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SEASON 2: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK # 2

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THE POWER OF THE BEER SNAKE

In week two of the young 2025 spring football season, we already have a new number one perch high and above the season power rankings. Is it time to take the Stallions to the glue factory as they were snake bitten in DC? Some musical chairs in the top 5 spots of the power rankings going into week two. I think the teams that live under the stairs will be there for most of the season. Okay, let’s unveil week two power rankings in the UFL starting with the bad all the way to the top of the food chain. It could be the Battlehawks or Bob freaking Stoops. Enjoy!!!

#8. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (0-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

Last week pointed out one of the major problems head coach Curtis Johnson and this Roughnecks team have – the quarterback and their offense. In the first Friday game in the UFL history, Houston was blown out of the waters at home by St. Louis. The Roughnecks were down 31-0 by the time they were moseying on in the end zone. Houston you have a problem at the QB position. The new guy, Anthony Brown, did not give this non-existent fan base any hope by completing 5-11 passing for a whopping 21 yards. It was the back up QB, Nolan Henderson, who connected with Houston’s only threat, Justin Hall, for the only score of the day. Nolan Henderson did okay and may not be the answer for the Roughnecks as they had this scoring drive in garbage time.

The Battlehawks defense did knock Nolan around, but he showed he may be the better option than Brown. Justin Hall seems the only threat on the Roughnecks these days. Hall scored the only touchdown for Houston. Hall has been in Houston when this team was called the Gamblers in the USFL reboot.

Maybe this Houston franchise should go back to their original name, the Gamblers. In 2022 & ’23, the Gamblers on the jersey went 8-12 in 2 seasons in the USFL. Since adopting the Roughnecks, this Houston squad is now 1-10.

#7. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (0-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Same spot from last week

The Memphis Showboats are sort of in the same boat as the Roughnecks. They too have a solid play maker, named Jonathan Adams, who tallied up 93 receiving yards with one touchdown. The Showboats have two quarterbacks right now dueling it out to be the man behind center for the season. Both quarterbacks have spring football experience. Troy Williams, who is a former Pittsburgh Mauler, played for Memphis last year. He completed 8-11 passes for 104 passing yards but threw an interception. Then EJ Perry who completed 10-17 passes with an interception. Perry has experience playing for the Michigan Panthers. Adams has to take on extra credit to give these guys a bigger window so they can get him the ball. The Showboats scored 12 points & that doubled the total of what Houston scored. The Showboats’ new interim head coach Jim Wilson was thrown into action when Ken Whisenhunt had to leave the team for personal reasons only a week away from the first game. The Showboats were okay under Wilson as they opened up at home and lost to a solid team in the Michigan Panthers. The Showboats fan base have their own personal club like the Bills Mafia as they name themselves the Yacht club.

I love it, but where was the Yacht club in the home opener for Memphis? Was the entire fan base out on the water on a three hour tour and then became shipwrecked on some island. That leads up to the million dollar question: Ginger or Mary Ann?

#6. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (0-1)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 2 spots from last week

I was not impressed with Wade Phillips’ team in week 1. The Brahmas defense gave up the most points in the first week to the Renegades. The Brahmas defense was a big part of what brought this team to the championship game last year. It seems like their defense lost some of its juice they had in their attack style. On offense, same ole story about having a quarterback that is developed. Kellen Mond made his first spring start and he completed 17-31 passes for 159 passing yards. He did not throw any interceptions but was sacked twice and completed the majority of his passes which were short not down field. It was the Brahmas rushing attack that is still solid as John Lovett and Anthony McFarland combined for 105 yards on the ground. It took the Brahmas until the 4th quarter to find the end zone. The best thing for the Brahmas was their kicker made his first field goal since high school ball.

Donald De La Haye aka Deestroying it, got the Brahmas on the board with a 39 yard field goal. De La Haye was on the Brahmas last year but did not attempt a field goal as he was injured in week 2 and done for the season. De La Hoye leads the league in followers on YouTube . In college the NCAA came down on him about his videos at Central Florida University where he quit playing college football to keep doing his thing on social media. De La Haye’s second field goal attempt did not look very promising as it was a longer attempt but sailed far away from the goal post.

#5. DC DEFENDERS (1-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week.

Can a beer snake swallow a Stallion? It was the Defenders defense that swallowed Stallions QB Alex McGough 8 times in eight sacks on the former USFL MVP. It was an impressive victory for the Stallions and the new head coach Shannon Harris who just got the job a week before the season started when Reggie Barlow bolted to Tennessee State for the head coaching job there.

It was Anthony Hines III who put on a clinic on defense for the Defenders. He had 6 tackles with 2 sacks and fumble recovery. The Defenders have a QB that has plenty of experience in the spring football league as Jordan Ta’amu had another solid game behind center. He completed 17-37 passes for 211 passing yards & one TD pass, along with 1 interception. The Defenders only put up 18 points which was enough to give the champs their first loss of the season. The Defenders crowd looks like something out of the Big Bang Theory or some Dungeons and Dragons club that meets there to drink plenty of beer to feed the snake. I only moved the Defenders up one spot because I need to see more. Was this victory just a lucky win by them or will they be contenders? Last year this team were pretenders.

#4.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (0-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 3 spots from last week.

The Stallions have fallen off their perch on the spring football mountain as they tumble in DC in week 1. The Stallions are the only winnless team I have in the top 4 of the power rankings because they are Birmingham and let’s not forget they have won three straight titles. The Stallions did suffer a loss last year. This Stallions team is still stacked with talent. Having Alex McGough back behind center everyone thought Birmingham would be unstoppable. The Defenders exploited something on the Stallions offensive line and sacked the former MVP 8 times. The Stallions defense only gave up 18 points which is a good thing to take from this loss. Tae Crowder had a big game for the Stallions on the defensive side of the ball.

He had 11 tackles and defended one pass. Do you think Tae is related to the Crowders in Kentucky?

I know Skip Holtz will have the Stallions back on track by week two. I think the Defenders will show their true colors next week as the team we thought they were.

#3. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-0)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week

Even though the Panthers did win last week, to me they dropped one spot because of their dueling banjos at the QB position that do not impress me. The Panthers defense is tops in the league. They can run the ball with the best of them in the league. They have a top playmaker at the wide receiver position in Marcus Simms.

The final piece to this Panthers team puzzle is the quarterback position which does not fit. The Panthers banjos have no strings and I’m not sure if you combined Bryce Perkins and Danny Etling into one Quarterback that you would have a top passer in the UFL. The Panthers should just stick with Perkins because he can run with the ball and can escape the pocket. One of these guys just needs to be the game manager and not screw up on game day. That defense will keep them in every game. Imagine if the Panthers had a top passer, they would be a championship team.

#2. ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (1-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week.

I guess if you are a Battlehawks fan you can say AJ who? Referring to AJ McCarron one of the top QB’s in the UFL last year as St. Louis moved on in a different direction. Maybe the Panthers should give McCarron a call. Just saying.

