Author: Ticket King Wisconsin

It may be hard to believe, but there is just one game left in the 2019 College Football regular season- The Navy/Army game, which Navy should win easily. This is one of Navy’s best teams in recent memory, and they are headed to the Autozone Liberty Bowl as a result. After that game concludes, bowl season will officially be upon us. Let’s take a look at the bowl games involving Big Ten teams.

Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Wisconsin – These two teams just seem to find each other in the postseason, don’t they? Both programs are built on strong offensive lines and elite defense which doesn’t give up big plays. Oregon’s line is built to protect quarterback Justin Herbert, and Wisconsin’s is built to block for their All-American running back Jonathan Taylor. This will be one of the best games of the bowl season, as it always is. Final Score: 34-31 Oregon.

Pinstripe Bowl: Michigan State vs. Wake Forest – This game is played at Yankee Stadium, and it provides an environment that is suitable to teams that play more traditional style football. That means Michigan State should gain a slight advantage. Expect the Spartans to win this one 20-13.

Holiday Bowl: USC vs. Iowa – Usually the Holiday Bowl features fast-paced teams that play at breakneck speed. Not this season. USC, which has had to play three different quarterbacks this season, faces off against the ever-steady Iowa Hawkeyes. USC has the deeper roster, but Iowa has more experience. Final Score: 27-20 Iowa.

Cotton Bowl: Memphis vs. Penn State – Memphis head coach Mike Norvell has led his Tigers to their best season in program history. He has taken the head coaching job at Florida State so there is no word yet on whether he will coach this game. Penn State will be returning all of their key players next season. They will be looking for a win in this game to springboard the team towards a special 2020 season. Final Score: 34-20 Penn State.

Redbox Bowl: California vs. Illinois – Lovie Smith’s accomplishment of getting Illinois back to a bowl game has been a great story. The season included a stunning upset over Wisconsin. However, the story ends here. California has the better team. Final score: 31-17 California.

Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Alabama – For the first time ever, Alabama will not be participating in the college football playoffs. This game could potentially come down to whether or not Nick Saban can get his players up for this game. Michigan should win this game by the final score of 31-24.

Outback Bowl: Minnesota vs. Auburn – The Gophers were the story of the 2019 college football season, but two late losses against Iowa and Wisconsin derailed what could have been a special season in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Still, head coach P.J. Fleck is in this for the long haul after a recent contract extension so they will be back and even better next season. But as far as the Outback Bowl is concerned this won’t be close. Final score- 34-17 Auburn.

Coming off of perhaps the most embarrassing performance by a good Packers team in recent memory, nobody was sure exactly what to expect of the Packers this week as they took on the Giants. The lackluster performance of the team had the makings of the beginning of a meltdown for this team. By this past Sunday afternoon, fans breathed a sigh of relief as the Packers took care of business, defeating the Giants 31-13. 

It is hard to throw the ball effectively in the snow, especially as good as Rodgers threw it. He finished the day 21 of 33 for 243 yards and four touchdowns and saw the field all day long. A good day for Number 12.

Allen Lazard, Rodgers new second-favorite target finished the day with three big catches for 103 yards, including a 43-yard bomb to set the pace early in drive number one.

When it came to Davante Adams, the stats may not show it, but like Rodgers, this was a great performance. Adams caught two touchdown passes and drew several flags throughout the game at important junctures. Jamal Williams finished the day with 41 yards rushing and 26 yards receiving. He picked up tough yards in the snow, and several key first downs to keep the drive moving.

The Packers defense was solid on Sunday. Not outstanding, not bad, but solid. It was a collective performance across the board.

The Packers should feel much better about themselves after this game. After last week’s dud, they can breathe a sigh of relief. 

The Packers are still among the best teams in the league. Thanks to the Ravens beating the 49ers, the Packers till have an outside chance of getting a bye week. Their focus should be on winning the division and securing the three seed in the NFC playoffs.

In the NFC North, thanks to one of the most embarrassing performances in franchise history over the last 25 years, the Packers have fallen back into a tie with the Vikings for first place at 8-3. Speaking of those Vikings, they have overcome a 2-2 start to win six of their last seven, and Kirk Cousins is among the NFL leaders in touchdown passes and passing yards. The Bears have been a disappointment at 5-6 and the Lions, after a 2-1-1 start, have won just one game since then and Matthew Stafford will miss the remainder of the season with a back injury.

