By John Sarianides 1.Super Bowl 51 will have plenty of story lines but I think we all agree that the number one story line involves Roger Goodell and Tom Brady. Brady would love nothing more than to win his fifth Super Bowl title and shove it up Goodell’s you know what. 2. Will the Patriots give the Falcons offense the Rams treatment? I think they will. Look for New England…
NFL Draft: Five Guys That Shined at the East West Shrine Game
Joseph Garnett Jr./Getty Images By John Sarianides The East West Shrine game was a dud but despite the lack of scoring or entertainment for that matter, there were five players that really stood out to me. 1. Trey Hendrickson, DE Florida Atlantic: Hendrickson was the best player on the field on either team in my opinion. He had a good week of practice and he followed that up with a solid…
3-Step Slant: 3 Reasons Why the Colts Fired Ryan Grigson.
By John Sarianides The Indianapolis Colts surprised the football world on Saturday when they unexpectedly fired general manager Ryan Grigson. In a press conference, Colts owner Robert Irsay cited several reasons why he decided to part ways with the embattled general manager. Here’s why I think he fired him. 1. He Was a Jerk: Ryan Grigson is considered one of the biggest jerks in the NFL. People around the league…
NFL: Championship Weekend Dime Package
Championship Sunday featured two blowouts as the Falcons and Patriots punched their tickets to Super Bowl 51 in Houston. Here are ten thoughts on Championship Weekend in the NFL. 1.The Atlanta Falcons are the real deal folks. We can stop talking about whether or not Matt Ryan can win a big game anymore. He can and he did it in convincing fashion. 2. The Falcons offense is getting all of…
Patriots Pulse Recap: Patriots 36 Steelers 17
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) By John Sarianides Game Rewind: Tom Brady and the Patriots took control early and never looked back on route to a 36-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots will be going to their record ninth Super Bowl when they battle Matt Ryan and Atlanta Falcons on February 5th in Houston. Here are five thoughts from the game. 1. Brady the Magnificent: Tom Brady was once again…
AFC Championship Game Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers (13-5) at New England Patriots (15-2)
By John Sarianides The Patriots and Steelers are meeting for the third time in an AFC Championship game. The winner of this game will be playing in a record ninth Super Bowl two weeks from today. The Lead: The Pittsburgh Steelers will face off against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. This is the third time the two teams are meeting in the AFC Championship game. The Patriots…
NFC Championship Game Preview: Green Bay Packers (12-6) at Atlanta Falcons (12-5)
By John Sarianides The Green Bay Packers will look to extend their winning streak to nine games as they battle the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game. The Lead: The Packers enter this NFC Championship game winners of eight straight. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is playing about as well as any quarterback has over an eight game stretch in league history. Rodgers has thrown 21 touchdown passes and 1…
Scouting Report: Counter Trap Plays Are the Foundation of the Steelers Running Game
By John Sarianides The Pittsburgh Steelers run a variety of counter trap plays designed to take advantage of LeVeon Bell patient running style. Here are four examples of how the Steelers use counter plays out of compressed formations as staples of their running game. Tackle Wrap With a Built in RPO: The Steelers are big, strong and athletic along the offensive line. The tackle wrap play is a staple spread…
NFL Draft: 20 Players to Watch For In the East West Shrine Game
By John Sarianides The pre-draft process starts today with the East West Shrine game. There are several quality prospects playing in today’s game and a handful of them could be among the first one hundred players taken in April’s draft. Here are my top twenty prospects to keep an eye on in this game. 1. Cooper Rush, QB, Central Michigan (East): Rush has terrific size at 6-3 230. He is…
NFL: Five Key Match-Ups to Watch in the AFC Championship Game
Photo courtesy of Jared Wickerham/AP The Patriots and Steelers will be facing off for a second time this season. The Patriots won the first match up in Week 7, 27-16. Pittsburgh was without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger so needless to say, this should be a different game. Pittsburgh’s defense has vastly improved since that first match-up as well and they could pose problems for the Patriots come Sunday. Here are five…