears is where head coaches come to die as well. Next week the Bears play the Cowboys. A bad Russell Wilson threw three touchdowns passes against the Cowboys and lit up their secondary with 450 passing yards. Guess who is the defensive coordinator for the Boys? Yes Bears X head coach, Matt Eberflus. If his defense suddenly stops Johnson’s Bears offense, then we should be looking to replace another yahoo at Halas Hall. I still think the season has concluded and should look when the Bulls and Blackhawks start their seasons.

NFL PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: THE 2025 DIVISIONAL ROUND

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Wild Card record last week: (3-3)

The Wild Card weekend was a disappointment in picking the winners. We got the easy ones. The two games that could have gone either way, we lost on them. I think most people had Chargers picked over the Texans. This weekend we hope to redeem ourselves with a better day at the office.

NFL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND (DIVISIONAL) STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE SATURDAY GAMES

AFC

#4.HOUSTON TEXANS (11-7) AT #1.KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (15-2)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: CHIEFS (2-0) TEXANS

The Chiefs were the number one seed, had a bye last week, and are well rested. In the last game of regular season, Kansas City rested 10 starters including Patrick Mahomes. The Texans throttled the Chargers in the Wild Card round. Either the Texans found their mojo from last year or the Chargers are a very bad team.

The road to the Chiefs three peat starts in this match up. Patrick Mahomes has another switch in post-season as he is (15-3) all-time. Just sick!!! Meanwhile CJ Stroud in his first two seasons in the NFL has notched a playoff win in the Wild Card round.

The Chiefs and Texans met up in December in which Kansas City won that game (27-19) and did it rather easily. The Texans will need their defense to stand tall like they did against the Chargers putting pressure on Justin Herbert and forced 4 turnovers. The Texans pass rush did well but now face a different animal that is impossible to cage in. Patrick Mahomes can pull the ole Houdini act on any defense in the league and make plays happen on the fly. The Texans will need another big game out of that nut job running back they have, Joe Mixon, comparing these Texans to the past Bengals team that went to the Superbowl. This Texans team is nowhere close to that Bengals squad. CJ Stroud has two of their biggest weapons out with season ending injuries. Meanwhile the Chiefs aerial attack just got better with Hollywood Brown back from an injury and he has the rust knocked off him as he has played a few games to close out the regular season. They have the speedster Xavier Worthy. Let’s not forget the meathead at tight end position Travis Kelce. It’s not happening at least this round that the Texans can go on the road playing in the cold at Arrowhead Stadium and winning. That would be like the Washington Generals beating the Harlem Globe Trotters. It’s not happening. The Chiefs defense will play well. Mahomes will razzle dazzle the crowd like a point guard on the hardwood floors and dish out the ball to all his guys as the Texans will have no clue how to stop it. Mahomes stays a BEAST in the post-season.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

NFC

#6.WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (13-5) AT #1.DETROIT LIONS (15-2)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: WASHINGTON (3-0) DETROIT

The Lions carved up the Vikings in the last game of regular season to get the number one seed. They had a week off earning themselves a bye. Jayden Daniels had himself an impressive playoff debut as the Commanders knocked off the Buccaneers with the walk off doink kick in the last few ticks left on the clock.

The Commanders had a stretch back in regular season where they lost to teams with winning records in close games. It seems like Jayden Daniels has figured out how to win close games against good teams. Daniels led a nice drive down the field to upend the Eagles late in the season. The Commanders beat a solid Buccaneers team with Baker Mayfield who was coming into post-season as one of the hottest quarterbacks in the tournament. The Lions will get their two headed monster at running back for this game. David Montgomery will be suiting up for this one. Montgomery has been out for several weeks with a knee injury. The Lions defense played well against the Vikings offense who can put up points on the scoreboard. They held them to 9 in that last regular season game. That is the biggest question for this Lions team. Can they defend in the playoffs with all those injuries? The Lions offense have tallied up 2,669 (YAC) Yards after the catch which averages out to 6.7 per reception which is one of the top in the NFL. The Commanders defense can tackle. They have allowed a league low of only 1,551 YAC after the catch. Who wins that battle should decide this game. I think the Commanders will give the Lions a scare in this one. Look for Detroit to run a well balanced attack with the run game and aerial attack to bleed the clock dry most of the game. Daniels will make some big plays in this one. I think the pressure will mount too high on the rookie quarterback and that will lead to some mistakes. You know Jared Goff will have a mistake free game is what my gut is telling me. The Lions at home will rule this jungle. After Saturday both number one seeds stay alive.

