Stocked and Loaded Super Bowl LII

With the 2017 NFL season nearing its end and the championship round of the playoffs in the books, the table is officially set for Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, we'll either have a newly crowned champion for the first time in their franchises history or the dynamic duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will add yet another title to their already crowded trophy case. And unless you're a Pats fan or actually live in New England (or a bitter Vikings fan and rightfully so), chances are you aren't hoping for the latter. In fact, this blog took me a lot longer to post due to the fact that the match-up is probably one we could've all done without seeing as the Patriots are a team everyone outside of New England is pretty much tired of seeing in the Super Bowl. And then there's the Eagles who you would think would be a rather easy team to root for in this case, seeing as they have zero Super Bowl titles to their name, but their fan base has seemingly done virtually everything possible to make us not root for them.

I'm aware that Philly sports fans have had a long storied history of having a bad reputation which spans from throwing batteries at Terrell Owens to pelting Santa Clause with snowballs, but this season saw a new low for Philly fans. Entering their match-up with the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC Championship, videos went viral showing a trio of Viking fans walking to Lincoln Financial Field while being booed and having expletives thrown their way. Both of which are completely normal for an opposing fan when stepping foot into enemy territory. But after those boo's and expletives came booze as Eagle fans began throwing beer cans and bottles at the fans. Not only is this dangerous but it's also a waste of beer, therefore that's minus two points for Philly fans from the jump. And then footage went viral of Eagles fans chucking beer and other items at the Vikings team bus after the game. Again, dangerous and a waste of beer. Finally, Eagles fans took to the streets of Philly to celebrate their Super Bowl-clinching win like fans normally do, no surprise there. But footage surfacing of two Eagles fans holding a banner that read, "Fuck Millie, Philly Philly", referring to 99-year old Vikings super fan Millie Wall who won over the hearts of football fans across the nation during Minnesota's miraculous last-second victory over the New Orleans Saints to punch their ticket to the NFC Championship. Thankfully no beer was wasted for a third time around (at least that we know of), but another low-blow by Philly fans nonetheless. All of this considered, I might have to cheer for New England in the Super Bowl... Who the heck am I kidding, that's still not enough to make me root for the Patriots. So the lesser of two evils it is. Fly Eagles Fly!...at least I think that's how it goes. 

Kidding aside, this could be a much better game than everyone seems to expect between the two No. 1 seeds. As much as we hate to see them in the big game, Super Bowl's containing the Patriots have made for some of the more entertaining Super Bowl's we've seen in years passed. Then again for most of us it's hard to think back to a Super Bowl that hasn't included Tom Brady and company which isn't so much a shot at the brilliance of he and his head coach as it is a tip of the hat. With the duo already owning the record for the most Super Bowl titles with five, the future Hall of Fame tandem which has already reached legendary status, can add yet another notch to their belt with a win on Sunday. And with many thinking this could be their last true go around at a championship with rumors swirling about the recent dysfunction stemming from the Jimmy Garoppolo trade and the butting of heads regarding Brady's personal doctor, I wouldn't put it passed them considering the now 40-year old Brady is still playing at a high level and says he wouldn't mind playing until he's 45. Not to mention how far behind the rest of the AFC appears to be from the Patriots. Likely to be named MVP for the 3rd time in his career, an award that likely would've been awarded to a quarterback (Carson Wentz) who will be on the opposite sideline of Brady had it not been for a season-ending knee injury, Tom Terrific has shown no signs of slowing, but will be asked to win with a different set of coordinators on both sides of the ball moving forward. Leaving coach Belichick's staff following the Super Bowl will be offensive and defensive coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia who are expected to take over the head coaching vacancies of the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions, respectively. 

And then there's the Philadelphia Eagles who despite cruising into the playoffs owning the NFC's No. 1 seed and tied with a league-best record of 13-3 in the regular season, have been ruled underdogs during their entire postseason run. Playing at home in each of those two playoff games, they'll most certainly be underdogs for a third consecutive week while playing on a neutral field. And given how the team has reacted to the underdog label, they're perfectly fine with that and are hoping to keep the streak alive. With many including myself thinking the Eagles had none chance of making it to the Super Bowl the moment Wentz was lost for the season following his devastating injury suffered against the Los Angeles Rams, the team has continued to do what they've done all year long -- win. And though the injury that was initially reported as being a torn ACL and recently learned to be a LCL tear and torn IT band to boot most certainly ended any chances of Wentz taking home the MVP hardware, it has all but ruled out his team's desire to bring home the true prize of them all -- the Lombardi Trophy. 

