The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the National Football League in 1976 as the NFL’s 27th franchise. Their early years were famously difficult, but the organization eventually transformed itself into a two-time Super Bowl champion with a distinctive defensive identity and some of the greatest players and coaches in NFL history. From the days of Tampa Stadium to today’s Raymond James Stadium, the Buccaneers have built a history that includes Hall of Fame players, championship defenses, two Super Bowl victories and some of the most memorable moments in modern NFL football. The Birth of the Buccaneers Tampa Bay was awarded an NFL franchise on April 24, 1974, with the team scheduled to begin play in 1976. Hugh Culverhouse became the franchise’s owner, and legendary University of Southern California coach John McKay was hired as the first head coach. The Buccaneers’ first season was an extraordinary struggle. Tampa Bay finished 0-14 in 1976, and the team lost its first 26 games over its first two seasons. The breakthrough finally came on December 11, 1977, when Tampa Bay defeated the New Orleans Saints. Just two seasons later, the Buccaneers had gone from an expansion team without a victory to an NFC Central Division champion and NFC Championship Game participant. Buccaneers Owners Hugh Culverhouse — 1974-1994 Hugh Culverhouse was the original owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He guided the franchise through its formative years and was the owner when Tampa Bay made its remarkable 1979 and 1981 playoff runs. Culverhouse’s ownership established the Buccaneers as an NFL franchise in Tampa Bay and provided the foundation for everything that followed. Malcolm Glazer — 1995-2013 Malcolm Glazer purchased the Buccaneers in January 1995. His arrival began the most dramatic transformation in franchise history. Under Glazer, Tampa Bay returned to the playoffs in 1997 after a 15-year postseason drought. He later made the aggressive decision to acquire head coach Jon Gruden from the Oakland Raiders before the 2002 season. That move was followed by the greatest season in franchise history to that point: Tampa Bay won Super Bowl XXXVII. Glazer remained owner and president through 2013. He died in 2014. The Glazer Family — 2014-Present Following Malcolm Glazer’s death, ownership remained with the Glazer family. The Buccaneers’ current ownership group includes Bryan Glazer, Joel Glazer, Edward Glazer, Avram Glazer and Darcie Glazer Kassewitz. The team’s official front office lists Bryan, Edward and Joel as owners/co-chairmen, Avram as an owner and Darcie Glazer Kassewitz as owner/chairman of the Buccaneers Foundation. Under the Glazer family, Tampa Bay won its second Super Bowl following the 2020 season, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl LV. Every Stadium the Buccaneers Have Called Home Tampa Stadium — 1976-1995 Tampa Stadium was the original home of the Buccaneers. The team played its first home game there in 1976. The stadium became closely associated with the early Buccaneers, including the dramatic rise from an 0-26 team to a division champion. Houlihan’s Stadium — 1996-1997 Tampa Stadium was renamed Houlihan’s Stadium during the 1990s. The Buccaneers played their final regular-season game in the facility in 1997. Tampa Bay defeated the Detroit Lions 20-10 in that game, which also gave the franchise its first playoff victory since 1979. Raymond James Stadium — 1998-Present Raymond James Stadium opened in 1998 and became the Buccaneers’ permanent home. The first Buccaneers regular-season game there came on September 20, 1998, against the Chicago Bears. Tampa Bay rallied from a 15-0 halftime deficit to win 27-15. The stadium has since hosted some of the most important games in franchise history, including the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl-era seasons. Buccaneers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Tampa Bay team listing identifies the franchise with 11 Hall of Famers overall, including players and coaches. For this article, the focus is on players whose Hall of Fame careers are directly associated with their Buccaneers accomplishments, rather than simply listing every Hall of Famer who spent time in Tampa Bay. Lee Roy Selmon — Defensive End Buccaneers: 1976-1984 Lee Roy Selmon was the first player ever drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and became the first Buccaneer elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in 1995. Selmon was the cornerstone of Tampa Bay’s original defense and became one of the greatest defensive ends of his generation. His Buccaneers accomplishments included: Six Pro Bowls 78.5 career sacks NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 1979 First-ever