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Brewers Off Season Moves and Improvements for 2017 | Ticket King Inc.

The Milwaukee Brewers have made a flurry of small off-season moves as other teams continue to reach for the big names. Here’s a review of what they have done so far. It’s hard to say at this point who will make the big league club and who won’t.

Andy Oliver/LHP- The Brewers signed left handed pitcher Andy Oliver to a minor league deal on Dec. 18. Oliver has not pitched in the Major Leagues since 2011. He has a June 15^th opt-out clause. Oliver was once a highly thought of pitching prospect in the Tigers organization towards the end of the previous decade.

Eric Sogard/IF- Sogard, who is 30, is a defense-minded infielder who has had some moderate success at this level with the Oakland Athletics from 2013-2015. He could potentially provide defensive flexibility of the bench for Milwaukee.

Hiram Burgos/IF- Burgos has spent his entire career with the Brewers organization and this is a simle re-sign.

Tommy Milone/LHP- The Brewers signed former Twins starter Tommy Milone to a one year, 1,25 million dollar Major League deal on Dec. 15. Even though his full salary is not guaranteed, Milone will be expected to compete for a starting rotation spot and some even think this could open up a move for Wily Peralta to go to the bullpen.

Jett Bandy and Drew Gagnon- On Dec. 13, the Brewers traded catcher Martin Maldonado to the Angels for catcher Jett Bandy and pitcher Drew Gagnon. I am interested to see if Bandy ends up as the Brewers opening day catcher.

Ryan Webb/RHP- Former highly thought of Padres farmhand Ryan Webb is getting one last chance, signing a minor league contract with the Brewers with the opportunity to make the bullpen out of Spring Training.

Ivan De Jesus/IF- On Dec. 12, the Brewers signed journeyman Ivan De Jesus to a minor league contract. De Jesus will have a fair opportunity to make the club as a utility man off the bench.

Tyler Thornburg trade- Perhaps the Brewers most significant move of the off season so far. On Dec. 6, the Brewers traded standout relief pitcher Tyler Thornburg to the Red Sox in exchange for third baseman Travis Shaw, minor league Mauricio Dubon and right handed pitcher Josh Pennington. Thornburg was about to get very pricey for a setup man, and for a team like the Brewers who aren’t going anywhere for a while, pitchers like Thornburg are a luxury.

Eric Thames/1B- The Brewers most significant free agent signing this off season. Thames will receive 16 million in guaranteed money and 4, 5, and 6 million a year for 2017, 2018, and 2019. By putting all of the money up front this a brilliant move by David Stearns. If Thames works out, the will have a cheap first basemen for a few years, if not, they will have the ability to move him as his cotract won’t be hard to move.

Packers Take Down Bears With Last Second Field Goal | Ticket King Inc.

The Green Bay Packers continue on their win streak, which now stands at four games. The team won a nail-biter at Lambeau Field on Sunday, defeating the late surging Bears on a last second field goal. The Bears were down by as much as seventeen points, when in the fourth quarter, they rallied.

The score was tied, with just under two minutes to go. Rodgers lead a short but effective drive, down to the Bears’ 15 yard-line, with most of that 59 yard drive taken up with a third and eleven bomb to Jordy Nelson. The team sprinted down the field, spiked the ball with seconds to go, and on came the kicking team. Game over. Packers win a close one, and stay in the playoff hunt.

The team sill has to win at home this Saturday, in order to keep pace with the division leading Detroit Lions. The Lions face a tough Dallas Cowboys team this Monday night. Should they lose, and the Packers win on Saturday, and the division title will be up for grabs. For Packers vs Vikings tickets, check our site today.

Packers "Stock Report" After Seahawks Game | Ticket King Inc.

That was an interesting Packers vs Seahawks game now wasn’t it? Of all of the ways we were expecting that game to unfold, a five turnover, multiple touchdown affair was not predicted. It was still a very impressive victory for the Packers.

Blue Chip Stocks

Davante Adams/WR- Yeah, we can pretty much put Davante Adams 2015 nightmare behind us. Adams has turned into a monster at wide receiver for the Packers, pretty much becoming the new ace receiver for the Packers. Yesterday, four catches for 104 yards and a touchdown, getting the fireworks started one the third play from scrimmage with a 66-yard touchdown reception.

