Players of the Month: Tom Brady, Julio Jones

As the September games come to a close, we take a look at the Football Players of the Month awards to see which players stood out the most during these first three weeks of the NFL season. They are divided into each conference, with picking the best offensive, defensive, and special team’s players of the AFC and NFC. Let’s take a look at who took the awards:

Award	AFC	NFC
Offensive Player of the Month	QB Tom Brady	WR Julio Jones
Defensive Player of the Month	LB DeMarcus Ware	CB Josh Norman
Special Teams	K Stephen Gostkowski	KR/PR Tyler Lockett
Rookie of the Month	Offense	Defense
	QB Marcus Mariota	CB Ronald Darby

There is no surprise that Tom Brady of the New England Patriots was chosen as the top offensive player in the AFC. Even after the whole Deflategate scandal, he was able to return to his team and play extremely well. He has completed 72.2% of his passes for a total of 1,112 yards and a passer rating of 119.6; above all, he has thrown 9 touchdown passes and has yet to give up an interception. Simply put, Brady is a beast.

As for the NFC, Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons was given that honor, as he has 34 catches for 440 yards, 4 touchdowns that lead his team to three victories so far. If he was to keep up with this same rhythm, he would end up having 181 catches, 2,346 yards, and 21 touchdowns. Those stats would put him in the record books.

As for defense, we have the Broncos DeMarcus Ware, with 3.5 sacks and is a big force behind the undefeated front seven; with him on the line they have only allowed 16.3 points per game. Panthers CB, Josh Norman has been able to return a pick-six, forced a fumble, and saved their team with a game-clinching interception. They certainly deserve to have the award this month.

Marcus Mariota is an amazing rookie to watch, with his career debut game he threw 4 touchdowns, and finished with a perfect 158.3 passer rating, along with 833 total passing yards and 8 touchdowns to date; he is a force to be reckoned with. Ronald Darby is showing exactly why the Buffalo Bills drafted him, with two interceptions and 13 total tackles so far in his professional football career. It is looking to be a great NFL season if this is what we’re offered in just three weeks.

Week 3 NFL Football Power Rankings

With the games of Week 3 of the NFL regular season coming up soon, it is good to know where each football team stands, whether you simply want to cheer for your favorite team that has improved, or use the information to handicap more effectively. The Power Rankings are:

Team	Week 3 Rank	Previous Rank
New England Patriots	1	1
Green Bay Packers	2	2
Arizona Cardinals	3	5
Denver Broncos	4	4
Dallas Cowboys	5	3
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	11
Cincinnati Bengals	7	14
Kansas City Chiefs	8	7
Carolina Panthers	9	20
Atlanta Falcons	10	16
New York Jets	11	22
Seattle Seahawks	12	6
Miami Dolphins	13	10
Minnesota Vikings	14	18
San Diego Chargers	15	15
Buffalo Bills	16	8
St. Louis Rams	17	17
Indianapolis Colts	18	9
Baltimore Ravens	19	13
Philadelphia Eagles	20	12
Cleveland Browns	21	27
Detroit Lions	22	19
San Francisco 49ers	23	23
Oakland Raiders	24	30
Washington Redskins	25	29
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	26	30
New Orleans Saints	27	21
New York Giants	28	26
Jacksonville Jaguars	29	31
Tennessee Titans	30	24
Houston Texans	31	25
Chicago Bears	32	28

No one would have imagined that some of the top rated teams in the NFL would be so low on the Power Rankings, especially at the start of the season when the players are fresh and healthy. For instance, the Indianapolis Colts are quickly becoming the League’s most disappointing team; after all of the hype they received during the preseason, to see them lose two straight games with poor performances. We also see the Chicago Bears being last on the list, when many expected them to be big contenders this year.

Most are surprised to see the Seattle Seahawks doing so poorly as well. With the 2013 and 2014 season they proved to be a solid team, yet they are taking a long time getting warmed up. Among the top teams, we will see the number 1 spot change hands evenly between the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers, with the rest of the teams right on their heels. It is still too early to tell for sure, but if the NFL teams continue performing this way on the football field, we will have already picked the playoff match-ups.

Top Football Defensive Fronts Of NFL

For those football fans that want to know which NFL teams have the best defensive fronts in the league, look no further, as NFL.com has brought the latest rankings of the top 10 defensive teams. Surprisingly, the top ranked team on this list is the St. Louis Rams, although you would also be surprised that they managed to beat the Seattle Seahawks during the first week of the regular season. They beat them in overtime, 34-31, and it was mostly thanks to their defense being able to stop the number one ranked rush offense in the league.