Buccaneers draft selection Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1995 His No. 63 is retired by Tampa Bay. Warren Sapp — Defensive Tackle Buccaneers: 1995-2003 Warren Sapp became the centerpiece of Tampa Bay’s dominant defense during the team’s great resurgence of the 1990s and early 2000s. He was selected to seven Pro Bowls and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1999. Sapp was a major part of the Buccaneers’ championship defense and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. His No. 99 is retired by Tampa Bay. Derrick Brooks — Linebacker Buccaneers: 1995-2008 Derrick Brooks was one of the most important players in Buccaneers history. Drafted in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, Brooks spent his entire 14-year NFL career in Tampa Bay. He accumulated 2,198 tackles, 25 interceptions and 13.5 sacks as a Buccaneer. Brooks was a key leader of the defense that won Super Bowl XXXVII and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014. His No. 55 is retired. John Lynch — Safety Buccaneers: 1992-2003 John Lynch was drafted by Tampa Bay in 1993 and eventually became the anchor of the secondary. He made nine Pro Bowls and was an important member of the championship defense. The Pro Football Hall of Fame specifically identifies Lynch’s Tampa Bay years as central to his Hall of Fame career. Lynch was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021. Rondé Barber — Cornerback Buccaneers: 1997-2012 Rondé Barber spent his entire playing career with Tampa Bay. He became… Continue reading Tampa Bay Buccaneers: From Expansion Team to Two-Time Super Bowl
Tag: Tom Brady
NFL CONFIDENCE PICKS WEEK 17 NFL 01/03/2020
. . JAGUARS: Fire HC, Doug Marrone. COLTS: In playoffs. Rookie RB, Jonathan Taylor, crushes RB, Edgerron James, franchise high record of 209, yds in a game. Taylor, (just the 2nd Colt to run 200 yds in a game), Ran 253 yds. BILLS: Will be #4 seed. BEARS: In playoffs. BROWNS: Earn playoff spot. RAMS: QB, John Wolford, in his 1st ever NFL game, leads Rams to playoff. PACKERS: Clinch NFC number 1 seed. TITANS: Win AFC SOUTH. RB, Derrick Henry rushes for 2,000 Yd regular season. BUCCANEERS: WR, Mike Evans, breaks record for MOST CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITH 1000 Yds. Evans, now has 7 straight seasons with 1,000 Yds. However just one play after reaching that plateau, Evans suffered a knee injury, (not know how serious), when he slipped in the end zone. The previous record was held by VIKINGS, Randy Moss. QB, Tom Brady breaks Brett Favre’s record for MOST REGULAR SEASON STARTS, with today 299 th start. RAVENS: Clinch playoff spot. CARDINALS: In playoff. QB, Lamar Jackson becomes 1st QB, to rush for BACK TO BACK 1,000 Yds season. A NEW NFL RECORD. The only other QB to rush for 1,000 Yds in a season was, FALCONS, Michael Vick, in 2006. BROWNS: Clinch 1st playoff spot since 2002 VIKINGS: Rookie WR, Justin Jefferson sets record for MOST RECEIVING Yds BY A ROOKIE IN SUPER BOWL ERA, with 1,400 Yds. The previous record of 1,377 Yds. was held by CARDINAL WR, Anquan Bodin set in 2003. Earlier in the game today he broke the franchise record of 1,313 Yds, held by ROOKIE, Randy Moss, in 1998. (This just isn’t Randy Moss’ day. Two records broken in 1 day). AFC: (12/30/20) With 7 playoff berths, has one too many teams with a winning record. So 1 team, (NFC East) with a losing record will get into the playoffs, while a team now with 10, wins will sit out. Vying now are the BROWNS, TITANS, RAVENS, DOLPHINS, and COLTS. These teams have identical records of 10-5. All are fighting for 3 wild card spots, and the AFC South Championship. Indianapolis COLTS are the only team that needs help to make the playoffs. First they need to beat the JAGUARS, this week. Secondly, they need one of the other teams to lose. However; the case is different in the NFC East. The winner there is assured of having a losing record, while the 7th seed could be in with an 8-8 record if the CARDINALS, and BEARS lose, the BEARS will get the third wild card spot. 49’ERS: (12/30/20): Added, LS, Colin Holb, to active roster. TE, Charlie Woerner, off Covid-19/reserve. (01/01/21), Signed K, Tristan Vizcalino, from VIKINGS, practice squad, to fill in for K, Tristan Vizcalino, on COVID-19/reserve. OUT, WR , Brandon Aiyuk, (ankle), DT, Kevin Givens, (not injury related), LB, Dre Greenlaw, (calf), DT, Javon Kinlaw, (knee), WR, Deebo Samuel, (hamstring), CB, Richard Sherman, (calf), CB, K’Waun Williams, (shin). QUESTIONABLE, S, Tarvarius Moore, (ankle), CB, Emmanuel Moseley, (hamstring), LB, Mark Nzeocha, (illness). . BEARS: (01/01/21), OUT: CB, Jaylon Johnson, (shoulder), CB, Buster Skrine, (concussion). QUESTIONABLE: S, Deon Bush, (foot), S, Tashaun