Aaron Rodgers/QB- Remember how we are all jumping off the deep end because Aaron Rodgers was the NFL’s worst statistical quarterback 12 months a few weeks into the season? That was so long ago. Well since the start of the second half of the Bears game he has 22 touchdown passes which has vaulted him into the league lead. With this performance yesterday, Mr. Rodgers may have very well entered the bottom of the MVP bracket.

Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall / CB’s- The Packers top two draft choices from out of Miami (OH) had a great game yesterday, locking down Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett, holding them to a combined 10 catches for 107 yards, all of it completely ineffective.

Solid Investments

Joe Thomas/ILB- Thomas had a great game, finishing with 10 tackles, 8 of them solo.

Jordy Nelson/WR- It appears as if Jordy Nelson has finally accepted and settled into his new role, as a possession receiver and chain mover instead of a big play ace. Nelson finished the day with six catches for 41 yards and two touchdowns.

Mike McCarthy/Head Coach- This was Mike McCarthy‘s best coached game in years. Yes, there were some good breaks for the Packers of balls bouncing off of Seahawks players, but there was much more to this game than that. The Packers front seven was in Russell Wilson’s face all afternoon. One several of those turnovers, Buck and Aikman were commenting on how even if they caught the ball it would not have mattered because they would have been short of the first down market. This all goes back to the head coach having his team prepared to play.

Just About Everyone Else- I seriously can’t find anything bad to say about anyone else. Every brought their best games yesterday.

Junk Bonds

Aaron Rodger hamstring- And that’s about it.

Pink and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Headline Different Nights of Summerfest 2017

Summerfest 2017 is sure to be a huge event. It’s the 50th anniversary of Summerfest, and the headline acts will reflect that fact. First up is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band is set to perform on opening night, July 28th.

Pink is also a headline act for Summerfest 2017. Pink will perform at the Marcus Amphitheater on July 2. Tickets for Summerfest have yet to come out. Once a show is announced, sales of the event follows shortly. See you in Milwaukee this coming summer.

Ticket King's Mid-Season NFL Awards, if We Really Gave Them Out

Now that we are about halfway through the NFL season, we decided it would be a good time to release our opening ballots as to who should receive serious recognition for their efforts. Without further adieu, we present the “Ticket King Football Awards.”

Coach of the Year
1. Mike Zimmer/Vikings- This team has been through an emotional roller coaster the last two months. Yet, here the Vikings are, sitting at 5-1, and serious Super Bowl contenders.
2. Jason Garrett/Cowboys- The Cowboys were predicted to have a bad 2016. Yet here they sit at 6-1, the toast of the league, with a rookie quarterback and rookie running back.
3. Bill Belichick/Patriots- Without Brady the first four weeks, the Patriots looked like they didn’t miss a beat, and here they sit, at the top of the AFC.
4. Doug Pederson/Eagles- We know this, Pederson, the former longtime Packers backup, who learned everything while sitting on Andy Reid’s lap, is for real as a head coach.
5. Jack Del Rio- The Raiders are rolling along at 6-2, including an impressive 5-0 on the road.

Rookie of the Year
1. Ezekiel Elliot/RB/Cowboys- The Cowboys rookie running back, not Prescott, has been the reason for their 6-1 start. Elliot is on pace to run for 1,826 yards this season.
2. Dak Prescott/QB/Cowboys- Prescott has been solid, but let’s not put him in the hall of fame yet.
3. Carson Wentz/QB/Eagles- Wentz has been pretty good so far as well.
4. Kerry Hyder/DT/Lions- Hyder has been the NFL’s best defensive rookie so far, and is in the top 10 of several defensive categories.
5. Blake Martinez/ILB/Packers- Martinez has been the thumper the Packers have been looking for.

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Harrison Smith/SS/Vikings- This is why I want the NFL to embrace advanced Sabermetrics. Smith is never going to lead the league in any statistical category, except maybe big hits, but all he does is make play, after play, after play.
2. Von Miller/OLB/Broncos- Miller has been a terror of the edge for the Broncos once again this season, and is currently second in the league with 8.5 sacks.
3. Marcus Peters/CB/Chiefs- Peters has been the NFL’s best corner in 2016 and leads the league with five interceptions so far.
4. Lorenzo Alexander/OLB/Bills- The league’s leader with 9 sacks so far.
5. Zach Brown/ILB/Bills- The league leader in tackles with 87.

