NFL Week 5 Preview/Predictions

 

Hello, everybody. Welcome to Week 5 of our NFL Picks. After four weeks, I, Joseph Arthur Smeltzer, am still the king of the horsemen with a record of 36-27. The Colts defeated the Texans on Thursday night, which means that we are all 1-0 for the week. Hopefully, I am able to keep things rolling in week 5.

1:00
Bills(2-2) at Titans(1-2)

The horsemen are split, as Jeff and I picked the Bills while Brad and Ryan are going with the Titans. Although Buffalo let me down last week, the Bills defense will be the best that Marcus Mariotta has had to face so far this season. Buffalo is banged up offensively, as LeSean McCoy, Sammy Watkins, and Karlos Williams are all injured. Nonetheless, the Buffalo defense will be too much for a Titans team that is still very much in transition.

Browns(1-3) at Ravens(1-3)
The Ravens were 2 good Mike Tomlin decisions away from falling to 0-4 last Thursday in Pittsburgh. That being said, I think they get it done against Clevland. Clevland's defense is not playing well, and Justin Forsett will take advantage of this. Forsett ran all over the Steelers last Thursday, and I expect more of the same against Clevland. I expect Josh McCown to keep the Browns in this game, as the Ravens defense is still having issues. However, Forsett's running combined with the always steady (but not $120,000,000) quarterbacking of Joe Flacco will be enough to give Baltimore an important victory. I would also like to take this time to say that I am now officially on board with Josh McCown as Clevland's starter. He can not control his defense letting him down like
it did last week in San Diego. 24-20 Ravens.

Bears(1-3) at Chiefs(1-3)

The Horsemen ride together in favor of Kansas City. A major reason for this is that, despite a win over the Oakland Raiders last week, the Bears are still bad. KC has not had a great season by any stretch, but I still think that they are simply too talented to lose to the woeful Bears at home. 34-17 Chiefs.

Seahawks(2-2) at Bengals(4-0)

Jeff is the lone ranger in picking the Bengals here, stating: ''They are playing well right now, and it will continue.'' While Cincinnati is playing very good football at 4-0, the Seahawks are still very
much a threat in the NFC. Seattle is 2-2 simply because they had the misfortune of playing two tough football teams to start the season while not having Kam Chancellor. Chancellor is back, and he along with the rest of the Seahawk defense will be by far the best unit Andy Dalton has seen this season. Expect Marshawn Lynch to have a big game as well, as beast mode will aid the defense
e in propelling the Seahawks to a win. The Bengals still have yet to prove that they are an elite team as they haven't beaten a team with a winning record this season. I do not see Cincy starting 5-0, and the Seahawks are too good to start at 2-3. 27-17 Seahawks.

Rams(2-2) at Packers(4-0)

This time, Brad is the lone ranger, as he is the only one of the horsemen who picked the Rams, boldly stating: ''I'll let the Rams speak for me on the field.''The Rams were simply awesome last week, holding the mighty Cardinals to just 9 points and pulling a huge upset in Arizona. The St. Louis defense is extremely talented, especially their front four anchored by Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald. However, Aaron Rodgers is also extremely talented, and he is playing in Lambeau Field where the Packers do not lose. St. Louis has a chance to be good, but they are not good enough offensively to be elite, and Rodgers and the Packers possess that offensive firepower. In my opinion, that is what it will come down to in this game. I'll let Aaron Rodgers speak for me, Brad. 24-13 Packers.

Redskins(2-2) at Falcons(4-0)

None of us are insane, so we all picked the Falcons here. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones will have a fun time picking apart the horrendous Redskins defense. 38-10 Falcons.

Jaguars(1-3) at Bucs(1-3)
Boy, the state of Florida is really bad at professional football. Easy choice for my ''who the hell cares'' game of the week. Well, Jameis Winston has shown some flashes of brilliance this season, and the Bucs are playing at home. So..... 27-13 Bucs. Not that I care.

Saints(1-3) at Eagles(1-3)

The Horsemen are split again, as Ryan and I have the Eagles while Brad and Jeff have the Saints. Jeff stated: ''The Eagles are struggling and I have a gut feeling about the Saints.'' While Philadelphia's season has been embarrassing and Chip Kelly keeps making one awful decision after another, New Orleans is also bad, especially away from the Superdome. The Saints glory years are behind them, and I see this as a game that Philly won't be able to screw up. The Eagles are very talented, and the Saints are a team that will actually allow that talent to show. But don't get your hopes up, Eagles fans, because it is going to be a painful season no matter what happens in this game as your team amazingly just can't get it together for whatever reason despite that talent. 31-20 Eagles.

4:05
Cardinals(3-1) at Lions(0-4)

This is one of those ''I have a funny feeling about the underdog'' games. Yes, Arizona is a much better football team than Detriot, but, I just have a feeling that the Lions are going to pull off a massive upset here. Detriot suffered a crushing defeat to the Seahawks on Monday Night in a game that was marred by controversy, and I see the Lions being very hungry for a win. With Detriot's playoff hopes pretty much gone, the Lions know that they have nothing to lose. A team like this is dangerous, and something just tells me the Cardinals will suffer their second straight tough loss. 28-20 Lions.

4:25
Patriots(3-0) at Cowboys(2-2)

The Cowboys are wounded offensively and unconvincing defensively. That is not a good combination to have when going against Tom Brady. The Pats have an outside chance of going 16-0, and I have no reason to believe that the Brandon Weeden led Cowboys will get in their way. Just ask anybody in the city of Cleveland. 41-24 Pats.

Broncos(4-0) at Raiders(2-2)

The Horsemen ride together again. I love Derek Carr, but he is not Peyton Manning. Oakland is an improved football team, but the Broncos are among the AFC's best. I expect Manning to have 400+ yards passing in a fairly easy win for Denver. 38-24 Broncos.

49ers(1-3) at Giants(2-2)

For the second time, Brad is the lone ranger, as he is the only one who sees the 49ers finding gold on Sunday Night. Brad's explanation was: ''Carlos Hyde went off in primetime during week 1 and he will do that again.'' I disagree with Brad on this one. The Giants have surprised me this year, and I would not flinch if New York ends up winning the NFC East. The 49ers, on the other hand, are poor on both sides of the ball. I expect Odell Beckham Jr. to go off on San Fran's weak secondary, and the Giants will cruise. 31-10 Giants.

