Three N Out 9/10/2012

So week 5 is in the books and each division is starting to take shape. We still have two undefeated teams one from each conference are they both already expected to reach the Super Bowl? What is going on in New York and are the fans right to Boo Sanchez? and what do we have to look forward to in week 6, that's my Three'N'Out this week, hope you enjoy.

Who will stay undefeated the longest?

So as mentioned we have two teams are through week 5 are still undefeated, they are the Houston Texans and the Atlanta Falcons, but who is likely to stay undefeated can either of them go the full season without losing?

I Personally think the Houston Texans are the complete team this year, they have a great Run game which helps the pass game immensely, and with receivers like Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels they have play makers all over the field. they are helped by having one of the best defences in the league as well. However in my opinion their schedule is a lot tougher then the falcons, over the next 2 weeks they face Green Bay and then Baltimore. and in 4 games time they are away at Chicago. It's hard to see the Texans winning all of these games after losing there defensive leader in Brian Cushing on Monday night football against the Jets, so I predict a loss within the next 4 games. The Falcons however have things a little easier, their next few games are Oakland, Philly, Dallas and New Orleans. on paper it may look difficult but Oakland should be a comfortable win at home, the Falcons are then on a bye week so will have 2 weeks to prepare for the Eagles who's offence is struggling to be as explosive as it should be. they should beat Dallas at home the following week then comes a divisional match up against the Saints. New Orleans are struggling this year and Matt Ryan is just as good in a dome arena as Drew Brees. This match up might be high scoring but I see the Falcons D coming out on top over the Saints and Atlanta getting another win. By Week 10 Atlanta may still be undefeated and sitting pretty at 9-0! 

Is It Tebow time in New York?

Monday Night game this week was Houston vs the Jets, after the Texans scored on their opening drive the jets went three and out and the boo boys started at the Metlife. Last week the fans were chanting for Tebow and the same happened this week so why isn't Rex Ryan listening? I will be the first person in line to criticise Mark Sanchez's passing ability however this time I don't think it is his fault. Sanchez is a much better Quarterback then he was 2 years ago and he is probably a starter in the NFL by right but the Jets organisation have done him no favours by bringing in the poster boy of the NFL in Tim Tebow. Tebow's passing abilities fall way short of Sanchez's and he should probably by a Running Back or Tight End in the NFL not a QB but he makes things happen on the field something Sanchez can't do. The Jets Offensive Line is really struggling. Sanchez isn't getting time in the pocket to work through his progressions, he is having to look at his first option and force the throw. This is either resulting in an incomplete pass or a Turnover. The Jets receivers aren't good enough to break coverage and so Sanchez is fighting a losing battle. When the pockets collapsing Sanchez throws, When Tebow's at QB he would run, and this is why I think (even if it hurts me to say it) it should be 'Tebow Time' in New York. Tebow makes things happen, with a porous offensive line the Jets need a mobile QB, he might not make the throws but with a receiving corps as weak as the Jets they may as well run the ball 90% of the time. If the offensive line can step up and protect Sanchez its a no brainer he is their starter, but at the moment the Jets need wins and whether you love him or hate him Tebow has a knack of getting that W. 

What to look for in week 6...

There is some big match ups to look forward to in week 6, I have already mentioned the undefeated Texans host Green Bay. can Aaron Rodgers get his offence flying in Houston? it should easily be the best game of the week. The New York Giants fly the width of America to face the 49ers. depending on whether the Super Bowl champs turn up or the lazy Giants we have seen in the past will decide how good of a game this will be but it has the potential to be a great game. The 49ers will be out to prove why they are now the number one team in the NFC and what better way then beating the current Super Bowl champions. The final match up I like is the Seattle Seahawk's who host the Patriots, The Seahawks defence is emerging as one of the best in the NFL and the Patriots offence is always up inside the top 5 every year. This will be the big test of how good the Seahawks actually are, if they can keep Brady off the field and Marshawn Lynch can get rolling in the run game this could be a close run thing come the end of the game.    