Though Brady will be favored over an Eagles offense led by backup QB Nick Foles, don't let the backup label fool you as Foles who hasn't necessarily been on this stage before, making his Super Bowl debut, he's had his fair share of success as he helped Philadelphia to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth in 2013 while putting up gaudy numbers in the regular season to the tune of 27 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. And while he's been a shadow of his 2013 self in the regular season, his last few outings have been some of his best since then. After playing a safe game against Atlanta in which Foles failed to record a single touchdown but also steered clear of any turnovers while throwing for 246 yards in the close 15-10 win, he erupted for 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and 352 yards against a stout Minnesota defense that Foles was able to pick apart as he helped Philly cruise to an easy 38-7 victory. With the Patriots opening as 5.5 point favorites, those odds took a one point dip since then due to the uncertain health of New England tight-end Rob Gronkowski who's been monitored in the league's concussion protocol after sustaining a helmet-to-helmet hit which forced him to leave the AFC Championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Odds makers likely saw what Brady and the NFL's No.1 offense accomplished in the fourth quarter of their comeback victory over a stout Jacksonville defense and like their chances of repeating the feat against a Philadelphia defense that also ranks high. But Philly's defensive advantage is at stopping the run, not so much against the pass which is what you want when facing Brady. 

But even if the Eagles are able to pull off the upset, they'll likely do so thanks to the heroics of their defense which ranked 4th overall this season. Jacksonville who gave Brady and the Patriots as much as a run as we've seen anybody give them in years, gave us a blueprint formula of how to defeat New England, despite not actually beating them as the dynamic duo of Belichick and Brady orchestrated yet another comeback victory in the second half despite being down 20-10 entering the fourth quarter. If Philadelphia can somewhat duplicate Jacksonville's first half for all four quarters and prove to be a handful for Brady, which is easier said than done, and Foles can put together a game similar to the one he had in the NFC Championship against the league's No. 1 defense, the Eagles can leave U.S. Bank Stadium victorious, proudly wearing their dog masks for the rest of the world to see. 

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First Longo, Now 'Cutch -- Giants stay Busy in Quiet Offseason

In what's been a slow developing market for the league's top available free-agents this offseason in Major League Baseball which has had very little excitement compared to years passed, baseball fans have been kept waiting for the next big splash. And though the San Francisco Giants have yet to dip their toes into the waters of free-agency, they've been one of the more active teams this winter in acquiring new talent. Providing us with the most excitement out of anybody up to this point with the lone exception of the blockbuster deal that sent National League MVP and Home Run Champion Giancarlo Stanton from Miami to the Bronx, whom the Giants had also pursued, the G-Men have successfully landed a pair of players via trade that they hope can help them regain their winning ways in preparation for another dose of some even year magic.

Following the acquisition of All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria on December 20 which gave Giants fans an early gift to unwrap in time for Christmas, the front-office went out and added another big bat in the lineup in the form of outfielder Andrew McCutchen. Sending a pair of prospects to Pittsburgh in exchange for the 5-time All-Star, the Pirates who appear to be in full on rebuild mode after trading away their two most well known players, received right-handed pitcher Kyle Crick and outfielder Bryan Reynolds from San Francisco. The decision to deal McCutchen who's in the last year of his contract, comes just two days after the ball club agreed to move ace Gerrit Cole to the defending champion Houston Astros. Both players helped put Pittsburgh back on the baseball map and into the postseason, snapping a 21 year playoff drought. Unfortunately, the Pirates would fail to make it past the division round, but gave baseball fans in Pittsburgh a reminder of what postseason baseball tastes like in the Steel City by clinching playoff spots in three straight seasons from 2013-2015.

After being named to five NL All-Star teams in nine seasons with the Pirates and putting up MVP numbers from 2012-2014 including a 2013 campaign which saw him take home MVP honors, the one nicknamed "Cutch" took a step back in 2016 and experienced a dip in production before seeing a resurgence in 2017, especially towards the end of the season. From May 24 on, McCutchen registered a .400 OBP and slugged .540 to finish with a .363 OBP and .486 SLG, both improvements over the previous season. Hitting .279 on the year, McCutchen tallied 28 home runs and 88 RBI's, both of which would've led a Giants offense that has long lacked a power threat in the lineup. Happy to now have him on their team, Giants brass and fans alike are hoping McCutchen can add a spark similar to the one another Pirates outfielder and former MVP had supplied after being acquired by San Francisco in the past who goes by the name of Barry Bonds. Of course the sting of Bonds' departure from Pittsburgh was one the team and its fan base had to deal with for many years until McCutchen debuted in 2009 and eventually took the team on a ride they hadn't been on since Bonds wore No. 24 and was still in a Pirates uniform. Like Pittsburgh who looked upon McCutchen to be their saving grace, the Giants are hoping their newest acquisitions have plenty left in the tank as the club looks to bounce back from a last-place finish in the NL West and a dreadful 98-loss season which ranked as the franchise's third worst season since the club moved out west from the streets of Manhattan, New York.

