NFL Power Rankings: Week 6

October 14, 2015October 15, 2015 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings New England Patriots, NFL Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots (Last week: 1)
Had Tony Romo and Dez Bryant played, this would have been a different story. But neither of them played and the Cowboys struggled mightily. Brady and Co. took care of business for a fifth straight week. No need to drop them from the top spot.

2. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 2)
Far from Aaron Rodgers’ best game ever but it was enough for the Packers to get the win. Rodgers threw two picks but Green Bay came up with four of Nick Foles. Scary thing to note is that Rodgers led the team in rushing with just 39 yards. That should not become a trend.

3. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 4)
Down by 17 heading into the fourth quarter against Seattle, it seemed like Cincy had finally come back to Earth. Then the Bengals rattled off 20 straight points to get the win in overtime. Exciting to watch and tough to play against is exactly how you would define Cincinnati so far.

4. Denver Broncos (Last week: 3)
This is looking more and more like Peyton Manning is a man way past his prime still trying to compete. He is tied for second in the league in interceptions so far, which has put a little too much pressure on the defense. Thankfully, this defense is the best in the league and continues to bail the offense out.

5. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 5)
Beating Washington wasn’t supposed to be that difficult for the Falcons but they still got the job done. Devonta Freeman is tied for second in the NFL in rushing yards and leads the league in touchdowns. This Falcons offense is down right scary when Freeman and Julio Jones are clicking.

6. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 6)
No need to panic! The Cardinals we saw the first three weeks of the season are back. Arizona registered its fourth blowout in five games. If they continue at this pace, they could have the division all but locked up by Thanksgiving.

7. New York Jets (Last week: 8)
The Jets move up despite not playing this week. That is mainly due to the return of Sheldon Richardson, back from his four game suspension. As if the Jets defense, which leads the league in points allowed per game, needed any more help.

8. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 9)
Carolina is undefeated thus far in the 2015 season and they did that without Luke Keuchley. Now reports have Keuchley as a full participant in practice and gearing up for a showdown with the Seahawks. The Panthers are starting to seem dangerous.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 12)
After three quarters of utter boredom, Michael Vick said enough of that and started making plays. Pittsburgh was very lucky to walk out of San Diego with a win but they still got it. The Steelers can win with Vick in at quarterback and should be able to weather the storm until Big Ben returns.

10. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 10)
Of all the undefeated quarterbacks so far in the NFL, Matt Hasselback is by far the most perplexing one. But he has done what Andrew Luck couldn’t: limit turnovers and play efficiently. Luck is rumored to return this week and all eyes will be on him to see if the former number one overall pick is really healthy.

11. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 11)
That was ugly. No two ways about it. But it is better to win ugly than lose ugly. Unfortunately, the Bills are looking pretty banged up at the moment. LeSean McCoy is out for a little while and Karlos Williams still has a concussion. Now add Tyrod Taylor to the mix with an MCL sprain. We will likely see E.J. Manuel under center against the undefeated Bengals.

12. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 7)
Finally the offense found some life and consistency…for three quarters. The Seahawks completely fell apart down the stretch in Ohio. They return home to play the undefeated Panthers, who just got Luke Keuchley back. That is not going to be a fun game for Seattle.

13. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 14)
The Vikings are only at .500 at the moment but they are playing better football than that. This team is still very inexperienced but don’t be surprised if they are still hanging around when the it comes time for the post season.

14. New York Giants (Last week: 17)
You can’t spell clutch without ELI. Well actually you can, but you know what I mean. The youngest Manning brother engineered a spectacular comeback to earn the win for Big Blue. The Giants finally know how the Falcons and Cowboys felt after the first two weeks for the season.

15. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 13)
Rumor has it that Brandon Weeden lost his starting job (shocker). The Cowboys mercifully have a bye week to figure out what in the world has been going on for the past three weeks. Tony Romo and Dez Bryant cannot return fast enough.

16. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 16)
Bitter probably doesn’t even adequately describe how the San Diego Chargers feel right now. A walk off touchdown from LeVeon Bell stole victory from the Bolts on their home turf. On the bright side though they aren’t as bad as the Chiefs.

17. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 20)
The Raiders defense almost did enough for Oakland to get a hard earned win against Denver. They did not allow a touchdown all day long. However, a defensive touchdown ended up being the difference and now the Raiders have lost two straight heading into their bye.

18. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 18)
The Rams head into their bye week having a ton of faith in their defense and absolutely none in their offense. St. Louis bothered Aaron Rodgers all day long and forced his first interception at Lambeau Field since Jeremy Lin was the point guard of the Knicks. Meanwhile, Nick Foles completed a lot of passes to guys wearing green jerseys. Jeff Fisher still has a lot of work to do.

19. Washington (Last week: 22)
Taking the undefeated Falcons to overtime was impressive but Washington failed to seal the deal. The defense played well and picked off Matt Ryan twice. However, Kirk Cousins threw two interceptions of his own, including the game-ending pick six in overtime. Now Washington heads to New York and Cousins gets an even tougher test against the Jets’ defense.

20. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 23)
So that’s where the Eagles offense has been hiding. They’ve been in New Orleans the whole time. Philly finally started to make plays with the ball offensively. Still wasn’t perfect, but it was a step in the right direction and it keeps the Eagles in the postseason conversation.

21. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 21)
It will be interesting to see how this team responds after the firing of Joe Philbin. The ‘Phins got a week to get acclimated with new head coach Dan Campbell and prepare for a matchup with the dangerous Titans. If Miami hasn’t figured out its offense, they have no shot of winning this game.

22. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 15)
Remember how I said that most of the optimism surrounding the Chiefs had died last week. Well I am now here to pronounce it officially dead. Kansas City lost its fourth straight game in stunning fashion and lost Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. There is no coming back from this now.

23. Chicago Bears (Last week: 30)
Whoa. Two wins in a row for Chicago. Not for nothing but that is impressive. Granted they came against two floundering teams but there are some other bright spots. Matt Forte leads the league in rushing and Jay Cutler took care of the football. That is a recipe for success in the Windy City.

24. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 29)
It looks like the Browns made up for blowing a chance at overtime last week by pulling off the OT comeback this week. Josh McCown is doing more with less as he continues to put up video game-like numbers despite not having too many proven weapons.

25. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 19)
A huge win against Pittsburgh followed by a blown chance against the Browns. The Ravens have really lost their form. A 2015 playoff team, Baltimore will be lucky to not end up with a top 10 draft pick.

26. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 27)
That one stings a lot. The Titans led 10-0 midway through the third quarter but couldn’t stop a late Bills comeback. Tennessee has been more competitive than I ever thought they would be and the defense has a large part to do with that.

27. Houston Texans (Last week: 24)
The Texans have played bad football season long. The revolving door at quarterback isn’t helping matters at all and Houston now sits at 1-4. It doesn’t seem to effect DeAndre Hopkins though, who leads the league in receiving.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 32)
They have not seemed even the least bit convincing but Tampa now has two wins on the year, which means they can’t possibly be worse than last year. When you are as bad as the Bucs, this is actually something worth celebrating.

29. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 28)
Colin Kaepernick finally seemed to settle down and just play football this week in New York. Unfortunately, his defense didn’t back him up. They get a rematch of the 2013 Super Bowl against the Ravens this week though and suddenly, that seems like a winnable game.

30. Detroit Lions (Last week: 25)
Lions’ fans can be mad all they want about how they got robbed of a victory in Seattle but there were no excuses this week against Arizona. Matthew Stafford actually found himself a spot on the bench after turning the ball over three times by the middle of the third quarter. Detroit wanted to forget last week’s loss but they probably want to forget this one even more.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 31)
Losing to Tampa Bay is not a resume builder. Jacksonville was out played once again and you have to wonder how much longer the Jaguars’ brass is going to sit quietly and let Gus Bradley run the show. They need better results than this if we expects to keep his job.

32. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 26)
The Saints had a chance to get their season back on track following a big overtime win against Dallas the week before. They didn’t take it and now find themselves at 1-4 with a lot of questions and very few answers. We have a new team in the NFL cellar.

Age is but a number

October 13, 2015October 13, 2015 Chris McGlynn MLS, Soccer Didier Drogba, Montreal Impact

Several new players to MLS by storm in 2015. Sebastian Giovinco lead the charge, Giovani dos Santos left his mark from the start and Andrea Pirlo dazzled wit his close control. Then there were other big names who drew thousands of fans like Frank Lampard, Stephen Gerrard and Kaka. However, none of them have experienced the type of success we’ve seen from the ageless wonder Didier Drogba.

It seems like a no-brainer that Giovinco will win MVP this year and probably the Newcomer of the Year award as well. Kei Kamara will probably take home the Golden Boot for the most goals scored. If you gave Drogba a chance to play the full MLS season, he might just challenge for all of those awards.

Through just nine career appearances in MLS, Drogba has scored nine goals and set up another one. He has been the talisman for Montreal since he showed up and almost single-handedly won Montreal the first match he played in.

Montreal has been on the cusp of making the playoffs for some time now and still cling to the final seed in the East. Realistically though, I do not think Montreal would have made the playoffs without the addition of Drogba. Montreal has scored fifteen goals as a team since adding Cote d’Ivoire international and he has been responsible for two thirds of them. That kind of offensive output is exactly what the Impact needed to stay in that sixth spot.

Some of the goals Drogba has been scoring have been absolutely spectacular as well. The first goal he put in against Chicago was impressive with his control and poise in the box. About four weeks later, he upped that initial goal with this beauty.

Drogba still possesses in excess many of the key assets needed to be a striker. His speed is still apparent despite nearing 40. His on the ball ability is incredible and his understanding of how to set up both the defender and the keeper to give himself the easiest goal is second to none.

Many of Drogba’s goals have come as a result of his physique. In other words, he smashes the ball in or out races a guy to the spot. However, he still has that deft touch to bend the ball into the net from a ways out as well. This might be the best one he has scored yet.

He sent that over the wall and curled it down under the bar with ease. Despite being a massive human being, Drogba still has plenty of finesse if he can do something like that.

In those three videos, Drogba scored five goals, all of them of varying levels of excellence. That could be spliced together as a highlight reel of the best of some players’ seasons. For the former Chelsea man, that is what he did in three games.

Obviously, this kind of production is just about unsustainable, especially for a 37-year old, but if Drogba can be a consistent scoring option, then this Montreal squad could make a run in the playoffs. For all of his success and honors throughout his career, you have to assume that Drogba would love to get his hands on an MLS Cup.

Didier Drogba Drogba’s season has been short, but it has been nothing short of spectacular. He is already tied for 19th in the league in terms of goals. He is also the only player to have started at least one game and averages more than a goal per 90 minutes played. Unrealistic over the course of a season of course but impressive nonetheless.

With just two games left and Montreal clinging to that final playoff berth, look for Drogba to dazzle some more. He is quickly becoming the player to watch in MLS.

Is Klinsmann’s time up?

October 12, 2015October 12, 2015 Chris McGlynn Soccer, USMNT Jurgen Klinsmann, USA vs. Mexico

It wasn’t pretty. Actually it was pretty ugly. But now we have had two days to let the dust settle and dicuss what should happen next. If you missed USA vs. Mexico, here is a brief recap:

The US losing to Mexico obviously stings but the ramifications definitely run deeper than just disappointment. This was a big test for Jurgen Klinsmann, which he failed.

Klinsmann has been under fire since last week when US soccer legend Landon Donovan expressed that he believed the German manager should be canned if the US lost to El Tri. That has to be taken with a grain of salt, because it is no secret that Donovan and Klinsmann have never been on the same page.

