Author: Chris McGlynn

Decision Day in the NFL

Chris McGlynn NFL

One last day will decide everything in the NFL. Ten of the twelve playoff spots have been locked up but there is still a lot of movement that could occur based on the results of today’s games. And that last playoff spot will be very interesting to watch. Here are all of the possible scenarios for the teams still alive in week 17.

AFC logoNew England Patriots:
With a win today against the Dolphins or a Denver loss against San Diego, the Patriots lock up homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. However, if the Pats lose to Miami and Denver hold of the Chargers, the Patriots drop to the second seed. That is as far as they can drop.

Denver Broncos:
A win today and a Patriots loss would place Denver in the top spot in the conference. If New England wins then the Broncos would have to settle for second, assuming they beat the Chargers. The Broncos can fall as far as the sixth seed though. A loss to San Diego paired with wins by the Chiefs and Jets would knock Denver down to the final wildcard spot. If Kansas City also loses Denver would still win the division but a win by the Bengals would push Denver to the third seed. Assuming that Denver loses still, they could end up with the fifth seed if Kansas City wins but the Jets lose. Denver really could end up all over the map after today.

Cincinnati Bengals:
This is much simpler. A win and a Denver loss would push the Bengals up to the second seed. A loss or a Bronco victory would keep them third, not landing a bye in round one. Those are the only possibilities for Cincy here.

Houston Texans:
A win would lock up the AFC South for the Texans and a trip to the playoffs. They could still make it if they lose with a Colts loss or a win by the Browns, Jets, Raiders, Saints, Chargers, Bengals or Patriots. Yes that is crazy. Houston will only be the fourth seed if they make it.

Kansas City Chiefs:
Entering week 17, Kansas City isn’t in line for a first round bye but they could get a home playoff game with a win against Oakland and a Denver loss to San Diego. Wins by both the Broncos and Chiefs would keep Kansas City at the five seed, as would a loss to Oakland as long as the Jets lost too.  If the Chiefs lose to the Raiders though and the Jets win against Buffalo, Kansas City drops to the sixth seed.

New York Jets:
It’s simple, win and they’re in. As long as the Jets beat Buffalo, they will secure a playoff spot. The Jets could lose and still make it, as long as Pittsburgh loses too. New York could only move as high as fifth, but they would need some help. A win over Buffalo paired with either a Chiefs loss, or a Chiefs win and a Broncos loss would jump them up a spot.

Pittsburgh Steelers:
Here is a team that does not control its own destiny. The Steelers need a win against the Browns and a loss by the Jets to get in. They can only be the sixth seed.

Indianapolis Colts:
Chuck Pagano might want to play the lottery because he has a better shot at winning that than making the playoffs. The Colts need a win and losses by the Texans, Jets, Browns, Saints, Chargers, Patriots, Bengals and Chiefs to make the postseason. If any of that goes wrong, the Colts are done.

NFC LogoCarolina Panthers:
This is pretty simple, win and they lock up homefield advantage. If Carolina loses to Tampa Bay, but Arizona falls against Seattle, they still hold onto the NFC’s top seed. A win by Arizona paired with Panther loss would drop Carolina to two though.

Arizona Cardinals:
A win over Seattle is meaningless unless the Panthers lose, as it would move them into first in the conference. Otherwise, Arizona will stay as the two seed in the NFC.

Green Bay Packers:
A win over the Vikings means the Pack get to host a home playoff game in the wildcard round as the three seed. A loss to Minnesota would relegate Green Bay to a wildcard spot. The Packers can only be the third or fifth seeds.

Washington:
This game is meaningless for them no matter what. They are the four seed in the playoffs.

Minnesota Vikings:
There is a lot on the line for Minnesota here. A win would give them the division and a home playoff game. A loss to Green Bay and a loss by Seattle would mean they stick as the five seed. However, if Minnesota loses and the Seahawks upset Arizona, then the Vikings will drop to the sixth seed.