The Battlehawks wanted a mobile quarterback and that is where Manny Wilkens comes in. He razzled and dazzled the Roughnecks defense with his legs and arm. Wilkens threw for 189 passing yards with no interceptions. He also ran for two touchdowns on 43 rushing yards. The Battlehawks rushing attack is something to keep an eye out for. They set a new UFL record with 273 rushing yards of which 74 of them came from a Jarveon Howard who had 115 for the night. Then St. Louis star running back had 98 rushing yards. The Battlehawks defense only gave up 6 points.

#1.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (1-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up 4 spots from last week

The Renegades made the biggest jump in the power rankings moving up 4 spots and taking the number one spot.

Did you buy the King of the Spring fling’s new book? Luis Perez learned the QB position from watching YouTube videos. He has bowled more than one perfect game. He has helped the Renegades win an XFL title & now he is a published author. Perez was not the star of the Renegades in week one as he quietly completed 20-25 passes for 164 passing yards. The Renegades put the most points on the board in week 1. They did their damage with the running game and the Renegades defense was awesome.

Kalen Ballage galloped for a 77 yard run for a score. He led the Renegades rushing attack with 9 carries for 110 yards. The Renegades’ other running back De’Veon Smith who has been playing for Arlington for years, had 3 carries for 3 yards and 3 touchdowns. I think the Renegades had all 3 phases of their game playing at top level. They can run the ball. They have a solid defense. Most importantly they have one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The weakness in the UFL is the play at the quarterback position.

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE WEEK 1 POWER RANKINGS

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The Spring fling is back in action for season two of the United Football league. Last year the UFL launched with the merger of the XFL and the USFL with 8 teams – 4 from each league. The UFL has not forgotten where everyone came from as they named each conference after the old leagues. In season two of the UFL, the league is bringing back all 8 teams from last year hoping they grow in each city. Last year the league was successful in television ratings and some of the 8 teams did very well with putting fannies in the seats. The games were solid & the post-season was solid. The NFL still takes some players away from this league, but most of these guys have been battling it out for years in the multiple leagues that have come and gone. Traditions and roots are being established for all 8 teams is what I like about it. Many of the coaches for these teams are big name guys that have stayed with their franchise. This league has been fun to watch, competitive, and gives us football all year around. Who’s going to complain about that? Our first week of the power rankings we are just throwing darts to see what sticks. We are going with what we know from last year, mostly, and gut feelings. We may hit right on some things. we may be like the Wild Thing in Major League the movie…

Our first week we are ranking each team from worst to first. We have 8 teams and here we go.

#8. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (1-9) Last year

USFL CONFERENCE

The Roughnecks last year were a dud on offense. Curtis Johnson returns as head coach as he has been the guy for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL before they enter the UFL. The UFL adopted the old Roughnecks name from the XFL and put the Gamblers on ice for the time being. The Roughnecks need a new QB behind center and they have one. Former Oregon Duck University with a stint at Boston College, Anthony Brown.

Anthony Brown gives the Roughnecks a duel threat QB. Brown seems to use his legs more than his arm. The Roughnecks have a nice weapon for Brown in veteran Justin Hall, who finished 3rd in receptions and receiving yards last year for Houston. It looks like Mark Thompson, their top running back for the last few years, is not playing this year or is MIA. The Roughnecks had a solid defense last year. I don’t see really any improvement out of this bunch.

#7. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (2-8) Last Year

USFL CONFERENCE

I was excited when I heard Memphis had a new head coach coming in.

Former NFL head coach Ken Whisenhunt was supposed to take over. Due to family issues, he has to step away from this job which was only a week ago that this announcement came out. Whisenhunt was once the head coach of the Tennessee Titans so taking the Memphis job, the locals would know him. Which would have been cool him coaching two professional football teams in the state of Tennessee. The Showboats also have new man behind center, and they are excited about the former Jay Hawk Jason Bean who also had a stint at North Texas University. He is a duel threat QB who started 30 games on the college gridiron, threw for 3,600 yards, and rushed for 1,300. Jason Bean was one of the top draft picks selected in the UFL sweepstakes. The Showboats have a top notch receiver for him as well in Daewood Davis. This is a city for whom I would like to see more fans attend their games. Love the name of their team and it has the coolest logo in the league.

#6. DC DEFENDERS (4-6) Last year

XFL CONFERENCE

Do you want the good news or the bad news first about the current situation of the Defenders? The bad news first – I guess their long time head coach Reggie Barlow bolted out of town only a week ago taking the Tennessee State University football head coach job. Remember the great great NFL star Eddie George he left Tennessee State and took the Bowling Green University job. The Defenders do have their quarterback coming back in Jordan Ta’amu and will also have a kick returner, the best in the league, Chris Rowland at their disposal. Former NFL head coach Gregg Williams is still the Defenders’ defensive coordinator. The good news..

The Beer snake may get bigger at home games for the Defenders.

#5.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-7) Last year

XFL CONFERENCE

Don’t let the record fool you. This Renegades team is better than their record as they lost multiple close games last season. They were a top team taking the ball away and finished the season with the fewest giveaways. They were second in the league in total offense only behind the Birmingham Stallions. Bob Stoops has been one of the better spring football head coaches including winning the XFL title game. They have one of the best Q’s in the spring fling history of all-time in Luis Perez.

Perez was the QB that helped Stoops capture his first Spring Fling championship. At the end of this season, I see the Renegades in the post-season as one of my predictions.

#4. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (7-3) Last season

XFL CONFERENCE

The Brahmas surprised everyone last season making the post-season play and going all the way to the first ever UFL Championship. With Wade Phillips as your head coach, you really can not be surprised. It was not a very good game for the Brahmas in the title shot. They lost to the Stallions 25-0. The Brahmas have a new QB and the fans have to be thankful.

Everyone remembers the Chase Garbers slide in the championship. Chase could have easily got the first down but instead slid way too early. Why even a slide as it was a crucial part of the game for the Brahmas? The Brahmas will go with Kellen Mond, former Texas A&M star not named Johnny Football. Mond is one of only 3 QB’s in SEC history to have passed for 9,000 yards and run for over 1,500 yards. He joined Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott as the only others to accomplish those kind of stats in that conference.

#3.ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (7-3)

XFL CONFERENCE

How will the BattleHawks play without the best QB in the UFL? The BattleHawks will not have the great A,J McCarron this season. However experts have written they have assembled one of the best QB rooms in the UFL. Manny Wilkins will be the starter most likely as he played some games last season when McCarron missed due to injury. The BattleHawks have Chevon Cordeiro who led the Mountain West conference in passing yards and touchdown passes in 2023. He played at Hawaii University and San Jose State University in his college career.

The BattleHawks also have the horny toad in Max Duggan. If you remember, Duggan led the TCU Hornfrogs to the National Championship. We will see how all this develops for the team with the top fan base which St.Louis has. The BattleHawks have one of the best running backs in the league with Jacob Sayers who averaged 4.9 yards a carry last year. These QB’s have a 6’6″ monster target to throw to in Hakeem Butler who led the UFL in receiving yards last year.

