DALLAS COWBOYS 21/22 SONGS THAT REPRESENT POSITIONS

By Mark Halpern

Being a Dallas Cowboys fan for as long as I have been, my soul has been through every emotion while watching this team for 38 years. I have noticed that over the years, I have looked at the positions and thought of songs that have represented each position. So, for this year, I will list the positions and the songs that I think best represent them. At the end of the season, I will put the songs that best describe how they finished. If they make it to the Superbowl, then the next part of this piece won’t be written until February 2022. Let’s look at what my expectations/emotions are feeling right before week 1. However, first is a song for all our unvaccinated players in the NFL.

Unvaccinated players: Don’t stand so close to me by The Police

Quarterback: Walk This Way by Run DMC/AEROSMITH

Running back: Thunderstruck by AC/DC

Full Back: I’ll Be There by The Jackson 5

Wide Receiver: You’re The Best Around by Joe Esposito 

Tight End: No Scrubs by TLC

Offensive Line: I’m So Excited by The Pointer Sisters

Defensive Line: Take A Chance On Me by ABBA

Linebackers: Here Comes The Boom by Rise of The North Star

Defensive Backs: Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins

Safeties: Bad To The Bone by George Thorogood and The Destroyers

Place Kicker: I’m Still Standing by Elton John

Punter: Shake It Up by The Cars

Coaching Staff: Eye of The Tiger by Survivor

Owner: Respect by Aretha Franklin.

     I hope you found this as fun as I did. Check out the Songs I picked for every team in the NFL. I will be doing the same idea with songs for the beginning of the year that I think best represents them and one song for the end of the year.

Jacksonville Jaguars Season Preview

By: Noah Trombley

The 2021 NFL season is almost upon us and with it comes the shocks and excitement that can only come from NFL football. The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the teams who could provide us with some shocks this year and really make some noise even when it comes towards the end of this season. 

The Jaguars have a lot of offensive firepower that could make them a tough team to deal with this year. Obviously the main key to unlocking the Jaguars offensive potential is going to be the number one overall pick, Quarterback Trevor Lawrence. In the preseason Lawrence went 31/44 with 2 touchdowns, no picks and was only sacked 3 times. This kid will be something special in this league, he shows amazing poise and patience in the pocket, even when under heavy pressure, and does not make bad throws or force the ball into coverage. The main question this year will be how quickly can Lawrence adjust to playing starters in the league and will his talent come through this year or does he need a couple years under center to really breakout and show us the level he played at Clemson with. The one thing you can say about Lawrence this year is that he is surrounded by some amazing playmakers and good talent at both the receiver and running back positions. Dj Chark, Laviska Shenault, and James Robinson form a very competent offensive core around Lawrence and will allow him to really take shots and try and be a big time playmaker. Shenault went for 600 yards last year in his debut season and DJ Chark has proven he can go for over 1000 yards. Robinson has also proven very efficient as he rushed for 1070 yards last year on a 1-15 team. So two receivers who can have the potential to go for over 1000 yards receiving and a running back who can rush for over 1000 yards will definitely allow the Jaguars offense to be able to carry them this season. 

The defense on the other hand is another story entirely. A lot of players on the defensive side are going to have to step up from what they’ve done in previous seasons in order for this defense to stop anyone. 2nd year cornerback C.J Henderson showed some flashes last year during his rookie year but did get burned a few times and only came away with 1 interception on the year. The addition of Shaquill Griffin should lighten the load for Henderson but he will be the key for the Jaguars secondary and needs to play up to the 9th overall pick standards. Finally Linebacker Josh Allen is another key piece the Jaguars need to get going this year. Allen had 10.5 sacks his rookie year and looked to be ready for a huge sophomore season last year but injuries slowed his progress. Jacksonville needs to keep him healthy so they can generate some pressure on quarterbacks this year. 

If the Jaguars get all these pieces working right they can be a big surprise team this year that no one will see coming. The ceiling for the Jaguars is 10=7 and the floor is 4-13.