Gipson, (neck), TE, Demetrius Harris, (foot), TE, Cole Kmet, (shoulder), WR, Cordarrelle Patterson, (knee). . BENGALS: (01/01/21), Signed TE, Mitchell Wilcox to active roster. OUT: C, B.J. Finney ,(abdomen), CB, William Jackson, (concussion), LB, Logan Wilson, (ankle) . BILLS: (12/2920): QB, Josh Allen broke franchise record for TD passes a single season. The record was held by former BILLS QB Jim Kelly. (12/30/20): WR, Cole Beasley (leg), is week-week. (01/01/21), Activated WR, John Brown, from COVID-19/reserve. OUT:, WR, Cole Beasley, (knee), TE, Reggie Gilliam, (knee, hamstring) . BRONCOS: (01/01/21), DE, Bradley Chubb, (ankle), and G, Graham Glasgow, (shoulder), listed as QUESTIONABLE for Sunday’s game. OUT: WR, K.J. Hamler, (concussion). QUESTIONABLE: RB, LeVante Bellamy, (ankle), LB, Anthony Chickillo, (ribs), DE, Bradley Chubb, (ankle), G, Graham Glasgow (shoulder), S, Trey Marshall (quadricep). . BROWNS: (12/30/20): TE, Harrison Bryant, DBs, Andrew Sendejo, and Karl Joseph, on COVID-19/reserve. (12/31/20): LB, Malcolm Smith, and TE, Harrison Bryant, OUT, (COVID-19). LB, B.J. Goodson, CB, Denzel Ward, and S, Andrew Sendejo, (COVID-19; close contact), OUT. Further testing, and tracing may result in more players being ruled out. The team is HOPEFUL they will get back, WRs, Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Khadrel Hodges. (01/01/21), NO NEW COVID-19 POSITIVES. OUT:, C, Nick Harris, (knee). QUESTIONABLE: LB, Tae Davis (ankle), T, Kendall Lamm, (illness), LB, Sione Takitaki, (ankle), G, Wyatt Teller (ankle) (01/02/21), Close Facility after a member of the coaching staff tests COVID-19 positive. . BUCCANEERS: (12/30/20): Activated RB, Ronald Jones, from COVID-19/reserve. (01/01/21), CB, Carlton Davis, (groin), GTD (game time decision). S, Mike Edwards, (hip), Ready to play Sunday. LB, Devin White (COVID-19 POSTIVE), and OLB, Shaquille Barrett, (COVID-19 Close contact), placed on COVID-19/reserve. OUT: DT, Jeremiah Ledbetter (calf); DOUBTFUL: CB, Carlton Davis (groin) . .BROWNS: (12/30/20): TE, Harrison Bryant, DBs, Andrew Sendejo, and Karl Joseph, on COVID-19/reserve. (12/31/20): LB, Malcolm Smith, and TE, Harrison Bryant, OUT, (COVID-19). LB, B.J. Goodson, and S, Andrew Sendejo, (COVID-19; close contact), OUT. Further testing, and tracing may result in more players being ruled out. The team is HOPEFUL they will get back, WRs, Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Khadrel Hodges. . CARDINALS: (12/2920): QB. Kyler Murray (lower leg), is questionable. (12/30/20): Kyler Murray expects to play Sunday. (01/01/21), QUESTIONABLE: S, Budda Baker, (neck), TE, Darrell Daniels, (hamstring), RB, Chase Edmonds, (hip), WR, Larry Fitzgerald, (groin), TE, Maxx Williams, (ankle). (01/03/21), RB, Chase Edmonds, (hip) now a GTD. . CHARGERS: (01/01/21), OUT: DE, Joey Bosa, (shin, concussion), T, Bryan Bulaga, (foot), CB, Casey Hayward, (hamstring), LB, Malik Jefferson, (shoulder), S Rayshawn Jenkins, (ankle). QUESTIONABLE: S, Jahleel Addae ,(calf), T, Sam Tevi (knee). . CHIEFS: (12/30/20) Decision time for HC, Andy Reid, with 1st round bye in his pocket. Play his 1st stringers, and… Continue reading NFL CONFIDENCE PICKS WEEK 17 NFL 01/03/2020
NFL CONFIDENCE PICKS WEEK 13 NFL 12/03-06-07-08/2020
RAVENS: QB Lamar Jackson rushes for 94 yds. RB Gus Edwards added 101 yds rushing, and RB J.K. Dobbins added 71 rushing yds in Tuesdsy’s victory over the Cowboys. FOOTBALL TEAM ENDS STEELERS UNDEFEATED SEASON 23-17.BILLS get 1st MNF WIN since 1999 BENGALS Safety SHAWN WILLIAMS and TITANS TEAIR TART, suspended 1 game. For violations of UNNESSARY ROUGHNESS, and UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT. Each one INTENTIONALLY STEPPED on an opposing player WILLIAMS stepped on the leg of DOLPHIN G SOLOMON KINDLEY as players were untangling themselves from a pile at the end of a play just before halftime. TART stepped on the leg of BROWNS G WYATT TELLER after he had knocked Tart into the backfield and away from a second-quarter play. Each one will most likely file an appeal. PACKERS: QB Aaron Rodgers 1st player in NFL history to throw 35 TDs in 5 different seasons. Rodgers is in 7th place behind Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Dan Marino, and Phillip Rivers in CAREER TD passes PATRIOTS: QB Cam Newton becomes FIRST QB in NFL history to have 4 games in a season with more than 1 RUSHING TD VETERAN KICKER RETIRES: 35 Year old Stephen Hauschka is retiring after 13 seasons. Began career with RAVENS (2008-2009). Then moved to Broncos for 2010 season. Hauschka is most know for his six season with the Seahawks. He played in 2 Super Bowls with a win in 2014. A very reliable KICKER makin 88.8% of 197 FG attempts with the Seahawks, and 95.1% of extra point tries. He moved to play for the BILLS in 2017. Successfully making 87.9% o 33 attempts. and scoring the only 3 points in their loss (10-3) in the wild card game with the Jaguars. He became a JAGUAR in 2020 but was cut after an 0-2 showing. Career wise he ended with a FG85.2%, an EP of 95.7%. A career long FG of 58 yds. and 1149 points scored FORMER RB: LaGarrette Blount officially retiring. Blount began his career as an undrafted free agent with the TITANS in 2010. But joined the BUCCANEERS, before the 2010 season. He played the 2014 season with the STEELERS between 2 stints with the PATIROTS. 