#2.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (7-3) Last Year

USFL CONFERENCE

The Panthers made post-season only to be dispatched by the Stallions which is a common trend over the years dealing with Birmingham. The Panthers have the best defense in the UFL. They have Breeland Speaks coming back who led the league with 9.5 sacks. They have the top safety in the UFL in Kai Nacua, who had three interceptions and broke up 11 passes.

Let’s not forget about the tackling machine in Frank Ginda. The Panthers on offense always has a solid running game. They have two serviceable QB’s in Danny Etling and Bryce Perkins who have experience in the Spring Fling. Mike Nolan is top notch head coach in this league.

#1.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (9-1) Last year

USFL CONFERENCE

I have to have the Stallions at number one until someone knocks Skip Holtz and company off the top of spring football mountain. The Stallions are sick as they won three titles in a row. Two back-to-back titles in the USFL. Then they ran through the new merger league of the UFL going 11-1 completing the three-peat. Holtz has won his three titles with three different MVP quarterbacks as well. In his first season, he won with J’Mar Smith who just retired. Then in his second season he won it with Alex McGough who may be the cream of the crop that Holtz has had behind center. Last Adrian Martinez was MVP and had a fabulous year. Martinez has latched on with the New York Jets. Who will Holtz have this season behind center?

Back by popular demand, it is Alex McGough who is back after his stint with the Packers. McGough can beat you with his arm or his legs. More with his arm is what I would want in a duel threat QB. I think the Stallions will be better with McGough than Martinez, who was awesome. The Stallions have a nice group of playmakers assembled for their man behind center. The Stallions have always played a solid defense as well. When has a professional football team won 4 straight titles? The Stallions are likeable and not like the Patriots or the Chiefs – two dynasties that make your stomach turn.

PATRIOTS HAVE A NEW HIT-MAN READY TO DIGGS THROUGH THE BILLS MAFIA

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You knew it was going to just be a matter of time when Stefon Diggs would resurface in the AFC East. The old Patriots way is rebuilding mode as New England started things off by hiring a former player Mike Vrabel. He will lead the Empire back to the post-season to reclaim the galaxy. Vrabel played with the old regime and helped win some Superbowls with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. After his playing, he went into coaching as he took on the head coaching job at Tennessee as their head coach. This off-season the Patriots have been restocking their shelves with some high priced talent. The Patriots just added Drake Maye, a number one wide receiver, as they give the 31 year old Diggs a three year deal worth 69 million which 26 of that is guaranteed. For Diggs it was show me the money and a chance to get revenge against one of his former teams he played for, the Bills. Now he will face them twice a year working for the new Empire.

Stefon Diggs was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings back in the 2015 NFL draft in the 5th round out of Maryland University. Diggs has ten seasons under his belt in the NFL as the Patriots will be the 4th team of his career. Diggs is a 4x Pro-Bowler and was named All-Pro once in his professional career. Diggs is a number one receiver for most teams in the NFL. He has played in 144 NFL games and has caught 857 passes for 10,491 receiving yards and hauled in 70 touchdown receptions. Why has he been traded already twice in his career? Diggs demands the ball, he is a attention seeker, and could easily become unhappy. He eventually wears out his welcome. The Vikings gladly traded Diggs to Buffalo back in 2020 for draft picks which included a number pick Minnesota used to cash in on Justin Jefferson, one of the league’s top talents. In Buffalo he helped in the development of one of the best Quarterbacks in the league, Josh Allen. The Bills could not get over the Chiefs hurdle and Diggs wore out his welcome with tantrums on the sideline. Tantrums in the locker room and those cryptic tweets on social media. The Bills traded him to Houston before the 2024 season kicked off. Diggs would only play in 8 games for the Texans before getting derailed by a season ending injury. He tore an ACL in his knee in week 8 versus the Colts. In 8 games Diggs caught 47 balls for 596 yards and three touchdown passes from second year man CJ Stroud. Part of the trade agreement was Diggs reworked his contract so he can become a free agent and now will be set to be another top drafted quarterback’s security blanket.

The New England Patriots have been mostly a disaster after Tom Brady left town. Bill Belichick was able to get the Patriots into the post-season once without Brady. The Evil Empire crumbled as Belichick was fired & they went with one of his guys to take over as head coach last year. Jerod Mayo took the job as head coach only to last one season as the Patriots took last place in the AFC East with a 4-13 record. The Patriots turned to Mike Vrabel as the head coach and stocked him up this off-season with some solid defensive players. Patriots added Harold Landry III, a former Titan linebacker, who played for Vrabel. The Patriots signed Robert Spillane, a linebacker and the Raiders lead tackler last season. They added former Eagle defensive tackle Milton Williams. They signed former Lion corner back Carlton Davis. On the offense they signed Morgan Moses, the former Jets offensive lineman. Then they added back up QB Joshua Dobbs to the mix. They did grab another wide receiver before Diggs, another X-Bill who had a nice season with Josh Allen last year in Mack Hollins who was a great red zone option for Buffalo. Josh McDaniels returns to New England as the offensive coordinator who has ties with Hollins from his Raiders days where he flopped as head coach. The Patriots have tried to sign other big name receivers but had no luck. With Diggs they may have overpaid because of his torn ACL.

Everyone thought, including me, that Stefon Diggs was going to sign with the Dallas Cowboys to play with his brother. Diggs’ brother Trevon plays on the other side of the ball as he is a corner back on the Cowboys defense. The Cowboys have been looking for another guy to line up on the other side of the field to CeeDee Lamb. Lamb is one of the top receivers in the NFL. Either Stefon did not want to play on a team where he is the number two or the Cowboys were expecting a family discount for his services. Stefon has a great work ethic and will probably be ready to go week 1 where most would return sometime after the year of the injury. Diggs, who took all his Bills stuff off social media, put all of it back not too long ago. Rumors had it Diggs wanted to return to the Bills. I could not see the Bills having a family reunion with the cray-cray that Diggs brings to the table. It did not seem like the Texans were knocking at his door for a return there.

The Patriots plan is the same thing the Bills did for Josh Allen. Stefon Diggs will be the number one guy for 2nd year man Drake Maye. The Patriots wide receiver room compiled up 1,723 receiving yards last year which was the fewest in the NFL. Adding Diggs and Mack Hollins with the guys the Patriots had last year like Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Ja’Lynn Baker can’t be a bad thing. Drake’s guys from last year he knows well and should get better with them in his second season. The guys from last year will get more single coverage as Diggs will get double teamed most of the games. Hollins will do his thing that he did for the Bills. Catch TD passes and convert some first downs. On paper this is a nice plan for New England. Will the Patriots be a playoff team next year? Losing is not a good thing for Diggs. Neither is not getting him the ball. Will Diggs be the same guy he was before the knee injury? This is a gamble for the Patriots who did overpay for his services. They need to. If Diggs works out and the Patriots do well, more players will follow and play for New England who are rebuilding the Death Star. You know Diggs will be eye balling the two games he plays against the Bills. His return to Buffalo will be major headlines. You know he wants the money & he wants the ball but taking down the Mafia would be his Superbowl. Last year the Texans did play the Bills and Houston won it. The Mafia could also get the last chuckle out of this when he becomes the selfish player and wears out the Patriots locker room. If he hurts Maye’s development, it will be a gut punch heard around the world. Diggs is a NFL hit man who plays on your team with double edged sword. When he brings that out, it’s too late. You want know why and how this happened. It always comes back to thinking how signing Stefon Diggs sounded like a great idea at the time. Then you are left treading water with egg on your face. Good luck Digging your way out of this Patriots fans.