Buffalo Bills 2021 Mafia

By Lawrence Lang

With the preseason in the rearview mirror, the Buffalo Bills have made their final roster cuts to make the 53-man roster. Some notable cuts from the Bills were Jake Fromm and Davis Webb, with both quarterbacks having sub-par performances in the preseason had Mitchel Trubisky risen to the top to earn the back-up QB spot behind Josh Allen. But not all is lost for Webb as the Bills signed him to the practice squad for now. Looking at the Running Back position, the Bills kept five running backs in Matt Breida, Reggie Gilliam, Taiwan Jones, Zack Moss, and Devin Singletary, making it an exciting field for that position considering the running backs have combined five career touchdowns.

Notable Wide Receivers on the roster are Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, and Jake Kumerow, who himself showed off in training camp and preseason, so it was no surprise to see him cut. The most interesting Wide Receiver to stay was Cole Beasley, as that most thought he would be released due to his stance on the covid and vaccination protocol. Still, it would be foolish for the Bills to release him as well, as he is a go-to on the field and one of Allen’s favorite weapons.

Looking at the Rookies who also made the Bills roster, you had
Outside Tackle Spencer Brown and Tommy Doyle
Defensive End Boogie Basham and Greg Rousseau
Safety Damar Hamlin

On the defensive side, the Bills kept 11 Defensive linemen, six defensive ends, and five defensive tackles which is an exciting move on the Bills part seeing that they could have saved a few other players at other positions (cough cough third-string Qb cough cough. But if this strategy pays off, the Bills can have depth on their defense and can be one of the best in the league. Notable players that made it
(DT) Veron Butler, Ed Oliver
(DE) Carlos Basham, Jr Efe Obada and Greg Rousseau
(LB) Tremaine Edmunds, Tyler Matakevich
(CB) Levi Wallace, Tre’Davious White.

On special teams, Bills kept Kicker Tyler Bass and Punter Matt Haack Reid Ferguson returns as the team’s long snapper after he was cut on August 31st in a procedural maneuver. The Bills re-signed him as soon as possible, and as we know now, Bills got the deal done real quick.

Looking to the big picture now opening kickoff week, the Bills will look to start the season off with a win when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, September 12th at 1 PM.

Five Keys For the Arizona Cardinals

By Michael Rifkin

Last season the Arizona Cardinals were 8-6 with two games left to play and secure a playoff spot; they lost both games, went 8-8, and are still searching for their first playoff appearance since 2015. The heat is on in the desert for third-year coach Kliff Kingsbury to make the playoffs. Here are five keys for the Cardinals to get back to the playoffs.

1. Consistency. The biggest thing for any team is to be consistent. In 2020 the Cardinals started the season 2-0, defeating the reigning NFC champion 49ers and the eventual NFC East champion Washington Football team. Then they lost back-to-back games to Detroit and Carolina, games like that the Cardinals are going to need to win to make the playoffs. This season they start with two challenging games, the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings, which they might have to battle out for a wild card spot.

2. Offseason additions. The Cardinals made some splashes this offseason adding a few veterans. Future Hall of Famer JJ Watt is at the top of the list. Watt signed a two-year contract with the Cards after ten seasons with the Houston Texans. Watt in 2020 had 52 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. But the most critical number for Watt in 2020 was 16. Watt played in every game for Houston. Watt has 531 tackles, 101 sacks, 25 forced fumbles, and 16 fumble recoveries in his career. Pairing Watt with Chandler Jones, who is coming off a biceps injury in 2020, gives the Cards a dynamic duo. They also drafted Zaven Collins out of Tulsa to help with the pass rush after losing pass rusher Hasson Reddick to the Panthers in free agency. On the offensive side, they added running back James Conner from the Steelers. In 2020 Conner ran for 721 and 4 touchdowns. Adding him to the backfield with Chase Edmonds can give the Cards thunder and Lightning. They also added receiver AJ Green from the Bengals. Over the last few seasons, Green’s production has slipped a bit. But playing opposite Deandre Hopkins, I expect Green to be prominent in the Red zone for the Cards.