As for Longoria who has two years remaining on his contract and is coming off his third career Gold Glove Award, the new Giants third baseman should fit in quite well in an infield that has stout defenders all across the board in fellow Gold Glovers Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik and Buster Posey. Spending the first 10 seasons of his big league career with the Tampa Bay Rays where he left as the franchise leader in home runs (261), RBI's (892) and runs scored (780), the 3-time All-Star left behind a similar legacy than the one his new teammate left in Pittsburgh. Like McCutchen, Longoria helped end a funk in Tampa Bay by leading the Rays to their first glimpse of postseason baseball with playoff berths in 2010, 2011 and 2013 as well as the team's one and only World Series appearance in 2008, a season in which Longo was named AL Rookie of the Year. With 2017 being a down year offensively for Longo who hit .261, drove in 86 runs and smacked 20 homers, he still managed to top every Giants hitter in both categories as San Francisco was the only team in the league who failed to produce a single player with 20 HR's. With that in mind, the Giants dealt outfielder Denard Span, their No. 1 prospect Christian Arroyo and two additional prospects to Tampa in exchange for the longest-tenured player in Rays history.

Sure Giants fans would've much rather have seen the brain trust of Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans make the move for the duo much earlier in their careers with both players now in their 30's, McCutchen 31-years old and Longoria 32, but the two bring with them a plethora of experience as well as some well decorated resumes and are tremendous upgrades at their respective positions over what Giants manager Bruce Bochy had to work with the season prior. And for an outfield that had hit 40-some home runs combined a season ago, they're adding a guy who hit 28 dingers on his own in 2017 as McCutchen leaves one pitcher-friendly ballpark for another. Ranking dead last in the league in home runs hit by team, the Giants who hit 128 homers, hit 23 fewer long balls than the next closest team (Pittsburgh). Those additions in the lineup as well as a full season from ace Madison Bumgarner who was lost for nearly three full months after sustaining injuries stemming from a dirt biking accident, figure to help the Giants make a rebound in 2018. And with the division-rival Dodgers, D-Backs and Rockies all making the postseason in 2017 and poised to duplicate the feat, San Francisco will need all the help they can get. And they may not be done making moves.

With Giants skipper Bruce Bochy expected to have McCutchen man right field and shift Hunter Pence from right to left, a center fielder could very well be next on the list as such free-agent names as Carlos Gonzales, Cameron Maybin, Jon Jay, Jarrod Dyson and Lorenzo Cain have all been rumored as well as a possible trade for Billy Hamilton of the Reds. However, the possibility of signing Cain who at one point seemed like a lock to land in San Francisco, now appears like a long shot given how close to the luxury tax threshold the Giants now are after acquiring McCutchen who will make just over $14 Million in 2018, with Pittsburgh dishing out $2.5 Million. So until the first pitch of the regular season is thrown, don't rule anything out just yet as the G-Men could very well be in the news again with yet another move being made.

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49ers Romp Rams to Finish 2017 Strong

Week 17 - Playing their last bit of football until the 2018 season, the (5-10) San Francisco 49ers would pay a visit to Los Angeles to take on the (11-4) Rams in the 2017 regular season finale. In what would be the 137th all-time meeting between the two, the New Years eve match-up would provide only a small taste of what should be a revival of the long standing rivalry for many years to come. With a young core of players and coaches alike, the 49ers and Rams have brewing what could be one of the better rivalries in all of football for 2018 and beyond. For Los Angeles who's already equipped to fit that bill, all they'll need is for San Francisco to hold their end of the bargain. Having solidified themselves as the top team in the NFC West thanks to the tutelage of first year head coach Sean McVay, the newly crowned Los Angeles Rams have the pieces in place to be a force out west for quite some time. As for the rebuilding 49ers, rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan has to also like his chances moving forward now that he finally has a quarterback in place that fits his complex system.