VERY WORTHY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ANNUAL CHIEFS’ POLICE BLOTTER

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It must be that time of year for the annual Kansas City Chiefs’ police blotter report. Just like Thanksgiving and Christmas they come every year; now after the Superbowl you have to expect a Chiefs player to get arrested. Last year Rashee Rice caused a chain reaction multiple car crash on the highway racing his former college teammate. The angered Rice also decked a photographer outside a Dallas night club. Patrick Mahomes’ father Pat did not land another DUI, but he was involved in an altercation with former MLB pitcher John Rocker in New Orleans at the time of the Superbowl. The Chiefs just re-signed Kareem Hunt who in 2018 shoved a women down to the ground and then kicked her. The latest headline for the Chiefs is wide receiver Xavier Worthy who was arrested for choking his girlfriend. Shake down, break down, you’re busted.

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Xavier Worthy 28th in the first round after making a trade with the Bills to scoop up the blazing track star from the University of Texas. The Bills had their eyes set on Keon Coleman from Florida State and they landed him with the first pick in the second round. When the Bills played the Chiefs, Worthy seems to get amped up about that. Now he has a vendetta versus the Bills because Buffalo skipped over his talents. The Bills were looking for a different type of skills set for their receiver, and Worthy did not fit that criteria. Get over it. On March 7th, Worthy was arrested in Texas just like Rashee Rice in 2024 in the same state. Worthy will be charged with assault for choking his girlfriend, Tia Jones. She says this is the 5th time the Worthy has snapped throughout this year. She was awarded protection by a Texas judge, but he says he’s innocent. Worthy this year in his rookie season caught 59 balls for 638 yards with 6 receiving touchdowns. He always ran the ball for 104 yards with 3 rushing touchdowns. Impressive. In the beat down to the Chiefs in the Superbowl by the Eagles in a 40-22 whipping, Worthy stood out in garbage time for Kansas City. He racked up 157 receiving yards and two touchdown catches.

In 2018 after the incident that took place in a Cleveland hotel with Kareem Hunt, he did his Eagles version of a beat-down on that woman. He was cut by the Chiefs. Hunt would find a new home as he signed with the Browns. He came back to the Chiefs in 2024 and played 13 games during the regular season as he rushed for 728 yards with 7 rushing touchdowns. Head Coach Andy Reid said Kareem has matured since that incident back in 2018. The Chiefs already re-signed the running back for this upcoming season. I hate when bad things happen to good people as Rashee Rice would only play in 4 games in the 2024 season. He has 24 catches for 288 yards with two receiving touchdowns. Rice would collide with Patrick Mahomes after an interception, and he would go down with a left knee injury as he tore his LCL (Lateral Collateral Ligament.) He would miss the rest of the season. No worries Chiefs fans, he’s still on the chain gang for the 2025 season.

The Chiefs have these off the field stories that are so bizarre. How many times do we have to be force fed this Taylor Swift relationship with the meat for brains Travis Kelce? Then the annoying State Farm commercials with Patrick Mahomes. Let’s talk about Patrick’s neighbor, his father former MLB pitcher Pat Mahomes, who loves to get his drink on and then drive. I think he leads the league as the top dad racking up the most DUI’s. Your son can’t set you up with an Uber ride? Then he somehow runs into perhaps the biggest racist pitcher of all-time, John Rocker. That sounds like an excellent idea to engage in whatever meatball conversation they were going to have. Now they may fight in some celebrity boxing match for the one marble they have left in both heads of theirs.

I can see the fight card now being a thriller like the one with Screech from “Saved by the Bell” versus Arnold Horshack from “Welcome Back, Kotter.”

Did the Kansas City Chiefs land the guy in the front office from the Steelers? The team who drafted head cases like Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, another X-Chief. Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy may be two young talented receivers in the game of football, but they surely don’t have their head screwed on right. Maybe the Chiefs should avoid picking guys from Texas Universities. There goes the idea of Johnny Manziel being the third string quarterback for Andy Reid and company. These Chiefs may have been lovable years ago when they were facing the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick dynasty. Now times have changed, as most of the NFL world cannot stand the Chiefs. They are not going to find love as the team looks more like the prison bus pulling up to play the guards in a scrimmage game for a little extra mashed potatoes in the prison cafeteria. Nobody will forget the Chiefs’ long walk on the Eagles’ Green Mile only weeks ago which was priceless for this organization of thugs.

THE NEW YORK JETS WILL BE FLYING IN AND OUT OF JUSTIN FIELD’S IN 2025

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The New York Jets can close the book on their darkness retreat chapters starring Aaron Rodgers. Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood soured the Big Apple in New York as he single handedly burned down his own team taking the Jets franchise to nothing but a heap of smoldering ash. The Jets thought at the time they just needed a quarterback to get over the hump and signed Rogers after he left Green Bay kicking and screaming. It’s been two years of pure hell for J-E-T-S as now they can finally move on and try to put some distance between them and the Mr. Darkness retreat. The Jets in day one of free agency have found Rogers’ replacement by signing former number one pick from the Chicago Bears, Justin Fields. Fields gets a two year deal worth 40 million which 30 of that is guaranteed as he will be an expensive rebound for this fan base. This move also gives this Jets franchise a breath of air and a new start which they need right now.

Justin Fields is now 26 years of age and has 4 NFL seasons under his belt. Originally Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1st round of the 2021 NFL draft number 11 overall from Ohio State University. He has played three seasons in Chicago where he had his ups and downs. Last year in his lone season in Pittsburgh as a Steeler, he achieved his first winning record in a season as a starting NFL QB. He was traded to Pittsburgh and only started 6 games for the Steelers where he had a winning record of 4-2. He played in a total of 10 games for the Steelers where he completed 65.8% of his passes which is a career high for Fields. He tallied up 1,106 passing yards with 5 touchdown passes and only 1 interception. He started the season as the starter for the Steelers because the other QB Pittsburgh signed at the time was Russell Wilson who had an injury to start the year off then replaced him week 7.