OUR PICK: LIONS

THE SUNDAY GAMES

NFC

#4.LA RAMS (11-7) AT #2.PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (15-3)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: RAMS (2-1) EAGLES

The Eagles churned the Packers into Swiss cheese last week in the Wild Card round. The Rams adjusted going on the road to Arizona to play their home game there due to the wild fires in LA. The Rams took care of business at Cardinals stadium and put down the Vikings with ease.

Jalen Hurts evened up his playoff record at (3-3) with the win at home last weekend. Matthew Stafford now is a game over the .500 mark with his win in Arizona and is now has a 5-4 record in post-season play.

In week 12 the Eagles gashed the Rams defense for 314 rushing yards for the win. The Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley had 255 yards on the ground. The Rams are 3-2 on the road under Sean McVay in post-season. The Eagles defense had a solid week forcing the Packers into multiple mistakes and coming away with turnovers. I think the Rams will throw everything including the kitchen sink at the Eagles running game. They want Jalen Hurts to throw the ball to beat them. The Eagles defense will face their challenges with Matthew Stafford’s aerial attack. Stafford really did not have access to all his weapons in that win last week versus the Vikings. Stafford has played well in post-season wearing a Rams uniform. Can LA who are coming all the way from the warm west coast win a playoff game in cold conditions? At Philadelphia with a crazy fan base that will be loud and energetic. This will be a close game. I think Hurts will just do enough in this one to get his Eagles by the Rams. I like the Eagles defense who are coached by Vic Fangio. That is my decider in this contest. Eagles defend their home from the invaders.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

AFC

#3.BALTIMORE RAVENS(13-5) AT #2.BUFFALO BILLS(14-4)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: BILLS (1-0) RAVENS

The Ravens beat up their division rival the Steelers last week at home. The Bills gave the visiting Broncos a second half beat down in Buffalo last weekend.

Lamar Jackson looks like he now has the Steelers’ number which was not the story coming into the season. Jackson now has beaten the Steelers in back to back games going back to the regular season. He improves his post-season record to 3-4 all-time. Josh Allen has mastered the Wild Card round and is now 6-5 in the post-season.

This is the game of the weekend. You have two quarterbacks that have been the debate all year by the experts or at your bar stool over who should be the MVP. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are duel threats and they are number 1 & 2 in NFL playoff history with rushing yards for a quarterback. Jackson has 602 yards and has played less post-season games than Allen. Allen has ran for 609 rushing yards and has played more post-season games. These two teams met during regular season and the Ravens gave the Bills a beat down at home in that one. The Ravens unleashed Derrick Henry on the Bills banged up defense as he steamrolled for 199 rushing yards in that Ravens win. This go around the game is in Buffalo and the Bills will have their linebackers for this one. The first meeting the Bills were without three defensive pieces that start with Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard and Taron Johnson. The last time the Bills and Ravens met in post-season was in the divisional round in 2020 as the Bills advanced to the AFC championship game when they met the Chiefs in that epic playoff game that went to OT. Can the Bills stop the Ravens running game? That is the biggest key for Buffalo. Can the Ravens defense contain Allen in the pocket? That is a key for Baltimore. The Ravens defense is stout versus the run. Allen may have to beat them with the pass. However it will be in single digits in Buffalo on Sunday. The running game for both teams will be high priority. This game could go either way. As a football fan which team would you rather see knock out the Chiefs next week? Kansas City has gotten both these franchises and knocked them both out the post-season last year. If you could only combine both teams against Kansas City. That is not going to happen. Lamar Jackson really has not played in any games this cold. The coldest game for him was in the 20’s. The Bills are undefeated at home this season. I like Allen breaking through this divisional round as history does repeat itself in these NFL games. Allen to me has the better completion percentage and can beat you with his arm if he has to. This Bills offense is designed to beat you a few ways. Jackson will look like a freeze pop and make the mistakes that will cost the Ravens this game. The Bills defense my gut feeling says will play their best game of the year as they are healthy.

OUR PICK: BILLS