In the NFC South, the Saints are in total command of that division at 9-2, and it’s not even close. They will probably be the first team to win their division this season, as they have a four-game lead with five to play. It’s not even worth talking about the rest of the teams, as they have all had their own issues leading to disappointing 2019 campaigns.

In the NFC West, the 49ers are coming off a big win against the Packers and now sit in the driver’s seat for the top spot in the NFC playoffs. The Seahawks are right behind them at 9-2 and have already won a game against the 49ers this season. The Rams are hanging tough at 6-4, and the Cardinals are holding up the caboose at 3-7-1.

In the AFC East, the Patriots are 10-1 and leading that division yet again. Right behind them are the Buffalo Bills, who are sitting in the driver’s seat for the top wild-card spot in the AFC at 8-3. The Jets have recovered from a horrendous start and are now 4-7. The Miami Dolphins are in their punching at 2-9.

The AFC North is the residence of the hottest team in the league at the moment, the Baltimore Ravens, winners of six straight, and their MVP candidate quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Pittsburgh Steelers just keep finding ways to win without Ben Roethlisberger and currently sit at 6-5. The Cleveland Browns are starting to win some games and sit at 5-6. They’re not dead yet folks. The poor Bengals have yet to win a game this season. Andy Dalton has been benched, and their best chance to avoid 0-16 looks to be the Dolphins in Week 16.

The AFC South leaders are the Houston Texans, who are 7-4 and sitting in prime position to make a late-season run, and perhaps be one of the top two seeds, based on the schedules of the other division leaders. The Colts are the surprise team of the year, currently sitting at 6-5 after the shocking news of Andrew Luck’s retirement. The Tennessee Titans are currently 6-5 and winning with Ryan Tannehill, after benching former second overall selection Marcus Mariota. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 4-7 and have benched the man who would have won the rookie of the year award, Gardner Minshew, for their big free-agent signing, Nick Foles.

In the AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs have overcome some early season turbulence and currently sit ay 7-4. They are also a team primed for a late-season run. The Oakland Raiders are 6-5 and right on their tails. The Los Angeles Chargers have been one of the disappointments of 2019, currently sitting at 4-7, and fading from the Wild Card picture. The Denver Broncos put up the white flag several weeks ago placing Joe Flacco in injured reserve and currently sit at 3-8.

The Packers entered Monday Night Football at home against the Lions expecting to and six point favorites. Put the non penalties aside, and this game was anything but boring. The Lions came out firing with a “flea flicker” on play number one, and another long yardage pass in series two. The Green Bay crowd was subdued in the middle of the first quarter as the Lions took a 10-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Packers couldn’t get out of their own way. The Packers had been moving the ball throughout the night. Two fumbles and an interception can sink a team most days, but the Lions were giving Rodgers time, packing the secondary and covering the wide-outs. Finally, key players stepped up late in the game, and Mason Crosby made the game-winner as time expired.

Aaron Rodgers seemed to be cool the entire game. The touchdown pass to Allen Lazard will be a career highlight pass, to be sure. Rodgers stayed steady all night long, and found Lazard for four catches and a crucial touchdown. In the huddle and on the sideline, Rodgers lobbied for Lazard to take the game over, and the pair worked in tandem beautifully. Jamal Williams returned to the lineup in great form, becoming a key offensive player on the field tonight. Williams finished the night with a combined 18 touches for 136 yards and a touchdown.  After playing the breakout game of his career, the Packers needed another performance like that in this one. Instead, Jones went the other way, with a costly fumble and a dropped touchdown reception.

Who in the world thought Allen Lazard would be the Packers clutch receiver tonight? Brought back to the roster, and sitting in spot number eight on the depth chart, Lazard stepped in tonight to make some big catches and a key touchdown in the fourth quarter. Rodgers mentioned in the post game press conference that Lazard was calling for a chance to run specific routes in the huddle. This came after Aaron was pulling to have Lazard enter the game. The plan worked beautifully. The Packers needed someone, anyone to hang onto the ball tonight, and Mercedes Lewis stepped up to do just that in two key situations. Darrius Shepherd was responsible for the Aaron Rodgers interception and should have called fair catch on a fumbled punt. He’s a small sized player that just needs to settle into the postion of punt returns. The Packers stand atop the NFC North, with a record of 5-1. As Aaron Rodgers said “Bad calls have a way of evening out by the end of the season.” On this night, they went the Packers’ way.