Donovan’s provocations are probably a bit premature but the path for Klinsmann to leave is clear. He has burned a lot of bridges in his time as the US national team manager.

However, Klinsmann has thick skin and made it clear that he doesn’t care what the critics say. In a New York Times article, he is quoted, “Everybody can express his opinion, and not everybody likes you, and that’s totally fine. I’m not here to be liked. I’m trying to do a good job.”

That should let you know that Klinsmann hasn’t lost his focus. As much as he is abrasive with his words and often times questionable in his decision making, he is the right man for the job. At least until 2018. He is clearly dedicated to improving this American squad and he is trying to make do with the best of what he has.

Jurgen_Klinsmann People questioned his decision to play Brad Guzan over Tim Howard on Saturday but the reality is that the situation was a lose-lose for him. Had he played Howard and he had struggled, then everyone would have wondered why Guzan, who has played for the last several months in Howard’s place, did not get the nod. Choosing Guzan made sense though. He had been playing consistently for the last few months for the US. Howard would probably be a little rusty coming off an extended absence with the national team and that was not a chance that Klinsmann could afford to take in such a pivotal game.

Many want Klinsmann gone because they feel he is out of touch with the fans and he just isn’t a very likable guy. America is in the midst of a rough stretch right now with the loss to Jamaica in the Gold Cup and now missing out on the Confederations Cup with the loss to Mexico.

That shouldn’t erase everything that Klinsmann has done up to this point. Klinsmann is still the most successful national team manager in the US to date. He is only one win behind Bob Bradley all time and his winning percentage is the best ever by any one to coach more than five games. He could easily surpass Bradley by the end of this year with games remaining against Costa Rica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago left on the schedule.

It might not be the popular decision but it is the right one. The US needs to let Jurgen Klinsmann run this team through the 2018 World Cup and then they can reevaluate. Firing Klinsmann now just would not accomplish what US fans want.

Klinsmann actually has found a couple of youngsters that could be crucial players in the near future. Bobby Wood once again showed he was ready to play in his most recent appearance. He scored the equalizer in extra time against Mexico on Saturday and he is starting to become a reliable source of goals. In 2015, Wood has five caps and has scored in three of them.

Ventura Alvarado is another of those young players that brought into the fold. He deserves even more credit here. Alvarado was not a part of the US youth system but Klinsmann managed to flesh him out and in 2015, Alvarado has 12 caps. He had none prior to 2015. Neither of them have been transcendent but they are players that Klinsmann has been found of that seem to be paying off so far.

There is some potential here for the US to get better but in order for that to happen there must be some consistency. I don’t always agree with Klinsmann’s selections or philosophy as a manager, but until further notice, he should be the man running the show for America.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

October 11, 2015October 11, 2015 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings NFL Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots (Last week: 1)
The Pats got a week off and made good use of it. Dion Lewis just signed a two-year deal to keep him around for the near future. Whatever few issues the Patriots have through the first quarter of the season likely were ironed out this week as well. Look for New England to keep rolling going forward.

2. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 2)
The Packers would be first on this list if it wasn’t for the fact that the Patriots have come out on fire. Green Bay has proven that even without Jordy Nelson, this is still a Super Bowl caliber team.

3. Denver Broncos (Last week: 3)
Another week, another outstanding performance from the Denver defense. This group leads the league in terms of fewest yards per game and second in points per game. The offense is starting to find its footing but there is still a long way to go.

4. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 5)
Four weeks in the Bengals are still undefeated. Most of that credit should go directly to Andy Dalton. He has played well beyond the level we are used to seeing from him. His connection with A.J. Green is somewhere near the level of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.

5. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 6)
No fourth quarter comeback needed this week as the Falcons blew out the Texans. From start to finish, this team simply dominated the game. Plenty of work still to be done though as this defense has consistently struggled against the pass.

6. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 4)
That was ugly. There is no other way to say it than that. Arizona seemed to be on cruise control to this point in the season but a loss to St. Louis brings them back down to earth. The defense struggled to contain Todd Gurley and the offense could not consistently run the ball. The Cards do get a chance to get back on the track with the winless Lions this week.

7. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 9)
Two consecutive wins for the Seahawks has this team looking up after a rough start but Seattle was lucky to get the win on Monday night. A blow call by the officiating crew saved them (again). The Seahawks could just as easily be 1-3 and still look no closer to finding the answer on offense.

8. New York Jets (Last week: 13)
Miami might be bad but that doesn’t mean the Jets didn’t take care of business. New York enters the bye with a chance to let Chris Ivory, Eric Decker and Darrelle Revis get healthy. Then they face a very easy stretch with Washington, Oakland and Jacksonville as three of their next four games. The other game is in Foxborough though.

9. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 15)
Four straight wins would usually vault you into the top five no problem. However, Carolina’s four wins came against Houston, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and New Orleans without Drew Brees. Until they beat even an average team, I’m not totally buying into the hype.

10. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 12)
Matt Hasselback came out of…wait he never retired? Well either way, he found a way to get the Colts an ugly win against Jacksonville. If he can find a way to pilot Indy to a victory over Houston, this team has nothing to worry about. Being 3-0 is a huge advantage in a division where likely no one will win more than 10 games.

11. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 7)
On again and off again. The Bills cannot seem to string to competitive weeks together. Buffalo was coming off a blow out of Miami only to look lost playing the Giants. The problem above all: penalties. Every Rex Ryan team has them. The sooner they go away, the sooner the Bills become a playoff team.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 8)
You really couldn’t have asked for much more out of Michael Vick. He made big throws, executed the gameplan well and took his lumps. He was sacked four times and hit six. The Steelers need to do a better job blocking for him. Oh and so long Josh Scobee.

13. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 11)
That stings a bit. Dallas still leads the division but life without Romo and Bryant seems to be getting worse. Two straight losses to the NFC South has the Cowboys reeling and in desperate need of a wake up call. The odd thing though is the offense seems fine while the defense seems clueless.

14. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 14)
Minnesota looks like a more than capable football team at this point. The defense just couldn’t hang on for a major win against the Broncos. This is a team full of young talent with a Hall of Fame leader in Adrian Peterson. I have a feeling the Vikings will be playing meaningful football come December.

15. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 10)
There was a lot of optimism surrounding the Chiefs at the beginning of the season. Most of that has completely died off now as the offense has struggled and the defense continues to give up points. Kansas City has given up to most points per game through four weeks. Andy Reid has to fix that if they team plans on getting a wild card spot.

16. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 17)
It wasn’t pretty but San Diego got a win against Cleveland. They almost went to overtime, but the Browns gave the Chargers another chance after Josh Lambo missed his initial field goal attempt. Far from a convincing start for the Bolts.

17. New York Giants (Last week: 24)
For a second week in a row, the Giants pulled of a big win. The Bills showed some signs of pulling off the comeback before New York righted the ship and walked out of Buffalo with a win. Keeping pace in the wide open NFC East is important but now is the Giants’ chance to take control of the division.

18. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 22)
Apparently, the Rams can only upset their NFC West counter parts. A win over the previously undefeated Cardinals proves that the Rams can run with the top teams in teh NFC. The next step is finding consistency.

19. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 21)
Getting the win against Pittsburgh saved their season but losing Steve Smith with broken ribs is not much of a trade off. Now Baltimore goes forward with even fewer receiving options to choose from.

20. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 19)
Just when Oakland seemed like they were heading in a positive direction, the blow a last second lead to the winless Bears. The Raiders had a chance to be 3-1. Instead, they find themselves at .500 with a less than favorable schedule in front of them.

21. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 18)
Miami went on damage control this week after a brutal loss overseas. Joe Philbin is officially out Dan Campbell enters as the interim with no previous coaching experience. It might only be Week 5 but stick a fork in the ‘Phins, they’re done.