Seattle Seahawks:
Seattle is in the postseason no matter what and they are going to be a wildcard team, this is just a matter of seeding. A win and a Viking loss would give Seattle the five seed and a matchup with Washington. A Viking win or a loss to the Cardinals would leave the Seahawks as the NFC’s sixth seed.

Those are all of the playoff scenarios on the line for Week 17. Hope you enjoy watching as the madness unfolds.

Making a case from the bench

Chris McGlynn Basketball, NBA , , , ,

This past week saw Steph Curry take on a new role for the Golden State Warriors. A spot on the bench. Curry missed back-to-back games for the Dubs due to a lower leg injury. He is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against the Nuggets.

Stephen_CurryIn the two games that Curry has missed so far, the Warriors have struggled. First came a blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks in which Dallas shot over 50 percent from the field while Golden State only hit 40.7 percent of their shots. The next was a narrow win over the Rockets where the Warriors were sloppy with the ball, turning it over 18 times.

There is no doubt that the Warriors are worse off with Curry on the bench but this raises an interesting question. Does this solidify Curry as the league’s MVP yet again? It seems a bit crazy but it actually makes some sense.

Peyton_ManningThis type of idea originated for the first time for me when it came the 2011 NFL season. Peyton Manning missed the entire season due to an offseason neck surgery. The Colts went from a 10-6 playoff team in 2010 to a 2-14 debacle in 2012. It made many people wonder just how valuable Peyton was to Indianapolis if his absence could make that much of a difference.

Obviously, this is not the same scenario and no one actually voted for Manning as the MVP for that season but it still presented the idea. The reason why it could genuinely work in Curry’s favor is because he has actually played during the season and is not expected to miss an extend run of games.

Stephen_Curry2Curry has already made a pretty good case to be the league’s MVP again. He leads the NBA in points per game by a decent margin and is second in shooting percentage among guards. He has chipped in a healthy 6.4 assists per night and fourth in thefts per game. He has the best box plus/minus rating and the highest number of win shares in the league this season. Not to mention that the Warriors have only lost one game that Curry started.

His absence underlined how important he is to the team. There are some noticeable changes to the Warriors game without Curry. When Curry starts, Golden State scores 114.8 points per game. Without him, the Dubs averaged only 102.5. Their three-point shooting and overall shooting dropped off. It became apparent very quickly that no matter how deep the Warriors seem, they need their leader on the court to be a contender.

Yes it is a very small sample size and it is clear that Golden State is a good team even without Curry. I really think that missing those two games strengthened his campaign for a second consecutive MVP award. He showed his true value as the most important piece on the league’s best team.

Should a player be named MVP because of the drop off his team suffers when he doesn’t play? Maybe not in the case of Peyton Manning back in 2011, but I think in the case of Curry in 2016, it helps. The award is not designed for the league’s best player, but it’s most valuable one. His value was underlined in those two games.

Does this mean that Curry has locked up the MVP race? Absolutely not, but I think he just strengthened his resume by spending two nights in late December sitting on the bench.

Cashing in their Chip

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL

He was set to revolutionize the NFL, with his unique offense and quirky personnel moves. Instead, he took a team brimming with potential and broke it down to a team with plenty of holes, lots of question marks and no real cohesiveness or long term plan.

Chip_Kelly
The Eagles released Kelly on Tuesday.

Chip Kelly certainly made a wave in the NFL. Many are shocked that Kelly is gone and that Philly wouldn’t give him another chance but I have to say it seemed only too obvious to can the former Oregon man.

Kelly tried running the Philadelphia Eagles as if it was a college organization, instead of a professional team. He wanted total power to build the team up rather than coach the pieces he was given. There was no check on his power and that led to him making some questionable moves. He jettisoned fan favorites and impact players such as Nick Foles, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy. He gambled on DeMarco Murray, Sam Bradford, Ryan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, Kiko Alonso and still others. Kelly built the team he wanted, and it failed.