3. Early season success. Before their Week 12 bye, the Cardinals will have played each team in their division at least once, with them finishing their season series with the 49ers in week 9. But as mentioned earlier, they play the Titans and Vikings to open and play the Browns and Packers. The Cardinals also play the Jaguars and Texans, so if they win the games they are supposed to and win a few more, they will be in the running for a playoff spot.

4. Rondale Moore, the rookie out of Purdue who was taken in the second round, gives the Cardinals an x-factor on offense. Moore gives the Cardinals some speed whether he lines up on the outside of the slot. He can also be utilized in the running game, so it will be interesting how Kliff Kingsbury uses his new toy.

5. Cornerbacks. With the recent news of Malcolm Butler thinking about retirement, and Patrick Peterson now playing for the Vikings, the Cardinals will need Byron Murphy, a second-round pick out of Washington in 2019, to step up. Murphy has 129 total tackles and one interception in his first two seasons in the NFL. The Cardinals should place a call for either a veteran cornerback to be opposite or call the Jaguars on CJ Henderson, a second-year player out of Florida. Each team in the NFC West has an excellent receiving duo, so the Cardinals must find someone opposite Murphy to compete. 

Chiefs Keys to Victory

By Michael Rifkin

The Kansas City Chiefs have been in the last two Super Bowls and are the envy of the rest of the AFC. A lot of the competitors in the conference tried to make splash moves to beat the Chiefs. The Cleveland Browns, who the Chiefs defeated in the AFC Divisional playoffs and will play in week one, worked on their defense, including signing former number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. The Tennessee Titans traded for star wide receiver Julio Jones from the Atlanta Falcons and signed pass rusher Bud Dupree from the Pittsburgh Steelers. The New England Patriots, the team that ran the conference for the last two decades, made a flurry of moves, including signing pass-catchers Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, and Jonnu Smith, who will all catch passes from rookie Mac Jones.

The Patriots also will be bringing back seven players on defense who opted out of last season due to Covid. New England also signed star pass rusher Matthew Judon from the Baltimore Ravens. This offseason saw New England spend more money than ever under future Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick. And there is the Buffalo Bills, the team the Chiefs defeated in the AFC championship game who will bring back the same team for the most part but will get back defensive tackle Star Lotulelei who opted out of last season due to Covid. If the Chiefs want to get back to their third consecutive Super Bowl in a very competitive AFC, here are five keys to doing that.

  1. Offensive line. The lasting memory of the Super Bowl was Patrick Mahomes trying to run away from the Buccaneers pass rush. This offseason, General Manager Brett Veach made this his target. They traded for left tackle Orlando Brown from the Ravens. They signed Joe Thuney from the Patriots and Kyle Long out of retirement. Rookies Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith will also help out the revamped line.
  2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The second-year running back out of LSU ran for 803 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry in his rookie season. Now with an entire offseason of minicamps and OTA’s, watch him have a breakout season.
  3. L’Jarious Sneed. The 2020 fourth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech had three interceptions and seven passes defended in nine games played in his rookie season. He was limited to nine games because of a fractured collarbone in week three vs. Ravens. 
  4. Patrick Mahomes. Yes, it took until reason four to bring up the best quarterback in the game. Mahomes last season had a 66.3% completion percentage and 4,740 Passing yards with 38 touchdowns and six interceptions. With players like Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill helping him, the Chiefs offense might be unstoppable if the before-mentioned Edwards Helaire takes a step forward.
  5. Schedule. Because the Chiefs won the AFC West again, they have a schedule where they need to be on their game early. Week 1 they play the Browns, Week 2: Ravens, Week 5 Bills, Week 9 Packers, Week 16 Steelers. So throughout the season, the Chiefs will go up against the best the NFL has to offer, and if they can get through it, they will go into the playoffs battle-tested. 

Dallas Cowboys Final Roster

By Mark Halpern

Well, another preseason has come and gone, and the Cowboys didn’t win one single game. Now preseason isn’t about wins and losses; it’s about seeing who will make the final roster. At 4 pm today, the Cowboys released their final depth chart, and I am delighted with the outcome.

