From SportsLogos.net, the logo of this year’s Super Bowl, which is Super Bowl LVII (57). The Kansas City Chiefs will represent the American Conference and do battle with the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. The game will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and will feature a matchup of two brothers playing against each other – Jason and Travis Kelce. It will also be the first Super Bowl played with both teams starting an African American quarterback – Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Philly’s Jalen Hurts.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1998 Upper Deck rookie football card of former NFL wide receiver Hines Ward, who played 14 years in the league, all with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and helped the Steelers to a pair of Super Bowl wins, capturing the game’s MVP award in Super Bowl XL. Ward was named to the Steelers’ Wall of Honor and also the franchise’s All Time Team. Since retiring as a player, the borderline Hall of Famer has dabbled in coaching at both the pro and college level, and is currently the head coach and general manager of the San Antonio Brahmas of the revived XFL.
Classic Team Logo of The Day
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the Alabama State Hornets. Their football program began play in 1901, and they have won 2 SWAC championships since joining the conference in 1982. The school has played an annual game on Thanksgiving since 1924, longer than the NFL has had the tradition. Hornet alumni who have played in the pros include Tarvaris Jackson, Reggie Barlow, Brad Baxter, Eddie Robinson, Zefross Moss, Curtis Green, Isaiah Crowell and Tyrone Rogers.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1974 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Roger Staubach, who enjoyed a stellar 11 year career in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. After winning the Heisman Trophy at Navy and serving his 4 year military commitment, he joined the Cowboys and led them to 4 Super Bowls, winning a pair. “Captain America” was a six-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl VI MVP, NFL Man of The Year in 1978, and was voted to the NFL Team of The Decade for the 1970s and the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All Time team. He was also dubbed “Captain Comeback” for his many come-from-behind victories, and his late game throw against the Vikings in the playoffs was the first to be coined a “Hail Mary”. Also known as “Roger The Dodger”, Staubach was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
NFL – Buffalo Bills’ Season Review – Part 4
The final section of the annual Buffalo Bills’ season review is a look at what the team needs to do to continue growing towards their ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl. I always look back to the previous season’s review prior to completing the newest one, and I thought I would re-enter my final thoughts from last year. I don’t think much has changed since then.
“One thing is for certain. Beane cannot stand pat with his current roster with the Bills smack in the middle of a huge Super Bowl window with Josh Allen as his quarterback. He can’t fall in love with certain players who have been here but haven’t reached their full potential. He and coach Sean McDermott must add the pieces necessary to strengthen this contending club even more. That may also mean taking a hard look at the coaching staff, and whether or not there are better position coaches/teachers available to push the young talent to a higher level.”
Yes, I believe all of that is still true. Here are my suggestions on the areas that need improvement:
Backup Quarterback
OK, this year I made it specific in the header. The need is at backup quarterback, certainly not starter. Veteran Case Keenum filled the role in 2022, but I think Josh Allen is past the point where he needs all these older mentors. He already has the offensive coordinator, QB coach and practice squad QB (that could be Matt Barkley again or maybe Davis Webb). It’s now time to draft a mid-to-late round prospect to groom as a permanent backup going forward. At 6’6 and 226 lbs. Stanford’s Tanner McKee would match Allen’s physical stature but is strictly a pocket passer. Max Duggan of TCU has Allen’s leadership qualities. He led the Horned Frogs to the college football playoff this season.
Running Back
Devin Singletary is a free agent who the Bills may decide to move on from, and whether Nyheim Hines fits in their plans is debatable too since he didn’t contribute much beyond kick returns after being acquired in a trade. So there is a need for probably more than one back to compliment James Cook. In the 2-3 round range, UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet and Jahmyr Gibbs of Alabama could add some juice to the offense, while TCU’s Kendre Miller is a pounder with the short yardage skills the Bills’ stable of backs has lacked. There are plenty of veteran free agent RBs hitting the market, but most are overpriced or over the hill. Josh Jacobs of the Raiders would be an immediate upgrade at the position but GM Brandon Beane couldn’t afford him unless the running back market is severely suppressed. Stealing a hidden gem like Jeff Wilson from a division rival (Miami) could be an option, but needing cheap labor to fill the roster the best option is the draft.