Since the Steelers are playing on Monday Night this week, I have decided to write about our predictions for that game in a separate article. I'm Joe Smeltzer, and on behalf of the four horsemen, thank you for reading.

Penn State 29, Indiana 7: Team Report Card

After a poor performance in a winning effort against Army last Saturday, Penn State's performance against Indiana was a breath of fresh air for the Nittany Lions faithful. The Penn State defense was excellent as usual, and the offense showed signs of improvement. In this post, I will provide a report card to evaluate the performance of the Penn State defense, offense, and special teams. Let's get into it. First, let's talk about the offense.

Running Game

Penn State has been playing for the past two weeks with a severe handicap in the running game. Ever since both Saquon Barkley and Akeel Lynch left with injuries against San Diego State, James Franklin has been forced try and find the ''next man up.'' On Saturday, Nick Scott and Mark Allen proved to be up to that challenge. Despite only combining for 16 carries, Allen and Scott made the most of their touches, combining for 102 yards and and impressive 6.3 yards per carry. I was particularly impressed with Scott and felt that offensive coordinator John Donovan could have called his number more often. Aside from a lost fumble in the second quarter, Scott was impressive as well, and Penn State will have fantastic depth at running back assuming Barkley and Lynch get back soon. It could be argued that the running game deserves an A for Saturdays performance, but I will give them a high B simply because they were not a large part of the game plan.

Grade: B+

Passing Game

Even though the stats don't look great, today was definitely Christian Hackenberg's best performance of the season. Although his stat line of 21-39, 262 yards, and two touchdowns may not look all that eye-popping, a lot of Hackenberg's shortcomings came in the early stages of the game. After a rough first two possessions in which Hackenberg's passes were either dropped or poorly thrown, #14 was excellent from the second quarter onward, even showing some versatility by running for two touchdowns. One player who I think should be more involved in the Penn State offense is Brandon Polk. The freshman receiver has been used primarily on jet sweeps, but today he showed his potential with a 39-yard touchdown reception. Polk has great speed, and I think Penn State should use his talents less sporadically and give him more of a chance to prove what he can do. John Donovan's play calling is getting better, as his plays aren't nearly as predictable as they were during the first two games. Although the Indiana secondary ranks among the worst in the country, today will hopefully be a good building block to get the Hack Attack moving. 

Grade: B

Offensive Line

Up front, Penn State still needs work. It is true that the offensive line has gotten a lot better since the infamous Temple game, but it is still a work in progress. The O-Line was better than usual today, as Hackenberg had more time to throw than he is used to, but Penn State also allowed 5 sacks, which is too many especially against a struggling Indiana defense. The Offensive Line has to improve every week in order for the rest of the offense to become consistent.
Grade: B-

Overall, the offense is getting better. There is talent everywhere, and the only thing missing is consistency.
Overall Grade: B

Now, on to the defense

D-Line/Linebackers

Just awesome. Penn State's front four is one of the best in the nation, and defensive end Carl Nassib has developed into one of the best past rushers in the nation. Saturday was not fun for either of Indiana's quarterbacks, as Zander Diamont was under great pressure from Nassib and company until he was knocked out of the game in the 3rd quarter. Penn State didn't make things much easier for Danny Cameron when he took over behind center. The linebackers looked good as well, with Jason Cabinda leading the way.
Grade: A

Secondary
Much like the front seven, the secondary did their job, limiting Indiana to just 155 yards passing. It was hard to evaluate the secondary, as Indiana came into the game without starting quarterback Nate Sudfeld, and left without their second string QB when Diamont was knocked out of the game. Nonetheless, the secondary did not allow the Hoosiers to get much passing done, and they deserve to be rewarded.
Grade: A

Indiana's offense was banged up, as both Sudfeld and running back Justin Howard missed the game with injuries. Nonetheless, Penn State's defense did what they had to do and held a Big 10 offense to 7 points, making them worthy of an A.

Overall Grade: A

Special Teams

Penn State's performance on Special Teams was a mixed bag. Daniel Pasquariello did a good job punting, averaging 44.3 yards per punt. However, as much as we all love Joey Julius, he did not get the job done on Saturday, missing two extra points that could have been fatal in a close game. Penn State's return men were held at bay. Overall, the special teams unit was nothing special, but I don't think it is a cause for concern just yet.

Overall Grade: C

Overall

Today was a good day for Penn State, and I look forward to seeing what will happen with the offense once Barkley and Lynch get back in the lineup. Overall, not a lot to complain about. The Nittany Lions took a step towards a solid season in the Big 10. I will give the team a B overall, simply because Indiana was not at full strength and are not an elite team.

Overall Team Grade: B

Thank you for reading. I'm Joe Smeltzer. Fight on State!

Success or Failure? Putting the 2015 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Into Perspective

October 7th 2015. A day that will forever live in infamy 

One game. For the second straight season, that is all ''Buctober'' ever amounted too. Nine lousy innings. Despite a record of 186-138 over the past two seasons, the Pirates have not experienced any postseason glory. As a matter of fact, they haven't even scored a postseason run. The Pirates' failure to make noise in the postseason is beyond frustrating, and fans have a right to be greatly disappointed by Wednesday night's 4-0 loss to Jake Arietta and the Chicago Cubs. The standard is considerably higher for this team than it was in 2013, and fans are ready to take the next step. Unfortunately, the Pirates were not able to climb any additional steps on the postseason ladder last night, and it really is a shame. 