Here is the list of the current Top 10 Defensive Fronts in the NFL:

1. St. Louis Rams: Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Chris Long, Alec Ogletree, James Laurinaitis, and Akeem Ayers.
2. Buffalo Bills: Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, Jerry Hughes, Nigel Bradham, Preston Brown, and Manny Lawson.
3. Denver Broncos: Derek Wolfe, Sylvester Williams, Malik Jackson, Von Miller, Brandon Marshall, Danny Trevathan, and DeMarcus Ware.
4. Miami Dolphins: Cameron Wake, Ndamukong Suh, Earl Mitchell, Olivier Vernon, Jelani Jenkins, Kelvin Sheppard, and Koa Misi.
5. Carolina Panthers: Charles Johnson, Star Lotulelei, Kawann Short, Kony Ealy, Thomas Davis, Luke Kuechly, and Shaq Thompson.
6. Philadelphia Eagles: Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Cedric Thornton, Connor Barwin, Mychal Kendricks, DeMeco Ryans, and Brandon Graham.
7. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Bennett, Brandon Mebane, Ahtyba Rubin, Cliff Avril, Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, and K.J. Wright.
8. Kansas City Chiefs: Mike DeVito, Dontari Poe, Allen Bailey, Justin Houston, Derrick Johnson, Josh Mauga, and Tamba Hali.
9. Houston Texans: J.J. Watt, Vince Wilfork, Jared Crick, Jadeveon Clowney, Brian Cushing, Akeem Dent, and Whitney Mercilus.
10. Baltimore Ravens: Chris Canty, Brandon Williams, Timmy Jernigan, Elvis Dumervil, C.J. Mosley, Daryl Smith, and Courtney Upshaw.

It is surprising to see some of these teams on this list, like the Rams and the Broncos. The Rams have had faulty teams for years now, but it seems they are now focusing on strengthening their core players and it is showing. The Broncos have been mainly an offensive team since Manning arrived, so this change in attitude could get them far this football season.

29 Top Players Of Week 1 College Football

With the College Football season starting strong, with huge rivalries playing each other, there will always be certain players that stand out more than others. Simply due to the fact that these players do an outstanding job on the field, which is why they are top prospects even when talking about the 2016 NFL Draft; there is still quite a long ways until this happens, but these players still deserve a mention.

The Week 1 Top players are:

Rank	Player	POS	College	Week 1 Performance
1	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame	9 Tackles, 1 QB hurry
2	Ronnie Stanley	T	Notre Dame	0 sacks, pressures, hurries allowed
3	Cardale Jones	QB	Ohio State	10/19, 187 yards, 2 TD
4	Vernon Hargreaves	CB	Florida	3 catches, 23 yards
5	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss	4 catches, 44 yards
6	Jalen Ramsey	CB	FSU	4 tackles, 1 pass defended
7	Laremy Tunsil	T	Ole Miss	DNP
8	Jared Goff	QB	Cal	24/32, 309 yards, 3 TD
9	Robert Nkemdiche	DE	Ole Miss	2 tackles, 1 QB hurry, 1 TD catch
10	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA	5 tackles, 1 TD run
11	Jack Conklin	T	Michigan State	0 sacks, pressures, hurries allowed
12	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State	12 runs, 123 yards, 1 TD
13	DeForest Buckner	DL	Oregon	1 QB hit, 6 QB hurries
14	Christian Hackenberg	QB	Penn State	11/25, 103 yards, 10 sacks, 3 drops
15	Kemoko Turay	DE	Rutgers	1 tackle, 1 sack
16	Taylor Decker	T	Ohio State	0 sacks, pressures, hurries allowed
17	A’Shawn Robinson	DL	Alabama	63% snaps played, 1 hurry
18	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia	8 tackles, 1 sack
19	Adolphus Washington	DL	Ohio State	5 tackles, 2 QB hits, 2 hurries
20	Keivarae Russell	CB	Notre Dame	1 catch, 48 yards
21	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama	9 tackles, 1 QB hit, 1 QB hurry
22	Kenny Clark	DL	UCLA	5 tackles, 1 QB hurry
23	Vonn Bell	SS	Ohio State	2 catches, 49 yards
24	Darron Lee	LB	Ohio State	6 tackles, 2 QB hurries
25	Su’a Cravens	LB	USC	1 catch, 4 tackles
26	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	OK St.	2 tackles, 1.5 sacks
27	Anthony Zettel	DT	Penn State	5 tackles, 1 QB hurry
28	Cameron Sutton	CB	Tennessee	3 tackles, 1 pass defended
29	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State	2 catches, 46 yards, 1 TD

On top of these 29 players, there are five other players that have really stood out and should be on any fans watch list:

• CB Fabian Moreau, UCLA
• EDGE Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
• LB Kendell Beckwith, LSU
• LT Jack Conklin, Michigan State
• WR Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington

So, pay attention during the rest of the college football season, as you may see some of the top performers high on the 2016 NFL Draft list.