  

Three N Out 11/9/2012

So the seasons started and Week 1 is done and dusted, there was definitely a few surprises and some very underwhelming performances. The most important thing though is football is back! Here is a quick look at the weeks results in case you missed any.

Week 1

Thursday 5th September

Dallas Cowboys 24 - 17 New York Giants

Sunday 9th September

Chicago Bears              41 - 21 Indianapolis Colts

Philadelphia Eagles       17 - 16 Cleveland Browns

New England Patriots    34 - 13 Tennessee Titans

Atlanta Falcons             40 - 24 Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings         26 - 23 Jacksonville Jaguars (Overtime)

Washington Redskins    40 - 32 New Orleans Saints

New York Jets              48 - 28 Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions                 27 - 23 St Louis Rams

Houston Texans            30 - 10 Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers     30 - 22 Green Bay Packers

Arizona Cardinals          20 - 16 Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneer  16 - 10 Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos            31 - 19 Pittsburgh Steelers

Monday 10th September

Baltimore Ravens      44 - 13 Cincinnati Bengals 

San Diego Chargers   22 - 14 Oakland Raiders 

What was the biggest upset of the week?

Without doubt it was the Upset in the Superdome, the New Orleans Saints were beaten by the new look Washington Redskins, rookie QB Robert Griffin III dominated the game and will make all the headlines as he threw for 320 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions, putting up 40 points and out scoring the high flying offence of the saints. The Saints might be trying to recover from the hangover of the bounty scandal but this is a game they should of won. its not the start they would of wanted but it is the perfect start for the Redskins who are part of a tough division in the NFC East where after this performance its clear any of the four teams could make the play off's.  

What are the Big Match ups For Week 2?  

The first game of Week 2 is Thursday night between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay at Lambeau Field. The Bears got off to a great start with their new high scoring offence looking in good form against the colts, the Packers lost Week 1 against the 49ers and will need to bounce back quickly with this NFC north divisional match. The Packers cant afford to be two Wins behind the Bears this early in the season so I expect this game to be one of the best of the week. A few more games to look out for will be the Detroit Lions vs the 49ers, as Matthew Stafford will be hoping for a better performance then week 1 as he goes up against one of the best defences in the NFL in San Francisco. The final game to look out for will be the Baltimore Ravens Travelling to Philadelphia. The Eagles Defence looked superb against the Browns with four interceptions and restricting the browns to only 210 yards on offence, on the other side Mike Vick and the Eagles offence had a game to forget and will need to vastly improve if they are to keep up with the scoring power of the Ravens. The Eagles cant expect their defence to keep Joe Flacco and all his offensive weapons at bay for all four quarters like they could against the Browns.

Where Can I Watch the NFL in the UK?

Sky sports last weeks signed a new 3 year deal with the NFL to show 60 Games this season, including Thursday night and Saturday night regular season games. Liver coverage of the Play Off's and the Super Bowl. They also have access to Redzone on the red button during Sundays games. Redzone gives you the opportunity to not miss any scoring play as it shows uninterrupted Live coverage all the games being played between 6PM and Midnight.

Channel 4 have the rights to the Sunday Night late game again this season, kicking off around 1am Sunday Night/Monday morning it gives everyone in the UK to watch the NFL free of charge. you will also get the chance to see highlights from the earlier games during this broadcast.

New for this season the BBC have signed a deal with the NFL to show Monday Night Football. You can go to BBC one for the Monday Night game and press the Red button to watch the game live, or you can watch it on-line through the BBC sport website. 

There is more opportunity then ever to watch American football in the UK and this can only be a good thing to help promote the sport to a new audience.

Three N Out 3/9/2012

So the season starts in 3 days so its time to preview the season and answer a couple of big question about what is in store for us, lets get to it!

Who is going to the Super Bowl?

The two conferences are very different when it comes to trying to predict who will be in the Super Bowl come February. The NFC is stacked with competition and the AFC is a little more top heavy with only a select few candidates. 