While it is completely acceptable to be disappointed, many fans took it to the next level, calling this season a total failure, among other things. The Pirates did fail to reach some of their goals this season, such as winning the NL Central and, as mentioned above, putting together a deep playoff run. But the fact is this team won 98 games, which has only been done twice in the past 107 seasons of baseball on the north shore. This team had the second best record in all of baseball at 98-64, and it is not their fault that the best team in baseball, the machine that is the St. Louis Cardinals, happens to play in their division. The Pirates won 10 more games than they did in 2014 and matched/slightly surpassed my wildest expectations for the regular season coming into spring training. With all of this being considered, it is hard for me not to be happy with the Pirates as a whole. People can call this team a massive failure all they want, but I think that a lot of these people using Twitter to call the team they are supposed to love a disgrace and say that Clint Hurdle is the worst manager in history, all while being extremely clever and wise in their own mind, really don't take too much time into putting things into perspective. 

Hopefully, I can help put this season into perspective a little bit, and explain why I don't see this season as anything less than a successful year marred by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let's break down some reasons why this season, last night aside, was not a failure. 

Preseason Expectations

Coming into Spring Training, much was expected of this Pirates team. An NL Central title seemed like a reasonable goal, as Pittsburgh finished just two games behind the division champion St. Louis Cardinals. Many respected baseball journalists picked Pittsburgh to win the Central, and ESPN's Buster Olney (above) took it one step further by picking the Pirates to win the World Series. Coming into the year, I saw the Pirates winning between 90-95 games (they surpassed this with 98), and yes they were my pick to win the division. What I did not expect was how awesome St. Louis would be, and winning over 100 games would be a tall task to ask for a team that won just 88 the year before, so I think berating a team for slightly failing to reach the 100 win plateau that St. Louis reached is a little harsh. Looking back at my expectations for the Pirates lineup, nearly every hitter performed up to my expectations, and there were more overachievers than there were underachievers. The Pirates starting rotation and bullpen performed above my expectations, so it's hard for me to call this team a failure when nearly every key contributor performed up to reasonable standards. 

Unfortunately, the Cardinals won 10 more games than they did in 2014, just like the Pirates, and finished two games above Pittsburgh in the NL Central standings. The Pirates were sadly not the best team in their division, and I am able to accept that because I know that the best team in the NL Central in 2015 was also the best professional baseball team on planet earth.

Overachievers Outnumber Underachievers 

As I mentioned above, of the key contributors that put on a Pirate uniform, there were more who overachieved than there were who underachieved. Coming into the season, not a lot of fans or experts expected AJ Burnett to have an ERA lower than 3.5, but Batman blew that out of the water, finishing with an ERA of 3.18. After a rough spring training, I remember Jung Ho-Kang being written off as a flop. Well, we all know how he turned out, don't we? Coming into spring, not a lot of people thought of Francisco Cervelli as not much more than ''not Russell Martin'', as Martin leaving for Toronto over the off season was thought by most to be a huge blow. Well, Cervelli surprised fans and experts alike by batting .295 and having an excellent on base percentage of .370, making him one of the game's most productive offensive catchers and becoming a fan favorite all the while. 

Remember early in the season when it looked like Mark Melancon's decreasing velocity on his cut fastball would be a major issue? Well, Melancon proved that this notion was bollocks by picking up a franchise record 51 saves, anchoring a bullpen that was among the best in baseball. How about the trade deadline? Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ were not expected be great contributors to this ride, but Blanton proved to be a great help out of the bullpen, going 5-0 down the stretch with an ERA of 1.57. Happ was a shot in the arm to a rotation that needed one, as he was absolutely outstanding during the final 2 months of the season, going 7-2 with an ERA of 1.85.

As for the underachievers, the ones that stand out to me as being disappointing are Gregory Polanco and Charlie Morton. Myself as well as a lot of other fans expected more from Polanco, but it needs to be noted that this was his first full season in the majors, and it is obvious that he still has a lot to learn about this great game of ours. 

Gregory showed enough flashes of brilliance for me to believe that he will be a superstar one day. Charlie, on the other hand, has worn out his welcome as far as I'm concerned, and it would not be a shock to me if he doesn't throw another pitch for the Pirates ever again. It is up for debate for me to declare Pedro Alvarez an underachiever, as I felt his hitting was acceptable, while his awful fielding should not be looked at as a big surprise with the benefit on hindsight.

Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Neil Walker and Gerrit Cole all performed up to their expectations, as I don't think any of them overachieved or underachieved.

It is difficult for me to call a large group of overachievers failures. 

Baseball Balances Itself Out

''If only the Pirates had a better April.'' ''If only the Pirates won more games against bad teams.'' ''If only Clint Hurdle wasn't the worst game manager in all of baseball.'' If only the Garden of Eden had remained untouched. Yes, there are a lot of "what ifs" to play, but one of the many things I've learned in 17 years of watching baseball is that this game balances itself out. Yes, the Pirates had a poor record against the bottom half of the NL Central. But if the Pirates had exchanged wins against the Reds and Brewers with losses to the Dodgers and Giants, what difference would it have made? Yes, it is true that the Pirates had a poor start to the season, as they went 17-25 through their first 42 games. But, if the Pirates had exchanged a better start to the season for a worse record in the following five months, what difference would it have made? 

There were plenty of winnable games that the Pirates lost, but let's not sit here and pretend that the Pirates didn't win their fair share of games that they shouldn't have won (*cough* Cardinals series before the All Star Break *cough*) The game has a balance, and the Pirates are no exception to that. 

The Freaking Cubs

Say whatever you want about Joe Maddon, it can't be denied how good he is at what he gets paid to do. As soon as Maddon was hired last November, it was expected that the Chicago Cubs would be improved, as Maddon did a phenomenal job in turning around the Tampa Bay Rays. Even with expectations being a little higher than usual, what happened in the Windy City was absolutely ridiculous. The Cubs turned out to be more than just a ''young team on the rise'', as they won 97 games only to finish 3rd in what is probably the most competitive division in the history of baseball. To most impressive part about the Cubs resurgence in my eyes is that they won all of those games even with John Lester, who was one of baseball's most prized free agents last winter, performing well below expectations. Love him or hate him, Madden is one of the favorites to receive the NL Manager of the Year award, as he and Mike Matheny of the Cardinals are my front runners (oh trust me, we'll get to that).