Football Predictions On Rookie Of The Year And More

As the preseason winds down, and the NFL regular season is about to begin, many are looking far into the future of football and making their predictions based on current performances. This is where the experts at NFL.com have come up with their very own predictions for three of the biggest awards that are given out at the end of each season. These three include: MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and the Rookies of the Year. Here is what the experts have predicted:

NFL.com Expert	MVP	Defensive Player of the Year	Rookies of the Year
Gregg Rosenthal	Aaron Rodgers	J.J. Watt	Marcus Mariota Stephone Anthony
Kevin Patra	Andrew Luck	J.J. Watt	Amari Cooper Randy Gregory
Conor Orr	Andrew Luck	Justin Houston	Jameis Winston Shane Ray
Chris Wesseling	Andrew Luck	J.J. Watt	Ameer Abdullah Vic Beasley
Dan Hanzus	Ben Roethlisberger	J.J. Watt	Devin Funchess Leonard Williams
Marc Sessler	Andrew Luck	J.J. Watt	Amari Cooper Danny Shelton

It would seem that most of these sports analysts are placing a high value on certain players, like J.J. Watt and Andrew Luck, while they are having a much harder time agreeing on which Rookie’s will get the award. The main reason it is hard to know which Rookie will have a better season is due to the fact that they have no previous experience in pro football, and have to base it all on their current performances during the Preseason and their training camps.

For players that are already familiar with the NFL and have had longer careers in the sport, it is much easier to know from their previous season performance, as well as how good they are doing in the Preseason. Although, I wouldn’t put much stock into how a team or player is doing during the preseason, as it is basically friendly games between teams, another way to practice through experience.

Once the season starts, be sure to check on your favorite sportsbooks to see how good or bad the odds are for some of these players in the football futures. It may be worth placing a small bet that could pay off once the season ends.

Fantasy Football Watch: Running Backs Good At Depth

With just a few weeks until the start of the 2015 NFL regular season, fans should be getting ready to line up their best players for their fantasy football team. We are going to take a look at which running backs would be the best to put on your weekly roster, depending on whether you were able to draft any of them or not. It is no good to just pick any running back, but rather those players that have high chances of actually scoring in order to give you points.

This is why we’re going to take a look at the top running back for each professional team that has the ability to perform well near the goal-line and to score touchdowns; whether it is using their speed, quickness, or strength to do so. Here is the top pick for each team:

Team	Player	Reason
Cowboys	Joseph Randle	Quickness
Giants	Andre Williams	38 carries inside red-zone
Eagles	Ryan Mathews	Strong for goal-line situations
Washington	Alfred Morris	Good offensive line
Bears	Matt Forte	Big and strong at line
Lions	Joique Bell	Between-the-tackles guy
Packers	Eddie Lacy	20 rushing attempts at goal
Vikings	Matt Asiata	9 touchdowns from 7 yards or closer
Falcons	Devonta Freeman	Best suited for short yardage situations
Panthers	Cam Newton	33 career rushing touchdowns
Saints	Mark Ingram	9 touchdowns in 2014
Buccaneers	Doug Martin	Powerful runner
Cardinals	Andre Ellington	Short yardage go-to player
49ers	Carlos Hyde	Better at closed spaces than Bush
Seahawks	Marshawn Lynch	He’s a beast, period
Rams	Benny Cunningham	Most success at goal-line
Bills	LeSean McCoy Fred Jackson	Both have impressive red zone stats, and either could fill the position
Dolphins	Lamar Miller	Stronger to break tackles
Patriots	LeGarrette Blount	Lead power back
Jets	Chris Ivory	Great yards-after-contact runner
Ravens	Justin Forsett	7 red zone touchdowns in 2014
Bengals	Jeremy Hill	Strengthened lower body
Browns	Isaiah Crowell	Bell-cow back with 8 touchdowns in 2014
Steelers	Le’Veon Bell	Great at running and catching, deadly combo in red zone
Texans	Arian Foster	Wait for his return, as no one else has stepped up
Colts	Frank Gore	49 career touchdowns inside of the 20-yard line
Jaguars	Toby Gerhart	Biggest back and tough inside runner
Titans	David Cobb	Bigger and stronger
Broncos	C.J. Anderson	Likely to get the most carries this season
Chiefs	Jamaal Charles	Good vision and patience for holes to open
Raiders	Latavius Murray	Good burst and push at the line
Chargers	Branden Oliver	Best option for red zone situations

So, when picking one of the two running backs, be sure to include one that is good in the red zone or close to the goal-line, as they will more than likely be put in to push the ball into the end zone. No need to worry, as your fantasy football team will perform quite well if you take these players into consideration when playing.