I'll start with the AFC, out of the 16 teams in the conference I believe there's only 3 teams in with a chance. those are New England, Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans. the Patriots are probably the favourites with all bookmakers for the AFC but I'm not sure the defence will be good enough to go all the way. there is no doubt it has improved from last year but I am not convinced it has improved enough to keep out the top offences in the AFC, and their offensive line is under performing with so many new faces, protecting Brady maybe a big issue for them this season. The Ravens are solid all around and Joe Flacco is a very underrated QB in the NFL. they also have one of the best running backs in the league and a fast scoring offence when they are on form. everyone knows about the ravens D and how effective there game plans are and I can see them pushing deep into the play offs. The Houston Texans are very close to being a great team. They have a great run game complemented by Matt Schaub at QB and Andre Johnson at WR who make one of the top pairings in the NFL, but its their defence which has improved immensely in the last few seasons and with Peyton Manning leaving the Colts, the Texans should win their division and make the play offs as a number 2/3 seed this will mean the AFC championship game will be New England vs The Houston Texans or the Ravens. In that scenario it would be down to whoever is the healthiest team.

The NFC is far more open, any team that makes the play offs could potentially make the Super Bowl. the strongest teams are the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco and the Chicago Bears. The next tear of teams is stacked with the current champions the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta, New Orleans and Detroit. and of these 8 teams can stake a claim for Super Bowl spot this season and that is why I believe this season will the best for a long time. All 8 teams have elite level players but all have flaws. the strongest team in my opinion is San Francisco. Alex Smith isn't the flashiest QB in the league and is probably underrated, They have a great Run game with Frank Gore at RB and that opens up the passing game giving them a very solid and balanced offence making them very difficult to predict. not only do they have a good offence but they probably have the best defence in the league. its quick, athletic and powerful and they are stacked with play makers. its very difficult in a one on one match up to bet against the 49ers. If they make the play offs which they should, I can't see many teams beating them.   

My Prediction for the 2013 Super Bowl is: Houston Texans vs San Francisco 49ers

Who will be the surprise team of the season?

There could be a number of teams who punch above their weight this season. any of the 4 teams in the AFC West are close to breaking out and making the play offs as it is such a close division, The Colts with their rookie QB Andrew Luck could really surprise a few teams this season after their off season overhaul. Tampa Bay have made so many changes they could a team to watch later on in the season as the team begins to gel together but my team to watch will be the Seattle Seahawks. They have one of the best run games in the NFL spear headed by Marshawn Lynch, if he can stay healthy he may have the biggest year of his career. They have also chosen to go with Russell Wilson at QB. he is a very athletic QB with a big arm. if he continues his pre season from into the regular season then watch out. With Sidney Rice, Golden Tate and Braylon Edwards to aim for Wilson also has some talented receivers which make this team very dangerous on offence. There defence has less well known names on it but as a unit they are very solid and make big plays and plenty of turnovers to get the ball back in the hands of their offence. yes they have to play San Fran twice a year and probably wont win their division but if they can rack up 10 wins this season they may scrape in to the play offs, and if they do i wouldn't like to be the team who has to play them in a knock out game.  

 Why Is no one backing the Saints? 

The New Orleans saints have had a pretty bad off season. It all started with 'Bounty Gate' where the whole organisation was put under the media spotlight and taken to court for offering bounties, or bonuses to their defensive players if they could injure specific players on the opposing team, resulting in them leaving the game and giving the Saints an advantage. 4 players have been suspended, the biggest suspension went to Jonathon Vilma who is the Saints starting Linebacker. Vilma was given the whole season to sit out by commissioner Roger Goodell. The Coaches took the brunt of the suspensions, the defencive coordinator Gregg Williams was banned indefinitely as it was his scheme that was brought in to question. Sean Payton the head coach of the saints was suspended for the whole 2012 season, its believed he knew about the bounty program and did nothing about it, so was seen as a guilty party due it being his team. They were also punished by having future draft picks taken away from them.

