My biggest takeaway from the Ezekiel Elliot suspension

 The NFL off-season was very fascinating, but the riveting decisions do not stop there. Recently, Ezekiel Elliot was suspended for six games after a domestic violence investigation. This will obviously impact other teams, specifically the teams in the NFC East. It could also lead to the Cowboys not winning the NFC East, which opens up spots for the Redskins, Giants, and Eagles.

But my biggest takeaway from this suspension is the fact that Dak Prescott will be playing his first regular season games without Elliot in the backfield. The only other game that Prescott has played without Elliot was in week 17, but that game didn't really matter because the Cowboys had already clinched the first seed in the NFC playoffs.

Last season, Elliot was a huge reason for Prescott's success. The running game was a huge part of the cowboys offense, so when they set up the play action, teams often fell for the run which led to Prescott completing most of his play action passes. Now without Elliot, their might be some struggles in the first couple weeks for the Cowboys offense and specifically Prescott. While Darren Mcfadden and Alfred Morris are solid running backs, they won't provide the same luxuries to Prescott that Elliot does. But one of the great components of the Cowboys offense is their offensive line, which I think is the key to keeping them in playoff contention. But even their remarkable offensive line has taken a blow with Tyron Smith questionable for week 1 of the regular season because of a knee injury.

The first game back that Elliot will be able to play in will be against the Redskins on October 29th. I'll recap my predictions for the weeks before that.

Week 1: vs Giants

I think the Cowboys will lose this game 27-13. Because of the loss of Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr, it'll be easier for the Giants to attack that defense with the addition of Brandon Marshall, wide receiver coming from the Jets. Linebacker Sean Lee will really have to lead the Cowboys defense.

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Week 2: vs Broncos

This game will be a good test for Prescott playing against one of the best defenses in the NFL. I think the broncos receiving core of Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas will be too much for the Cowboys defense again. I am predicting the score to be 24-10. I think the Cowboys secondary will be a big part of them winning or losing.

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Week 3: vs Cardinals

I think the Cowboys will win this game 20-17 despite the Cardinals great defense. This year, I feel like the age factor for Carson Palmer will start to kick in.

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Week 4: vs Rams

I think the Cowboys will also win this game 23-16. The Rams are a young team and still learning but they do have a bright future.

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Week 5: vs Packers

I think the Cowboys will lose this 34-30. The Cowboys will finally be finding some rhythm without Elliot but Aaron Rodgers will be too much again for that defense.

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Week 6: Bye

Week 7: vs 49ers

This will be the last game that the Cowboys will play without Elliot and I think they will lose 27-20. I think Kyle Shanahan at head coach will make the 49ers offense function well with the addition of Pierre Garcon who he knew during his time as offensive coordinator for the Redskins.

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Why Josh Norman will have his hands full against NFC East Teams

Last off season, the Washington Redskins signed Josh Norman to a 5 year, $75 million dollar deal, after the Panthers foolishly let him go. In the 2016-17 NFL season, the Skins didn't quite reach expectations, especially their defense. However, Josh Norman did play fairly well in his first year with the Skins. He had 3 interceptions along with 2 forced fumbles. But defense doesn't work out with just one man doing his job. Other Skins defenders that, in my opinion, didn't reach their expectations were Bashaud Breeland, Ziggy Hood, and Preston Smith. One Redskins defender that I think played very well was Mason Foster. At the inside linebacker position, he didn't get that many sack opportunities, but did come up with a lot of
big plays throughout the year. I definitely think that with the addition of D.J. Swearinger, former Arizona Cardinals free safety, that pass defense for the Skins will definitely improve.

Let's get back to Josh Norman. At times, he could get into scuffles with fellow NFC East receivers Dez Bryant, and Odell Beckham Jr. This year, the receiver to defensive back match ups will be even tougher. The New York Giants have added former Jets receiver Brandon Marshall, while the Philadelphia Eagles have added Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery. Smith being a former 49ers wide out, while Jeffery coming from the Bears as a receiver also.

This means that Norman will have to play Dez, Jeffery and Smith, and Beckham and Marshall a total of 6 times! Hopefully he gets help because if not, it could be another long season for the Redskins defense.

Gonzaga vs UNC: Who Wins?

The 2017 March Madness tournament has finally come to an end. But there is still one more game left to be played. The Gonzaga Bulldogs and the North Carolina Tarheels have made their way all the way to the end of the Natioinal Championship game. UNC is looking for redemption after being in the same game last year but falling to Villanova on a buzzer beating shot. Gonzaga is looking to win their first national championship game. Here is a main key to the game for both teams. 