22. Washington (Last week: 29)
If you had told me that through four weeks of the season, Washington would be at .500 and tied for the division lead, I would have laughed at you. That is exactly the position Washington find itself in though with some optimism that this team isn’t as far away from competing as we thought.

23. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 16)
Yeah, so Chip Kelly is looking more and more like an idiot by the week. His seat has to be getting pretty hot as well. Even if you want to put the blame on the players for playing poorly rather than on the coach, you have to remember that Kelly overhauled this roster to get the team he wanted. Not looking too good so far. The Eagles are only one game out of first place in the NFC East though. Stranger things have happened.

24. Houston Texans (Last week: 23)
It goes without saying that the Texans are in free fall. The quarterback position continues to be an issue for the struggling Texans. A loss to the Colts would pretty much end their chances of winning the AFC South.

25. Detroit Lions (Last week: 20)
The Lions were robbed on Monday night in Seattle, just like the Green Bay Packers before them. Once again, the officials blew a major call at the end of the game to cost the road team a win. Unfortunately, that was hardly Detroit’s only chance to win. The defense was outstanding while the offense failed to convert on three takeaways. It might be tough to swallow but Detroit deserves to be 0-4.

26. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 28)
So that’s what the Saints’ offense can do. Drew Brees returned and got a major win in the Bayou. Their chances are still slim but they survive another week. This team is one of the most unpredictable in the league on a week to week basis.

27. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 27)
An off week for Tennessee provides an opportunity to review some film for this very young team. Marcus Mariota is an early front runner for Rookie of the Year and the future seems bright in the Music City.

28. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 25)
Between averaging 289 yards per game on offense, second worst in the NFL, and having the worst scoring offense, San Francisco is in a rut. Something needs to change for this 49er offense. An easier test comes against a middling Giants defense, but San Francisco is not scaring anyone right now.

29. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 26)
They had a chance for overtime when the Chargers missed a last-second game-winning field goal attempt, but naturally the Browns were offsides. Cleveland is one of only two teams to be allowing more than 400 yards per contest defensively. The offense is scoring enough points to get some wins. Mike Pettine has to coach up this defense to get them to at least average before the Browns are challenging anyone.

30. Chicago Bears (Last week: 32)
The Bears won! Chicago narrowly managed to avoid starting 0-4 for the first time since the year 2000. Fun fact: the last time the Bears started 0-3, they got a win over the Oakland Raiders to avoid an 0-4 start. And they say history doesn’t repeat itself.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 30)
That was brutal. No other way to put it than that. It almost doesn’t make sense that Jacksonville lost. They controlled the clock sightly longer than Indy. They out-gained the Colts by 100+ yards. They finished plus two in the turnover battle. Yet the Jags only managed 13 points. That’s just frustrating.

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 31)
Jameis Winston looks every bit the part of raw rookie quarterback. He owns a 54.9 completion percentage and a share of the interception lead in the league. No one expected him to be perfect but he is a long way off from being a franchise quarterback.

What if Chip had stayed at Oregon?

October 4, 2015October 4, 2015 Chris McGlynn Football, NCAA, NFL Chip Kelly, Oregon Ducks, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have been the most scrutinized team in the NFL since Chip Kelly arrived in Philly from the Pacific Northwest. He brought with him a college style of coaching and a new offense that many assumed could not work at the professional level. He has burned more than his fair share of bridges as well with many of his now former players.

For better or worse, Chip has completely changed the landscape of the NFL in his three years as head coach. But what if he had never left? What if Kelly had decided to stay out at Oregon and run his fast-paced offense? That is exactly what we are going to talk about right now.

Well first thing is first, the Eagles need a new coach when Andy Reid is fired following the 2012 season. So Philly brings in current Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer. Zimmer was tabbed by Minnesota in 2014 but because he is still a coordinator in Cincy in 2013, the Eagles snap him up instead.