2017 saw with the EAGLES, and finished his career in 2018 playing for the LIONS Blount last played in 2018. He played with 6 different teams in his 9 year NFL career. Spanning his nine-year career, Blount ran for 6,306 yards in and scored 56 touchdowns in the regular season. In eleven career playoff games, Blount totaled 600 yards and eleven TDs. RAVENS/STEELERS: Pass Wednesday COVID-19 tests STEELERS, CHIEFS, SAINTS: Can clinch playoff berths this week. BEARS: QUESTIONABLE: QB Nick Foles (hip), DT Akiem Hicks (hamstring), G Germain Ifedi (calf), T Charles Leno (toe), LB Khalil Mack (back), WR Darnell Mooney (knee), WR Allen Robinson (knee), LB James Vaughters (knee), LB Josh Woods (foot) BENGALS: OUT: CB Tony Brown (hamstring), G Alex Redmond (concussion); QUESTIONABLE: DT Christian Covington (illness), C B.J. Finney (back), LS Clark Harris (illness), CB Darius Phillips (illness), WR Mike Thomas (hamstring), DT Xavier Williams (back), S Brandon Wilson (hamstring) BRONCOS: OUT: S Trey Marshall; QUESTIONABLE: WR Jerry Jeudy (ankle), RB Phillip Lindsay (knee), LB Malik Reed (shin) BROWNS: OUT: WR Khadarel Hodge (hamstring), WR Taywan Taylor (neck), CB Denzel Ward (calf); QUESTIONABLE: C Nick Harris (ankle), DT Vincent Taylor (knee) CARDINALS: OUT: S Jalen Thompson (ankle); QUESTIONABLE: DT Angelo Blackson (illness), DT Rashard Lawrence (calf), S Charles Washington (groin) CHARGERS: DOUBTFUL: LB Denzel Perryman (back); : QUESTIONABLE RB Kalen Ballage (ankle), CB Casey Hayward Jr. (groin), DE Uchenna Nwosu (chest), WR Joe Reed. CHIEFS: OUT: LB Dorian O’Daniel (ankle); QUESTIONABLE: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness). COLTS: Acitvated DT DeForest Buckner from COVID-19 reserve list. OUT: T Anthony Castonzo (knee), LB Bobby Okereke (ankle), P Rigoberto Sanchez (illness), S Khari Willis (back, quadricep); QUESTIONABLE: T Chaz Green (back), TE Noah Togiai (knee). COWBOYS: OL Zack Martin on injured reserve; for at least 3 games. DOLPHINS: QB Tua Tagovailoa (left thumb injury), is EXPECTED TO START SUNDAY’S GAME AGAINST the Bengals. DOUBTFUL: RB Salvon Ahmed (shoulder), RB DeAndre Washington (hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: G Solomon Kindley (foot), WR Malcolm Perry (chest), EAGLES: OUT: S Rudy Ford (hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: CB Darius Slay (calf) FALCONS: WR Julio Jones (hamstring) and RB Todd Gurley (knee) questionable for Sunday’s game against Saints this week. WR Calvin Ridley missed Friday practice, with foot and ankle problems. OUT: G James Carpenter (groin); QUESTIONABLE: DE Dante Fowler (hamstring), , CB Kendall Sheffield (illness) GIANTS: QB Daniel Jones (hamstring) doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. QUESTIONABLE: LB David Mayo (knee) JAGUARS: Jaguars: OUT: LB Dakota Allen (hamstring), LB Kamalei Correa (hamstring), TE Ben Ellefson (knee), DT Davon Hamilton (knee), CB Sidney Jones (Achilles); QUESTIONABLE: WR Chris Conley (hip), T Jawaan Taylor (knee), S Jarrod Wilson (shoulder) JETS: FIRED: DC Greg Williams after questionable call which kept the team on its losing streak. OUT: G Alex Lewis (not injury related); QUESTIONABLE: G Pat Elflein (shoulder), T George Fant (knee, ankle LIONS: OUT: WR Kenny Golladay (hip), DE Da’Shawn Hand (groin), CB Jeff Okudah (shoulder); QUESTIONABLE: DE Austin Bryant (thigh), QB Matthew Stafford (right thumb), RB D’Andre Swift (illness), S Tracy Walker (not injury related) PACKERS: OUT: C Corey Linsley (knee); QUESTIONABLE: LB Krys Barnes (calf), RB Tyler Ervin (ribs), LB Za’Darius Smith (ankle). PATRIOTS: QUESTIONABLE: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley (groin), DL Adam Butler (shoulder), DL Byron Cowart (back), DB Kyle Dugger (toe), K Nick Folk (back), TE Ryan Izzo (hamstring, hand), CB J.C. Jackson (hip), FB Jakob Johnson (knee), G Shaq Mason (calf), QB Cam Newton (abdomen), WR Matthew Slater (knee), RB J.J. Taylor (quadricep). PANTHERS: Place 8 on COVID-19/reserve list. They are WRs DJ Moore, and Curtis Samuels. Others are, Derrick Brown, Zach Kerr, Shaq Thompson, Greg Little, Michael Palardy ,and practice squad receiver Ishmael Hyman RAIDERS: RB Josh Jacobs (ankle) will not play Sunday against the Jets. OUT: S Johnathan Abram (knee), DT Maliek Collins (hamstring, ankle), QUESTIONABLE: DT Maurice Hurst (ankle, calf), CB Isaiah Johnson (groin), CB Trayvon Mullen (illness) RAMS: OUT: LB Terrell Lewis (knee); QUESTIONABLE:… Continue reading NFL CONFIDENCE PICKS WEEK 13 NFL 12/03-06-07-08/2020