It took three full seasons as a starter for Justin Fields to win 10 games as a starter for the Chicago Bears. Last year he almost won half of those starts that he won in less than half a season. Fields is a duel threat quarterback that can beat you with his legs more than his arm. He has a nice deep pass but always had problems throwing over the middle of the field. I always say once athletes leave the Chicago sports landscape, they do better. Fields has always turned over the ball with an interception or he’s very good at coughing up the football. His career numbers in 4 seasons he is 14-30 as a starting QB. He has a completion percentage of 61.2% and he has tallied 7,780 yards in the air and thrown 45 touchdown passes. However he has thrown 31 interceptions. He threw only one as a Steeler. With the legs he has rushed the ball 418 times for 2,509 rushing yards with 19 rushing touchdowns. With the Bears he went through coaches and offensive coordinators like changing your underwear on a daily basis. In Chicago he had the turn style offensive line. With the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin, he changed his game and made less mistakes. He definitely had better protection. His turnover rate as a Steeler averaged out to 0.8% in 2024. From 2021-23 with the Bears, Fields averaged an NFL turnover rate of 2.8%. He has been careful with the ball in Pittsburgh. With the Bears he was the worst QB taking the sack. From 2021-23 he was sacked with a 12.4% sack rate. With the Steelers he cut that sack rate down to 9%. During those six games he started, the Steelers offense were averaging 20.7 points per game. The Jets would have loved to have 20.7 points per game as they did not get that with Aaron Rodgers last year.

The New York Jets pick at number 7 in this April’s draft may not get them one of the top two QB’s on the board. The Jets are in need of a future franchise quarterback. They have failed before at developing former number one picks they have selected such as Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson. Darnold finally had his best year in a Vikings uniform last season. Darnold may be a late bloomer while Wilson looks like the next Ryan Leaf. If the Jets are going to select a quarterback in this upcoming draft, they need to develop him. The best plan may be to have the guy stand on the sidelines with a clipboard and learn. Justin Fields may be a bridge gap QB for the Jets. Fields could also showcase his own talents and improve his game on the field to ultimately get a bigger deal elsewhere. However if luck is not on the side of the Jets in developing a draft pick, then if Fields performance is solid they may have found a solution behind center. If Fields does good he could be a trade chip for another team if the QB he grooms turns into something.

The Jets have had a solid defense the last few seasons during which I thought they took a step backwards last year. The stench of Aaron Rodgers rotted everything it touched in that Jets locker room last year. The Jets have hired a defensive-minded head coach in Aaron Glenn, former Lions D-Coordinator. Glenn can probably get that defense to its old self. If Justin Fields is careful with the football, then the Jets may have found a new formula to win games. Defense and duel threat QB who does not turn over the football. I think Fields will also flourish because he will have his former teammate catching his passes. From Ohio State, former Buckeye Garrett Wilson is the best receiver the Jets had had the last three seasons. With all the bad quarterback play the Jets had over the last few seasons, he still has found ways to tally over 1,000 receiving yards. The Jets were 5-12 last year and finished 3rd in the AFC East. They should benefit with an easier schedule next season. My knock of Fields in something he may not be able to improve, is the killer instinct with the ball in his hands in the last minute of the game. Taking the lead or tying the game to send it to overtime. Most importantly, the comeback to win the game. He was a disappointment in close games in the last few minutes in a Bears uniform. Right now Fields has a chance to showcase his talents with a new team and being the starter. How will he handle objects in his side mirror that are closer than he thinks? I like this move by the Jets because it turns the page on Rodgers. Fields is most likely only a rebound after a bad break up for the Jets. He gives this franchise a chance to heal. He gives this franchise a chance to rebuild. He gives the Jets a fighting chance every Sunday and makes each week exciting even if the record is not a winning one. The Jets should be better than 5-12 as the darkness retreat clouds have lifted over the New Jersey stadium on home games.

WE NOW KNOW WHO PETE CAROL’S GUY IS AND IT’S NOT RUSSELL WILSON

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When Pete Carol was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders, you knew the “win now” mentality was going to be the plan for the oldest head coach in the league. You knew the Raiders would go in another direction with their quarterback room from last season that featured Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. Many thought the Raiders would sign free agent Russell Wilson and Carol was set for their own reunion back in their Seattle days. The Raiders inquired about Matthew Stafford. The Rams were not going to trade their starting veteran quarterback. The free agent waters had some other interesting names like Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, and if you have the oldest coach in the NFL… why not get the oldest Quarterback in the league in Aaron Rodgers. Instead the Raiders went with Carol’s other guy from his Seattle days and struck a deal with the Seahawks bringing Geno Smith to Vegas baby! The Raiders will give Seattle a 2025 3rd round pick and the 34 year old Smith will be set for reunion with his old coach from Seattle.

Geno Smith was originally drafted by the New York Jets back in the 2013 NFL draft in the 2nd round 39th overall. After going 8-8 in his rookie season, Smith struggled after his first year in the league with the Jets. After 4 seasons the Jets pulled the plug on Smith. Smith bounced around the next two seasons before finding a back role for the Seahawks, as he backed up Russell Wilson. The Raiders will be Smith’s 5th NFL organization as he suited up one season each with the Giants and Chargers. Smith finally got another shot at the starting job when Wilson and Pete Carol’s relationship soured and he was traded to Denver. For the Jets, Smith had a 12-18 record as a starter dressed in green. For Seattle he will leave with a winning record of 28-24 in 5 seasons. He made two pro-bowls in 2022 & 23 both with Seattle where he resurrected his NFL career. In 11 seasons Smith has played in 94 games and has a record of 40-42 as the starter. He has tallied up 19,143 passing yards for his career with 105 touchdown passes to 72 interceptions.

Why Geno Smith over Russell Wilson? Wilson would have not cost the Raiders to give up any draft capital. I think the Raiders could have gotten Wilson cheaper as well. Wilson played 11 games last year for the Steelers where he was 6-5 as the starter. Wilson tallied 2,482 passing yards completing 63.7% of his passes. He threw 16 touchdowns to only 5 interceptions. Wilson had the Steelers in the driver’s seat to win the AFC North. The Steelers struggled at the end of the season and backed in the playoffs as a wild card, before they were quickly dispatched from the post-season after 1 game. Geno Smith completed 70.4% of his passes last season. He went 10-7 as a starter as he tallied up 4,320 passing yards. He threw 21 touchdown passes compared to 15 interceptions. He had Seattle in the driver’s seat in the NFC West, but the Seahawks would also fold down the stretch and miss the post-season. Wilson is 36 years of age and he can’t move like he used to back in his Seattle days. Smith is two years younger but has the ability to escape the pass rush with his legs. I think Smith has the stronger arm and can throw the ball down field better than Wilson can. Smith is more of that gunslinger mentality as Wilson is better at being careful with the football. Both guys are pretty much equal, but I would give Smith the edge. I think it comes down to Pete Carol probably has more trust with Smith than his old Quarterback he won the Superbowl with back in his Seattle days. I think Smith would get more respect in any locker room as Wilson is high maintenance and gets under most players’ skin with the special treatment he needs.