The main reason that I am talking about the Cubs is because of last night. As disappointing as it is, the Pirates losing the 2015 NL Wildcard Game should not be a major surprise to anybody. The reason for that is the genius of Jake Arietta. Before this season, nobody expected Arietta to become the best pitcher in all of baseball, but that is exactly what happened. It also didn't help that Arietta saved his best baseball for last, as he turned in a historically good final two months of the regular season. Losing to the best pitcher in baseball is nothing to be ashamed of, and all of this was made possible by the Cubs being so much better than anybody could have realistically envisioned. In short, a 98 team lost to a 97 win team when the 97 win team was starting the Ace of Aces. So, I don't think I'm drinking the Black and Gold Kool Aid when I say that the Pirates can be somewhat forgiven for coming up short. The Cubbies emergence was just another example of the Pirates tendency for being snake bitten this season. 

4 words that accurately describe last nights game, as well as this entire season are: Wrong place, Wrong time. 

And now, the #1 reason why this Pirates season should not be looked at as a massive failure is.......

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball team. The St. Louis Cardinals are a machine. It takes something truly admirable and astounding to keep a 98 win team from winning their own division, and unfortunately for the Pirates, the St. Louis Cardinals are the very definition of both of those words. Pittsburgh writers, fans and talk show hosts can talk all the livelong day about reasons why last nights one game playoff was necessary, but the #1 reason why the Pirates were not NL Central champs is because they simply were not the best team in the NL Central. The reason for this is that being the best baseball team in the NL Central would have required being the best baseball team in the world throughout the regular season. As much as we all love the Pittsburgh Pirates, and as well rounded and wonderful of a baseball team as they are, they are not the best baseball team in the world. The legacy of the 2015 Cardinals will be finalized once the dust settles on this postseason, but whatever happens in the playoffs, no rational baseball fan can deny that from early April to early October, the St. Louis Cardinals were the best baseball team God's green earth. It just so happens that they play in the NL Central.

What the Cardinals have done this season cannot be put into words, because it was that remarkable. The fact that they won 100 games is astonishing enough, but what really sets St. Louis apart from the Pirates as well as every other team in the league is how many things went wrong along the way. The biggest adversity St. Louis had to face this season happened on April 25th, when Adam Wainwright tore his Achilles tendon while performing a harmless sacrifice bunt. Wainwright is undoubtedly one of the best pitchers in the game as well as a leader both on the field and in the clubhouse, and losing him should have been enough to keep the Cards from winning 100 games. But wait, there's more!

The Cards also played for months at a time without the important services of Matt Holliday and Matt Adams. Adams, the teams starting first baseman and a very good one, was lost on May 26th with a torn quad muscle and was only able to play in 60 out of 162 games. Holliday, who is a model for consistency in Left Field as well as a clubhouse leader, was lost on June 8th with a quad strain. He was only able to play in 73 out of 162 games. If the Pirates had lost Gerrit Cole for 5/6 of the season, as well as Starling Marte and Neil Walker for over half of the season, while the Cardinals remained fairly healthy, how close would this race have been? In my opinion, not very close.

This season, the Cardinals were better than the Pirates, and there is no way around it. They are a machine that keeps being rebuilt even after seemingly breaking down. Mark Reynolds held down the fort for Adams at first base while Randal Girchuck hit .276 with 17 home runs in place of Holliday. As for replacing Wainwright, the rest of the Cards rotation was so good that fans almost forget he was injured. That is what makes St. Louis such a special organization, and they are a model for how to get the job done without a high payroll. They deserved to be champions more than the Pirates did. They were better than the Pirates, and this is a harsh, harsh reality but a reality nonetheless.

So, the Pirates being knocked out of the playoffs so early is a crying shame, but the season was not. The Pirates did everything they had to do throughout 162 games to set up a deep postseason run, but it just wasn't meant to be. Baseball emulates life in that it is not fair, and the 2015 Pirates were victims of this harsh reality. So, before you take the easy road in just looking at the fact that the Pirates did not win the division, and think that they therefore set themselves up to fail last night and that the whole season was a failure, it might be a good idea to put it all into perspective. This season may look like a disappointment on the surface, but sometimes the surface needs to be expanded far beyond the obvious.

I'm Joe Smeltzer, and I'd like to thank my Bucs for a GREAT SEASON! You are not failures no matter what anybody says. 

Pittsburgh Penguins 2015-2016 season preview

Hello all.  I'm Connor Roese a close friend of Joseph Arthur Smeltzer. Joe has given me the honor of posting on the Penguins. On this blog I will be bringing the heat on the Penguins expectations for this season. Without further ado Smeltzer on Sports brings you: THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 2015-2016 SEASON PREVIEW.

To get things started I will be talking about some big signings. This off season the Penguins front office made some nice moves. The most important acquisition came when the Pens finally picked up a top 6 winger by acquiring Phil Kessel in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs 

My Reaction Exactly

The Penguins picking up Kessel is huge,and he will make a huge impact in the steel city. The Penguins also added of Nick Bonino and Eric Fehr, two bottom six centers who will look to add skill and physicality to this team. 

Now on to the offensive unit

 The Penguins have had the best player in the NHL since 1984 (Mario Lemieux, Jarmir Jagar, Ron Francis and Sidney Crosby). However, there has always been one fault that crushes this team, and that is lack of production from the wingers. This year, I believe things will be different. Some key wingers that will help this team are: Patric Hornqvist, David Perron, Phil Kessel, Chris Kunitz, and Sergei Plotnikov. Oh and Pascal Dupuis if you remember him (if he can stay healthy). Now everyone sees the Pens talent and just shake their heads thinking "Why don't they have more cups?"Honestly, it's a question that stumps me for days. But don't you worry, it will be settled soon. Lord knows that this team has potential, arguably the two best players in the NHL in Sidney Crosby and Evegini Malkin as well as the ability to score big. It's just a matter of time until we see the skills at work. I have brainstormed what I've wanted to see as far as the lines go:

Line 1: 72 87 57

Line 2: 61 71 81

Line 3:  14 7 19

Line 4: 34 13 40

However, I'll let the coaches coach. Grade: A-

Let's talk defense.