The Offense is back to full strength with Dak Prescott taking full pads practices, and he will be the leader on the field for this season. One of the Cowboys’ positions that they were trying to figure out was the backup quarterback, and Cooper Rush won the battle, however with news of Cam Newton release from New England, I can’t see how the Cowboys wouldn’t be in play. The running backs will be the same talented group of Zeke Elliot and Tony Pollard. The wide receiver group is in the top 3 in the league. Armani Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Cee Dee Lamb will be roaming the gridiron with Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown. The tight ends remain the same with Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz.

The offensive line was a big problem last year but, this year, it’s full strength. Leading the way will be Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, La’el Collins, Connor Williams, and Terrence Stelle blocking and opening holes. I am proud of Matt Farinok for making the depth chart. He did everything right and showed the Cowboys he belongs on the team. With this line in place and staying healthy, this Cowboys offense will be at the top of the league.
Defensively the Cowboys made some significant changes. First, Brining in Dan Quinn to take charge and reformulate this entire defense. The defensive line has Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory on the ends. I am pulling for Gregory to have a big year cause he worked his way back from offseason troubles last year. Dorrance Armstrong had a considerable preseason, and Neville Gallimore will miss the first 2-3 games with an elbow injury. This year, they have depth, and I expect things from the line like not giving up a hundred yards on the ground in the first quarter.

The Linebacking crew is top three in the NFL this year. Leighton Vander Esch is coming off an injury-plagued season last year but is fully healthy and has an excellent vision all over the field. Jaylon Smith, the man whom teams thought, would never play again after his knee injury in college a few years back but has emerged as one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Keanu Neal came to the team this offseason and has not been disappointed. Now the Cowboys used the draft very wisely for this position. They drafted Micha Parson and Jabril Cox. These two are studs, and they have performed well during the preseason and will excel during the regular season.
One of the biggest problems the Cowboys had was the secondary. Trevon Diggs, Jordan Lewis, and Anthony Brown return from last season. They all have adjusted nicely to Dan Quinn’s new defensive scheme. The significant addition of Malik Hooker, who will be playing strong safety this year, will be critical for this defense. He can cover the field well and is very experienced. One big surprise here was rookie Israel Mukuamu who played his heart out and even picked off a pass in the final game. He deserved the roster spot, and I look for him to do fine things.

Special teams is a little stronger than it was. Greg Zuerlein will be handling the placekicking and can drive a field goal from over 60 yards; and has been very consistent over his time in the NFL. Punting for the Cowboys is Bryan Anger. I like what I have seen, and may he take as much anger out on the ball as he wants.
I have very high expectations for this year’s team as they break camp and take on Tampa in week one next Thursday night. This will be an actual test of this Cowboys team going up against Brady and the SuperBowl champs but, I like what I am seeing, and LET’S GO COWBOYS!

New York Giants 53-Man Roster

By Jeff Knapp

The New York Giants have a week off until their season opener against the Denver Broncos. It’s been a busy few days. They released the 53-man roster, which as of 9/2 looks like this:

On Offense:
Quarterback: Daniel Jones and Mike Glennon

Running Back: Saquon Barkley, Devontae Booker, Eli Penny, Gary Brightwell, and Cullen Gillaspia

Tight End: Evan Engram, Kyle Rudolph, and Kaden Smith

Wide Receiver: Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Kadarius Toney,
C.J. Board and Collin Johnson (claimed off waivers from the Jaguars)

O-line: Nate Solder, Andrew Thomas, Matt Peart, Will Hernandez, Shane Lemieux, Nick Gates, Billy Price, and Ben Bredeson

On Defense:
D-line: Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence, Danny Shelton, Austin Johnson, Raymond Johnson

Linebacker: Blake Martinez, Reggie Ragland, Oshane Ximines, Lorenzo Carter, Tae Crowder, Azeez Ojulari, Carter Coughlin, Cam Brown, Quincy Roche (claimed off waivers from the Steelers), and Justin Hilliard (claimed off waivers from the 49ers)

Safety: Jabrill Peppers, Logan Ryan, Julian Love, and Xavier McKinney

Cornerback: James Bradberry, Adoree Jackson, Sam Beal, Darnay Holmes, Rodarius Williams, Josh Jackson, and Keion Crossen

Special Teams:
Kicker: Graham Gano
Punter: Riley Dixon
LS: Casey Kreiter

Currently, they have ten men on IR with players like WR John Ross, who will be on IR for at least the first three games, LB Elerson Smith and G Ted Larsen.