What is Seattle doing retooling or rebuilding? The Seahawks have one quarterback on their roster, former Washington Commander Sam Howell. In 2023 Howell chucked the ball 612 times that season which is by far the most passing attempts in the league. Howell has been in the league only 3 seasons and was back up to Geno Smith last year. He has played in 20 games and has a 5-13 record as a starter. In 2023 he tallied up 3,946 passing yards while throwing 21 touchdown passes but also threw 21 interceptions. He seems like Jameis Winston reincarnated. The Seahawks could be linked to Sam Darnold as their next starting quarterback. The Seahawks have freed up money by dealing Smith to the Raiders. Smith is the 19th highest paid QB in the league and is in his final year of a 3 year deal worth 75 million. The Seahawks were about 10 million apart with an extension for Smith. Seattle was looking to pay Smith 35 million per season, but his people wanted him to be paid 45 million per season. Seattle also has one of their top wide receivers in D.K. Metcalf who wants out and is seeking a trade. Even if you trade Metcalf, the Seahawks still have some interesting pieces for whoever their next starting quarterback will be. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a top receiver in the league. They have a pair of solid running backs in Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III. The Seattle defense played well last season.

The Raiders made a splash before this trade locking up their best asset on defense in Mad Maxx Crosby as he will be paid the most money by a player not being a quarterback in NFL history. The Raiders have brought in Chip Kelly to be the team’s offensive coordinator. Last year the Raiders ranked 29th in the NFL averaging 18.2 points per game. Kelly has had successful offenses that he had run in the NFL. Kelly was not a good head coach in the NFL. Kelly is most known for his exploding offenses at the college level. The Raiders have one of the best tight ends in the league. Brock Bowers may be the newest Travis Kelce in the entire NFL. Bowers in his rookie season caught 112 passes for 1,191 receiving yards and 5 touchdown catches. The Raiders will need another wide receiver. The one they currently had in Jakobi Meyers did have a nice season as well catching 87 balls for just over 1,000 yards and he caught 4 touchdowns. The Raiders will need a better running game than what they had last year. If the Raiders can add a few more guys to this high tempo offense Kelly likes to run, things may have gotten even more interesting in the AFC West.

Where does veteran Geno Smith fit in the pecking order of the AFC West at the quarterback position? You have to still rank Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs number one. Is Chargers Justin Herbert number two? His performance in the post-season last year versus Houston was weak. The Rise of Bo Nix for the Broncos may be the 2nd best QB in the division. Herbert and Smith could equal out behind Nix and Mahomes. The head coaching in this division is unbelievable. Remember the Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos made the post-season last year leaving only the Raiders at home from the AFC West. Andy Reid, Sean Peyton, and Jim Harbaugh all explain why three teams made the post-season. Pete Carol and the Raiders are behind the 8-ball looking in, but today they improved their team with Smith behind center. The Raiders will need more pieces to be able to leap frog some of these division rivals. For the long haul I see the Raiders getting better as a team. They may grab a wild card spot next year or the year after. The Raiders and post-season don’t go together like the days of “just win baby” which now was decades ago. I don’t see the Raiders winning a Superbowl with Geno Smith as their quarterback. Smith is nowhere close to being the Rich Gannon style of QB who blossomed like Geno late in his career and led the Raiders to a Superbowl appearance. The Raiders need a true number 1 QB to go along with the rise of a Max Crosby and Brock Bowers. It is always good to talk about the silver and black finally getting their act together.

THE BEARS SEEK THE HELP OF A MAN THAT HAS HELPED TWO HATED DYNASTIES WIN MULTIPLE SUPERBOWLS

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The Chicago Bears are Trumping up their offensive walls to keep out the opposing defenses’ migrants. Maybe General Manager of the Bears Ryan Poles got a good fence guy recommendation from Donald Trump. The Bears pulled off a monster trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to give Chicago a true pillar on an offensive line that gave up more screws than a whorehouse last season. The Bears acquire left guard Joe Thuney from the Chiefs for a 2026 4th round draft pick. Thuney has been the protector of Tom Brady back in the New England dynasty and has given protection to Patrick Mahomes for several seasons and this current Chiefs dynasty. Thuney has won 4 Superbowls in his 9 year NFL career, which 2 of them came from the Patriots and the other two the Chiefs.

Joe Thuney is 32 years of age. He was drafted by the Patriots in the 2016 NFL draft in the 3rd round 78th overall from the University of Carolina. His first 5 seasons was with the Evil Empire Patriots. His last 4 seasons he was down in Kansas City joining another hated franchise. Don’t let the age fool you as Thuney has only missed two games in his entire career. He played in all 17 games last year for the Chiefs. He has 146 games under his belt in the NFL. He is a 4x All-Pro and was selected to 3 Pro-Bowls in 9 total seasons. Last year he played 895 snaps at the left guard position. Then he was asked to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blind side at left tackle due to an injury. He played 217 snaps at left tackle. In the last two seasons he has had the highest pass block win rate of 97.8% in the entire league.

So why did the Kansas City Chiefs suddenly make Joe Thuney expendable? The Chiefs’ best offensive lineman Trey Smith recently got the franchise tag and is a guy younger than Thuney. Trading Thuney to the Bears will free up 16 million dollars off the Chiefs salary cap. Smith is only 23 years old and with a franchise tag would be paid in the neighborhood of 23.5 million which is the going rate out of your top protectors in the NFL. The Chiefs coming off their Superbowl loss will look to retool their roster but also get younger in the grand scheme of things.

For the Bears it’s simple, they have to protect their investment number one pick from last April’s draft in Caleb Williams. Williams was sacked 68 times in his rookie season which almost broke David Carr’s single rookie season he had in his first year with the Houston Texans. In 2002 Carr was sacked 76 times. This is the second move by the Chicago Bears in a matter of days. Both moves to improve their offensive line have come through trades. The first trade was with the LA Rams which landed them a 315 pound moose in Jonah Jackson, an X Detroit Lion who has ties to newly hired head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears have three free agents from last year who were fixtures on that terrible O-line they had who they will most likely let walk away instead of re-signing them.

Ben Johnson as the offensive coordinator for the last several years had success because of the guys in the trenches. The Detroit Lions had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL the last few seasons. They ran a well-balanced offense with a two-headed monster at running back that opened up the play action pass for Jared Goff. Johnson turned Goff into a serviceable quarterback that can help your team go deep into the post-season. The experts think Caleb Williams has all the star-studded tools of being a top NFL quarterback in this league. Williams now will have protection in the middle of the line in these first two moves of the off-season by the Bears landing a pair of guards. Obviously Johnson still has to work on Williams’ mechanics and help him get rid of the ball quicker to avoid those types of sacks in which Caleb found himself doing his rookie season. Now it will appear he will get that time after these two trades.

As many expected, the Ben Johnson era will be a carbon copy of what the Lions needed to do to resurrect that franchise from the dead. The Bears are now investing heavily into the offensive line as Joe Thuney will get 16 million next year as he finishes a 5 year extension he got in 2021 by the Chiefs that was worth 80 million. Rumors are swirling that Thuney may get an extension even before putting on the shoulder pads. The Bears will be paying Jonah Jackson 17.5 million who’s in his second year of a three year contract he signed with the Rams. I don’t expect either deal to be a one year try out. If the Bears don’t give Thuney the extension, they can let him ride out the end of his deal and call it a day. For Jackson the Bears could cut ties with him before next season in his final year which would not cause problems for the salary cap. I think Johnson and Ryan Poles think these two guards will be here longer than one season. For Jackson who only played 4 games last year for the Rams, it is a move right now I will question. I give Johnson the benefit of the doubt as they have connections. I do like the Thuney trade. He is older but looks like a guy that still has thread on the tires and we know he plays that way. He’s been a part of elite winning programs like the Chiefs and Patriots. I like he comes from colder climates such as Kansas City and New England, so he should feel right at home in Chicago. I like Thuney able to play either tackle or guard. The Bears may need one more guy for that O-line to get the full makeover. Now they can address that in the draft or through free agency. All of the moves the Bears have made on offense the last two seasons are for Caleb Williams. Williams will be the final piece of the puzzle if this franchise will contend for years to come. Winning the off-season does not win Superbowl titles.