Top 5 Quarterbacks With Best Football Potential For 2015 Season

Each team wishes it had the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but not everyone has that football talent that others clearly do. With the preseason half way over with, with must come to terms with which teams have realistic odds of actually getting to the playoffs and ultimately to the Super Bowl. We have already previously graded the quarterbacks in the League, but a few things have changed since then. Fans should be looking for quarterbacks that are able extremely reliable on the field, especially with signal-calling.

Some may disagree, but their performance does not lie, as well as their potential to actually take their team far this season. This is why we have excluded QB’s like Robert Griffin III or Eli Manning, as they do not look like they would be able to perform up the hype that they have been given. Manning is trying to become the highest paid quarterback in the league, and he may actually get that deal, but his overall performance is not of a top ranking player.

The Top 5 Quarterbacks are:

Rank	Player	Team	Reason
5	Tony Romo	Cowboys	Finally got team back into playoffs in 2014 and is looking good so far.
4	Russell Wilson	Seahawks	A dual threat that has taken the team to two Super Bowls.
3	Andrew Luck	Colts	Has talent and his performance has been improving exponentially.
2	Tom Brady	Patriots	Led team to Super Bowl victory, with great performance improvement over 2013 season.
1	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	Constantly accurate passes, keeping his performance at a steady high for years.

There are many reasons as to why other great QB’s did not make this list, like Peyton Manning. Manning is a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame with his amazing talent and performance over many years, but this does not include the present, as his performance has been lacking; it could just be the old age. Despite Brady having the possibility of missing out on the first four games of the regular season, he has never been one to shy away from a challenge; just look at how his improvement from 2013 to 2014 led the team to a Super Bowl victory.

Football Players To Look Out For During Pre-Season Week 2

During Week 2 of the pre-season we are seeing some great players show their football skills, which fans should be aware of and looking for them on the field, not only during this weeks games, but for the rest of the season. These will be game-changers, as they are proving to great on offense or defense.

Here are some of these great players to look for:

• OL La’el Collins, Dallas Cowboys
• CB Quinten Rollins, Green Bay Packers
• WR Greg Salas, Detroit Lions
• RB Josh Robinson, Indianapolis Colts
• S Ed Reynolds, Philadelphia Eagles
• LB Frank Clark, Seattle Seahawks
• WR Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
• QB Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos
• DT Carl Davis, Baltimore Ravens
• RB Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions

Each one of these players, whether they are rookies or veterans, have been showing amazing progress throughout the training camps this year. Some will get plenty of game time this season, while others will have to fine tune their talent while being on the second team, ready to play at any time.

During the next week of football games, see if the coaches put them in, and pay close attention to how they perform. Pre-season games are perfect for getting real-life on-field experience and practice, as the points don’t really matter anyways.

Top Senior College Football Prospects For 2016 Draft

With the start of the 2015 NFL season, many college football players are now looking forward for next year’s Draft. Becoming a top candidate to get drafted by a pro team is what every college player wants, especially for those that are in their Senior year.

Here, thanks to Chad Reuter a Draft Analyst at NFL.com, are the top 15 senior prospects for the 2016 Draft:

Rank	Player	POS	College
1	Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State
2	Shawn Oakman	DE	Baylor
3	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
4	Spencer Drango	OT	Baylor
5	Jordan Jenkins	OLB	Georgia
6	D’haquille Williams	WR	Auburn
7	Vadal Alexander	G/OT	LSU
8	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
9	Shilique Calhoun	DE	Michigan State
10	Nick Martin	G/C	Notre Dame
11	Fabian Moreau	CB	UCLA
12	Landon Turner	G	North Carolina
13	Reggie Ragland	ILB	Alabama
14	Max Tuerk	C	USC
15	Jeremy Cash	S	Duke

To read about why these are being ranked so high, you can check the analysis here. This will help you determine just which players are more than likely to get drafted during the first round next year, and which teams would pick them based on this season’s performance.

2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has just released the names and order that it will be honoring and enshrining several great contributors of the NFL. At their headquarters in Canton, Ohio, eight people will get their names and achievements placed into history forever, as fans present and future can see what they accomplished.

The ceremony will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 8, with the enshrinement order being:

1. Executive Ron Wolf
2. Defensive End Charles Haley
3. Center Mick Tingelhoff
4. Guard Will Shields
5. Executive Bill Polian
6. Wide Receiver Tim Brown
7. Linebacker Junior Seau
8. Running Back Jerome Bettis

Sadly, Junior Seau died in 2012, but the good news is that his daughter was given the opportunity to be part of the on-stage interview after Seau’s bust is revealed. This didn’t happen overnight, as the Hall had previously denied the Seau family from speaking live on stage. It is a good thing that they have allowed his family to be part of such a momentous occasion.

Many are already starting to predict which players, coaches, or contributors to the sport of football should be enshrined in 2016. It may be too early, but it is always good to test to see how well your predicitons can be.