Receivers
I still believe Gabe Davis is a quality receiver, and Khali Shakir will have a much bigger impact next season, but the consensus is that Josh Allen needs more weapons. On the free agent market, a couple of potential targets could be Parris Campbell of the Colts, who could thrive playing with a top quarterback, and Jakobi Meyers of New England. Signing him would be that double whammy of strengthening the WR corps and weakening a division rival. In the draft, the receiver class isn’t as strong as some years, but some early-to-mid rounders who could help are Jalin Hyatt of Tennessee, SMU’s Rashee Rice, Marvin Mims of Oklahoma and North Carolina’s Josh Downs. If USC’s Jordan Addison should somehow drop to the Bills at pick 27, they should sprint to the podium to draft him.
Offensive Line
This is the Bills’ biggest area of need, especially the interior line. Again, if they don’t have to break the bank, they should target Baltimore’s Ben Powers or Denver’s Dalton Risner to upgrade the guard position. In the draft, there are always players with potential in all rounds. Early on, Peter Skoronski of Northwestern would be a great pick but he is moving into the top 10 on a lot of draft boards. Dawand Jones of Ohio State is an intriguing player who could be available in the second round. Both those players are tackles. There are more realistic prospects at guard who could be around when the Bills pick in almost every round. Those include O’Cyrus Torrence of Florida, Andrew Voorhees of USC, Notre Dame’s Jarett Patterson, Jaxson Kirkland of Washington and Cody Mauch of North Dakota State.
Defensive Line
The Bills have already spent a lot of draft capital in recent years here, but they may need to do it again. I would expect the team to move on from Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson so there will be openings. They signed Von Miller last offseason so any additions would likely be draft picks. My favorite edge rusher is massive 6’7 Andre Carter of Army. At interior tackle, Baylor’s Siaka Ika is a space-eater who would compliment DaQuan Jones nicely. Other tackle possibilities are Gervon Dexter of Florida, Lukas Van Ness of Iowa and Cory Durden of NC State.
Safety
The Bills plan to move Christian Benford to safety, and with Jordan Poyer likely departing, they will have to add some depth here. There really isn’t a player on the free agent market who would be an upgrade over Poyer, so the reinforcements would come from the draft. Georgia’s Chris Smith would be a great addition. Other possibilities include Rashad Torrence II of Florida, Jammie Robinson of Florida State and Louisville’s Kenderick Duncan Jr.
Classic Team Logo of The Day
Used from 2002 until 2018, this is a logo of a college football team that plays in the Ivy League, the Cornell Big Red. The school, located in Ithaca, NY, began it’s grid program in 1887. They’ve won 5 national championships and 3 league titles. Former Big Red players who have spent time in pro football include Ed Marinaro, Kevin Boothe, Tex Coulter, Pete Gogolak, Frank Wydo, Gary Wood, Seth Payne, J.C. Tretter, Bo Roberson and Al Dekdebrun.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1979 Topps football card of former pro football linebacker Merv Krakau, who played 6 seasons in the NFL, 5 of them for the Buffalo Bills. His best season was in 1976 when, as the Bills’ starting middle linebacker, he led the team in tackles and was second in the entire NFL in fumble recoveries with 6. Krakau was out of the game for 5 years when he came out of retirement in 1983 to play a season in the USFL for the Tampa Bay Bandits.