ANOTHER BEARS BLUNDER NOT RE-SIGNING SANBORN

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The Chicago Bears organization’s best comparison is a teenager who constantly makes bad decisions. It does not matter who’s in charge at the top. Does not matter who is the head coach. Somehow the Bears will make a blunder which will leave you scratching your head in disbelief. The latest is non-tendering strong side linebacker Jack Sanborn who’s a local kid and a player that has thrived the last three seasons since being signed as an un-drafted free agent from the University of Wisconsin. Sanborn was a restricted free agent and the money to keep him on this team is chump change which tallies to 3.263 million. Now Sanborn is a free agent and can sign anywhere he wants to. Some say the madness of this Bears move was to re-sign Sanborn for his services at a cheaper price. I have to believe some team will come in and scoop up a talent and want Sanborn’s services in the upcoming season.

Jack Sanborn is only 24 years of age and signed with the Bears as an un-drafted free agent in the 2022 season. That year he cracked the starting line up and made six starts for the Bears. In three seasons with the Bears he has played in 48 games and has made 19 starts at linebacker. Last year he played in all 17 games and tallied up 17 tackles while registering 1.5 sacks on the QB. Sanborn is a tackling machine as he has been involved in 164 tackles in three NFL seasons which 110 of those were solo. He has racked up 14 tackles for a loss of yards while defending 5 passes. He has one interception while racking up 4.5 sacks. He grew up a Bears fan and is from Lake Zurich, Illinois. Former Bears coaches say Sanborn is a versatile player, intelligent, a hard worker, and a guy that can play in nickel situations on third downs. You have to like his motor as he keeps going until the whistle blows. He can back up all the team’s linebacker positions. If not a starter, Sanborn would give any team depth on the roster.

The Bears have a new head coach in Ben Johnson who is here to fix the team’s offense and develop the quarterback. Johnson hired former Saints/Raiders head coach Dennis Allen who will be bringing in a different style of defense than what Matt Eberflus had the last few years. The Bears have invested heavily in linebackers through free agency by signing former Eagle T.J Edwards and former Bill Tremaine Edmunds before the 2023 season. Both Edmunds and Edwards might not be the linebackers in Allen’s defensive scheme. The Bears will be looking for guys that can pressure the quarterback is my guess and that made a guy like Jack Sanborn expendable for this new regime.

One team that may scoop up a guy like Jack Sanborn is the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have a new D-Coordinator and it is Matt Eberflus who definitely knows what his defense needs and will know what he would be getting if they ink Sanborn to a free agent contract. Sanborn should have multiple suitors for his services. I know he was not drafted, but he played defense in the Big Ten at the University of Wisconsin. Big Ten manufactures linebackers and solid defensive options like a factory. It’s a conference that plays defense still. Many of these un-drafted free agents play with more heart than most of these guys that were drafted. Sanborn seems like that guy that a coach would say, “If I only had 11 Jack’s out there, what this defense could do.” That defense would play hard. That defense would not shoot themselves in the foot and play smart. Whoever signs Sanborn will get a better version of Jack because he will be even more motivated to be better if that is even possible. I’m not going to lie. I hate seeing the Bears give up on a local kid that was doing well. He is only 24 years of age and has not even hit his prime of his football career. I wish him the best of luck. I really do think the Bears have made another blunder which is the norm for this franchise and for all the teams in the Chicago Sports landscape.

IS J.J. GOING TO BE DYNAMITE FOR THE BEARS OFFENSIVE LINE NEXT SEASON?

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The Ben Johnson era in Chicago starts off with a move that several past General Managers for the Bears used the band aid method on over the last two decades. You could even throw the current GM Ryan Poles under a bus for not knowing what an offensive lineman looks like. The Bears pull off a trade with the LA Rams to land a veteran guard and one of Johnson’s old disciples from back in the Detroit days. The Bears acquire 28 year old left guard Jonah Jackson from the Rams for a 6th round 2025 draft pick. Before you make your Superbowl plans for the Bears, it comes with a cost of 17.5 million on the salary cap. The Bears will take on the entire length of Jackson’s contract – a guy that only played in four games last year. This sounds more of a Bears-like move.

Jonah Jackson was originally drafted by the Lions in the 2020 NFL draft, as he was selected in the 3rd round 75th overall from Ohio State University. Jackson has 5 seasons under his belt as he has started 61 NFL games. In 2021 Jackson was named to his only Pro-Bowl, by far his best season in the NFL. Last year the Lions chose to let Jackson walk out the door in free agency as he signed with the Rams on a 3 year deal worth 51 million. His lone season in LA was not worth remembering as he missed most of training with camp due to a injury. He did return to line up for opening week then in week two a shoulder injury landed him on injured reserve. He would return late in the season and play in another two regular season games. In Jackson’s first two seasons in the NFL, he played in 16 games in back to back years. In 2022 he played in only 13 games. In 2023 he played in only 12 games. Last year he played in 4 games. The Bears hope he can stay healthy this upcoming season and have a bounce back year.

Last season the Bears GM Ryan Poles improved the offense by adding all the fancy play makers and new offensive coordinator. Like past Bears General Managers he did not address that offensive line and it was like putting make up on a pig. Poles’ number one pick, Caleb Williams, paid the price in almost breaking David Carr’s rookie record of being sacked the most in NFL history. Williams made mistakes as a rookie that did not help the guys the Bears had protecting him. He would hold on to the ball way too long. Most of the games, the Bears offensive line caved in like a house of cards as defenders would blow up the middle of that line each week. The Bears coaching staff had no answers and no adjustments as Williams is lucky he is still in one piece by the end of another miserable season on the gridiron for Chicago. Williams’ first season was like Mitch Trubisky’s & Justin Fields’ first season with the Bears. Quarterbacks selected in the first round come in with a shaky line and a coaching staff that is doomed from the start. Then after that year, all three quarterbacks have to start over with another head coach and offensive coordinator. This go around the Bears kept Poles as he convinced ownership they need to spend the big money to hand the reigns over to Ben Johnson. He’s that hot shot offensive coordinator who did wonders in Detroit the last few years. Can Johnson avoid what happened to Matt Nagy and Matt Eberflus who ruined Trubisky and Fields? It looked like the Commanders who picked second overall in last April’s draft and selected Jayden Daniels, which made the better choice for now after one season. Will it continue?