As of 9/2, the Giants did some last-second tweaking to their practice squad by adding QB Brian Lewerke, RB Dexter Williams, LB Trent Harris, and WR Dante Pettis, who were both waived and have rejoined the team.

Rams 53 Man Roster announced; A surprising and dramatic day

By Zakary Haines

LOS ANGELES- Figuring out a final roster is never an easy task. With only 53 players allowed, teams had to make a massive jump down from 80 players. Some teams had an easier day than others, but the Rams had their good share of surprises and drama heading into the deadline. There were some obvious cuts and a handful of surprising cuts that left more questions than answers. However, that does not explain the players who made the team last year and somehow did not make this years’ roster. 

One player that comes to mind immediately is linebacker Micah Kiser. Not only did Kiser make the squad last year, but he also started the first half of the season until a knee injury sidelined him. This preseason the Rams had plenty of talent to choose from. It made sense to move on with newer, younger talent. Kiser was a force against the run game last season; however, he was limited in his play and had issues dropping into coverage on pass plays. Regardless, Kiser’s time with the Rams has come to an end.

A group that was primarily unaffected until the deadline was wide receivers. Two very surprising players who were cut were JJ Koski and Triston Jackson. Both players were making noise on the offensive side of the ball. Koski had 102 receiving yards in the preseason, along with 12 receptions. However, Koski did not get any receiving touchdowns, which may have made the difference.

Meanwhile, Jackson was on the Rams last year, had 55 receiving yards, five receptions, and one touchdown out of two games (Jackson did not participate against the Raiders). These two cuts are even more surprising as to who took their spots. Tutu Atwell, who will also have kickoff return duties, and rookie Ben Skowronek missed the preseason with a fractured forearm. 

The most exciting aspect of today was with the team’s two punters: Johnny Hekker and Corey Bojorquez. Hekker put out an exciting and cryptic Instagram post on Tuesday morning saying, “The future is bright.” During the day, there was a report going around that Hekker would be cut and join the Dallas Cowboys. Hekker’s camp and the Rams could restructure Hekker’s contract and ship off Bojorquez, and a 7th round pick to the Green Bay Packers. This seems this was a win-win all around as the Packers parted ways with JK Scott and grabbed one of the best punters in the preseason.

With all the cuts, some stand-out stars throughout the preseason fought and won their spot on the roster. Division II outside linebacker Chris Garrett made highlights against the Las Vegas Raiders and earned himself a spot on the depth chart. Bryce Perkins had one of the best preseason performances and landed at 3rd on the quarterback depth chart. Overall, there were some smart choices and some questionable ones. Only time will tell if Sean McVay put together a title-contending team. The Rams’ first game of the regular season is on September 12th for Sunday night football against the Chicago Bears at SoFi Stadium.

THE DETROIT LIONS 53 MAN ROSTER

By Mark Halpern

So the Detroit Lions finished the preseason 0-3 the way many sportscasters and other analysts figure their entire season could be 0-17. The Lions made big waves trading their superstar quarterback Matt Stafford to the Rams for Superstar quarterback Jared Goff. In my opinion, the Rams got the better deal with that all-star offense. Goff came to a team that has some talent but is a rebuilding team now. The Lions broke camp last Friday, and their official depth chart was finalized on Tuesday, the 31st. It is not an impressive team, but let’s see what this team is working with.