WELCOME TO YOUR 2016 SEASON OF NFL CONFIDENCE PICKS
Welcome to our 4th year of NFL CONFIDENCE PICKS !!!!! This also marks the 97th SEASON OF THE NFL!! We; no doubt, will see many errant calls by the field officials. SOME legitimate, (after all they are human and can make a miss call). Some wil most likely come from NFL RULE changes. So be prepared for some mistakes, both from teams, players, and officials. I will have these rule changes posted with the PICK sheets for the next 3-4 weeks COMMENT: I really hate to bring this up. But I can’t help wondering if any of you have the same feeling on this subject. I feel , MAKIING TOM BRADY AN HONORARY CAPTAIN OF THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES DURING HIS TIME OF PUNISHMENT ( THE SUSPENSION), IS AN AFFRONT TO not only the School, the Alumni, and all the the things the NCAA is supposed to stand for. WHY! Honor someone who CHEATED!!!! Maybe after he has served his suspension. Then he could have a message of what he learned . (If anything). To me this is just not the right thing to do. He takes back the message that “Cheating is okay. (Just don’t get caught). This could spill over to the academics; if it is okay to cheat on the field, it must be okay to cheat in the classroom. Here is a list of the rule changes, as I understand them. Extra Points Permanently Moved Back. Last year was a 1-year trial run for extra points being moved from the 2- to the 15-yard line. This year, the vote was to make the change permanent, Press Box Coach-to-Player Communication. In the past, coaches in the press box could not talk to players with the communication system directly. The coach in the press box had to radio down to the sideline; then the coach on the sideline could relay it to the player. Now, teams have the option of the “box coach” talking directly to the players. The hope here is to have fewer delay of game issues? Chop Blocks Are Eliminated. Chop blocks are now illegal, However, you can still go low if a defensive player engages you first. (This may change some teams’ playbooks on offense, but shouldn’t have a major impact. (Defenders, might feel safer about their lower legs.) Ejection for Certain Unsportsmanlike Penalties. This was passed for a one-year trial run. (Shouldn’t this be at the Official’s descretion). Hopefully this will not come up more than 2-3 times during the season. I look for it to be tossed next season. I do not know what the Certain Unsportsmanlike actions will be. But to call for EJECTION, they must be pretty severe. Touchbacks Now Come Out to the 25. I see this as an attempt to eliminate run backs. After it is rare when someone ran it back for 25 yards. I didn’t even like it coming out to the 20. It is like a free play. NOW that fictionalplay will get you down 25% of the field. Let’s just make the field 75 yards long? The challenge will now be for the KICKER to kick HIGH and SHORT . This proposal passed for a one-year trial run as well. I think the fans will not take to this rule. ( I think moving the kickoff to the ten yard line would be more acceptable). Horse Collar Expanded. The horse collar penalties have been expanded to a little below the neck area of the jersey; grabbing anywhere near the name area and yanking the player down will be an infraction moving forward. I don’t see the reasoning behind this. I suppose it is to give the officials a little leeway. One way to interpret this rule, (I suppose), would be….PLAYERS MAY USE THE HORSE COLLAR TO S..L..O..W THE RUNNER; THEN SLIDE DOWN AND MAKE THE TACKLE JUST DON’T PUT HIM TO GROUND WHILE IN THE HIGH AREA. (Heck, next year it may be illegal to touch a player above the waist). Five Yard Penalty for Excess Timeout. If a team tries to call a timeout when they don’t have one, there will be a delay of game penalty called on them. This could work either way. Penalty OR benefit, (Example in a two minute drill? just saying) I think if they are going to hae this rule it should be at last a TEN yard penalty. (Or, just for the heck of it let’s make it a 7 1/2 yard penalty. Add a little twist to the game. Illegal Touching Penalty. Previously, if a player went out of bounds and then caught a pass, it’s not a legal catch. The offending team would be penalized five yards, but would repeat the down. Now, with the new rule, the offending team will not be penalized in yardage, but they will lose the down. Thus ruled as an incomplete pass. Double Foul Issue: A. If there is a double foul during a down in which there is a change of possession, THE team last gaining position may keep the ball UNLESS, its’ foul was committed prior to the change of possesion. B. If a double foul occurs after a change of possession, The DEFENSIVE team retains the ball at the spot of its’ foul or dead ball spot. … Continue reading WELCOME TO YOUR 2016 SEASON OF NFL CONFIDENCE PICKS