The Bears will need more than one move to solidify their offensive line this off season. The Bears will not resign Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton or Matt Pryor who all played on the offensive line last season. They are set to become free agents and other teams’ problems. The Bears could address their line issues with free agency, the draft, or by trade, like they did with their first significant move of the off-season. This first move is indeed interesting. Jonah Jackson and many others in the NFL worked very hard to get that first pay day and after they get it, their performances drop off the map. Jackson got the big deal and after year one has not lived up to it. Injuries happen in football. Ben Johnson knows Jackson very well working with him for years so I suspect they think he will bounce back and the shoulder problems should not linger for years to come. You have to give head coach Johnson the benefit of the doubt because he knows what an offensive line man looks like over the yahoos who have failed at finding the right big guys to protect your asset which is the quarterback. Hopefully Coach Johnson can develop the quarterback as well. Which the Bears brass have not figured that out for quite some time. Keeping the QB upright is the first step which is basic Football 101. Jackson is a 315 pound beast the Bears are adding at left guard. He can play some right guard as well. He should help prevent the opposing defenses from caving in the middle of that line. He’s getting the big bucks so he better be worth it. The Bears have some space in their salary cap which will not be an issue making other signings. In the third year of the contract which will be the 2026 regular season, if Jackson is not worth keeping he would not cost much against the cap to cut ties with next off-season. His track record raises red flags for me as his career goes on, the less he plays. The Bears did not give up a lot for him. You are not getting a starting offensive lineman in the 6th round of this April’s draft. The pressure will be on Ben Johnson as he is getting paid well and this is his guy. Right now this move will be a wait and see. It could be dynamite in either way. Bears fans hope it does not explode against them like most of their front office moves they have seen for years.

BUFFALO BILLS NEED A GAME WRECKER ON DEFENSE

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The NFL is a copycat league like in all sports. Once the recipe is out there in the football world for how to prevail against your enemy, suddenly your own team gravitates to some changes. When the Philadelphia Eagles defense gave the Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs a beat down in this past Superbowl, you better believe it that general managers around the entire league took notice. Especially Brandon Beane, the GM of the Buffalo Bills. The Bills can’t clear that final hurdle to the Superbowl which is the Chiefs. It may not be the extra weapon Josh Allen needs on offense to get the job done versus the Chiefs. What Allen and the Bills need most is a guy that can help disrupt the flow of Mahomes and that Chiefs offense to put up another disastrous performance like he did last month. Could a game wrecker be possible for the Bills this off-season in a trade with Cleveland for defensive end Myles Garrett? Could the Bills simply sign Khalil Mack who is available in free agency? Would either one of these guys be the key to getting by the Chiefs?

Myles Garrett is unhappy in Cleveland and has demanded a trade. Garrett is 29 years old & has 8 seasons in the NFL all with the Browns who drafted number 1 overall in the 2017 NFL draft. In 117 games in the NFL Garrett is one of the best at killing the QB, as he racked up 102.5 sacks in his career so far. Last season he had 14 sacks in 17 games with 40 solo tackles and 3 forced fumbles. Garrett has been named defensive player of the year multiple times from different outlets over his career. He is also a six time Pro-Bowler. Khalil Mack was originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 2014 NFL draft in the first round 5th overall. Mack is 34 years of age and has 11 seasons under his belt with the Raiders, Bears, and Chargers for the last few seasons. He has played in 167 career NFL games and has racked 107.5 sacks. Mack is a 9x Pro-Bowler and also has won multiple defensive player of the year awards. Last year he had only 6 sacks in 16 games and 20 solo tackles along with 2 forced fumbles. Mack has only 5 playoff games under his belt in his career as he tallied up 3 sacks in post-season play. While Garrett has one sack in three post-season games.

I would love to have Khalil Mack and Myles Garrett on my defense rushing from opposite ends. With Garrett you get a younger guy that has more octane in his tank than the old Mack truck. Garrett is like a crazed animal out there on the field and he can easily wreck your game plan. Only one time he used the quarterback’s helmet as a weapon of mass destruction on the the QB he took it from. He is not that guy who will cost you a game for losing his cool as he did that night with Mason Rudolf when he played for the Steelers. Garrett was drafted in 2017 and Josh Allen was drafted in 2018 which means the Bills’ top two guys on their respected units are about the same age. Allen is 28 while Garrett is 29. I remember when the Bears first landed Khalil Mack from the Raiders as he had no pre-season action and helped the Bears get back to the post-season. The Bears had one of the best defenses in the league. The Bears got there with Mitch Trubisky as the starting quarterback and they have moron Matt Nagy as the head coach. Mack was unstoppable that year as he had 12.5 sacks in his first season in a Bears uniform. Mack is a streaky kind of guy. Some years he can have monster numbers and some years like last year, he only had 6 sacks. It’s not like he has less effort as he could be getting double teamed. When you take on double teams, it should free up someone else on that defense that can create the havoc that week.

The bottom line is how much is it going to cost you to land one of these guys? Brandon Beane has pulled the trigger on landing a big player before. Right before the 2020 season Beane got Josh Allen, one of the top play makers in the league with Stefon Diggs. That trade was a bowl of mixed nuts for the Bills as they dealt Diggs to Houston before the 2024 season started. For the Browns who are being handcuffed by the biggest flop of a trade in NFL history they made by acquiring Deshaun Watson from Houston. They will certainly will ask a lot for a Myles Garrett. It will cost the Bills trade capital and chunks of salary cap to get Garrett. Other teams could drive the price up for Garrett as well. For Khalil Mack it is about how much does he want in his bank account. Will Mack take less at his age with a chance to go further in the post-season with the Bills than any other team he has played for in his career? Mack played his college ball with the University of Buffalo where he dominated. Could that be enough to entice him to come back and play in the cold weather after a few seasons in the LA sun?

These moves are always a doubled edge sword which can cut your own team more than help. When the Bills went out and signed Von Miller in 2022, it was supposed to be “MILLER TIME” in Buffalo instead of the normal Lablatt Blue. Last year Miller tallied up six sacks in 13 games as a guy who is 35 years of age. Giving Khalil Mack a big contract or big money next season at the age of 34 kind of makes me nervous. Miller should be a salary cap casualty coming up which will give the Bills more money to spend on the open market. The biggest question is does one guy make that much of a difference? The Eagles used the legs of Saquon Barkley to ride them all the way to the Superbowl. At the end it was the Eagles defense who won that Superbowl. The Eagles defense did it as a unit. If I had to pick out of Mack or Garrett, put me down for Myles over Khalil. Age makes a difference on the football field. If the Bills could land two impact free agents for the one price on that defense, then sign me up for that. I think Sean McDermott and the Bills may be heading to a different philosophy on the defensive side of the ball with some of the new hires as coaches on that side of the field. I would like to see some new horses in the trenches. I would like to see a shut down corner back as well. This Bills defense is not terrible. They already have some solid pieces in place. The Eagles defense has some of those names you probably heard the first time because of the Superbowl. Let’s keep the draft capital. Let’s invest in multiple needs for the entire roster and not put all our eggs in the single basket.