  This defensive unit right now looks very okay. There are some comforting names such as:Kris Letang... oh God that's it! Right now the Penguins defense looks; stale, crusty, old and bland. It thoroughly worries me that Penguins coaching staff decided to send down young and rising defensive player Derrick Pouliot, who I see potential in. The team did bring up big boy Brian Dumolin who helps in a physical aspect, but I'm still salty over the Simon Despres trade back in March because Ben Lovejoy dosent cut it. Also, Rob Scuderi is over paid, just a heads up. This defensive unit scares me, I hope that they prove me wrong. I have thought out what pairings I want

Line 1: 58 8

Line 2: 28 4

Line 3: 12 2

\Defensive Grade: C-

Conclusion

This season I believe the Penguins will make another trip to the post season, I do think they will surpass the first round as a middle fourth or fifth seed. The Pens will look to make it this year.This year expect these things, A hard run at the cup if healthy, Letang finally wins Norris, Crosby wins Art Ross and Hart trophy, Fleury as a candidate for the Vezina Trophy, and a handful of commercials with Fall Out Boy in the background. I see the Pens reaching the eastern conference finals before bowing out, which will be an improvement over the past two seasons, but still won't be enough to satisfy this fan base. Go Pens, and have a blessed week. Overall team Grade: B

-Connor R. Roese-

Liverpool Sacks Brendan Rodgers, Klopp Likely Replacement

On Sunday afternoon, the inevitable finally became a reality for Liverpool F.C., as Brendan Rodgers was sacked as Manager after a little over 3 seasons on the job. Ever since striker Luis Suarez left for Barcelona in July of 2014, life has not been kind to Liverpool. After several new transfers failed to meet expectations, Liverpool finished a disappointing 6th in the 2014-15 season. Liverpool went on another spending spree this summer in an effort to compete for a spot in the Champions League. James Milner, Danny Ings, Nathaniel Clyne, Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke were all signed over the summer, and expectations were high that Liverpool would be improved. However, through the first 7 games of this season, Liverpool has managed just 12 points and currently sit at 10th in the league table. After a disappointing draw at Everton in the Merseyside Derby on Sunday, Liverpool finally decided to pull the plug on the Rodgers Era. Although I have never met the man, Rodgers seems like, from most accounts, a good, hardworking man. That makes it all the more unfortunate for me to say I feel that, as a Liverpool fan, the Board of Directors made the right decision. Here are what I think are  five big reasons that ultimately led to Rodgers being sacked.

Good, not great pre-Anfield resume 

Before being hired at Liverpool, Rodgers had been a successful manager at Watford, Reading and Swansea. However, Rodgers's only season in the premiership across these 3 clubs came with Swansea in 2012, in which the club finished 11th. It is my theory that if Rodgers had a more polished resume upon arriving at Anfied, it may have been a little easier for John Henry and the rest of the Liverpool Board of Directors to be patient with him. At 42, Rodgers still has plenty of time to have a successful managerial career, but as of right now, he remains relatively unproven.

Poor Record Against Top 4 Teams

Since Rodgers took over at Liverpool, the Scousers have had 25 games against the ''big four'' of Chelsea, Aresnal, Manchester City and Manchester United, and won just 5 of them. Liverpool simply could not get the job done against the big boys, and since a big club like Liverpool should be fielding a team good enough to compete with the best the premiership has to offer every year, that is completely unacceptable. Rodgers's record against top 4 teams was not a good recipe for a manager who wanted to keep his job, and it is another reason why hitting the unemployment line was inevitable for the Irishman.

Failed Transfers

Since Rodgers took over as Liverpool boss,Liverpool bought 31 players for a whooping 291,550,000 pounds. Out of those transfers, here is a list of players that have made a splash at Anfield:

Daniel Sturridge
Philippe Coutindho
Simon Mignolet

and here is a list of players that have either not lived up to their money or just flat out flopped at
Anfield:

Mario Balotelli
Rickie Lambert
Dejan Lovren
Adam Lallana
Joe Allen
Alberto Moreno
Lazar Markovic
Fabio Borini, just to name a few.

While it is yet to be seen what will become of the players that Liverpool acquired this past summer, last year's transfer window is one of the biggest reasons why Rodgers is no longer Liverpool boss. With Suarez gone, Liverpool decided to makeover their roster. Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Rickie Lambert (all from Southampton), Mario Balotelli and Alberto Moreno were among the players brought in, and none of them lived up to expectations. I think that losing the best striker in the world caused Rodgers to panic, and he thought that bringing in a bunch of ''good'' players was a better alternative than bringing in 2 or 3 stars that really could have made the impact that Liverpool needed. Raiding Southampton proved to be unwise, and Liverpool finished the season only two points clear of the club that less than one year prior had decided to sell off their stars to the Reds.

Two failed transfers from that summer stand above the rest, and those are the two strikers who were brought in to replace Suarez: Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli. Lambert was a 32 year old who had been a journeyman throughout his career before recently becoming a big fish in the small Southampton pond, and Balotelli, although a talented striker, was not a huge star and had a history of poor effort and attitude, which both were on display in his one miserable season at Anfield. Collectively, the players brought in by Liverpool in 2015 barley managed to score more goals than Harry Kane did that season, which is an embarrassing reality. It is hard for me to believe that Liverpool could not have acquired better players with the money they spent, and I think that these transfers were questionable with or without the benefit of hindsight. These questionable decisions contributed to a disappointing season, as Liverpool finished just 6th in the league table and were bounced from the Champions League in the group stages.

Assuming that Rodgers played a large role in bringing this disappointing batch of players to Anfield, he deserves to take heat, and last season really put him on a short leash with Liverpool fans and management. Being unwise with money is a huge reason why Rodgers is no longer behind the home bench at Anfield.

2014 Collapse
Without question, the highlight of Rodgers career at Anfield was the 2013-14 season. Everything seemed to fall into place for Liverpool. Luis Suarez was a machine, Daniel Sturridge actually stayed healthy and Steven Gerrard had a renaissance year. However, it all fell apart in the end. In the final three games of the season, Liverpool lost to Chelsea and blew a late 3-0 lead at Crystal Palace, losing the title to Man City by two points despite being five points clear of second place with three matches left. It is hard to imagine just what would have taken place had Liverpool won the league. Rodgers would have been hailed as a hero after bringing a historic club their first league title in 25 years despite being just 41 years of age. Rodgers might not have been forced to sell Suraez to Barcelona, making all of the transfers above unnecessary, and, above all else, Rodgers would likely still have a job. The heartbreak that Liverpool suffered at the end of the 2014 season were

the first seeds of what eventually evolved into a garden of disappointment over the next 17 months.