MVP
1. Derek Carr/QB/Raiders– This was our preseason dark horse for MVP.
2. Ezekiel Elliot/RB/Cowboys- Anytime you are on pace for 1,826 yards rushing as a rookie, with a rookie quarterback to boot, you are an MVP candidate, and a serious one at that.
3. Matt Ryan/QB/Falcons- This has been Ryan’s best season so far in the NFL.
4. Matthew Stafford/QB/Lions- Over the last 12 months, this has been the league’s best quarterback.
5. Harrison Smith/SS/Vikings- See previous comment.

Packers Fall to the Cowboys at Lambeau Field | Ticket King Inc.

The Packers lost 30-16 at home this week to the visiting Dallas Cowboys. As Troy Aikman said at the end of the game, “It’s been a long time since we saw the Packers play this poorly at home.” Well, he’s right. The Packers played a very bad game, so bad that there isn’t much to dive into here. Instead, this can be listed as one of those games where you just throw the tape out and move on.

The Denver Broncos are in full panic mode now as they have lost two straight games. Trevor Siemian has come way back to earth, and has looked really bad the last two weeks. In fact, he ha looked so bad the Broncosare considering trading for a quarterback before this week’s trade deadline. Due to the success of Dak Prescott, Tony Romo is one of the names being thrown out there, although many believe he would be a bad fit in Gary Kubiak’s system. The irony is they lost late to the San Diego Chargers, who have found ways to lose this season late in the game, and in this game did the exact opposite.

Apparently Chip Kelly doesn’t think defense is necessary in the NFL. In Colin Kaepernick’s first start in nearly a year, the 49ers game up 45 points to the Buffalo Bills. LeSean McCoy had a big game, with 19 carries for 140 yards and three touchdowns. Chip Kelly is a great college head coach, but he does not belong in the NFL. After the 49ers fire him, look for him to head back to the college game. The Panthers lost yet again, this time to the New Orleans Saints, in a wild one, 41-38. At this point, we are running out of ways to explain what is happening to the Panthers this season. Cameron Newton just simply walked out of the post game press conference and I don’t blame him. This man needs to time to go think. In what was the game of the week, the Seahawks defeated the Falcons 26-24. The Falcons offense, which has been the best in the league this season, managed 24 points, and the running backs, which have been awesome for the Falcons, managed just 50 yards rushing.

Besides the Packers-Cowboys game, there were several other upsets to note. Following the Broncos Thursday night loss, the door was thrown wide open for the Raiders to walk right through and take over first place in the AFC West. Instead, they laid an egg against the Kansas City Chiefs, losing 26-10. Derek Carr, who has been the league’s MVP to this point in the season, looked anything but. The Chiefs meanwhile ran the ball for 183 yards. Spencer Ware had 133 of those for the Chiefs. In the other big upset of the day, the Dolphins defeated the Steelers 30-15. Ben Roethlisberger, who was second in the MVP balloting early, had a very bad game, throwing for 189 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

This has been a very weird season so far, and to be honest, it’s probably going to get even weirder.

Packers vs Cowboys Preview | Ticket King Inc.

The Green Bay Packers are coming off a 23-16, a game in which the Packers were all over the place. Now, they face the Dallas Cowboys tomorrow. The Packers were all over the place last Sunday. Nowhere was this more apparent than with Mr. Aaron. Rodgers, as he finished the game 23-45 for 259 yards, two touchdowns, and also two interceptions. The first of those two weren’t his fault. The second was just dumb. At times he looked like the MVP Aaron Rodgers. At other times, he looked like mediocre Aaron Rodgers of the last 12 months.

Is any running back healthy enough to play? Last week, Eddie Lacy was at his best in the first half. Lacy had 11 carries for 81 yards, before rolling over his ankle. James Starks also suffered an injury as well. Both are currently listed as questionable. Lacy is probably going to play. Starks is still up in the air. Either way, the Packers currently have no third running back. Don Jackson, their practice squad running back, got most of the carries this week in practice. He might get signed today to play tomorrow.

About those pass catchers – Last week it was time to call out every single tight end and wide receiver on the roster, as fans were begging for one of them to get open. They started to find daylight last Sunday. Davante Adams looks like he has put his nightmare 2015 campaign behind him. Jordy Nelson has had some moments. Randall Cobb had a solid game as well. However, the drops issue is back, and it cost the Packers perhaps 10-21 points last week. Aaron’s play right now, or lack thereof, is sort of in his head. It doesn’t help when they drop passes.

