Buffalo Bills Owner Mode - Episode 6

The Buffalo Bills Owner Mode is back after a lengthy delay after a move to Saskatchewan. Continue the journey with Week 5's match-up against the Cleveland Browns, in primetime on Thursday night!

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The Run to the Playoffs: NFL Edition

Well folks, it's about 3/4 of the way through the NFL season. What better time than now to take a look at the Schmucks' preseason predictions and get a look at some thoughts for the upcoming run to the Super Bowl.

My biggest prediction from the off-season predictions and NFL preview podcast was that Mr. All Day himself Adrian Peterson would break the NFL's rushing record of 2,105 this season. As of this article with Week 13 coming up, he isn't even the league's leading rusher. So, count me off track on that one. I mostly blame the terrible quarterback play of the Vikings for this one. Whether it be Ponder, Freeman or Cassel, all of them have been terrible. Expect a high quarterback pick this May in the draft.

Another subject both Brett and I discussed actually came semi-true and that was the play of Robert Griffin III and how he would come back from his ACL injury. So far, he actually has played pretty well, but you can tell he is not the same quarterback that he was last year: jittery in the pocket and doubling the amount of turnovers this year from the same time last year. The lack of training camp in the off-season, and all his focus on rehabbing his knee are most likely the culprits for his slide. I expect a full off-season to fix what ails him and for him to bounce back next year.

Not to insult fellow writer Brett with a couple of dubious picks this year, but he is last in the fantasy football league that we are in and will have the SACKO coming his way this year. (Editor's note: I believe I said I would win the SACKO) And his pick of Eli Manning for league MVP was quite off to say the least. (Don't know what I was on when I picked that scenario.) Our choice of Jarvis Jones for defensive rookie of the year was off base as well, but the Steelers struggles have been quite surprising. Our picks for division winners this year have been hit and miss this year especially in the AFC South.

In the NFC East, our choices of the Giants for Brett (Giants are only two games back) and Redskins for me is completely off with the revamped teams of the division the Eagles and Cowboys in a dogfight for top dog in the division. I believe Nick Foles will lead the Eagles to win the division. In the NFC North, no would in their right mind would think the Lions would be on top this late into the season, but the injury to Aaron Rodgers and the terrible defensive play of the the Packers left that door open. The Lions will win the division in a tight race to the end with the Bears. The NFC South has been a topsy-turvy story with every team being a surprise in their own right. Both Brett and I picked the Saints to win the division, but I did not see the Panthers playing this well. I thought next year would be in their fight for the division lead. The weeks coming up will be a big factor in who wins the division with the Panthers and Saints facing off twice. I think the Saints will come out on top. My prediction of the Falcons being overrated came to fruition, and the Buccaneers were going to be boom or bust this year as I said. It looks like they went bust, but have been competitive none-the-less. The NFC West has been Seattles' play thing this year and if they win home field you might as well book them a trip to New York for the Super Bowl. The 49ers have been surprisingly flat so far, but seem to be coming around late in year. My pick for a surprise wild card team in Arizona has been playing extremely well.

The AFC East, West and North has gone to plan for our picks with the Patriots, Bengals, and Broncos on top of their divisions handily. The AFC South pick of the Houston Texans went quite terribly with their season being an absolute disaster, with quarterback Matt Schaub going belly up and more then likely forcing the Texans into a high quarterback pick in the u coming draft. The interesting fight in the AFC is for the wild card position, where pretty much every team but the Texans and Jaguars have a shot at the final playoff spot. The Dolphins and Ravens are at 6-6 records right now, with the Titans, Chargers, Steelers, and Jets breathing down their necks at 5-7. The Bills, Browns, and Raiders are still in the picture at 4-8, but any kind of run in the upcoming weeks can put them right there at the end.

This season has been chalk full of shocking stories like the Jonathan Martin bullying situation down in Miami. I know it is the NFL and teams demand their players to be bad-ass, tough son of a guns, but in the end of the day these men are still human and who likes to be threatened while going to work? I believe Richie Incognito's punishment so far to his reputation and suspension have been fitting to the crime. I do believe he will play again, but not with the Dolphins. I believe both players will be moved in the off-season to new teams for the fresh starts they need.

As I said, RG3's drama this year has even gone beyond the knee with even his father being to blame for his play in the locker room. Washington has just been a bad team this year and the season will be a growing pain year like the one that Kansas City faced last year. Expect a bounce back next year.