A week after clinching their first NFC West division title since 2003 and earning their first playoff appearance since 2004, the Rams would have little to prove on Sunday as McVay elected to sit a majority of his starters in preparation for next week's Wild Card meeting with the Atlanta Falcons. But no matter who the Rams threw out there, Jimmy Garoppolo and the suddenly streaking 49ers were on a mission to continue their winning ways by closing the regular season strong. Entering Sunday's game with an NFL-best four game winning-streak, Garoppolo and company would march down the field on each of their first two possessions. A week after scoring their first 1st quarter touchdown of the season which snapped a streak of 13 consecutive games without one, the 49ers repeated the feat as receiver Marquise Goodwin hauled in a pass from Garoppolo and ran into the end zone untouched to give his team an early 10-0 lead. Equally as impressive would be the San Francisco defense who forced back to back three and outs on each of the Rams' first two possessions as backup QB Sean Mannion had a rough outing in his first career start. And while his counterpart would start off hot, Jimmy G. would have his fair share of woes as well.

Facing their largest first quarter deficit this season since a Week 14 shootout with the Philadelphia Eagles, a pair of Sam Ficken field goals would be all the Los Angeles offense would have to show for in the first half, capitalizing on two Jimmy Garoppolo interceptions. Rookie cornerback Kevin Peterson would make the most of his first career start, getting the best of Garoppolo both times by picking the 49ers QB off for the first two interceptions of his career. San Francisco on the other hand, would take a 20-6 lead into the half following the second field goal of the day by Robbie Gould and the first of two touchdowns by running back Carlos Hyde. The Niners would watch their lead climb to 34-6 following Hyde's second rushing touchdown as well as a 12-yard passing touchdown from Garoppolo to a wide-open Aldrick Robinson on the first play of the fourth quarter. Though it would take the Rams until the fourth quarter to pay a visit to the end zone, Lance Dunbar would cap a 15-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown to make it a final score of 34-13.

Rushing for 88 yards in the win, Carlos Hyde who had not recorded a lost fumble all season long, would be stripped of the ball and charged with his first lost fumble of the season with just over four minutes remaining in regulation, putting a dent in his unblemished 2017 resume. The two turnovers forced by the Niner defense on Sunday would come in the form of fumbles as Cassius Marsh and Ahkello Witherspoon forced fumbles on Sean Mannion and Gerald Everett, respectively. A scary moment in the game would come midway through the second quarter when 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin took a blow to the head after being struck by Blake Countess, forcing him to leave the game as he was carted off the field and treated for a concussion. Goodwin who's been Garoppolo's most trusted receiver since his arrival, would fall just 38 yards shy of the century mark on the year, finishing with a career-high 962 receiving yards, surpassing the total he had compiled over his previous four seasons combined. Goodwin also finished the season with an average of 17.2 yards per reception, the fourth most in the NFL.

With the win on Sunday, the 49ers closed out the season with an overall record of 6-10 and riding the best standing winning-streak in the league, this following the dreadful 0-9 start that had many pundits questioning whether or not the Niners would ever touch the win column in 2017. The Niners also remained undefeated in games in which Garoppolo started as he became just the 6th QB in NFL history to win his first 7 career starts. With Goodwin departing in the first half due to injury, Garoppolo's go-to target would be rookie tight-end George Kittle who hauled in four passes for a career-high 100 yards. Garoppolo would finish with 292 yards, two touchdowns and 2 interceptions on the afternoon compared to Mannion's 169 yards. Robbie Gould who entered Sunday having made 20 consecutive field goals, added another pair to his streak, finishing his solid first year as a 49er with 39 made field goals in 41 tries. Focusing on 2018, the Niners will look to continue their winning ways as the duo of Shanahan and Garoppolo hope to see similar results since Garoppolo's arrival, the only difference is they plan to do so while playing meaningful football.

As for the Rams who finished the season with an overall record of 11-5, coach Sean McVay who's name will be in the hat for NFL Coach of the Year honors, witnessed a +7 win improvement from his team in his first year at the helm and will only look to improve on that mark moving forward. Already known for having a stout defense, McVay also did wonders for the Rams offense in 2017 which rebounded from being the worst offense in the league to being the No. 1 offense in all of football. Second-year quarterback Jared Goff who was taken first overall out of Cal a season ago, adapted quite well to McVay's system and resembled the franchise quarterback Rams brass were expecting when they selected him first overall. And then there's running back Todd Gurley III who led the league in rushing touchdowns (13) and could very well become the first non-quarterback to win the MVP Award since Adrian Peterson in 2012. With both Goff and Gurley getting some much needed rest in time for their Wild Card match-up versus the defending NFC Champion Falcons on Saturday, the Rams will look to move one step closer to their ultimate goal of bringing a Lombardi Trophy back to southern California.

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