An offensive line that is built to win– The Packers offensive line at the moment is one of the best aspects of this team. They have all stayed healthy so far this season, and they are truly built to win in December and January. It will only get better when Corey Linsley is ready to play as well, as J.C. Tretter, who has been playing center, can go back to his “supersub” role.

An award for courage– With Sam Shields and Damarious Randall out last week, Quinten Rollins got to cover Odell Beckham. He did about as good of a job as he could have under the circumstances, and should get an award for courage. Well done.

That Front Seven– The shining aspect of this team right now is the front seven, and this front seven is NASTY. To make matters worse for the opposition, this has been without run stuffing specialist Mike Pennel who is about ready to go, and very little contribution so far from first round draft choice Kenny Clark. This front seven will be tested tomorrow against the Cowboys and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliot.

Final Score– The offense is still trying to find its way, but man oh man oh man, this defense is tough so far. That alone will carry the Packers to a 20-13 win.

NFL Review after Four Weeks of the Season Completed

The first four weeks of the NFL season have already come and gone. With that, here is our Ticket King review of what has happened so far, beginning with the AFC.

Over on the AFC East, the “Tom Brady-less” New England Patriots started 3-0, using their second and third string quarterbacks. The Bills brought them back down to earth this weekend though, defeating them 16-0 in Foxborough. Speaking of those Bills, they sit a game behind the Patriots at 2-2. The New York Jets, who have quarterback problems galore, as Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown 10 interceptions so far this season, are just 1-3, along with the Miami Dolphins.

In the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers have started 3-1, and now have the services of Le’Veon Bell again. Following an embarrassing loss to the Eagles, the Steelers rebounded this week, defeating the Chiefs 43-14 on Sunday Night Football. The Baltimore Ravens had a nightmare 2015, but are healthy this season and tied with the Steelers at 3-1. It’s the same rivalry, with new names now. The Cincinnati Bengals, who many pundits believed was the best team in the league entering 2016, have started just 2-2. The Cleveland Browns are an expected 0-4.

In the AFC South, the Houston Texans are a very quiet 3-1 with their only loss being against the Patriots in week three. Other than that, they have looked pretty good. They will be without superstar defensive end J.J. Watt, who will miss the rest of the season after back surgery, and his career, might very well be over. If it is, he does deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, because his career was short, but great. The Jaguars, Colts, and Titans are all tied at 1-3.

Over in the AFC West, the Denver Broncos have surprised the world, starting 4-0. That defense might be one of the best we have ever seen. The young Oakland Raiders, a trendy pick to win the division in the preseason, are 3-1, and right behind them. The Kansas City Chiefs are 2-2, as to be expected, and the San Diego Chargers are 1-3, having some serious late game issues. Some are now calling for the Chargers to trade Phillip Rivers.

In the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles are the 3-0, having been one of the two teams with an early bye this week. Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz has been the best quarterback in the league this season, but how long will it last? Speaking of rookies, Dak Prescott has led the Dallas Cowboys to a 3-1 start, albeit against week opponents. The Washington Redskins, a trendy pick to win the division, are 2-2, as are the New York Giants.

In the NFC North, the Minnesota Vikings have survived at emotional month and are now 4-0. That defense is real, and Sam Bradford is exceeding expectations. The Green Bay Packers are 2-1, and coming off a bye. The Packers have played one good half of football to this point, so it is hard to judge who these real Packers are based on that. Sam Shields is still in concussion protocol, so that doesn’t help. The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions are both tied at 1-3 through four weeks.

In the NFC South, the Atlanta Falcons are off to a 3-1 start and Matt Ryan looks like his old self again. The New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 1-3. Also 1-3 is the true surprise of the season, the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers were a trendy pick to win the Super Bowl, and now might be without Cameron Newton for a while because of a concussion.

In the NFC West, the Los Angeles Rams are off to a surprising 3-1 start. The Rams lost their week one game in bad fashion to the 49ers 28-0, but have rebounded with three solid wins. Also at 3-1 are the Seattle Seahawks, who have given up a grand total of 48 points through four games this season. Tied at 1-3 are the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals, another surprise 1-3 team.

Cubs Opponents in 2016 MLB Playoffs | Ticket King

As you may have already heard by now, the Chicago Cubs are the odds-on favorite to win the World Series this season, and for good reason. Before they make that far, they have to face NL teams in the playoffs. For Cubs playoff tickets, see Ticket King. The Cubs stand at 89-49, and are on pace for baseball’s best record since the 2001 Seattle Mariners. But who are the Cubs biggest threats?