The Buccaneers have had embarrassing story after embarrassing story come out this year. If it wasn't three players on the team getting a severe staph infection called MRSA, it was the ridicule of head coach Greg Schiano and the calling for him to be fired. Or the release of quarterback Josh Freeman. This year clearly has not gone to plan for the Buccaneers, but they have been playing well enough to have a much better record then they currently have. Mike Glennon could contend for Rookie of the Year. I still expect changes in off-season to the coach and GM, and a big year next year.

The biggest story of the year has to be the Texans and Chiefs, one going from worst team last year to potential Super Bowl contender and the other going from Super Bowl contender to worst team in the league. Even worse than the Jaguars. Quite shocking what has happened in Houston. They will need a lot of help in the off-season to get back to division top dog. Kansas City has played so well on behalf of their quarterback not being incompetent, with fringe choice for MVP Alex Smith leading them to a 9-3 record so far this year, and their defence being one of the best in the league.

Now that we have recapped what has taken place so far this season, it is time for updated selections for MVP, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, Rookies of the Year, and the Super Bowl champion of course!

We will start off with the Rookies of the Year on the defensive and offensive side. Our original picks for the Offensive Rookie of the Year was for EJ Manuel (Brett) and Tavon Austin (me). Manuel had a great start to the season, but injuries derailed his chance at the award. As much as Austin has picked it up later in the season, his beginning to his rookie year was terrible and he hasn't been able to recover from that. So with that, my updated pick for rookie of the year is Eddie Lacy from the Packers, who has single-handedly revived a stale and nearly dead rushing attack for the Packers. Also in consideration has been Mike Glennon from the Buccaneers who has turned the team around since taking over for Josh Freeman.

On the defensive side of the ball, the original picks for the Rookie of the Year for both Brett and I was Jarvis Jones of the Steelers. While Jones hasn't had the greatest first year, recording only one sack and 24 tackles up to the point of this article being written, it is another line backer taken in the 2nd round who has become the Sports By Schmucks defensive Rookie of the Year. Kiko Alonso from the Buffalo Bills has quietly become a force in the middle of the Bills' defence. The rangy former Oregon Duck has amassed 112 tackles up to this point, which is second in the league, along with four interceptions and two sacks. Another player to that caught my eye this year has been Sheldon Richardson from the Jets, who has been a disruptive force on the defensive line for the Rex Ryan Jets.

Both Brett and I had some interesting choices for who the Defensive Player of the Year could be. Brett chose Cam Wake and I chose Brian Orpako for the DPOY. Both are having solid years, but no one can touch this Seattle defender who has backed up his talk as one of the best to ever play the position. My choice for Defensive Player of the Year is Richard Sherman. While his stats aren't eye popping, that is for a reason: quarterbacks are just afraid to throw at him. He is the definition of shut down. With 29 tackles and 4 picks to this point, I don't expect him to put up to many more tackles or picks. But it's the fear he brings to quarterbacks that earns my respect and my player of the year choice. My other consideration for the award would be Robert Mathis from the Colts who is quietly having a great season in Indy, amassing 15.5 sacks so far this season to go along with a safety and five forced fumbles.

Our Offensive Player of the Year choice was Adrian Peterson. He was also my MVP choice. Brett's choice for MVP crazily enough (emphasis on crazy) was Eli Manning. But I believe it is the other Manning who will take home both awards. Peyton Manning has been having a whale of a season, with just over 4,100 yards passing, 41 touchdowns and only 9 picks all while leading his team to a 10-2 record. He more than deserves the choice as the Most Valuable Player in the NFL. Other players in consideration for each award is Calvin Johnson in Detroit and Adrian Peterson for the Vikings. Each are having incredible years, but will fall short in comparison to the year that Peyton is having.

Now, down to a topic we didn't hit on in the podcast or my season preview which is coach of the year. My choice for coach of the year is Ron Rivera in Carolina who has taken a team who last year had a 7-9 record, started out 0-2 this year, and is now 9-2 with nine straight impressive wins. Failing a late season collapse to the playoffs, he will win the award. Andy Reid in Kansas City also deserves major kudos for the job done there, but his roster was full of Pro Bowl talent. Bringing in quarterback Alex Smith maybe deserves more credit there for the turn around.

On to the final topic to look at and that is the eventually champ of the NFL. Brett and I originally had the match up set as the Denver Broncos vs the Seattle Seahawks for the Super Bowl. Nothing has changed from that original picking. We are just now more reinforced in our picks. Brett still has Peyton going on to win his 2nd Lombardi trophy, while I have Seattle winning it's first title ever bringing the trophy back to the 12th man in Seattle.

That is our look back and forward of the NFL's season so far. Keep an eye out for upcoming articles and podcasts from the guys at Sports by Schmucks, including a look at the MLB off-season at the big free agent signings so far and what's to come.