Key for UNC

Contain the Twin Towers:

Gonzaga has a luxury that few other teams have. Two big men who can play. Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins(also know as the twin towers) make a huge impact on games for Gonzaga. Karnowski, who is 7'1", is a huge post threat. Collins, who is 7'0", comes off the bench and replaces Karnowski, and provides a lot on the offensive and defensive end. In Gonzaga's most recent game against South Carolina, Collins had 14 points on 6-10 shooting, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks. If UNC can contain the big men, then they can focus on stopping Nigel Williams-Goss, a dangerous three point shooter, and inside threat.  

Key for Gonzaga

Defend the three ball

We all know that UNC has a couple of players who love to take threes. Joel Berry II and Justin Jackson. Jackson is a player who can score inside and outside, but likes to take a lot of threes. In UNC's most recent game against Oregon, Jackson shot 4-9 from beyond the arc. Joel Berry II did struggle in the game against Oregon, shooting just 2-8 from beyond the arc. Berry has been battling an injury throughout the tournament, so struggles haven't been a surprise.

I think in the end, Gonzaga will win this game. I don't think the UNC big men will be able to defend the twin towers on Gonzaga. UNC also has to worry about Nigel Williams-Goss, and Jordan Matthews, who can both shoot the three ball really well. I think Gonzaga just has too many weapons. I'm predicting the score to be 72-65.

Why the Falcons offense is too good for the Patriots defense

Super Bowl 51 is coming up, and it's going to be a fun one. The Patriots and the Falcons will be facing off in both of their most important games of the year. On one side, you have Tom Brady who is going to his 7th Super Bowl. On the other side, you have Matt Ryan who is going to be playing in his 1st Super Bowl. For now, I'm going to focus in on the Falcons offense, an offense that has been on fire these past few weeks.

I do not think the Patriots defense will be able to slow down the Falcons offense. Whatever Matt Patricia does, it won't be enough to stop them. Here's why.

I'm going to start off with Matt Ryan, who, by the way was just named the 2016 NFL MVP. Matt Ryan has been tearing apart defenses in the playoffs. He started off against the Seattle defense, and threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns. Then the Falcons played the Packers and Ryan threw for 392 yards and 4 touchdowns. In the Seattle game, Ryan had a 125.7 passer rating. In the Packers game, Ryan had a 139.4 passer rating. Tom Brady does have more experience in big games, and that might come into play late in the game.

Then there's Julio Jones. I don't think anyone can cover him man to man. Jones went against a 6'2" Ladarius Gunt
er in the NFC Championship game, so I don't think he'll have much of a problem against the 5'11" Malcolm Butler. Even if the Patriots double cover Jones, the Falcons still have Mohammed Sanu, another tall 6'2" receiver. Once they focus on Sanu, Matt Ryan can start going to the speedy Taylor Gabriel.

I didn't even get to the running backs. Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman. Both are a lot alike and can run the ball and slip out for a pass outside of the backfield. I think the Falcons will win 31-23.

Warriors vs Hornets Preview

For one of our Wednesday night game, we have the Hornets and Warriors on ESPN. This match up will be featuring two elite point guards. Kemba Walker and Stephen Curry. Both are very good ball handlers and play makers, but which one of them will get the satisfaction of a win tonight?

Already looking on the offensive end, Curry has better play makers around him such as Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. All of whom can drive to the rim, and shoot from the outside. On the Hornets side, Walker has Nic Batum and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as his two other main play makers. I think Kidd-Gilchrist will be able to contain Durant for most of the night. Kidd-Gilchrist is 6'7" and has good length. He is known more for defense than on the offensive end.

Batum and Thompson will most likely be guarding each other at some points in the game. Both are pretty tall, Batum standing at 6'8", and Thompson standing at 6'7". They are also both good three point shooters. Thompson shoots 39.9% from beyond the arc, while Batum shoots 32.2% from beyond the arc. They are both good two way players. I think Batum will score 19 points and Thompson will score 21 points. 

Back to the point guard match up. For Curry and Thompson, the Warriors run them off of a lot of screens to get them good looks at three point shots. The Hornets have to find some way to limit the amount of clean looks that they give Curry and Thompson. Curry shoots the three at 40.1% and is lethal in that area of his game. Walker might have trouble contesting Curry's shots, being that he is two inches shorter. One way to limit Curry is to make him work at the defensive end. The Warriors will most likely have Klay Thompson on Walker, but I think the Hornets should set screens for Walker with Curry's man and make him switch onto Walker. I think Walker will score 27 and Curry will score 19 but also have 9 assists.
This will definitely be a fun game to watch. I'm predicting it to be close all the way through, but in the end, I think the Warriors will win 112-107.  

