The 2015 NFL season has been announced. The campaign will kick off with a mouthwatering clash as the reigning champions, the New England Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s just a shame that Le’Veon Bell will be missing for the visitors.
Sky Sports will have that curtain raiser. We don’t know which games they will show that first Sunday evening, but Channel 4 have a juicy game from the NFC East as the New York Giants and Odell Beckham Jnr head to Dallas to face the Cowboys.
Monday Night Football returns to Sky Sports this season and the first instalment is a double header. Philadelphia Eagles travel to Atlanta (12:10am BST) and that’s followed by Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers (3:10am BST).
The full Week 1 schedule is:
Friday Sept 11
1:30am – Pittsburgh Steelers vs New England Patriots
The schedule will be revealed at 1am BST, that’s 8pm ET. We already know the home and away games for each team, but tonight we will be able to mark our calendars.
The season always kicks off with the defending champions on the first Thursday Night Football of the campaign. We will see who the New England Patriots take on in that kick-off game on September 10.
The other prime-time games will be listed, so we’ll know who gets the Thursday and Monday night games, as well as the late Sunday night Channel 4 games.
We’ll have the opening week’s schedule for you right here.
Tim Tebow is back in football. The former Heisman winner tried and failed to cut it in professional football, but he’s being handed an opportunity to prove his worth to the NFL.
The former Broncos and Jets QB had a workout with the Philadelphia Eagles last month and it appears that Chip Kelly liked what he saw. Tebow is expected to sign for the Eagles today and will join in the offseason program.
He becomes the fourth quarterback on their roster this offseason and he gives the NFC East team three First Round QBs in their squad.
“Tebow Mania” has followed this player wherever he’s been. So why does he get so much hype? He struggled to make an impact for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, so what’s the big deal?
TEBOW TIMELINE
Tim Tebow rushed for a TD in 2010’s International Series game vs San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers won 24-16.
He was home educated.
2007 – He won the Heisman Trophy. That season he threw 32 touchdowns for the Florida Gators. He also rushed 23 TDs, which is an SEC (South Eastern Conference) record.
2008 – He finished third in the Heisman voting. His new team mate, Sam Bradford, won the honour that year.
2009 – Turned down the NFL Draft to complete his senior year with Florida Gators.
2010 – First Round draft pick for the Denver Broncos (25th overall). He set an NFL Draft record for jersey sales.
On October 31st he appeared at Wembley and ran in a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. Denver lost 24-16. His first start came on December 19, which was a 39-23 road loss to the Oakland Raiders. He completed eight of 16 passes for 138 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown pass. He also rushed for 78 yards, 40 of which came on a touchdown run in the first quarter of the game. It was the longest touchdown run for a quarterback in Broncos history and the longest touchdown run in NFL history for a quarterback in his first start.
Tebow’s first career victory came in his second start on December 26. The Broncos defeated the Houston Texans, 24-23, in Denver. He helped rally the Broncos from a 17-0 deficit at halftime, as he finished the game with 308 passing yards and one touchdown pass. He also added a fourth quarter rushing touchdown, which capped the comeback.
He became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for a touchdown in each of his first three career starts.
2011 – He began the season as the Broncos’ backup quarterback, behind Kyle Orton. After a 1-4 start and some poor performances, Orton was replaced by Tebow at halftime during a home game against the San Diego Chargers in week five.
Tebow nearly led the Broncos back from a 16-point deficit, as he passed and ran for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Chargers ultimately won the game, 29-24. The Broncos went on to make the play-offs with him behind centre.
After the three consecutive losses, Broncos vice president and former quarterback John Elway said Tebow was playing tentatively and needed to “pull the trigger.”
In the wildcard round the Broncos hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tebow threw for a career high 316 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard TD to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime, as the Broncos won 29-23.
The Broncos were then handed a 45-10 defeat by the New England Patriots the following week, knocking them out of the playoffs. Tebow completed 9 of 26 passes for 136 yards and was sacked five times; he also rushed five times for thirteen yards.
After the season, John Elway confirmed that Tebow would be the Broncos starting quarterback going into training camp in 2012.
Despite on-field successes by the Broncos under Tebow, he finished the season with the lowest passing completion rate in the NFL which led many to question his potential as a quarterback at the professional level.
2012 – The Broncos signed Peyton Manning and traded Tebow to the Jets, along with the Broncos’ 2012 7th round pick, in exchange for the Jets’ fourth and sixth round picks.