The team approach for Philly completely changes. Zimmer brings in a defensive presence to an Eagles team that desperately needed it. Philadelphia had ranked tied for 29th in the league in 2012 for scoring defense. Needless to say, Zimmer would look to bring in some fresh faces. Needing a solid defensive end, Philly targets Michael Bennett from the Bengals in offseason and avoids letting Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie walk away.

Michael_Bennett — Bennett won a ring in 2013 with the Seattle Seahawks.

Already the defense looks better and some very important things happen for the Eagles offense. Zimmer never isolates DeSean Jackson so he stays and there is no push a year later for Jeremy Maclin or LeSean McCoy to leave. Todd Herremans and Evan Mathis never feel unwelcome either. Philly keeps together their core together instead.

2013 proves to be an excellent year for Philly as they once again capture the NFC East crown, but this time, Zimmer gets a playoff win against New Orleans, as his defense finds a way to limit Drew Brees on the road. The Eagles travel to Carolina the following week and pick up a big victory against the favored Panthers. Philly runs into a buzz saw in the form of Seattle in the NFC Championship game though and sit at home as the Seahawks blow out the Broncos. Overall though, it is a very positive start to the Zimmer era in Philly.

Meanwhile, in Oregon, the Ducks enter the season as a team with major National Title aspirations again but have a legitimate chance of getting the job done with Kelly at the helm. He and sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota manage to go the whole season with just one loss, a blowout defeat against Arizona. Kelly calling the shots proves to be enough for Oregon to beat Stanford and hold onto their title aspirations much longer. Instead of finishing 10th in the standings, the Ducks finish fifth and earn a spot in the 2014 Rose Bowl in place of Stanford.

Zimmer continue to prepare his team for a very important 2014 campaign though over in Philadelphia. His core of McCoy, Jackson, Maclin and rookie Jordan Matthews pace the offense and make life easy on Nick Foles. The defense, led by Michael Bennett, Trent Cole, Connor Barwin and rookie Bradley Roby, proves to do enough for Philly to make the playoffs in 2014 instead of just missing out. The team moves forward mainly due to avoiding a late season loss to Washington.

The Eagles enter the postseason with a matchup against Dallas on the horizon. The Cowboys split the regular season series with Philly but they lost at home then and they do again here. That mean Philly travels to Seattle for the divisional round and for the second straight year, the Eagles fall against the Seahawks in the playoffs.

Checking back in on the West Coast, Marcus Mariota is tipped to be the Heismann winner with Kelly at the helm. Oregon is coming off a Rose Bowl win and looks to be a lock for the College Football playoff. They finish the season with just one loss for the second consecutive year under Kelly, the loss once again coming against rival Arizona. Mariota bolsters his draft stock in his junior season and takes home the Heismann Trophy by a landslide. Oregon still ends up in the National Title game, still against Ohio State. The game ends a lot closer this time around but still in an Ohio State win.

The 2015 NFL draft rolls around and after his transcendent performance under Kelly at Oregon, Mariota leapfrogs Jameis Winston in the predraft build up. Mariota goes number one overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee is left to take Winston second.

Later on in the first round, selecting after the would’ve this year, the Eagles instead take Arizona State safety Damarious Randall to bolster the secondary then draft the troubled Randy Gregory in the second round. Now, Zimmer has all of the pieces he wants to play with on defense and Philly enters the season as an early season favorite to win the NFC instead of a team with dozens of questions surrounding it.

McCoy never winds up in Buffalo, Maclin never joins Andy Reid in Kansas City. DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews never join during the offseason. Instead, Mathews heads to Tennesee to help the rebuilding Titans. Murray takes his talent (or lack there of) to Baltimore.

Who would’ve thought that the NFL would change this much just because Chip Kelly decided to stay at Oregon.

The Aftermath

When sporting news breaks, we cover the fallout.

Year: 2015

NFL Power Rankings: Week 6

Age is but a number

Is Klinsmann’s time up?

NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

What if Chip had stayed at Oregon?

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