The Cowboys Better Watch out for the Giants

Ever since week 1, the Cowboys have been on a 11 game winning streak. But their one loss was against the team they are playing this Sunday. The New York Giants. Here are three reasons why the Giants might beat the Cowboys.

1. The Giants have allowed the least amount of rushing yards to Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot. Even though Elliot has gotten a lot better since then, the Giants defense only allowed 51 rushing yards from Elliot, and 2.5 yards per carry. The Giants have a defense that perfect for stopping running backs like Elliot. With Jason-Pierre-Paul on the outside, the eliminates the outside run game. Then, they have Damon Harrison and Jonathon Hankins at defensive tackle to clog up the middle.

2. The Giants have also allowed the lowest completion percentage of Dak Prescott. When they played each other in week one, Prescott completed just 55.6% of his passes.He also had zero touchdown passes. I think in this match up, Prescott throws one interception against this Giants secondary. They have a lot of talent in their secondary. Landon Collins has really improved this year. He is one of their hard-hitting safeties.


3. The Cowboys defense will not be able to handle the Giants offense. We have seen in past weeks when that defense has played teams with a stacked receiving core. When they played the Redskins on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys allowed 449 passing yards. The Giants have a similar offense. They have two amazing slot receivers in Victor Cruz and rookie Sterling Shepard. Then they have Odell Beckham Jr. on the outside who has had some big games against the Cowboys.  

I think the Giants will win this game 26-17. I think Dez Bryant will have 5 receptions for 43 yards. On the other side, I think Odell will have a big game with 7 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Can the Redskins Still Make the Playoffs?

After the Redskins have had two consecutive losses, people are starting to doubt their ability to make the playoffs. I think it's still possible for them to get a playoff spot. Here's why.

If you look at Washington's upcoming schedule, you'll see that 3 out of their last 4 games are against teams with losing records. They will play the Eagles[5-7], the Panthers[4-8], the Bears[3-9]. Their last game is against the Giants, who do have a winning record of 8-4. As long as the Redskins win their games, they mostly won't have to worry about other teams winning or losing. In my opinion, they pretty much have to win every single game left to make the playoffs. But if they start losing, it could get pretty hard. The Packers have been on a recent winning streak, and they definitely have a shot at the playoffs. They are 6-6 as well as the Vikings, who have been going downhill lately. They are mainly competing with the Buccaneers who are 7-5. The Redskins are 6-5-1, so they're not even a full game behind the Buccaneers. All it takes is a win for the Skins and a loss for the Buccaneers against the Saints, and the Skins would be in the playoffs.

Offense

The offense has been fine. The only thing with the offense is that they have to score on drives that the defense creates for them. With all the talent that they have, they should be doing much better than they are doing now. I think they should be throwing the ball down the field more to Desean Jackson. I have also been surprised by how much Kirk Cousins has been targeting Pierre Garcon. I thought going into this year, he wouldn't have the same amount of energy, but I was wrong. Otherwise, the run game is solid with Robert Kelley, who is hard to tackle, and Chris Thompson as their third down back.

Defense

Defense for the Redskins has been their problem. They can't seem to come up with a stop when they most need it. Against the Lions in week 7, they were up 17-13 with a couple minutes left in the third quarter, and the defense allowed a Matthew Stafford game winning drive. Last week against the Cardinals, they had them on 4th & 1, and they let them convert. A few plays after, they gave up a 42 yard touchdown pass. They were also horrible against third and long. Also, starting the game off  well on defense has been really hard for the Redskins defense. They usually end up giving the other team possession first, and their defense is just letting the opposing team to just march down the field. At the beginning of the season, the Redskins defense was actually creating some turnovers. But now, they are just giving up long drives and big plays. I also wish that Joe Barry [defensive coordinator] would let Josh Norman follow the opposing team's best receiver. When they put Kendall Fuller on the best receiver in the slot, it doesn't work out well. The pass rush has been pretty good. If the secondary can start covering better, they will turn into a good defense.

A lot of people are doubting that the Redskins will make the playoffs. It won't be easy, but I have a feeling that they will come away with a second straight year going to the playoffs.