Georgia Bulldogs Monday Morning QB: Week 1 review

Nick Chubb started his 2016 season in high fashion gashing the Tarheels
for 222 yards on 32 carry's.

The Georgia Bulldogs pulled away from the North Carolina tar-heels late in the fourth quarter to take a 33 to 24 week one victory.  The bulldogs had to over come a 10 point deficit in order to secure the first win for first year head coach Kirby Smart.  I have 5 takeaways from the game:

1. Nick Chubb is officially back. After a devastating injury ended his season early last year there was tons of media speculation as to when Chubb would be healthy enough to contribute.  After 222 yards rushing it was clear that Chubb was back.  Next week I expect Chubb to have less that 15 carriers as the team will face Nichols State and at last check Georgia was favored by 41 points so this will be a good game to get some of the younger players some experience.

2. Jacob Eason is the best quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs.  No disrespect to current number one qb Grayson Lambert but Eason simply has the IT factor.  As the number one qb prospect coming out of high school this year Eason showed some of the intangibles on a pin point strike down the side line to McKenzie

midway though the fourth quarter.  I understand the coaching staff wanting to make sure that the freshman is ready for the spot light but at some point they've got to take off the training wheels and et the freshman learn from the mistakes that he will undoubtedly make.


3.  Did I say that Nick Chubb was back?  With all the hype for other running backs around the country no one saw Chubb dominating a stout North Carolina defense


4. Special teams looks to be a work in progress this year.  Just a underwhelming effort from the special teams units including a second half kick return for touch down by North Carolina.


5.  After years of the cool calm and collected Mark Richt,- Kirby Smart spent most of thr game in as up a tempo as the offense was in as he could be seen sprinting up and down the side lines yelling at refs and coaching up his players.  In a post game interview, Kirby admitted that things are a lot different as a Head Coach versus simply being a coordinator. 


The Bull Dogs should clean up a lot of loose ends this week versus Nichols and hopefully we will get a large dose of the freshman Jacob Eason in front of the home crowd behind the hedges.   

Atlanta Falcons 2015 review: The Season That Could Have Been

Atlanta Falcons fans are tired of being disappointed and are
demanding better results in 2016

The Atlanta Falcons ended the 2015 season in a disappointing fashion. After starting the year 5 - 0

the Falcons ended this season in a limp. The Falcons only significant win late in the season came in a dominant defeat of the undefeated Carolina Panthers. The Falcons seemed to not be able to get their offense going after the fifth game of the Season. New offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan looked like a genius for the first part of the year. Little did we know that players on the offensive side of the ball we're having trouble grasping the schemes and concepts of the new offense. Wide receivers Roddy White and rookie Hardy hardy both had slight issues with the playbook and their struggles showed early on in the year. 


The one beneficiary of the new scheme was second year running back Devonta Freeman who subsequently had a Pro Bowl season and to the delight of many fantasy football players he was the deciding factor in their seasons. Wide receiver Julio Jones was another bright spot on. Falcons offense this year putting up some good numbers and proving to believe that he is a top 5 wide receiver and also garnering a Pro Bowl selection. Quarterback Matt Ryan may have been the most disappointing part to the Falcons season. For the first five games the Falcons defense and some explosive plays from the offensive side of the ball made the Falcons look like a clear playoff contenders. 

Julio Jones made one of the best catches of 2015 as the
Falcons handed the NFC south champs their lone defeat of 2015 

However after a few losses and some crushing late interceptions by quarterback Matt Ryan the Falcons looked very vulnerable as the season went on that Ryan continued to make costly errors as he begins to get beat up behind a makeshift offensive line. Going into 2016 the Falcons clearly need to show up there offensive line and on the defensive side they are looking at a full makeover. The Falcons have let long time veteran safety William Moore go due to his lack of being able to stay healthy and contributing on the field. The Falcons also had no pass rush whatsoever this season. Rookie Vic Beasley show signs of rookie jitters but not being able to make a lot of game changing plays. There's literally no one on the defense that stood out except for Trufant  at corner back position. The Falcons will need to  hedged  their bets in free agency and fine veterans that can help this team out immediately. The front office is shown that they are not the best at drafting players and with a city like Atlanta that wants to win now the best shot at turning the team around and becoming competitive is through free agency. There are a few players on the market that the Falcons may be able to get at a discount such as Mario Williams who was just released by Buffalo today and Hardy who was released by Dallas earlier in the off-season. The Falcons have had a long history of wanting to put Character guys on their team which is fine however character guys don't win Super Bowls. You need a collection of personalities and talents ultimately creating a close locker room and the strong units on the field. What moves will the Falcons make going into the off-season? No one knows at this point however with the front office changes and the collection of former GM and scouts on the Falcons staff it should be a pretty interesting 2016 off-season. Stay tuned, feel free to comment and leave your pain.