Eagles vs. Rams
Kelly brought his fast-paced offense with him from Oregon, running plays faster than we have ever seen in the NFL.

However, the system he introduced worked. His fast paced offense focused on moving quickly, running more plays and keeping the defense off balance showed tons of potential to work in the NFL and even had great success in Kelly’s first two years. I think Kelly still could be a coach in the NFL, just not in Philadelphia.

The ideal team format for Kelly is one that has a strong defense and an offense full of speed and quickness. The Eagles never had a good defense under Kelly, which led to lots of collapses late in games. Kelly also proved that he could coach, but should not be given control of personnel decisions. He implemented a system with guys like Jackson, Maclin and McCoy, all of whom fit the prototypical stature for players in Kelly’s offense, and then though he could do better. His plan backfired.

Marcus_Mariota
Mariota will miss the final game of the season, but he pieced together an impressive rookie campaign in the Music City.

Rumors have linked Kelly to Tennessee, who is currently in between coaches and has former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota on the roster. Mariota was Kelly’s greatest triumph at Oregon, as he hand-picked him in the recruiting process to run his unique offense. I think Kelly could fit well in Tennessee, as long as both he and the team are patient. The Titans need to make sure the general manager works with Kelly to bring in players, but ultimately that the GM has the final say and not Kelly himself.

I also think Kelly could find himself taking the Texas job next season. A move back to the collegiate level might be good for him as he tries to move on from the debacle he created in the City of Brotherly love. Texas has reportedly been trying to nail down Nick Saban for some time now but landing a high profile coach like Kelly could help turn their program around. It would appeal to Kelly too as he would have all the resources he needs to build the team how he wants along with a healthy contract to boot. That marriage could work out perfectly.

Otherwise, I don’t really see Kelly attracting a whole lot of attention from other pro teams. I think Tennessee might be the only team who would give him a chance.

Sam_Bradford
The former first round pick Bradford has struggled to stay healthy during his career and took a while to grasp the Philly offense.

As for the Eagles, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made about the structure of this team going forward. No matter who takes over the team, I cannot imagine that they will keep Sam Bradford. Bradford was average at best and highly inconsistent throughout the whole season. I for one think that Mark Sanchez would have done a better job of leading this team than Bradford did. The Oklahoma product’s contract is up at the end of this season so letting him walk should be easy for the Eagles.

DeMarco Murray also strikes me as a major question mark. Rumor has it that he wants out but with a new coach likely coming in at the beginning of next season, Murray could be made the cornerstone piece to build around in Philly. He is a talented running back who fits a zone run scheme. He simply was not a system fit with the Eagles under Kelly. He and Ryan Mathews could be a great tandem to build the new Eagles offense on.

There is going to be a major overhaul in Philly during the offseason. The defense has some intriguing pieces in Fletcher Cox, JaCorey Shepard, Mychal Kendricks, Eric Rowe and Jordan Hicks. The offense needs a lot of work. The offensive line needs some new blood and the receiving core is unreliable. Not to mention the quarterback position needs to be solved.

Whoever enters as the next coach will have a lot of work to do as soon as they step through the door. The Eagles are not that far away from competing in the NFC East, as we saw this year but they have some holes at key positions to be addressed.

Firing Kelly was the best thing, for both sides. The Eagles did not respond well to Kelly and the latter desperately needs a fresh start.

Black Monday Preview

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , , , , , , ,

Next Monday is the latest edition of the NFL’s Black Monday. The NFL season is not officially over and this last week of the year could be the make or break position for some teams. Let’s take a look around the NFL at some of the coaches around the NFL who are on the hot seat.

 

Sean_Payton

Payton won a Super Bowl in 2009, but has only won two playoff games in the six years years since.