NFL – Buffalo Bills’ Season Review – Part 3
Part 3 of our annual Buffalo Bills’ season review deals with the defense, a unit that puts up impressive statistics and rankings each season, then has epic failures in the playoffs. Coordinator Leslie Frazier’s troops have put up these shocking numbers in their last 3 postseason defeats – 107 points and 1,403 yards allowed. That averages out to 36 points and 468 yards per game. Not exactly numbers that reflect a championship contender. Here is a position-by-position look at the defense and special teams:
Defensive Line
The play of this unit can best be described as inconsistent. GM Brandon Beane signed a big ticket item in Von Miller, and he delivered until an injury ended his season. The Bills were never able to deliver a consistent pass rush after he was gone. Greg Rousseau had 8 sacks and was stout enough against the run, and A.J. Epenesa chipped in a quiet 6.5 quarterback traps. You could argue that their production was limited by the Bills’ use of a heavy D line rotation. The other edge rushers on the roster are Shaq Lawson and Boogie Basham. Both played hard when they got their opportunities and Basham is still growing as a prospect, but it’s possible that the team isn’t in a rush to bring Lawson back. The interior line was boosted by the free agent signings of DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle, especially Jones. He was solid in taking on double teams and freeing up Ed Oliver to make more plays. His absence in the playoff loss had a negative effect on the defense as a whole. It’s debatable whether Oliver has lived up to his draft status, but like Basham he still has room to grow. Does the team have time to wait for that growth? His contract will be an issue soon. The last interior defender is veteran Jordan Phillips. He flashed some good play during the season but is only on a one year contract and lacked the one ability that coach Sean McDermott insists is most important – availability. He missed considerable time due to injury.
Linebackers
For a team that regularly plays a scheme that uses only 2 linebackers, the Bills were awfully heavy on the roster at the position. Matt Milano is a bonafide All Pro and Tremaine Edmunds had his best season and is the leader of the defense. His contract is up and it’s not a certainty that the Bills are willing to cough up big dollars to keep him. There has to be a reason why they spent 2 draft picks on the position last year in Terrel Bernard and Baylon Spector. Both of those rookies made the squad but only played on special teams most of the year, as did veterans Tyler Matakevich and Tyrel Dodson. A.J. Klein was brought back as added depth during the season but it’s doubtful if he is back. My expectation for 2023 is that the team beefs up the roster at other positions and doesn’t carry 7 backers so there will be subtractions, the question is who will they be?
Defensive Backs
There are 13 players in the mix as this season ends on the back end of the defense. Let’s sort through them, starting with the safeties. Micah Hyde missed most of the season due to injury but was practicing and ready to play at season’s end. He was sorely missed and will be a welcome re-addition next season. However, the Hyde/Jordan Poyer tandem days may be over. Poyer, who was a warrior playing through injuries all year, is about to test the free agent waters and is likely to get an offer Buffalo won’t be willing to match. The depth behind these 2 veterans is full of question marks. Siran Neal is almost strictly a special teamer now, Damar Hamlin’s future as a player is in serious doubt after his horrific incident, Jaquan Johnson got his opportunity to start and never took hold of it, leading to the team bringing back Dean Marlowe as a stop gap who wound up starting. Marlowe played admirably but he is just that, a stop gap. That leaves Jared Mayden, a late-season signee who is a complete unknown. Post-season press conferences revealed that the team is considering moving impressive rookie Christian Benford from cornerback to safety. That move could work out but it’s really just more uncertainty. Cornerback is in good hands going into 2023. Tre’Davious White is back and should be even better, rookie Kaiir Elam looks like a keeper even though the coaches held him back in his development. Taron Johnson is arguably the best slot corner in the NFL, and Dane Jackson is solid. His play may have been better than White’s this year. Cam Lewis also dependable, one of the guys on the roster who is a valuable special teamer but also can actually play the position they’re listed at on the roster. Of course, Benford and Neal can also fill in here in a pinch.
Special Teams
The Bills put a premium on the special teams, maybe too much so. Veterans like Taiwan Jones, Matakevich, Dodson, Kumerow, Neal and Tommy Sweeney have contributed little at their respective positions. Maybe it’s time for younger players like Bernard, Lewis and Spector to infiltrate those spots, freeing up roster spots for important weapons elsewhere. The specialists are all good, solid pros. Long snapper Reid Ferguson, kicker Tyler Bass and punter/holder Sam Martin are a good unit that work well together. It is possible the team brings in competition for Martin, who is 30+. Beane’s trade for Nyheim Hines upgraded the return game also.
Classic Team Logo of The Day
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Patriot League, the Lafayette Leopards. Starting play in 1882, they are among the oldest programs in the college game. They’ve claimed 3 national titles and 7 conference wins. A few former Leopards who had brief pro football careers include Blake Costanzo, Walt Zirinski and Chris Thatcher.