The whole off season has caused disrupt within the ranks at New Orleans, add to that their star quarterback Drew Brees had on going contract issue and very nearly became a free agent. If they had lost Brees the franchise could of been in even bigger trouble, but in mid July he signed a 5 year $100 million contract and vowed to not let the bounty gate effect the team. With Brees still at the helm of the team its difficult to see why the Saints can't go far this season.

Drew Brees and Sean Payton are almost the same person, they have created an amazing chemistry in New Orleans and every player there has bought into the idea. With Payton suspended for the season Drew Brees will step in and manage the team like the leader that he is and its hard to believe much will of changed from last season. Brees will still throw up massive numbers each week and the defence will still be flying around the field, if anything Bounty gate will motivate this team for the whole season. They will be playing with a purpose, out to prove a point that they are still the Saints from last year if not better.        

Three N Out 21/8/2012

So pre season has begun and the regular season is almost here so its time to start up my blog again. Hopefully after reading my earlier blog's you have a better understanding of the NFL and are excited for the season to start. My blog is finally going to take shape how I intended it to, each post will consist of 3 topics or questions which I will discuss and you can get involved with in the comments section below, linking the name Three'N'Out to my blog, hope you enjoy!

What is the point of pre season?

Pre season in the NFL consists of four games for every team throughout August, each team at the start of pre season has a roster of 90 players and by week 1 of the regular season that has to be whittled down to 55. Each team will use pre season to build the strongest squad possible, The first team will only play a small part in each game. these are your big named players who are guaranteed a spot on the 55 man roster. For the majority of each pre season game you will see rookies and back ups on the field, trying to impress the coaches to gain a spot on the team and make the cut. Its a good chance for your head coach to see if his rookie selections are good enough for the NFL, if the any of the fringe players have stepped up in the off season and are ready to make a push for the first team, and to see if there are still any gaps in the roster which need filling before the season kick offs at the start of September. 

Tebow or Sanchez?

After two pre season games where both players have had snaps at quarterback and Tebow has popped up in all kinds of different positions, the new york jets are no wiser and neither are we about who is the best QB for the jets. What we do know is both players are going to get playing time on game day when the season starts. Sanchez is going to start as the number 1 QB on the depth chart and Tebow is going to run a whole new playbook of his own combining running and passing plays. From what I have seen form both players I'm not sure how either of them are number 1 QB's for an NFL team hoping for the playoffs. Sanchez is just as inn accurate as Tebow, but Tebow some how manages to win games and put together scoring drives with his play making abilities.

The problems Rex Ryan has created by signing Tebow far out weigh the positives. The moment Sanchez throws an interception, which will probably happen game 1, are the fans going to call for Tebow? Can two big egos coexist together when the team starts losing games? Tebow is a publicist dream and the jets are always back page material thanks to there off field antics and charismatic coach, so maybe its a match made in heaven, just not for Jets fans....

Luck the new Manning already? 

When you think of the Indianapolis Colts you automatically think number 18 and Peyton Manning, but all that has changed and it is now the era of number 12 and Andrew Luck. The Colts have put all there eggs in one Rookie basket when they drafted Andrew Luck with the first overall pick of the draft this off season. They quickly moved to replace hall of famer Peyton Manning after his 2011 season long injury and then his cut from the team. Not only did Manning leave but many of the old guard such as Dallas Clark and Jeff Saturday were cut as well. This created a new team, with a new coach and new team philosophy led by rookie Luck from day 1. Luck had one familiar face in the locker room when he arrived in Coby Fleener, a Tight End and old college team mate From Stanford. A QB and TE combination has history in Indianapolis and the hope is that will continue with these rookies, who combined for over 1,300 yards in 3 seasons together and 18 touchdowns. Colts fans will be hoping that chemistry continues to flourish in the NFL. That is not the first comparison... Peyton Manning's first ever throw in the NFL went for a 56 yard touchdown, up steps Andrew Luck who throws a 63 Yard touchdown pass. Is this an early statement of anything you can do I can do better? Colts fans will be hoping that's the case.
Now I know it's impossible to say Luck is the new Manning after 2 pre season games, but he definitely seems to have all the right tools and talent to be close, and if that is the case Luck will be another special quarterback. The pressure is off considerably thanks to the Colts only having 2 wins last season so things can only get better, But it wouldn't surprise me to see the Colts pushing for a wild card play-off spot this season, and I also expect it won't be long till the Colts and there new franchise QB are terrorising defences and making Super bowl's.