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
Status: Safe
In all likelihood, Payton will still have his job at the end of this season. It has been a tumultuous for the Saints but this was deemed to be a retooling year. New Orleans shipped off their biggest offensive weapon and added a lot of new faces on defense. The team already made one coaching switch with the firing of Rob Ryan earlier this year. With Drew Brees still under contract, I don’t see the Saints looking to make a coaching switch. However, if next year looks the same as 2015 did for New Orleans, then no one in the Bayou is safe, and that includes Brees.

 

Tom Coughlin
In years where Coughlin hasn’t won the Super Bowl, the Giants have not won a playoff game.

Tom Coughlin, New York Giants
Status: Undetermined
The Giants have had a very up and down season. They started very poorly and had some bright spots but altogether this season has been a disappointing one for Big Blue. Every week it seems like the Giants face the same problems of blowing games late and mismanaging the clock. Coughlin’s play calling and decision making has directly cost the Giants at least two games this season (against the Jets and Cowboys). If New York has another late-game meltdown or suffers a blowout against the rival Eagles, I think it might be the end of line for the veteran coach.

 

Dan Campbell
Campbell won a Super Bowl as a player on the Saints in 2009.

Dan Campbell, Miami Dolphins
Status: Will be fired
This week’s game against New England could be a huge resume builder for Miami if Campbell can somehow motivate his squad to a victory. However, it will most likely be too little, too late. Joe Philbin lead to the Dolphins to an abysmal start and lost his job after four weeks. Campbell came in and the Fins played inspired for two weeks, winning both games handily. Since then, Miami has only pulled off ugly wins against Philadelphia and Baltimore. Getting to six wins on the season won’t change anything for Miami’s assessment of the season and it will not save Campbell’s job.

 

 

Chip_Kelly
Kelly jettisoned notable players over his tenure in Philadelphia leading to very mixed results.

Chip Kelly, Philadelphia Eagles
Status: Will be fired
When you take a team that won ten games and narrowly missed the playoffs in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions a season ago and turn it into a team that cannot surpass the .500 in the league’s second weakest division, you deserve to be fired. Kelly completely sunk the Eagles and his offseason moves have backfired. DeMarco Murray isn’t worth half of what the Eagles signed him to. Sam Bradford has been the model of inconsistency, Kiko Alonso looks underwhelming and it is clear that the team misses players like Evan Mathis, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin. I will be shocked if Kelly is not fired and I personally think that Philly already should have let him go. [Update: The Eagles have fired Kelly. Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur will be the interim head coach.]

 

 

Mike Mularkey.jpg
This is Mularkey’s third time being an interim head coach.

Mike Mularkey, Tennessee Titans
Status: Undetermined
This year was obviously one where the expectations for the Titans were low. That didn’t stop the Tennessee brass from firing Ken Wisenhunt. Wisenhunt’s 3-20 start with the team in the two years and change he was in charge. Mularkey hasn’t had much better success, only winning two of the seven games he has been the head coach. However, with Marcus Mariota having just completed his rookie season, the team might be wary about completely starting over and forcing him to learn a new system. This decision is still very unclear.

 

38th CAB Flag Presentation to Colts
Caldwell led the Colts to the Super Bowl in 2009, but fell to Payton’s Saints.

Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions
Status: Safe
Detroit pulled off the interesting midseason move in which it fired its president and general manager, but kept its head coach. If that isn’t head scratching, then I don’t know what is. The move seems to have worked though. Since their bye, Detroit is 5-2 with one of those loses coming on a hail mary against the Packers on the last play. The switch at offensive coordinator also helped the Lions turn their season around. For a team that to the playoffs last year, this was still a disappointing season, but the Lions are trending upwards for 2016.

 

Mike McCoy
McCoy has yet to lead San Diego to the postseason.

Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers
Status: Safe
The Chargers entered 2015 with playoff aspirations. They will likely finish with a top five draft pick. It has not been a pretty season out in sunny California and the team is rumored to be moving to Los Angeles but that should not effect Mike McCoy. This was the first real sign of struggles for a Chargers team that has always been in the mix for the playoffs under McCoy. San Diego had a lot of new faces at key positions and some major injuries bogged this team down. San Diego has also been close in just about every contest. Eight of their eleven losses have been by only one possession. McCoy will get one more chance to get the Bolts into the postseason. If he fails next year, then he will be packing his bags.

 

 

Jason Garrett
Garrett only has one playoff appearance in his five years of being the Cowboys coach.

Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys
Status: Safe
Jason Garrett found out the hard way this year that it is really hard to win games without your best offensive players. With Dez Bryant and Tony Romo hampered by injuries for most of the season, Dallas struggled mightily. It affect the Cowboys on all side of the ball. Way too frequently, the offense’s inability to move the ball with Matt Cassell/Brandon Weeden/Kellen Moore at quarterback put the defense in a tough position and eventually, the defense started to crack. There have been some rumors flying around regarding Garrett’s status considering how poorly the Cowboys played this season, but given the circumstances, I think Garrett will be sticking around for 2016.

 

What is Los Angeles planning now?

Chris McGlynn MLS, Soccer

The LA Galaxy always try to stay ahead of the curve. Or at least that’s how it seems. Los Angeles continually makes to biggest signings in MLS and without a doubt will be one of the top teams in the league. From Landon Donovan to David Beckham to Giovani Dos Santos, LA has landed star after star after star.

 
JuninhoTo stay ahead though, you need to make some radical moves sometimes. LA certainly did that this past week as it moved Omar Gonzales and Juninho to Liga MX for a boatload of cash and tons of salary space. Those two had the highest salaries on the team for players that weren’t under the Designated Player tag. The Galaxy also let Donovan Ricketts and Mike Vayrynen leave the team opening up a $2 million salary hole for the winningest franchise in MLS history to fill.

Omar GonzalezThat should read as bad news for the rest of the league. LA has the unique ability of attracting big names to come and this already star-studded team is clearly looking to get better. This season was viewed a major disappointment as the squad failed to even make it to the Conference Finals.

Now the rest of the league has to be wondering, what will the Galaxy do next? Well for starters, they are linked to former English International Ashley Cole. The 35-year old is without a contract at the moment so LA would not need to spend any of their transfer budget to bring him in. Outside of that, no one is really sure what to expect.

Looking at the current Galaxy roster, they need defensive help. Only two playoff teams allowed more goals than LA did last season. Bruce Arena is going to want to find someone to replace Ricketts at keeper and you can bet that it will be a top goalkeeping option by MLS standards. With Gonzales on the move too, you would expect Los Angeles to fill the void with a young central defender. If LA looks for a homegrown player at that spot look for names like Matt Miazga, John Brooks and Matt Hedges to crop up.

With Juninho out of the picture in Los Angeles and Vayrynen gone as well, the midfield is going to need some work. Finding someone to consistently start alongside Gerrard. LA did a lot of mixing and matching in their midfield last season, but down the stretch, you could just about count on Gerrard and Juninho starting.

Whoever LA brings in to replace Juninho will have a huge role to fill. The Brazilian started more games than anyone else last year for the Galaxy. Right behind him was Gonzales. They two were the center pieces of Arena’s starting eleven just about every week. With both of them gone, you can expect to see a very different style Galaxy team shaping up during the next two to three months.

Los Angeles GalaxySometimes, trying to fix was isn’t broken can be a major problem. However, I don’t think that is the case here. Los Angeles is looking to turn the page on their storied history and start a new chapter. A lot of the key players from that 2014 MLS Final victory are gone. Five of the Galaxy’s starting eleven in that championship game no longer don an LA uniform. The strikers have remained the same but everything has experienced a major shake up. LA is gearing up for another title run but also another shot at creating a dynasty. The Galaxy won titles in 2011, 2012 and 2014. LA is not looking to snag just one more title, they are preparing to dominant the league for a few years to come.