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NFL Offseason Review: NFC North

We finish our tour of the NFC with a look at the North, which had 3 teams with 10 or more wins last season. Can the Lions bounce back from a down year? Will the Vikings three first round draft picks make a big difference? Will a CFL coach make an impact and get the Bears back to the Super Bowl? Or can the Green and Gold from the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field keep up their domination and be heading back to the Super Bowl?

Chicago Bears

Jay Cutler (Photo from smokinjaycutler.tumblr.com)

The Chicago Bears biggest move this offseason wasn't the addition of Marc Trestman from the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. No, it was the addition of some key offensive linemen who will finally protect Jay Cutler. Oh ya, and letting go some middle linebacker who had been the face of the franchise. Let's get to Jay Cutler first though, and the celebration he must be having at finally having a solid offensive line to protect him with the signing of Jermon Bushrod from New Orleans and the drafting of Kyle Long in the first round. Both should improve this line from terrible to better then average. Cutler should have a big year because of this. In a contract year, expect him to light it up especially if All-Pro running back Matt Forte can stay healthy and bounce back this year. New coach Trestman will open this offense up and be an attacking style team. If you look at his work in the CFL, expect Forte to be heavily involved in catching the ball out of the back field. The receivers for Chicago will be led by another All-Pro in Brandon Marshall, who should continue to be on of the best wide outs in the game. The Bears have to hope Alshon Jeffery can step up and have a bigger role in the offense in his second year in the league. The tight end position should be fine with Martellus Bennett signed in free agency to be the starter. A good pass catcher and blocker, Martellus is a solid option at tight end.

Julius Peppers (Photo from suntimes.com)

The defense - even with the lost of Brian Urlacher - will still be solid. Having two All-Pros on your defensive line is a good place to start. Julius Peppers and Henry Melton are two of the best in the game at getting at the quarterback. Melton will be especially motivated this year after being franchise tagged, and a great season will just bring in the dollars in free agency - and this kid is worth every penny he is going to get. At line backer, D.J. Williams comes over from Denver to man the position Urlacher has been playing for over a decade and will be a solid replacement in the Cover 2 scheme the Bears use. Lance Briggs has still got it for an old man, and still will be counted on to be the new official leader of the defense and continue to come up with big plays. This secondary is a bit underrated I think. They don't get the national exposure of say Seattle or now Tampa Bay, but Tim Jennings and Charles "Peanut" Tillman are one of the best corner tandems in the game. Safety Chris Conte is underrated in my eyes. He's a solid tackler and the man makes plays. I think the Bears can win 9-10 games, but in this tough division and conference, that may not be enough to sneak into even a wildcard spot this year.

Detroit Lions

Calvin Johnson (Photo from espn.com)

Coming off a 4-12 year, the Lions should be able to rebound to a better record - closer towards the 8-8 territory. Matthew Stafford, fresh off his new extension, should have another big year again. Now the Lions have a legit weapon in the back field in free agency signing Reggie Bush from Miami. The addition of Bush to the team gives the Lions a proven runner for the first time in a couple years. With his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, teams will have to account for a pass out to the flats and short yardage with the ability to bust it out. Making teams play back on their heels will certainly help Megatron - Calvin Johnson - have another big year. Maybe not record setting like last year, but certainly just as close. Ghe big question will be if another wide receiver like Nate Burleson or Ryan Broyles can step up and take heat off the big man and give Stafford another legit option on the outside. If not, the duo of Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler give a great 1-2 punch at tight end, both being pass catching threats, especially Scheffler down in the red zone. The offensive line will have to play better this year to help the offense out. The addition of big Larry Warford from Kansas in the third round will definitely help.

Ndamukong Suh (Photo from espn.com)

On the defense, there are big changes along the outside of the defensive line. Top draft pick Ezekiel Ansah joins Jason Jones - who is coming over from Seattle in free agency - to rebuild this line who lost Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch in the offseason. Both players should be an improvement on each man they are replacing, but only if Ansah can live up to his draft selection. In the middle, Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley are two über-talented players who have to keep their emotions in check. If they can, this combination can be one of the premier defensive tackle duos in the league. The line backing core of the Lions is very underwhelming. The presence of Stephen Tulloch is the only thing keeping these guys from being one of the worst in the league. Tulloch is a missile on the field: very rangy and a great tackler. The secondary has the potential to be a decent group if second round pick Darius Slay can crack the starting line up and play well. Chris Houston is a solid starter, but is more of a guy you would feel more comfortable throwing on a teams number two wide out. Glover Quin coming over from Houston in the offseason will be a great pairing with Louis Delmas to give the Lions a solid combination at safety. The Lions just need Delmas to get over the injury bug and get an entire full season out of him for this secondary to succeed.