Leave a comment below if you have anything to say about the post and don't forget to leave any questions you may like me to answer in my next edition. hope you enjoyed it and your as happy as I am that football is back!

My 2012 Mock Draft

So it's draft day in the NFL and its time for me to put my neck on the line and show you my Mock Draft. I've changed my mind almost every day so I don't expect my late first round picks to be right but I'm confident I have the top 10 pretty close.

There is guaranteed to be some teams trading up in to the top 10 to grab someone they like who is still available, which will undoubtedly ruin most peoples draft boards but there's no trading aloud in a Mock draft so here's my attempts and let me know what you think!

2012 Draft Picks 1-5

The 2012 Draft is nearly here with just over 24 hours to go till it all kicks off at Motor City, New York. This years draft is as intriguing as any other. The NFL world are 99.9999% sure The colts are taking Luck with thenumber one over all pick unless he was to get hurt between now and the draft. (someone keep a close eye on RG3 and Ryan Tannehill) The Washington Redkins have traded up to the number 2 spot to snatch their future QB which is going to be Robert Griffin III. Pick 3 is where things may get interesting and if they don't pick 4 could have even more upsets so lets take a look at some options!

The Minnesota Vikings have pick 3 in this years draft do a poor season where there star running back Adrain Peterson was injured for six games and was not fully fit for the majority. Many people think they will take Matt Kalil from USC, he is a 6ft6, 306lb offensive tackle and is by far the best offensive lineman in the draft. He would immediately fill a big void for the Vikings and help give Christian Ponder, who is still very much a developing QB more time in the pocket to pick his passes and get that offence moving. There is a chance however they may take CB Morris Claiborne and this would mess with many peoples draft boards. Corner back is a need for the Vikings and they have to improve their pass defence next season, this would be a great start. He was rated the top defensive back in college last year and is the stand out CB in the 2012 draft.

Pick number 4 is where things start to get interesting. the Cleveland Browns are in the clock for this pick and they have a number of needs and options open to them but with them scoring less then 14 points a game last season they have to chose a game changer with this pick. The browns have two picks in the first round and will be looking to add players in skill positions who can put points on the board, that gives the browns three options.

1. QB- They could take Ryan Tannehill or Brandon Weedon to fight for the starting job with current QB Colt McCoy.
2. RB- The firm belief here is the Browns will take Trent Richardson. He is the top running back in the draft and will probably be in the top 10 in his position by the end of this year.
3. WR- They need weapons and the jury is out on who is the best receiver in the draft so they may take either Justin Blackmon or Malcolm Floyd, however I do think they will use their late first round pick on a receiver as WR has more depth in this years draft.

The 5th Pick goes to Tampa Bay and they will be hoping Trent Richardson slips to 5 but he probably won't. the most likely pick here is Morris Claiborne. as mentioned before he is a special talent at corner back and will improve any defence he starts for. with the Buccs not knowing if Aqib Talib's felony charge will stand they will look to add talent and depth at corner and take Claiborne off the board. If however the Vikings surprise everyone and take Claiborne at 3 don't be surprised to see Fletcher Cox taken by the Buccs. He is the top defensive tackle in the draft and will be a starter from week 1.

That's how I see the first five picks going in this years draft and tomorrow I will be posting my mock draft. I have set up a league on nfl.com so if you want to give your own Mock Draft a go click on http://predictpick.nfl.com sign up and join Lloydys League, passwords: football and see how you get on.

2012 Schedules

So at midnight last night UK the 2012 schedules were released and here is what Week 1 is going to look like!