Mike Vick: The End of A Legendary Career

Michael Vick the only player in NFL history to sign two - one hundred million dollar contracts with two different teams.

                    As a lifelong - die hard Michael Vick fan from  day one I can honestly say this football   season so far has given me all that I could ask for.  Coming into the season with one of my  favorite players of all time was picked up  within the last two weeks of training camp by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Michael Vick was thrust into the starting role. As a fan coming into the season my expectation was for Michael Vick to get in the game simply for mop up duty, however that all changed when Big Ben went down. When potential Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went down with a knee injury, as a fan of Vick I was elated.  

Let me be clear, I was not happy about the Rothlisberger injury, but I was happy to be able to see my quarterback Mike Vick get a chance to show what he had left, and to show the NFL and the world that at age 35 he was still an elite caliber QB that deserved a starting job in the league.  After 8 quarters of football the realization came to me that the end was near for Mike Vick.  Coach Todd Haley did his best to scheme the offense around its play makers.  Historically Mike Vick has been the center of attention for every team he has played for.  With the Steelers Todd Haley decided to manage the game very conservatively with Vick not asking him to do much other than being a game manager.  After watching Mike Vick struggle to complete several timing route passes and posting ugly stats for 8 quarters of football reality set in for me as a fan.  Michael Vick is high risk versus high reward.  In order for Mike Vick to be the dangerous guy that he has been his entire career he has to play loose.  He has to threaten the defense with his legs and then with his arm.  At six feet tall Mike Vick is not a natural stand in the pocket passer.  He has had most of his success in space, on the corners - with a run pass option.  The only down side to Vick playing loose is that at age 35 he is a step slower, those nagging injuries don't seem to ever go away, and now he gets concussions in every game he plays.  Its always hard to say goodbye to the legends in any sport and in most cases the player almost always stays past his time.  Mike Vick has had a whirl wind career. He has changed the way the game is coached, and the way defenses draft.  The days of drafting a basic run stopping linebacker are over.  Now’adays  if you dont run a 4.5 forty yard dash you wont make it in this league as a linebacker.  Michael Vick has paved the way for players such as Cam Newton, Colin Kapernick, Tyrod Taylor and many more.  When does a player realize it’s time to hang’em up? Well thats up to the player, but as a die hard fan the truth hurts and regardless of the players decision as a fan I’ll be their rooting rather good or bad. 

Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday Night Recap

Mike Vick scrambles during the Thursday night loss to the Ravens

Thursday night football game had many story lines going into last night. Mainly if you watched any of the pregame coverage it was hard not to notice that Michael Vick was the main topic for discussion both before and after the game. As a disclaimer I am a huge Michael Vick fan simply because of what I have seen him do in person down here in Atlanta. 

I thought Michael Vick given the circumstances of having one full day of practice with the starters for the Steelers he played pretty good. I thought the offensive coordinator and head coach approached the game a little too conservatively early on and subsequently got a little too cute late in the game where they should have played conservative. Mainly going forward that last 4th down play with the out rout to Brown vs. handing it off to Bell who was averaging almost 6 yards per carry . 

Now don't get me wrong Antonio Brown was wide open and Mike Vick simply missed the throw, but take into account that you have a quarterback who has had little work with the ones and it's over time - in my opinion you have to go with a chance to win it with the field goal. Worst case scenario is that your field goal kicker misses that kick and at least you know you gave yourself a chance to win..  

The first two quarters were pretty much pathetic for the Baltimore Ravens. Theres no wonder that the Ravens were 0 - 3 based on the first 2 quarters. Bell proved that he is a top three running back in the league, and we saw that Michael Vick still has a strong arm and at least a 4.5 speed. We also saw that so far Antonio Brown is missing Ben Roethlisberger and it's possible that his production will suffer until Ben returns. Michael Vick historically has been a quarterback that leans on the running back as well as the tight end very heavily; reference Algae Crumpler and his career statistics as well as Brent Celek in Philadelphia, Vick normally either throws deep, checks down to a tight end, or simply scrambles. Going forward the schedule gets much harder for the Steelers, Michael Vick will need to play similar as he did Thursday night where he's taking what the defense is giving him and he plays smart taking the easy throws and running out of bounds. If Vick does play in control the Steelers have a chance win a few games until Ben returns.

NCAA Week 3 Preview

It's week 3 and the college football proverbial cream has begun to rise to the top.  Just as in previous years the SEC is still the conference to beat. Teams like Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and even Auburn and LSU are still in the running to be considered college footballs most dominant team. 

The difference between conferences such as the SEC and other conferences such as the PAC 12 or the Big Ten is that the SEC week end and week out beat each other up and it's rare to have a sec conference champion without a loss on their record whereas a conference like the PAC 12 or the big 10 recently there have only been one or two dominant teams in those conferences making for their schedules to be fairly easy such as Ohio State. 