New York Mets– The Mets have the Cubs number. After disposing of them in four games in the 2015 NLCS, the Mets have turned right back around this season and went 5-2 against the Cubs this year. As long as that offense continues to produce, the Mets will make the postseason, and these Mets are the last team the Cubs want to see in October.

San Francisco Giants– It appeared for the entire first half, as well as early in the second half, that the Cubs and Giants were headed for a titanic showdown in the NLCS in October. An August fade by the Giants has changed all of that. Still, the Giants hold the first Wild Card spot, and if they can remember who they are, they are baseball’s most dangerous team in October.

St. Louis Cardinals– We’re not sure, but there is something about this Cardinals team that just smells of a late-September surge. They haven’t been very good all season, yet here they are, tied for the second Wild Card spot. We’re not sure they can hang with the Cubs in five or seven games though.

Washington Nationals– If you look at this from a rational perspective, this is the team most suited to take on the Cubs in a seven-game series. The Nationals have a strong balance of rotation and offense to match the Cubs right hook for right hook.

Cleveland Indians– The Indians are surging, are have the talent to play with anyone. That rotation, even though they are young and very inexperienced, have the ability to completely just shut down this mighty Cubs offense. Questions, do they believe they can?

Texas Rangers– This team is hanging in their without Prince Fielder. The Rangers are doing this with a total team effort, and may very well be headed for a World Series showdown with the Cubs. They can be the Cubs, but I don’t think they will.

The Entire 2016 NFL Team by Team Outcome | Ticket King Inc.

All NFL teams have cut their rosters down to 53 players, and with that the 2016 season is officially upon us. Carolina and Denver get us started Thursday night. Here is our annual preview, the 2016 edition, and it shows us how one injury can flip the whole NFL universe on its head. Let’s begin with the AFC.

AFC East

1. New York Jets (10-6) – The Tom Brady suspension and the return of Ryan Fitzpatrick gives us something we rarely get to see- A season in which the Patriots don’t win the AFC East.

2 New England Patriots (10-6) – Tom Brady had his suspension put back into place this summer, and gave up the fight. Good, that man needed to be taught a lesson that he is not above the game.

3. Buffalo Bills (8-8) – Another Rex Ryan team, another 8-8 finish.

4. Miami Dolphins (7-9) – New head coach Adam Gase was brought in to help Ryan Tannehill get to the next level. That is going to take some time, and it won’t happen this season.

AFC North

1. Cincinnati Bengals (14-2) – This is the best team in the National Football League going into 2016. Last season, this bunch was an Andy Dalton broken hand away from winning the Super Bowl. But can they be trusted this time come January?

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) – The season long suspension of wide receiver Martavis Bryant is going to hurt, but this is still a loaded team.

3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) – There is no way the Ravens are as bad as their record tells us they were in 2015. Joe Flacco returns from injury, and that will be the difference.

4. Cleveland Browns (2-14) – Another season, another last place finish in Cleveland. Hopefully they have themselves going in the right direction. I also hope Paul DePodesta finally gets the NFL to embrace “moneyball” as well.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts (12-4) – I still believe in these Colts. All they need to do is keep Andrew Luck healthy. If they can do that, they can get right back on tract.

2. Houston Texans (10-6) – The Texans are a quarterback away from being a great team. But is Brock Osweiler the answer? Time will tell.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-9) – Slowly, but surely, the Jaguars are scratching, crawling, and climbing their way back into relevance.

4. Tennessee Titans (6-10) – I like these young Titans, but they have a long way to go.

AFC West

1. Oakland Raiders (10-6) – Yes, you are reading this correctly. The Oakland Raiders are going to win the AFC West. They have a loaded young team, and Derek Carr is the NFL’s next big superstar quarterback, and I mean top five megastar. He has MVP’s in his future. Is one of those this season though?

2. Kansas City Chiefs (8-8) – The Chiefs have too many quarterbacks. There is no reason for Alex Smith to still be the starter. Still, this issue is going to cost them the division title.
3. San Diego Chargers (6-10) – There is ongoing friction in San Diego between Phillip Rivers and management. After you know what happened, and until you know what else happened, which I of course will talk about later, I thought Rivers was headed to Minnesota in the offseason,

4. Denver Broncos- (3-13) – 2015 was a dream for Denver. 2016 is going to be a nightmare.

NFC East

1. Washington Redskins (11-5) – Now that the dust has settled, and Robert Griffin is gone, watch Kirk Cousins really settle in, and take another step forward in 2016.