Confidence Picks, Week 14 12/10,13,14 /2015
WOW!!! I hope you all were able to see the Rodgers to Rodgers HAIL MARY PASS. Was there something mystical in this connection. Both players named Rodgers, Both players attended, and played FOOTBALL for the California Golden Bears, college. EERIE! Can you say C-H-O-K-E. That was the fate of the Chicago Bears. Chicago had the game sewed up. A mere 36 yard chip shot, field goal and the game was over with the Chicago Bears adding another notch in their comeback belt. (Did I just say CHIP SHOT? Sorry about that I hate it when I or anyone “cross-terms” sport jargon), But alas, was not to be. As Robbie Gould shanked the kick. I know no one is perfect. HOWEVER, with the money these men make for playing a game, is it expecting too much for them to be perfect. I can’t say it all rode on Gould’s shoulders. Whenever you look back, there is always another play that makes a difference in the outcome. Like Jay Cutler’s pick 6 pass. If he hadn’t thrown that; the game would have been over before the errant FG kick. But on the other side. Had the 49’ers made some different play, during the course of the game. They could have won. Do you suppose New England Patriots, and their fans, have finally figured out that TOM BRADY, isn’t the the…TEAM.. Like most QB’s he needs those team mates that half the people don’t know their names. Are the Seattle Seahawks really back? Russell Wilson’s has been working on and showing his passing skills. Some writers are calling them the “most dangerous wild card team”. We had two games go to OT. One game separated by less than a FG. Two games were won with a 3 point margin For those of you who do not know how confidence ranking goes, let me explain. If we were playing an office pool,(which we ARE NOT). The object is to score the most points. To obtain the score YOU rank the teams by how confident you are a team will win its game. EXAMPLE: Say this week we have 16 games. The team you are most confident will win you would assign the number 16 and follow down to the team you are least confident in and assign that number 1. We use the Monday night game as a TIE BREAKER. The tie is broke by the closest to the total (that is the COMBINED score of the two participating tams) final score, without going over. If we were playing this is how my sheet would look; My pick will be in bold Capital letters. you can use circling, underlining, or highlighting. I will show my correct points in Bold YOU can adopt the scoring described above. Or, the optional method. A negative score for missed games. We will continue to get a positive score for correct predictions. EXAMPLE: if you scored 1 pt on the first game and you had 15 pt on the second game and lost you would still have a Positive 1. HOWEVER. with the same scenario new scoring system would result with a -14 score. I will fill in my picks Thursday. Until then feel free to: Just copy and paste for your own Fun Pool Use. Or to see if you can beat me. IF YOU SEE I MADE A MISS COPY OF THE GAMES AND TIMES FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME AND TELL ME I GOOFED. I had some requests from the people who copy and paste, for their own pool to move the network out of the score column. I aim to please. So I hope this is better GOOD LUCK TO ALL. BYE WEEK: NONE *NOTE: N.E./HOUSTON & SEATTLE/BALT. GAMES WERE SWITCHED AS NOTED ON PICK SHEET. (Part of the FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING). All Times All Times EST GAME VISITOR SCORE HOME SCORE CONFIDENCE RUNNING SCORE THURSDAY 12/10/15 20::25 1 NFL Min. Vikings 20 @ AZ. CARDINALS 23 16 16/16 SUNDAY 12/13/15 13:00 2 CBS Buf. Bills 20 @ PHI. EAGLES 23 1 17/17 3 FOX S.F. 49’ers 10 @ CLE. BROWNS 24 3 20/10 4 FOX DET. LIONS 14 @ St. L. Rams 21 5 20/5 5 FOX N.O. Saints 24 @ T.B. BUCCANEERS 17 8 20/3 6 CBS TN. Titans 8 @ N.Y. JETS 30 11 31/8 7 CBS Pit. Steelers 33 @ CIN. BENGALS 20 6 31/2 8 CBS * STL. SEAHAWKS 35 @ Bal. Ravens 6 14 45/16 9 CBS INDY. COLTS 16 @ J’ville Jaguars 51 2 45/14 10 CBS S.D. Chargers 3 @ K.C. CHIEFS 10 15 60/29 11 FOX Wa. Redskins 24 @ CHI. BEARS 21 9 60/20 12 FOX Atl. Falcons 0 CAR. PANTHERS 38 13 73/33 SUNDAY 12/13/15 16:05 13 CBS Oak. Raiders 15 @ DEN. BRONCOS 12 12 73/21 SUNDAY 12/13/15 16:25 14 FOX Dal. Cowboys 7 @ G.B. PACKERS 28 10 83/31 SUNDAY 12/13/15 20:30 15 NBC * NEW ENHLAND 27 @ Hou. Texans 6 7 90/38 MONDAY 12/13/15 20:30 14 ESPN N.Y. GIANTS 31 @ Mia. Dolphins 24 4 94/42 66%/31% Tie Breaker (Monday 2 team total last game) 46 Actual Score 55 Points Off -9 Possible Points 136 Views: 96