The Anfield Standard 
Liverpool F.C. is one of the most famous sports clubs in the world, and their list of silverware goes on forever. Therefore, the standard that Liverpool fans set for their team and their managers is different than most places. For a club like Crystal Palace or West Ham, finishing in the top half of the league three years in a row might not be the worst thing in the world. But for a club like Liverpool, it is simply not good enough. Although Liverpool had been in decline for a few years before Rodgers was hired, the bar is still set extremely high, and although Rodgers was able to get his hands on it, he was never able to hold on to it long enough to keep his job.

Now, it is up for John Henry to find a manager who will be able to hold on to the bar, and it sure looks like that man will be Jurgen Klopp. Klopp most notably managed the German side Borussia Dortmund from 2008-2015 before announcing this past April that he would leave the club in order to take a sabbatical. It looks like Klopp's break might be shortened, as he has already been contacted by Liverpool, and it was reported on Monday that Klopp could be hired as early as this Friday. Klopp did wonders at Dortmund, twice beating out Bayren Munich for the Bundesliga title and reaching the Champions League Final in 2013. I am very excited at the likelihood of Klopp coming to Anfield. I think that the combination of his football knowledge as well as his enthusiasm and energy level make him a great fit for Liverpool, and at 48, he is young enough to be at Anfield for several years. Hopefully, he has what it takes to eventually lead Liverpool back to the mountaintop of English football.

I wish Brendan Rodgers the best of luck in the future, and hope that he catches on at another club. But at the end of the day, results are all that matter in sports, and Rodgers could not deliver the success that this club expects. For Liverpool, Rodgers is now part of the past, and it looks like Jurgen Klopp is the future. Hopefully brighter days are ahead for this legendary club.

Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone.

NFL Week 4 Picks

Hello everybody. Welcome to Week 4 of our NFL Picks. After a slow first two weeks of the season, I, Joseph Arthur Smeltzer, had a fantastic Week 3, as I went 13-3 on my picks, moving my total to a group best 29-19. Jeff and I are currently 0-1 on our picks for this week, as my beloved Steelers could not come through. Hopefully the rest of Week 4 will provide further evidence that I am a rather intelligent fella.

9:30
Jets  (2-1) at Dolphins  (1-2)
God Save Our Gracious Queen

It is again that time of year when the NFL goes to England, and this year the league will be represented at Wembley Stadium by the AFC East. The Jets have performed above expectations this season, while the Dolphins are off to a disappointing 1-2 start. I think that things will balance themselves out a little bit for the Fish. I still think that they are a better football team than the Jets, as New York has yet to see a QB this season as good as Ryan Tannehill is. The former Texas Aggie will have a big game, and will be a big factor in a Miami victory. Both teams suffered tough Week 3 defeats, but while New York losing to the Eagles was disappointing, the Dolphins were flat out embarrassed by the Buffalo Bills, and I think that Miami will be well motivated to bounce back against the Jets. Ryan is the only one who does not see Miami winning. 24-14 Dolphins

1:00
Giants (1-2) at Bills (2-1)

The horsemen ride together. Aside from a Week 2 loss to the defending Super bowl champs, the Bills have looked outstanding, and I do not expect the mediocre Giants to slow them down. The Giants simply are not ready to contend, while I think the Bills are very close, if not ready, to make some noise in the AFC. If LeSean McCoy finally has the breakout game that he is capable of, it could get real ugly for Eli Manning and company. 34-17 Bills

Panthers (3-0) at Buccaneers
(1-2)

This could be a trap game for Carolina, but I think that they will survive. We are split here, as Brad and Ryan both have the Bucs winning, while Jeff and I picked the Panthers. Carolina is clearly the better team in this game, but playing a bad team on the road can sometimes lead to trouble for a playoff contender. Nonetheless, I think the combination of Cam Newton and the Carolina defense will still be too strong for Tampa Bay to overcome. I see Jameis Winston playing well, but eventually faltering in the final drive of the 4th quarter to seal a Carolina victory. Brad sees home field advantage being the difference in a close Bucs victory, but I'm still taking the Cats. 24-20 Panthers.

''Who the Hell Cares'' Game of the Week
Raiders (2-1) at Bears (0-3)

The Chicago Bears have been outscored 74-23 in the past twp
games. Derek Carr and Amari Cooper are going to rip them to shreds. I don't foresee either of these two teams in the playoffs, and the Bears might just be the worst team in the NFL. So, I think this is a good pick for my ''who the hell cares'' game of the week. 34-13 Raiders. Not that I care.

Chiefs (1-2) at Bengals (3-0)

We are split again, as Brad and Jeff have the Bengals, while Ryan and I picked the Chiefs. This is an interesting match up. Cincinnati is a solid 3-0, while KC has had the misfortune of playing two very good teams in Denver and Green Bay and are 1-2 as a result. Although Cincinnati is playing at home, I do not seem them starting off 4-0, and I think that Justin Houston and Tamba Hali will make life tough for Andy Dalton, as the Chiefs have an outstanding pass rush. The Chiefs are too good to start 1-3, while the Bengals are not quite good enough to start 4-0. 20-13 Chiefs. Brad said that Cincinnati is simply ''playing too well''. Well Brad, all good things must come to an end.

Texans (1-2) at Falcons( 3-0)

The Texans have not impressed me too much this season, and I don't think facing Matt Ryan and Juilo Jones will cure any of their problems. The Falcons offense is simply fantastic, and I do not see the Houston secondary slowing them down enough to pull out a win. Playing in the Georiga Dome is always a big advantage for Atlanta, which is another reason why I think they will get the job done on Sunday. Jeff is the only horseman who sees Houston having anything other than a problem, as he stated that the Texans defense would be able to stop Juilo Jones. I think he is wrong.31-20 Falcons.