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers (Photo from profootballrosters.com)

In the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, the Packers should remain the top dogs in the division. I predict 11 wins, but they will have a tougher go this season to remain on top. Aaron Rodgers - another quarterback who got his money this offseason - is the clear leader of this team, and one of the top quarterbacks in the game. This offseason, the Packers finally went out and got him some potential legit running backs for the first time. With the drafting of Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin in this years NFL draft, the Packers have a nice 1-2 punch they can throw at rival teams. Lacy is the thunder to Franklin's a lightning. This duo should put other teams on notice that Green Bay can run it down your throats if they want to. They won't though because they still have one of the top passing attacks in the league, even without Greg Jennings. Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, and James Jones are just playmakers for Rodgers, especially Cobb who's elusiveness can bust out big plays at anytime. The Packers will need a better year out of Jermichael Finley, who struggled last year and fell out of favour as one of Rodgers go-to guys. The offensive line is going to need to shore up this year. Last year, they had Rodgers getting hit left and right. But with the addition of an actual running attack, teams will have to respect the run and not just send the dogs at Rodgers knowing a pass is coming.

B.J. Raji (Photo from espn.com)

The Packers defense comes back pretty much intact from last year, but with the addition of first round pick Datone Jones to play on the defensive line. Mostly known for rushing the passer, Jones should be able to hold up well in the 3-4 system the Packers play. B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett are solid 3-4 defensive linemen and space eaters. Those space eaters allow the line backers to get to the quarterback and, with outside linebacker Clay Matthews, that happens very often. Yhe line backers are a very good group, with former first round pick AJ Hawk and Nick Perry being solid players. other inside linebacker Brad Jones is serviceable next to those gentlemen. Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, and Casey Heyward make a very solid combination at corner, with Heyward being put into more of a slot role this year. With Shields coming back, look for even more big plays from Heyward. Safeties for the Packers are unspectacular, but the corners make up for their deficiencies.

Minnesota Vikings

Christian Ponder (Photo from twincities.com)

This season for the Vikings and a return to the playoffs will not rest on All Day Adrian Peterson. It will rest on the arm of Christian Ponder and his ability to bring balance to the offense so Peterson can do his thing without nine people being in the box. He now has the weapons in former division-rival from Green Bay Greg Jennings coming over to the Vikings, and one of three first round picks Cordarrelle Patterson now manning the receiver position. So, he has his weapons on the outside. With his two solid pass catching tight ends in Kyle Rudolph and John Carlson, the excuses are gone. Ponder must produce or will be reduced to the bench or free agency, especially with a great class of quarterbacks coming out in this year's draft. The offensive line is anchored by Matt Kalil and is full of road graters who will open up massive holes for their All-World running back.

Jared Allen (Photo from espn.com)

Sharrif's Floyd slide from potential top 5 pick to 23rd overall is a blessing in disguise for this former Florida defensive tackle. Granted, he loses out in millions of dollars. But sliding in next to another stud tackle in Kevin Williams can do nothing but make this kid better. Floyd has plenty of pass rush ability and with Jared Allen on the outside, this line can be incredibly formidable.  Look for Allen to take another run at the sack record this year. The line backers lead by Erin Henderson and Chad Greenway are a great group who are solid at the line, but struggle a bit in coverage. They will be joined by 4th round pick this year Gerald Hodges to make a solid group, making the front 7 a very strong group. The 3rd of the Vikings first round picks Xavier Rhodes will combine with Chris Cook and A.J. Jefferson to give them a bunch of young corners with a lot of potential. If they can live up to that, it will make the entire defense much much better. If they struggle, look for more pressure to be on the front 4 to get things done. Harrison Smith out of Notre Dame was one of the more pleasant surprises last year in the league, playing exceptionally well. He will be a Pro Bowl player one day in this league. I expect a 6 to 7 win season for the Vikings this year, and a new quarterback next year with them selecting one of the great quarterbacks coming out next year.

That is the end of the NFC. Now on to the AFC.

Up first will be the AFC West, where the Denver Broncos will hope to repeat at division champions and make another attempt to get Peyton another ring. Can the Kansas City Chiefs - a team with the worst record in the league last year - bounce back to sneak into a playoff spot? Will a new head coach get the San Diego Chargers back being Super and in to the playoffs? Can the Oakland Raiders make that next step from bottom of the division to even third?

I will let you know.

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