SUPER BOWL XLIX FEB. 01, 2015
UPDATE: NFL has found 11 of the 12 balls used Sunday against the Colts, were indeed under inflated. I guess the Patriots were afraid of the Colts beating them. Not that they had to as it turned out. What punishment would be appropriate? We know the answer. FORFEIT TO THE COLTS. But they won’t go that far. Any thing less will be merely a slap on the wrist. After all the MARKETING MONIES, and PUBLICITY for advancing to the Super Bowl will way out weigh any other punishment. Suspension of William Stephen “Bill” Belichick. No problem. Given the teams history, they will most likely find a way for him to watch and get plays to the other coaches. Speaking of the other coaches, who have been with Belichick long enough to know how he would call the game any way. Maybe suspending QB Tom Brady, TE Rob Gronkowski, Place Kicker Stephen Gostkowski, Punter Ryan Allen, and of course RB LaGarrette Blount. But suspending players would not really be fair to those players or the rest of the team. What ever punishment handed should have a HUGE impact on the Patriots bottom line. HOW ABOUT Forfeiture of all income springing from their advancement to and including Their SUPER BOWL appearance. (excluding the players pay. Of Course). Plus any sanctions NFL chooses to place on Future Draft Picks, etc.etc. We all know MONEY is what PROFESSIONAL SPORTS IS ALL ABOUT! We have now reached the BIGGEST game of the season….. “SUPER BOWL” !!!!!. Two great teams, Two great Quarter Backs, with a great supporting cast. Yes the QB’s usually take the praise when his team wins. But he is also called upon to bear the burden when his team gets beat. Just like the Pitcher on a Baseball team. BUT, in FOOTBALL. There are many teams. Offense, Defense, Special Teams, Back up Player, Practice Teams, Coaching Team, and lets not forget that all important team……the 12 th man team. Everyone of these teams are just as important as the other. The OFFENSE, plays its game to MOVE the ball down field, and SCORE points. The DEFENSE, plays its game to STOP the movement down the field, and if the opportunity arises, STEAL the ball away. (Just like in Basketball). Then in semi-rare occasions SCORE points. Kind of makes it seem like the DEFENSE does most of the work and gets a passing note of praise, for a win. The SPECIAL TEAMS. Are a combination of OFFENSE and DEFENSE. They are the SPECIALISTS, as the name implies. They can return kickoffs, or receive punts, or play for the onside kick. They include the KICKERS, SETTERS, RETURNERS, and anything else they may be asked to do. The PRACTICE TEAM, is that unknown group, which plays one of the most important roles on the team. They don’t make the big money, the game time players make. (Perhaps $100,000.00 a a year). What many people don’t realize is the Practice Team must mimic every opponent their team may face in a season. After all, how would the Patriots practice against the Seahawks, and vice-versa. If you think that is easy, try being a different team every week. The BACK UP Team. The Subs, the Bench warmers. The men who sit on the sidelines hoping to someday get into a real game. They must be ready at any moment to enter the game and play up to the same standards as the starters. While on the sidelines they must be cheerleaders, spirit lifters, if you will. It can’t be easy waiting to get in a game, (most likely; even if un-concioiusly hoping for something to happen to the starter to afford them their chance), to be that support group. The Coaching Team. Held together by the HEAD COACH. Each coach has his speciality. They are the ones who decides the plays, trains the players, and inspires them to succeed. Of course if you ask any one of them HIS job is the most important coaching position on the team. But the Head coach is the one who acts as referee, and maintains the peace among this group. I’m sure the Offensive Co-ordinator, makes most of the offensive play calls, just as the Defensive Co-Ordinator, makes the decisions on defensive plays. Etc.Etc. on down the line. But the Head Coach is the ultimate decision maker. NOW. We come to that all important 12 th MAN TEAM. They are sometimes called the “Boosters”, because that is what they do. They give the team that extra BOOST. Cheering them on to work harder, Applauding them when they make good plays. Supporting the team by buying the game tickets, concessions, and the various souvenirs, and Team apparel. They make noise to drown out the opposing teams signals, and hush up so their team can be heard and on the same wavelength. On