Now I am NOT a sec Homer as some would say but when most of your NFL talent is coming out of the SEC and the schedules remain tough I think it's fair to say that my argument is legitimate. So focusing on this week's games the top games of the week in my opinion is:

Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame:
Paul Johnson and his triple option head to South Bend Indiana to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Georgia Tech has put up 50 + points in each game they played so far this year. Notre Dame lost their starting quarterback last week and look to be on shaky ground with their back up. Look for Georgia Tech to dominate this game.

Georgia vs South Carolina:

Look for Nick Chubb

to make a Heisman statement this afternoon. The old Ball Coach will throw some tricks in the game however it won't be enough to stop the Georgia running game.

Auburn vs LSU:
Auburn's quarterback situation has continued to scare their fans this year. Look for LSU and that young defense to take advantage of some big mistakes by all burns quarterback. LSU will pull this one out fairly easily.

Alabama vs Ole Miss:
Again I'm not sure Alabama's quarterback is ready for the big time. Old Miss is tried and true and hungry for recognition within the SEC. Look for a tough game but in the end all men should pull it out.

Why America Is Fascinated With Michael Vick

As the most dynamic player
coming out of college Michael
Vick was elected number 1 by
the Atlanta Falcons

In 2001 Michael Vick was drafted into the NFL as one of the most athletic quarterbacks to ever enter the league. The Falcons moved up to number 1 in the draft in order to make Michael Vick their franchise quarterback. Little did they know that the guy they drafted would change the way mobile quarterbacks are viewed in the league. Michael Vick in a short span of time change the way defensive coordinators called games, as well as the way teams drafted players. Michael Vick transcended the game and the way players were recruited into college as well as into the NFL. Much to his own regret Michael Vick decided to derail his own career by involving himself in illegal dog fighting and then he decided to lie to the federal government about doing so. 



After a 18 month stint in a maximum security federal prison in Leavenworth Michael Vick was allowed to reenter the NFL with Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles. Now in debt millions of dollars, hated by millions of people worldwide, and not sure if he still has the world class athletic ability that he had 18 months prior Michael Vick had everything going against him. So what does he do? Michael Vick and his PR team made one of the most incredible comebacks in sports history. After teaming up with the Humane Society and other animal advocate groups Michael Vick has become one of the best spokes people for animal rights as well as donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to animal rights. On the football field his career was resurrected by quarterback guru Andy Reid which allowed Vick to be in the running for the league's MVP trophy in 2010 after putting up incredible numbers throughout the year. 

Michael Vick warming up during pre-game, happy to have a
second chance at a career in the NFL

The only thing standing in Michael Vick's way today is father time which at this point is undefeated in terms of athletes and their deteriorating abilities. Michael Vick now sits on the bench for the Pittsburgh Steelers as the number two quarterback option behind starter and potential hall-of-famer Ben Roethlisberger.

Michael Vick has paid his dues on the football field and has paid his debt to society off it. Michael Vick's situation is unique, he is perhaps one of the most well-known NFL football players in the NFL even as a backup quarterback yet he is also one of the most hated sports personalities in the world due to his criminal acts and some would say his arrogant persona prior to those acts. Nonetheless regardless of your religious beliefs, or your constitutional beliefs Michael Vick has done everything in his power to right his wrongs within this American society. He has earned his second chance and has given back more than he has been required to do within this redemption process. The only question now is what will history say about Michael Vick and his legacy?

Georgia Football Reigns Supreme This Week

Georgia running back Nick Chubb rushed for 189 yards against Vandy 

If your like me your weekend started with Georgia and Georgia Tech on Saturday, Sunday watching the Panthers- Saints- and Bucs, and capping off a great weekend of sports watching the revamped Falcons hold there own against the big bad Philly Eagles.

Georgia looked strong on both sides of the ball however the quarterback situation still seems to be the one weak spot that I am sure will be tested in real time next week versus South Carolina.

Georgia Tech has yet to be tested with that dominant triple option attack.  I played against Paul Johnson when he was the head man at Ga. Southern and I know first hand that this guy is for real.  It will be fun to see Ga Tech get tested at some point this year, maybe someone will hold them to under 50 points at some point this year .

Falcons wide-out Julio Jones seemed
unstoppable versus the Eagles 

Lastly, the dirty birds all but should have have laid down and conc
eded the game to the Eagles based on the television predictions and the chatter from the faithful fan base on social media.  The Falcons under first year head coach Dan Quinn showed alot of heart and determination atleast in the first half.  They rattled Sam Bradford and held running back Murray to -4 yards.  In the second half the Eagles took advantage of the Falcons bend but don't break defense.  The Eagles and Sam Bradford threw what seemed to be like a limitless amount of short passes to turn the game into a Monday night thriller.  The Falcon prevailed after Philly's Mathew dropped a pass and the Falcons intercepted to seal the deal.

Also Ga Southern won, and the SSU Tigers were off last week. Stay tuned for more posts and feel free to follow me on twitter @GaSportsBlog