The Jets struggled that season and the fans and media called for Rex Ryan to bench the inconsistent Mark Sanchez in favour of Tebow.
Tebow suffered two broken ribs during a road game against the Seahawks, however, this was not confirmed until two days prior to the Jets’ Thanksgiving contest against the New England Patriots. Tebow was active despite the injury which was publicly revealed after the game.
He was subsequently inactive during the Jets’ following contest against the Arizona Cardinals in which Sanchez was benched in favour of Greg McElroy.
2013 – Tebow was released by the Jets having only thrown eight passes and run 32 times in his single season. He signed with the New England Patriots and played two preseason games. He failed to make the cut.
He presented for ESPN last season, but now Tebow Mania returns and the spotlight falls on Philly. Despite being out of the league, the 27-year-old Tebow remains one of the most popular players around. He has a legion of fans who follow him because of his strong Christian beliefs.
We’re all guessing what Chip Kelly’s next move will be this offseason, with speculation rife that he will trade up for Marcus Mariota in the draft next week. One thing’s for sure, Chip’s given us plenty to talk about.
The NFL held its annual owners’ meeting in Phoenix this week. Ahead of that event the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, hinted to the Monday Morning Quarterback website (mmqb.com) that we will be seeing even more games at Wembley in the 2016.
The International Series returns this year with three more games. All of them have sold out. We would have had more but the Rugby World Cup has two games being played at Wembley Stadium in the autumn.
When the 2015 London fixtures were originally announced there were grumblings from some quarters about the calibre of teams heading over here. The UK fans proved that there’s a real passion for football on these shores when they snapped up the tickets within weeks.
“Yeah we’re looking at more games”, said Goodell. “I think every year we’ve learned something from our experience, which is the objective. First and foremost is the passion of the fans – they want more”.
Sunday October 4, 2:30pm kick-off (Week 4)
New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins
Sunday October 25, 1:30pm kick-off (Week 7)
Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday November 1, 2:30pm kick-off (Week 8)
Detroit Lions vs Kansas City Chiefs
For the first time, this year, we have two games back-to-back on consecutive weekends. Next year we’ll most likely get at least four games at Wembley – that’s a quarter of the league’s teams heading ever over here. It’s also half of a season in terms of home games.
Goodell will continue to test the market to see if the demand for football in the UK isn’t just a flash in the pan. The International Series has gone from strength-to-strength since that first game eight years ago. The NFL won’t give us a franchise until they’re absolutely certain that we can continue to support the game and sustain it.
The next couple of years could shape the future of gridiron in this country.
In the NFC the Eagles and Saints have been making the big headlines. Things are equally dramatic in the AFC, especially in an Eastern division that has been dominated by Tom Brady and the Patriots for a generation:
AFC East
The Bills made a bold move by bringing in Rex Ryan as head coach. If the new owners wanted to make a splash, then Rex is the master. On the opening day of Free Agency Rex set Twitter on fire with the McCoy/Alonso trade. FB Jerome Felton and WR Percy Harvin makes the offence more dynamic, although Rex is still showing little interest in Quarterbacks – the Bills have an uninspiring 3-way competition between EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor, which is unlikely to get the fanbase too excited. Re-signing Jerry Hughes was a big move though, and if they get Charles Clay in from the Dolphins, this will be an interesting season for the Bills.
The Dolphins spent some cash!! $114 million to be exact, now lining the pockets of one Ndamukong Suh. The Dolphins defence was excellent last season, and can expect to be even more dominant this year with Suh lining up alongside Cameron Wake. However, they had to ship a lot out the door to afford him, including dumping money drains Brian Hartline and Mike Wallace. They’ve made some nice trades and pick ups to rebuild the offence since though, with Kenny Stills and Jordan Cameron looking like good deals.
The Patriots had a lot to think about following their Superbowl victory – especially in the secondary. The result was a big new deal for Safety Devin McCourty, but big name Cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner departed. Belichick also allowed Shane Vereen and Vince Wilfork to leave Foxborough, but then made a raft of low key acquisitions, which is typically Patriot-like. Expect Scott Chandler and Jabaal Sheard to be key pieces this season.
The Jets are starting anew (or in some eyes rolling back the years) with their off-season acquisitions. Reuniting the defensive cornerstones of the 2011 season, CBs Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie return, and ILB David Harris was re-signed. The new management team continued to rebuild, with a trade for Brandon Marshall on offence, and the pick up of slot corner Buster Skrine.