2. New York Giants (9-7) – The Giants were a defense away from the Super Bowl in 2016. That’s a big blanket statement though. The Giants spent the offseason buying themselves a new defense via free agency and the draft. Can that defense come together fast though? I will say this, this is a DANGEROUS team lurking right here.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (4-12) – The Eagles are finally headed in the right direction. It’s going to take a while for them to get there though.

4. Dallas Cowboys- (3-13) – Skip Bayless and everyone else can shut up. No matter which way you spin it, these Cowboys stink, and Dak Prescott is not the answer long term. The Cowboys will go quarterback hunting in 2017.

NFC North

Oh how different this divisional forecast looks from a week ago.

1. Green Bay Packers (12-4) – A week ago I was all set to predict the Minnesota Vikings to win this division at 11-5, winning the tiebreaker with the Packers, also at 11-5, due to out of conference record. Yes, it was that close. Now, the Teddy Bridgewater injury changes everything. The Packers pick up an extra win, and win this division at 12-4. This injury affects way more than just the division. You will see shortly. A lot of “experts” are saying 14-2 for these Packers. I respond to that with a no. There is no 14-2 team in the NFC this season.

2. Minnesota Vikings (7-9) – Oh what a week it’s been for this franchise. First thing is the devastating injury to Teddy Bridgewater. Due to that injury I went back and recalculated the Vikings season. I dropped them down from 11-5 to 6-10 as a result. Then the Sam Bradford trade happened. Insane overpay, and I will go into that in a different post. For now though, to make a long story short, the Bradford trade gives them one extra pointless win.

3. Detroit Lions (6-10) – This will be the first season without Calvin Johnson for the Lions. As a result, Matthew Stafford will go one of two ways. Either he FINALLY becomes the great quarterback we all expected, or he goes backwards and the Lions may have to start thinking if he is the long term solution or do they need to join the list of teams quarterback hunting.

4. Chicago Bears (3-13) – The Bears are going to have a miserable year, and Jay Cutler will be unable to save his job at the end of the season. Chicago will be on the hunt for a new quarterback in the 2017 draft.

NFC South

1. Carolina Panthers (12-4) – The Panthers are a still a great team, but 2015 for both the Panthers and Cameron Newton is one of those once in a lifetime experiences. Newton sill has a great season, but he won’t equal his historic 2015 production.

2. Atlanta Falcons (9-7) – The Falcons may have finally gotten Matt Ryan right this offseason. But it’s going to take a while to get back up there.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) – The Buccaneers made some puzzling decisions this offseason such as drafting a kicker in round two. However, the biggest decision was the firing of Lovie Smith, who had finally seemed to shape up Jameis Winston the man. Still, this is a good young team.

4. New Orleans Saints (5-11) – This is 2016’s old team. Drew Brees needs to call it a career and go home to Austin, Texas.

NFC West

1. Arizona Cardinals (12-4) – The Cardinals are a great team, but they are an old team on their last legs. Can they all have the glorious season they all wanted and ride off into the sunset Super Bowl champions?

2. Seattle Seahawks (11-5) – The Seahawks are not the feared team they were three years ago. Still, they are a good team, and a force to be reckoned with.

3. Los Angeles Rams (6-10) – The Rams first season back in Los Angeles won’t be a good one. Still, this is a young team with all the pieces to be a great team three years from now.

4. San Francisco 49ers (3-13) – Am I the only person who can see through Colin Kaepernick’s stunt to the real reason why he is doing this? This protest of his has nothing to do with race or social issues. He threw a two-year-old temper tantrum all offseason because he didn’t get his way, and now he is trying everything in his power to make the 49ers release him.

League Awards

Coach of the Year: Jay Gruden/Washington Redskins- Gruden will continue to lead his young Redskins out of the wilderness and into relevance this season as Kirk Cousins takes the next step forward.

Executive of the year: Ted Thompson/Green Bay Packers- Another season, another Executive of the Year award for CIA Ted. Yawn. And still, some Packers fans want to hang this man by the nearest tree.