Full schedule can be seen @ http://www.nfl.com/schedules

If your unsure about how the schedules are decided please look at back at my previous blog http://nflthreenout.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/nfl-today.html

So although we have to wait until September for the season to start I have decided to look at how the schedules will affect the team you support. Strength of schedule is taking a look at the average win percentage of the 16 teams you will face in the upcoming season, from this we can determine who statistically has the hardest and easiest schedules for 2012.

The image on the left is the schedule strengths for the 2012 upcoming season, and as you can see it hasn't been king to the current Super Bowl champs the New York Giants, as they have been given the toughest schedule.
Peyton Manning isn't going to be happy in his new role as the new Broncos QB, they have the second toughest schedule so John Elway is going to be praying that Manning is all healed up and is worth all the money they have thrown his way.

The team with the easiest 2012 schedule is the New England Patriots, with the Pats only missing the Play off's once in the last 10 years you would expect them to be there again at the end of 2012.
The second easiest goes to the Green Bay Packers, one of the top teams in the NFC with Aaron Rodgers at QB they should also ease in to the Play off's come the end of the season.




Looking at schedule strengths and the how teams are shaping up for the 2012 season I am going to stick my neck on the line and predict who I believe will make the Play off's by the end of the season.

AFC                                       NFC
1. Texans                               1. Packers
2. Patriots                             2. 49ers
3. Ravens                               3. Eagles
4. Broncos                            4. Falcons
5. Bengals                              5. Saints
6. Steelers                             6. Giants



If that was the play off picture come the end of the season i'll see the play off's being:

Texans vs Patriots AFC championship game
Eagles vs Packers NFC championship game

Super Bowl 2013

Houston Texans vs Philadelphia Eagles

Let me know what you think of the schedules and my very quick predictions for the 2012 season.... there is still a lot of things that will change between now and Week 1 with the upcoming draft and possible trades, also the possibility of injuries to big named players. My mind will probably change on a regular basis about next seasons Play off picture so let me know what your predictions are in the comments below!

Best QB poll

This is just a quick post update to reveal the poll winner for the question:

Who is the best QB in the NFL?


1. Peyton Manning
2. Mike Vick
3.Tom Brady
3. Drew Brees
3. Aaron Rodgers


Having a whole year out didn't stop Manning topping the poll and when he is fit it's hard to argue otherwise, a surprise second was Mike Vick one of the most exciting players to watch in the NFL, its hard to gage whether it's for his entertainment value or his talent but as an Eagles fan I won't argue! The third spot is a three way tie from the other QB's in the poll.

So what are your thoughts? should anyone be on the list who isn't? and which QB do you think will have the best season next year? let me know your thoughts and look out for my Luck vs RG3 post in a few days as we build up to the 2012 Draft!

Leave a comment and hopefully we can get a bit of a debate going.

New NFL Nike Jerseys

So its time, Today is the day Nike have unveiled the new Jerseys for each of the 32 teams. Reebok previously held the contract but as of April 1st 2012 it changed to Nike and this is what the jerseys look like for each of the 32 teams hope you enjoy!

ARIZONA CARDINALS 

ATLANTA FALCONS

BALTIMORE RAVENS

BUFFALO BILLS

CAROLINA PANTHERS

CHICAGO BEARS

CINCINNATI BENGALS

CLEVELAND BROWNS

DALLAS COWBOYS

DENVER BRONCOS

DETROIT LIONS

GREEN BAY PACKERS

HOUSTON TEXANS

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

MIAMI DOLPHINS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS 

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

NEW YORK GIANTS

NEW YORK JETS

OAKLAND RAIDERS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

ST LOUIS RAMS

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

TENNESSEE TITANS

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

AS YOU CAN SEE MOST OF THE UNIFORMS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THEIR OLD DESIGNS, THE BIG CHANGES ARE WITH THE SEAHAWKS. THE MATERIAL IS LIGHTER SO WILL BENEFIT THE PLAYERS OUT ON THE FIELD.  

HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE NEW GLOVES THE PLAYERS WILL ALL BE WEARING NEXT SEASON TO! 




Leave a comment on what you think of the new look!


pictures courtesy of @uniwatch