The Green Bay Packers went into Dallas, coming off their first loss of the season. They faced the 3-1 Dallas Cowboys in a game that gave the Packers their first true test of 2019. The first 40 minutes of the game could not have gone any better for the Packers, as they held a 31-3 lead towards the end of the third quarter. Packers fans hearts pounded the rest of the way, as the Cowboys staged a furious comeback and got within 10 points. A missed field goal secured the Packers victory 34-24. Let’s review the game.

Aaron Jones/RB- Aaron Jones could not have picked a better day to have the game of his life. The Packers offense was without Davante Adams and Jamal Williams for this one, and they lost center Corey Linsley in the first half due to a concussion. Jones ended up with 26 touches for 182 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.

Za’Darius Smith/OLB- One of the three big defensive free agent signings and now the Packers defensive captain, Za’Darius Smith dropped Prescott twice and was in his face all afternoon.

Preston Smith/OLB- The other Smith was in Pres

Aaron Rodgers/QB-  Aaron is getting more comfortable each week. Without Davante Adams, possibly the best receiver in the NFL at the moment, Rodgers was comfortable all game, finding nine different receivers to throw to.

Tra Carson/RB- In a surprising move, Tra Carson got called up off the practice squad to be the backup running back for this one, not the rookie Dexter Williams. Carson had 10 touches for 32 yards, picked up key blocks, and gave Aaron Jones much needed spells throughout this game.

The Referees- We tend not to complain about the referees as both teams get both helped and hampered by officiating over the course of an NFL game. This game had plays that will certainly be reviewed by the NFL offices. It was that bad. 

Run Game- Aaron Jones is a workhorse back. In this game, Jones showed us why he is so highly thought of, carrying the Packers to a crucial road win. He is a dynamic player, but they cannot rely on him to stay at top form, given his size. They need Jamal Williams back.

Our hometown favorites have nabbed a Wild Card spot for the 2019 MLB Post Season. After 162 hard fought games, it all comes down to nine innings to decide if they can slide into the playoffs. If they do make it, there are very high hurdles ahead. For those in the hunt, there are four “100 win” teams to contend with, a powerhouse Dodgers team, a currently hobbled Cardinals team that won’t stay down for long, and upstart Braves organization that just might surprise everyone this year. Here we lay out our best guesses for the upcoming MLB Post Season. 

The 2019 MLB regular season has come to a close. The Houston Astros finish the season with 107 wins, tops in either league. Three other teams won 100 or more games: The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and the stunning surprise of the season, the Minnesota Twins. Speaking of those Twins, they were indeed the surprise of 2019. They won 56 games on the road and set the Major League record for home runs in the season by one team. So how about the postseason?

National League Wild Card Game: Nationals vs. Brewers– The Brewers picked the wrong time to lay an egg. The Cubs handed them a gift the final weekend of the season, and the Brewers just couldn’t keep the wins going. Milwaukee heads to D.C. to face Max Scherzer for a one game Wild Card battle.

American League Wild Card Game: Athletics vs. Rays- Two small market teams with unique approaches to the game will face off in this one. Expect both teams to use a lot of pitchers.

Divisional Round

Dodgers vs. Nationals- The Dodgers cruised through the entire season without much of a test. They will get one here by facing Strasburg twice, and Scherzer once. At the end of the day, this should be a well-pitched series across the board, and the Dodgers should pull it out at the end.

Braves vs. Cardinals- Two weeks ago fans were ready to pick the hard-charging Cardinals to win the World Series. This last week has shown cracks in that consesus. The Cardinals are going in reverse at the wrong time. The Braves have a lot of talented young arms. Braves could pull this off in four games.

Championship Series

Dodgers vs. Braves- This one comes down to those young arms for Atlanta. Can they handle the bright lights of the National League Championship Series? If they can, it’s going to be an amazing series. That is a big “if” though. If not, then the Dodgers cruise back into the World Series. The final result will fall somewhere in the middle. The Dodgers could take this in six games.