one hand you have the seasoned veteran, TOM BRADY. On the other hand you have that “undersized” QB, RUSSEL WILSON, who is in his THRD year. BUT…. by the way already has one Super Bowl Championship under his belt. HUH? Can that be right. The QB most teams thought was to short to play that position effectively? YEP. That be him. (Not to brag or anything. But if you check my post of Jan. 13, 2012. Colts 1st Round Draft Pick Is…. I had Wilson as a TOP 3 Pick: in my eyes the most capable of the three). Can he be the QB with 2 Super Bowl Championships in a career of 3 years. This should be the BEST Super Bowl in MANY years. But there is always that unknown phantom that can come in and just make the game a blow out. As my Dad, always said. “HOPE FOR THE BEST, AND EXPECT THE WORSE”. As of this writing the odds makers in Las Vegas, have made no move as to odds and who they think will win. Right now it is just… Continue reading SUPER BOWL XLIX FEB. 01, 2015
NFL Divisional Playoffs Jan. 10-11,2014. Confidence Picks
We had a fun week this last weekend. We had one very good game. One out of 4, means we had 25% good games, and 75% not so good. I would have to call the Ravens win over the Steelers a surprise. Perhaps not an upset. The Interstate match up of the Bengals, and Colts, came off as I suspected. One would think this would be a big rivalry. From Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, is a mere 112 mile drive. Just a bit over 2 hours apart. But for some reason, that rivalry never seem to materialize.(Just for those who do not know. Lucas Oil Stadium is also 181 miles from Chicago’s Soldiers Field. about a 4 hour drive. I imagine the fans of those two teams would love to see more games between the two….but not very likely. Before the Colts came to town and the Bengals existed “Da Bears” were Indiana’s HOME TEAM). Had Arizona been totally healthy, I little doubt they would have advanced. …..But, that is why I picked Carolina. There was little doubt in anybody’s mind the Cowboys, would triumph over Detroit. Yeah I know some of you will bring up the so-called “CONSPIRACY CALL”. The way I saw the play the on field reversal was the correct call. The only problem was the OFFICIALS failed to talk the call over before announcing it. BUT how about: who was it Dez Bryant? Or some Cowboy went onto the field without a HELMET. That should have been an infraction, but the officials merely told him to go back to the bench. Not only did he not have a helmet, but as far as I was concerned it put a 12th man on the field who was neither entering to play, or leaving after a play. Let me assure you I am not a Cowboys, or Lions fan. Thus that makes me an “IMPARTIAL OBSERVER”. Now we are down to what we call the Elite Eight. Congratulations to all teams who made it this far. For those of you who do not know how confidence ranking goes, let me explain If we were playing an office pool,(which we ARE NOT). The object is to score the most points. To obtain the score YOU rank the teams by how confident you are a team will win its game. EXAMPLE: Say this week we have 17 games. The team you are most confident will win you would assign the number 17 and follow down to the team you are least confident in and assign that number 1. We use the Monday night game as a TIE BREAKER. The tie is broken by the closest to the total (that is the COMBINED score of the two participating teams) final score, without going over. If we were playing this is how my sheet would look; My pick will be in bold Capital letters. you can use circling, underlining, or highlighting. I will show my correct points in Bold This year I am making a change in the scoring. YOU can adopt the new scoring or continue to use the old scoring. This year we get a negative score for missed games. We will continue to get a positive score for correct predictions. EXAMPLE: LAST YEAR if you scored 1 pt on the first game and you had 15 pt on the second game and was wrong you would still have a Positive 1. HOWEVER. this year the same scenario would result with a -14 score. I will fill in my picks Friday. Until then feel free to: Just copy and paste for your own Fun Pool Use. Or to see if you can beat me. IF YOU SEE I MADE A MIS COPY OF THE GAMES AND TIMES FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME AND TELL ME I GOOFED. All Times EST GAME VISITOR SCORE HOME SCORE CONFIDENCE RUNNING SCORE SATURDAY 01/10/15 16:35 1 Bal. Ravens 31 @ N.E. Patriots 35 3 3/3 SATURDAY 01/10/15 20:15 2 Car. Panthers 17 @ STL. SEAHAWKS 31 4 7/7 SUNDAY 01/11/15 13:05 3 Dal. Cowboys 21 @ G.B. PACKERS 26 1 8/8 SUNDAY 01/11/15 16:40 4 Indy Colts 24 @ DEN. BRONCOS 13 2 6/8 Tie Breaker (Sunday 2 team total) 52 GAME 4 Actual Score 37 Points Off +14 Possible Points 10 60%/80% Views: 126