The Lion’s offense over the past few seasons has been pitiful. They showed some flash at times. Jared Goff will lead the way at quarterback, and David Blough, who had a decent preseason, will back him up. Since the number one running back, Deandre Swift, is still battling injury, and the running back position will be pretty much by committee until Swift Is 100%. Jamaal Williams and Jamar Jefferson will be a change of pace running backs. The wide receiver core, which was once a highly rated core with Marvin Jones Jr {Now on Jacksonville} and Kenny Golladay {Now on the NY Giants} left the position pretty meek. The number one receiver is Tyrell Williams with Amon-Ra St. Brown at the number two, and either Kalif Raymond or Quintez Cephus, who had an excellent preseason and earned a spot on the roster, could be the slot receiver. Returning as the number one Tight End is T.J. Hockenson, who worked well with Stafford but had a subpar year due to injury, and his talents weren’t appropriately used should have an improved season. Jared Goff had good connections with his Tight Ends in LA. So I see Hockenson having a much better year as long as he can stay healthy. His backup is Darren Fells, who has experience in the NFL and is a good blocker.

The offensive line is pretty much the same as last season. The line didn’t perform horribly but was very inconsistent with their blocking. Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow, and Penei Swell are the ones on the line I think will work well, and with the new offense, we could see some surprises. However, Goff will be on his back a lot if the line performs the way it did in the preseason.

On the other side of the ball, The Lion’s defense has always had stars and plays some good defense at times, and then they look like a high school football team defense. Trey Flowers is a stud defensive end and is in line for another pro bowl season. Austin Bryant should be the other edge starter and can cause some trouble to quarterbacks with his speed. On the line, Kevin Strong and Michael Brockers will look to close holes and try not to give up over a hundred yards to opposing running backs a game. The Line backing unit with Derrick Barnes and Jamie Collins Sr complement each other well. The Lion’s secondary has always had a star cornerback, and this year Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye are a good pair of outside defenders. A.J. Parker will be covering the slot receiver. Yes, I understand Goff is the star here, but this secondary could turn some heads or get their heads turned. Backing up the backs is Tracy Walker in the free safety spot, and Will Harris at solid safety will be actively busy as teams will try and test this defense.

As for the Special Teams, the placekicker is new. No longer the star Matt Prater who could hit from almost anywhere on the gridiron is gone, and taking over is Zane Gonzales, who has experience but not quite the leg or accuracy that Prater has. So this position could be a problem.
I look at this Lions team, and I see two things. 1. The team that they are, and 2. The team that they could be. When the two of them meet, the Lions will be dangerous.

Titans Final Roster

By Bill Murphy

On Tuesday, after a 2-1 preseason finish, the Tennessee Titans made their 53 man roster. Though there is a 53 man roster out, some players are on the Covid 19/ reserve list. When they come back, the Titans can make some changes to the roster before the season starts.Of course, the first one to talk about who will win the number two spot on the roster as backup quarterback to Ryan Tannehill.

The winner of that sweepstakes is Logan Woodside, who this preseason threw 29 completions out of 40 attempts giving him a completion rate of 72.5%, with 228 yards and three touchdowns. Woodside put up a strong preseason and deserves the position . Matt Barkley initially made the cut but was released on Wednesday and was added to the practice squad later that day.

When it comes to the running back’s Mekhi Sargent did end up making the squad. Sargent had 90 yards during this preseason. This could only be a temporary move because Jeremy McNichols (the Titans top pick) is currently on the COVID/ reserve list and is slated to come back with that. It makes Sergeant’s future of starting very uncertain at this moment.

A move that I am presently surprised at is that Cameron Baston ended up making the team. Baston’s s preseason numbers were 66 yards and two touchdowns. This was a good move by the Titans because it Could probably strengthen the receiver game with AJ Brown and Julio Jones.
When it comes to the cuts, there have been 17 made. Those are the cuts that have been made for the Tennessee Titans. One of the cuts that I am shocked about is when they cut Mason Kinsey, who wracked up ten receptions, 131 yards, and one touchdown during preseason. His performance could’ve strengthened that Wide receiver core. Next Sunday, September 12th, the Titans start their season when they have their home opener against the Arizona Cardinals.