Divisional Round

Astros vs. Rays – This one isn’t going to be much of a contest. The Astros are an awful match up for the Rays. Houston most likely advances in a sweep.

Yankees vs. Twins- The Twins could make this postseason very interesting if they keep up the pace and “ding dongs”. With their ability to win road games and that strong offense, they can take anyone down anywhere, on any day. One missing piece of their “armor” is that they got the voodoo in their head when they go to New York these days. Yankees will probably take the series in five games.

Championship Series

Astros vs. Yankees- The series we’ve been waiting for all season. Two powerhouse teams going head to head in a titanic grudge match. The difference in this series is going to be those two battle-tested hurlers at the top of the Astros rotation, Zach Grienke and Justin Verlander. We pick the Astros to advance in seven games.

Astros vs. Dodgers- Here Will this be the rematch of perhaps the best World Series of the last 25 years? Fans have to take into account that the Astros went from being baseball’s great experiment, to being baseball’s great prophecy. Can they do it again? These two teams match well. This one is a push that could go either way. Our resident sports “Guru” T.J. Bryce picks the Astros, in seven amazing games.

The Green Bay Packers are coming off a week one win that was either sloppy or impressive, depending on which side of the ball you examine. On offense, they were as bad as they have been for an entire game since perhaps their 4-12 season under Mike Sherman. We just don’t expect the Packers offense to stall out for an entire game outside of one drive, as they did in week one. So we move on to the defense. According to advanced analytics, the Packers defense had their best game in almost a decade. Next up, they play their home opener against the Minnesota Vikings. So what to expect this week?

Aaron Rodgers– For starters, number 12 has got to be better than he was in week one. Against the Bears, Rodgers was 18 of 30 for 203 yards, over 25% of which came on one throw, and a jump ball touchdown. I can’t remember the last time Aaron was that cold for an entire game. They can’t expect that defense to hold teams to three points every week, no matter how much it has improved.

Aaron Jones/Jamal Williams– This was supposed to be the season these two became the focal point of the offense. In week one they combined for a total of 21 touches for 54 yards. Time to hit the reset button and try again, although running on the Vikings defense over the last 20 years or so has been a lost cause for the most part. The Vikings have always had an overpowering and dominant front seven, as they do right now. Matt LaFleur may need to bluff his way through one more week before establishing the running game.

Davante Adams– By all charts and projections, 2019 was supposed to be the beginning of the three-season apex point of the career of Davante Adams. He is 26, just entering his prime, is a fully developed player, and is already a two-time All-Pro. It didn’t get off to a good start. In week one he had four catches for 36 yards. This week he draws perhaps the best cover man in the game, Xavier Rhodes. Perhaps Adams waits one more week before his season gets going. Maybe, maybe not.

Offensive Line– The offensive line was just terrible in week one. Now, they draw perhaps the best pass rush in the league with the Minnesota Vikings. The news just keeps getting better, doesn’t it? David Bhaktiari is the best offensive lineman in the game, and he is going to have to play like it against the All-Pro Danielle Hunter.

Rush Defense– If the Packers are going to find a way to win this game, they are going to need another dominant defensive performance, specifically from the rush defense. Dalvin Cook blew up and swept right past the Falcons defense in week one. Stopping him is priority number one for the Packers defense.

Pass Rush- Kirk Cousins is outstanding when he has time. But the moment he feels pressure he folds like a paper clip. If they are going to win this game they need to pressure him.

Final Score: The only way we see the Packers winning this game is if their defense comes up with another heroic effort as we saw in week one, and the offense improves. 20-13 Vikings.

In our first four parts, we have previewed the entire league all the way up to the conference championships. Let’s take a break from on the field play and hand out some awards. As noted in the previous posts, this is a best guess by T.J. Bryce, our Ticket King prognosticator. 

1. Freddie Kitchens/Browns- This award is hard to do in the preseason but I will do my best. Kitchens had the interim tag taken off of him this off season and is now the long-term head coach in Cleveland. Whether or not this actually happens rests on the shoulders of him and his staff.