Defensive Rookie: Karl Joseph/S/Oakland Raiders- Joseph will get plugged in early and will become a force in a Raiders secondary by the end of the season that badly needs one.

Offensive Rookie: Will Fuller/WR/Houston Texans- That big young arm of Brock Osweiler mixed with the game breaking speed of Will Fuller= success.

MVP: Ben Roethlisberger/QB/Pittsburgh Steelers- Even without Martavis Bryant, Roethlisberger picks up his first MVP award.

AFC Playoffs

Seeds: 1. Cincinnati Bengals 2. Indianapolis Colts 3. Oakland Raiders 4. New York Jets 5. Pittsburgh Steelers 6. Baltimore Ravens

Wild Card
Raiders 38, Ravens 21- This isn’t the fabled Ravens defense of past, and the Raiders young offense puts on a show, and moves on.

Steelers 34, Jets 17- The Steelers move on with relative ease.

Divisional Playoffs

Steelers 27, Bengals 20- Wow. The Bengals are the best team in the regular season, but until they prove us otherwise, they can’t be trusted in January.

Colts 30, Raiders 23- The Colts win a hard fought solid game on both sides of the ball with a team effort, and move on.

AFC Championship

Steelers 31, Colts 24- The Steelers run the table in the AFC anchored by their MVP-winning quarterback, winning three road games to make the Super Bowl.

NFC Playoffs

Seedings: 1. Green Bay Packers 2. Arizona Cardinals 3. Carolina Panthers 4. Washington Redskins 5. Seattle Seahawks 6. New York Giants

Originally I had a two-way tie at 12-4 between the Panthers and Cardinals. The Panthers won that tiebreaker and were the number one seed as a result. The Vikings were the three seed as well at 11-5 and I had the Vikings actually winning their Wild Card game this time against Seattle before losing to Arizona the next week. The Packers were the five and I had them losing the divisional playoff again, this time in Carolina. With that now-famous injury, the Packers bump up to 12-4, and make it a three-way tiebreaker at 12-4. Remember, I predict every single game before the season starts, which is how I come out with these specific records, and the Packers win this three-way tiebreaker based on conference record. This three-way tiebreaker drops Carolina down from one to three, bumps the Seahawks up to five, and brings the New York Giants in at six. Got all of that? Alright, here we go.

Wild Card Game

Giants 31, Panthers 23- Instead of being the one seed, and making it to another Super Bowl, this time winning it as I originally had them penned to do, these Panthers now find themselves the three seed due to the Teddy Bridgewater injury. This rowdy, smash mouth, fearless bunch from the Big Apple is the last team the Panthers wanted to see in this game. This is a bad matchup for Carolina without Josh Norman. Giants pull the upset.

Redskins 30, Seahawks 24- The Redskins win their first playoff game since the Clinton Administration and move on to round two.

Divisional Playoffs

Packers 30, Giants 17- Football is all about matchups, matchups, matchups, matchups, MATCHUPS. Did I mention matchups? What makes the Packers more prepared to deal with these Giants than the Panthers? They have a better secondary. They are one of the best in the business. The Giants feature their tight end in the passing game. The Packers have a safety named Micah Hyde who is a tight end/tailback coverage specialist.

Cardinals 34, Redskins 16- An easy smooth win for the Cardinals.

NFC Championship Game

Packers 31. Cardinals 27- These two teams in a head-to-head match up are almost impossible to separate. The home field makes the difference here. One of the better games in recent memory takes place a cold day in January at Lambeau Field as Eddie Lacy (The dump truck they thought there were drafting) plows his way through the Cardinals defense to the tune of 28 carries for 206 yards and two touchdowns. This is what the Packers drafted Lacy for, to be that runaway freight train in cold weather. Rodgers has a solid day, throwing for about 200 and a pair of touchdowns in the redzone.

Super Bowl

Packers vs Steelers

The game: Super Bowl 51. The Prize? Not just the Super Bowl, but the two best quarterbacks of Generation Y, who both, are at this moment, 60 minutes from Canton, Ohio. Winner punches his ticket there.

Packers 38, Steelers 31- A rematch of Super Bowl 45 sees the two best of their generation go head to head in an epic battle. Rodgers, with a talented young receiving core that has finally matured and is showing us how good they can be, gets the best of Ben Roethlisberger as he finds Jared Cook back-left of the end zone with 35 seconds left on the clock to bring the Lombardi Trophy home. All of this has happened, because of one freak injury.