Jaguars (1-2) at Colts (1-2)

Although both teams have the same record, this is a mismatch. Jacksonville's performance in New England showed just how far this team has to go to become respectable, while the Colts appear to have found their offensive mojo last week in Tennessee. Andrew Luck will pick apart the Jags secondary, although I do not expect Indy to put up 50+ points the way New England did. 41-17 Colts.

Eagles (1-2) at Redskins (1-2)

We are all united. While the Eagles have not yet lived up to their potential, the Redskins never had  much potential to begin with. The Eagles had a encouraging showing last week against the Jets, and I expect that to carry over in the nations capitol. I feel that the Eagles have too much talent to lose to a team like the Redskins. Brad agrees, stating that the ''Eagles offense will explode against a weak Washington defense.''  34-14 Eagles.

4:05
Browns (1-2) at Chargers (1-2)

Yes, it says at top that I picked the Browns to win. Well, I made that prediction assuming that the Cleveland coaching staff would learn from last weeks home loss to Oakland and start Johnny Manziel behind center instead of Josh McCown. But, since McCown is starting on the road at San Diego, I do not expect Cleveland to pull out a win. My fellow horsemen have also picked the Bolts, with Jeff summing things up by saying that ''the Browns are bad''. With McCown under center, I agree with Jeff. 27-17 Chargers.

4:25
Vikings (2-1) at Broncos (2-1)

The Vikings are on a two game winning streak, sparked by the return of Adrian Peterson. However, I do not think that AP will save them this week as I still do not see Minnesota as a playoff contender. Denver, on the other hand, has a realistic shot to get to the Superbowl, and Peyton Manning will pick apart the Viking secondary, as he has done to so many others, and it will be just another day at the office for the Broncos. 38-14 Denver.

Rams (1-2) at Cardinals (2-1)
As of right now, Arizona is my pick to win the NFC. While St. Louis will give Carson Palmer and company more of a challenge than in past weeks, I still see Arizona winning by a fairly comfortable margin. We are all in agreement here, as Jeff stated: ''Superbowl team here, and they'll win in a blowout.'' 35-14 Cards.

Green Bay(3-0) at San Francisco(1-2)

San Fransisco has allowed 90 points in their past two games, and Green Bay has Aaron Rodgers. I think I have a fairly good idea of how this game is going to turn out. San Fran is playing at home, but it won't make a difference. 42-14 Packers.

8:30
Cowboys (2-1) at Saints (1-2)

I am the lone ranger out of us four in picking the Saints, but I really expect an upset here. The Cowboys are extremely depleted on offense without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, and New Orleans will be sparked by a returning Drew Brees and a rocking Superdome. The Saints offense attack is still dangerous, while the Cowboys defense is struggling, and I think the Brees will enjoy throwing against the Dallas secondary. It will be a close game with a lot of scoring. Brad sees Big D coming up on top, stating: ''New Orleans isn't winning at home anymore''. I see things differently, and the Saints will become the second NFC South team in the past two weeks to cause loneliness in the Lone Star State. 34-31 Saints.

Monday Night
Lions (0-3) at Seahawks (1-2)
The Lions are on the brink of a nightmare season in the Motor City, and playing at Quest Field will not help them. The return of Kam Chancellor has rejuvenated the Seahawks defense, as the Chicago Bears learned last week when they were shutout by Seattle. The Lions sputtering offense is going to do minimal damage against Seattle. 33-7 Seahawks. 

Plenty Of Blame To Go Around For Steelers Collapse

For at least six more days, Steelers fans will be haunted by Thursday night's loss to the Ravens. It isn't so much that they lost the game - plenty of people expected Baltimore to win. It was that the Steelers players and coaches had a meltdown of epic proportions that has every sports fan in our city mad at somebody associated with the Black and Gold. Pittsburgh had a 20-7 lead in the 2nd half, and led 20-17 with less than a minute to go before Ba
ltimore tied the game with a Justin Tucker field goal, and then won the game with another field goal in overtime.

I was lucky enough to attend the game, and as my mom and I walked back to our car, I felt sick. The Steelers have never been #1 on my list of beloved sports teams, so the fact that I had a feeling like that, which still hasn't fully gone away really, says something about how awful this game was. Scapegoating is an unfortunate part of the psychology of sports fans, and Pittsburgh fans are no exceptions. I've witnessed plenty of Pirates, Steelers and Penguins players and coaches shoulder more blame than they deserved after a tough loss, and on Friday morning Josh Scobbe joined this not so exclusive club. Scobbe missed 2 field goals of 49 and 41 yards within the final 2 minutes, and the Ravens took advantage of the errors and pulled out a 23-20 win in overtime. Scobbe is at fault in a big way for this loss (Steelers management released him in favor of Chris Boswell as I wrote this), but he is not the sole reason why Pittsburgh blew this game. There are other reasons why this game slipped through the cracks, and I will list the big ones and cut the poor kicker some slack.

Offensive Play Calling

If Ronald Regan, George W. Bush, and Mitt Romney were all chemically bonded to form one super-person, it would still not be as conservative as Todd Haley's play calling was on Thursday night. While it makes sense that the Steelers offense would be watered down without Big Ben under center, Mike Vick is a capable back-up, and Todd Haley practically put him in a cage for the entire second half. Even at age 35, Vick's arm strength is still incredible, which is why I simply cannot make sense of the absurd amount of short pass
es that Haley called. Ever since Haley took over as offensive coordinator in 2012, short passes have been a key part of the Steelers offense. While it's understandable to make the short pass more prevalent with a backup quarterback, there needs to be a fair balance. With Vick's arm strength and the Steelers outstanding core of receivers, why not cut Vick loose more often and try to create a big play. Vick proved himself to be capable in the first half, so it's all the more confusing that Haley decided to be as conservative as he was in the second half.  