2. Frank Reich/Colts- Reich will lead the Colts through an early storm and deep into the NFL Playoffs.

3. Doug Pederson/Eagles- The Eagles will now settle down under Carson Wentz, and Pederson will be the reason why.

4. Matt Nagy/Bears- The Bears aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this season, but they will be just as good, if not better than they were a year ago.

5. Anthony Lynn/Chargers- Lynn will lead the Chargers through lots of noise early on in the season, specifically due to the contract status of star running back Melvin Gordon.

1. Nick Bosa/DE/49ers- Much like his older brother and fellow monster pass rusher Joey Bosa of the Chargers, Nick Bosa will take the league by storm.

2. Brian Burns/DE/Panthers- Another top pass rusher, Burns will start for the Panthers right from the start, giving them the best pass rusher they have had since Julius Peppers was in his prime.

3. Darnell Savage/S/Packers- It is the Packers defense that will carry them to eight wins in 2019 while the offense struggles all season. Savage is the fast, instinctive playmaker the Packers have been looking for in the back of the secondary since Nick Collins broke his neck in week two of the 2011 NFL season, which ended his career.

4. Garrett Bradbury/C/Vikings- An offensive lineman? Yes. The Vikings biggest hole is the middle of their offensive line, and Bradbury will plug it.

5. Josh Jacobs/RB/Raiders- The Raiders are looking for balance offensively, and Jacobs will give it to them.

1. Joey Bosa/DE/OLB/Chargers- The older Bosa is about to become the best pass rusher in the league. He will lead the league in sacks.

2. Khalil Mack/OLB/Bears- This will be Mack’s first full season with Chicago, and he will return to the monstrous All-Pro form he had with the Raiders.

3. Aaron Donald/DL/Rams- There is not a better or more versatile defensive lineman in the league right now than Aaron Donald. He destroys the opponent’s running game by himself and is also an elite pass rusher.

4. Luke Kuechly/ILB/Panthers- Old reliable will once again lead the league in tackles.

5. Danielle Hunter/DE/Vikings- He will finish second in sacks behind Bosa.

1. Pat Mahomes/QB/Chiefs- This was supposed to be Andrew Luck, but an ankle sprain has moved Mahomes up to number one.

2. Andrew Luck/QB/Colts- I think the sprain will only bother him the first couple of weeks.

3. Ezekiel Elliot/RB/Cowboys- The best running back in the league, and he is about to get paid. He will set the league record for yards from scrimmage at some point, maybe this season, or next, or the next after that.

4. Phillip Rivers/QB/Chargers- We often forget about Rivers when talking about the league’s best quarterbacks over the last 20 years or so. But he doesn’t care.

5. Matt Ryan/QB/Falcons- If the Falcons go 10-6 as I predicted, it will be because Ryan returns to his All-Pro form.

In parts one and two, we previewed the regular seasons for each conference. We now move onto the playoffs, and this season, match ups will mean more than ever. Let’s begin with the NFC.

Seed Order: 1: Bears 2: Rams 3: Eagles 4: Saints 5: Vikings 6: Falcons

Eagles (3) vs. Falcons (6)- One can hear 20 million Falcons fans around the country right now, shouting out in a collective “WHY?”  Why not New Orleans? Or Chicago? Or Los Angeles? Why the one team the Falcons cannot seem to beat! Well, sorry Falcons fans. Those are the breaks in pro football.

Why the Eagles could win: They will win because they will get the running game going quickly, with Corey Clement and their off season acquisition Jordan Howard. Carson Wentz will find his form quickly in the mid-range passing game with Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor.

Why the Falcons could win: The Falcons are a rhythm team, and they will find that rhythm quickly. Once they get their footing, lookout. They are hard to stop.

Prediction: This game will be in Philadelphia and that will make it much harder for the Falcons to find that rhythm. Right now, this is just simply a bad match up for Atlanta. Eagles win 27-17.

Saints (4) vs. Vikings (5)- This has been 10 years in the making. The famous “Bountygate” game finally gets its rematch. Since it’s been ten years, most of the team won’t know what that means, but fans will.  

Why the Saints could win: Much like the Falcons, the Saints are a rhythm team. This game will be in New Orleans, so it should be easy for the Saints to find that rhythm quickly. Or so it seems. Alvin Kamara will have an outstanding afternoon running to the outside, and Drew Brees will find the holes in this secondary.

Why the Vikings could win: Yes, the Saints are a rhythm team, but the Vikings are the dynamite to that rhythm. To beat a team like the Saints at home, you must go in there, and knock them on their butt before they get an opportunity to find that rhythm. The Vikings are just the team to do that.

Prediction: This game is in New Orleans, and this Vikings organization will never forget what happened to them 10 years ago. For fans, the Vikings will put the Saints on their butts, and finally get their revenge, winning 23-16.

Rams (2) vs. Eagles (3)- Rams would be the big favorites in this game. But, as we’ve seen in the past, things are not always as they seem.

Why the Rams could win: The Rams are a loaded team on paper. All of that talent will overwhelm to the Eagles, and the Rams will coast into the NFC Championship.

Why the Eagles could win: Doug Pederson is on track to becoming the best head coach in the game, and he already has a track record of playoff upsets. He finds a way to do it again. That’s all I can say because I don’t see how, but somehow, he will.

Prediction: The Eagles do it again, taking out the defending NFC Champions 34-27.

Bears (1) vs. Vikings (5)-  Do you like games matching up snot nose football teams that are mirror images of each other? This is the game for you. This will be played in Chicago, in the middle of January, so this will be one of the coldest and windiest games in recent memory.

Why the Bears could win: The Bears are out to prove that they are not a one-hit-wonder and that they own this division now. They get another opportunity to show why against the Vikings. The Vikings hit hard, but the Bears hit harder, and they will do just that all afternoon.

Why the Vikings could win: the Vikings’ players have not forgotten about Week 17 a year ago, in which the Bears reserves embarrassed them, and knocked them out of playoff contention. The Vikings should use that as motivation and pull off another upset.

Prediction: This is going to be a no holds barred, anything goes, football game. To speak in metaphorical terms, when it’s all said and done, Khalil Mack will be the “last man standing” after what will look eerily similar to a massive brawl at in a crowded bar. Due to my prediction of extreme weather, the Bears make two of four field goal attempts and the Vikings make one of three. Neither team will find the end zone. Final score, 6-3 Bears.

The Green Bay Packers are coming off a successful outing in week one of the preseason, defeating the Texans at home 28-26. This week is important because it will be our first look at the Packers starters along with other key players. Head coach Matt LaFleur stated that all of the starters will play a quarter in this upcoming game.

Aaron Rodgers: This will be our first look Rodgers in the new system. He looked comfortable on Family Night, and now we get to see him in live-action. Expect to see a different version of Aaron Rodgers from this point forward. The new offensive scheme is going to focus on pocket passing. This new version of Rodgers will be more efficient and less big play oriented. Rodgers will just line the Packers up, snap the ball, run the play, and repeat the process. No more street ball, if you can believe that.

Aaron Jones/Jamal Williams: This week will also be our first look at the Packers top two running backs and how they manage in the new system. Jones and Williams are rising stars, and now they just need to stay healthy. As we move forward, they will become the focal point of the Packers offense. Fans would like to see them get about 35-40 touches in regular season games, split between the pair. Matt LaFleur’s offense is run focused, to set up the play action pass.

Back Up Quarterback: Both DeShone Kizer and Tim Boyle had their moments in week one. As far as preseason play, last week we witnessed Kizer’s best performance in a Packers uniform. But still, he did have that interception on Family Night. We’ve been down this road before with athletically gifted backup quarterbacks. Remember Brett Hundley? If anything, Gutekunst and LaFleur have already made their decision and they trying to see if they can squeeze a draft choice out of Kizer at the end of camp, just as they did with Hundley last year.

Third Wide Receiver Battle Continues: This camp saw a four man battle, with J’Mon Moore, Eq. St. Brown, MVS, and Jake Kumerow all making moves to secure the number four spot. Moore has taken a seat at the back of the bus and Kumerow is more than likely going to make this team- as the fifth receiver. This battle is down to two players, St. Brown and MVS. As of this moment, we really can’t tell the difference between the two.

Final Analysis: No score prediction, but devoted Packers fans will be very uneasy if Rodgers and the first-team on offense end their night without marching the field and scoring a touchdown.