At the top of the list of blunders that Todd Haley made on Thursday was not calling Antonio Brown's number often enough. I find it pretty hard to believe that Vick is not capable of throwing a ball 20 yards downfield to the best receiver in the NFL, but apparently that's the way the Steelers see things.  I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Steelers could have put up 30+ points if more 20+ yard passes to Brown were called, and it was obvious to many people that the conservative play calling was not working. As poor as Haley was, two of the most boneheaded decisions of the game were made in OT by Mike Tomlin. The first decision came on the Steelers first offensive possession of overtime. The Steelers were putting together a pretty good looking drive, getting the ball down to the Baltimore 39 yard line. 

It was 3rd down at a very manageable 2 yards, and this situation had Le'veon Bell's name written all over it. You would think, with the offensive strategy being as conservative as it was, and with Bell being the best running back in the NFL and averaging close to 6 yards per carry for the night, that it would only make sense to call Bell's number for the first down, right? Well, Haley had other ideas, and called a pass play that fell incomplete. This set up 4th and 2, and the decision was in Mike Tomlin's hands as to whether the Steelers would go for it or not. They decided to go for it, and to me, the two most sensible things to do in this situation would be A) give the ball to Bell or B) throw a short pass to Heath Miller, as a pass to the Tight End would make sense in a short yardage situation. The Steelers did neither, and they curiously decided to get cute and call a play for Mike Vick to run to the left side. The Ravens were all over it, and stuffed Vick for no gain, causing a turnover on downs. 

As questionable as this decision was, the Steelers were not done with 4th down stupidity. After forcing the Ravens to punt, the Steelers again moved the ball well, getting the ball down to the Ravens 32 yard line. Again, it was 3rd and 2. Again, giving the ball to Bell would have made far too much sense. Again, the Steelers completely botched it. Bell's number was called on 3rd and 2, but for a short pass that only gained 1 yard. Tomlin correctly decided to go for it on 4th and 1. Surely, he could not mess up another 4th down call, right? Wrong. This time, he made an even more boneheaded decision, and called for Vick to throw an out route, which may be the most difficult route to run for an NFL receiver, to Antonio Brown. It was Vick's worst throw of the night and came at the worst possible time. The Ravens took over on downs and won the game on a 52 yard field goal from Justin Tucker. After the game, I talked to my friend Colin about the decision on 4th and 1. He said that he had no problem with not giving the ball to Bell, as he felt the Ravens defense would have fully expected it. While that is a valid point, even when expected, it is very difficult to stop the best running back in the game from getting 1 lousy yard. 

I am still not against Todd Haley as a play caller, as I find it hard to dislike what he has done with an offense that has been among the best in football over the past 3 seasons, but his play calling throughout this game was horrendous, and he deserves to take a lot of heat for it. 

Poor Last Minute Defense

I won't be nearly as hard on the Steelers defense as I was on Todd Haley's play calling, as John Butler's unit turned in a solid performance for the 3rd week in a row. However, I cannot defend the defense's execution on Baltimore's last drive of regulation. Even with Schobbes 2nd miss of the night creating this drive, Baltimore still should have been stopped from scoring, as they only took over on their own 31 yard line. With just 1 minute left to play, the Steelers still should have stopped Baltimore from scoring, and they couldn't do it, even after forcing Baltimore into a 3rd and 10 with 29 seconds to play. Just because the kicker screwed up does not mean that the defense should be let off the hook  for allowing Baltimore to send the game to
OT. 

Mike Tomlin

In most cases, the defensive and offensive coordinators are the ones who receive all of the blame for poor decision making over the course of a football game, as they are the ones who make almost all of the decisions. With this in mind, it's pretty staggering to think about the number of times Mike Tomlin was wrong on Thursday night. Here is a list of the 3 most questionable decisions by Tomlin on Thursday, not including the ones I have already mentioned in this article

1. Not going for 2- The main reason I am bringing this up is that of all the things that were talked about throughout Friday as questionable decisions that were made on Thursday night, this was one that seems to fall under the radar. After Mike Vick found Darius Heyward-Bay in the end-zone to pad the Steelers lead to 19-7, Tomlin chose to kick to the extra-point rather than try to give the Steelers a 2 Touchdown lead by going for the 2-point conversion. I understand both points of view here, as with the benefit of hindsight, this decision could have either won the Steelers the game, or lost them the game in regulation as opposed to overtime. However, given that the Steelers are 3 for 4 on 2-point conversions this year (a success rate of 75%), I think it would have made sense to try it. It's no guarantee that the Steelers would have converted, but they certainly could have, and I think it was worth a shot, and the reward was greater than the risk at that time.

2. Having Scobbe kick those 2 field goals in the first place- The best way I can defend Josh Scobbe is by saying that his 2 missed field goals should have never been given a chance to take place.  Let's breakdown both times Tomlin decided to have Scobbe kick late in the game. So let's say, rather than have Scobbe kick from 49 yards out, Tomlin decides to punt. There is a very good chance that Baltimore would have been pinned inside their own 5 yard line, which would have made the possibility of a Ravens win even less likely. The absolute worst case scenario would be that Jordan Berry, who had averaged 39.8 yards over 6 punts throughout the game, would kick it through the end zone, allowing the Ravens to start out at their own 20 yard line. Scobbe's miss allowed the Ravens to start in a much better position, starting out at their own 39 yard line. Having Scobbe kick a 41 yarder on the next Steelers possession made more sense than Tomlin's previous decision to kick, but I still disagree with it. While kicking a 41 yard field goal is easier than kicking a 49 yard field goal, Scobbe's confidence was likely shaken from his first miss, and the Steelers were presented with another opportunity to pin Baltimore deep inside their own territory, and considering there was little over a minute left to go in the game at this time, this would have made the possibility of Baltimore hitting a game-tying field goal nearly impossible. But, Tomlin decided to try for 3, and Scobbe could not deliver
, and Baltimore started at their own 31 when they could very well have been pinned inside their own 5. 

So, Josh Scobbe is only a piece to the large puzzle of ineptitude that led to the Steelers loss on Thursday night, and while Mike Tomlin is a good head coach and Todd Haley is a good offensive coordinator, neither of them were wise, and the Steeleres paid for it. The schedule will only get tougher from here, and this loss could prove to be a huge, huge blow. It is now up to Mike Vick and company to save this ship from sinking into the sea of disappointment.