AFC North
The Ravens have quietly allowed some big names out the door this off-season. Haloti Ngata was traded away, while Pernell McPhee, Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones and Owen Daniels all moved on. They did decide to re-sign 2014 surprise package Justin Forsett.
The Bengals too have been quiet, bringing in experienced ILB AJ Hawk from the Packers, and bringing DE Michael Johnson home after a poor year in Tampa. They have a long list of Free Agents, all of whom look to be out the door.
The Browns have been typically chaotic, trading for QB Josh McCown in an effort to provide veteran stability and a mentor for the disappointing Johnny Football. The additions of veterans Randy Starks and Tramon Williams will patch up the holes that were left when Jabaal Sheard and Buster Skrine left, but the loss of Jordan Cameron leaves their offence looking very lightweight – the pick up of Brian Hartline is fooling no-one that the Browns desperately need help out wide.
The Steelers tied Big Ben down to a long term deal, and brought in veteran RB DeAngelo Williams to support breakout star LeVeon Bell. They’ve lost a lot of experience on defence though, not least the evergreen DC Dick LeBeau. Question marks remain whether Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu and Brett Kiesel will return, and Jason Worrilds shocked Steeler-nation by announcing early retirement for a career in religion.
AFC South
The Texans are still in rebuilding mode as Bill O’Brien starts his 2nd year. Question marks at Quarterback continue, as Brian Hoyer signed on to battle Ryan Mallett for the main job. The defence is expected to be as solid as ever, adding Bronco Safety Rahim Moore. Meanwhile superstar JJ Watt should enjoy having big Vince Wilfork alongside him in the D line. They finally cut ties with the malcontent Andre Johnson, but found another veteran reciever in Cecil Shorts to replace him.
The Colts have an ambitious and aggressive GM in Ryan Grigson, and it looks like they’re going all out to get Andrew Luck to the big show. They cut their losses with Trent Richardson, and brought in the evergreen Frank Gore to show Richardson how the job is supposed to be done. The acquisition of Andre Johnson meant that there was no place for Colts legend Reggie Wayne, nor the Hakeem Nicks experiment.
The Jaguars have made some bold moves already, bringing in premier TE Julius Thomas, and spending some big money on Jared Odrick from the Dolphins, Dan Skuta from the 49ers and Jermey Parnell from the Cowboys. They’ll want to spend some more of their cap space in the coming weeks, but will expect to have to pay a premium to persuade players to join such a massive rebuilding project.
The Titans are in a similar position to the Jags, in that they’ve struggled so long, its a difficult sell to get big name players to sign up. They threw a ton of money at homegrown OLB Derrick Morgan, and then even more to bring in Perrish Cox, Brian Orakpo and Da-Norris Searcy. The offence remains a problem though, adding only WR Harry Douglas and TE Anthony Fasano.
AFC West
The Broncos managed to get Peyton to agree to a paycut, but it wasn’t enough to keep Julius Thomas in the house. With Terrance Knighton and Rahim Moore also out the door, the Broncos will be relieved they franchise tagged Demaryius Thomas when they had the chance. New HC Gary Kubiak brings with him TE pal Owen Daniels, who is expected to line up alongside the re-signed Virgil Green in several 2-Tight End packages this season.
The Chiefs didn’t see a WR hit the end zone in 2014, and as a result said goodbye to former star Dwayne Bowe. Their 2015 efforts will now ride on former Eagle Jeremy Maclin. Star pass rusher Justin Houston got the franchise tag, but they lost a good center when Rodney Hudson signed for the Raiders.
The Raiders, as expected, have been very active in Free Agency. Reggie McKenzie does not have the best track record of recruiting outside of the draft, and despite picking up decent additions in Rodney Hudson & Roy Helu, they’ve continued to bring in unpopular players from around the league – such as Christian Ponder and Trent Richardson. The new look Raiders were wise though to move on from Darren McFadden, LeMarr Woodley and Matt Schaub.
The Chargers are a lock to pick up a new running back in the draft, after letting Ryan Mathews leave San Diego. The Chargers also refreshed their wide men, with veterans Jacoby Jones and Stevie Johnson coming in, to replace the Chicago bound Eddie Royal. Tying down CB Brandon Flowers to a long term deal is likely to be one of their best off-season moves.
So, for anyone in the UK who hasn’t kept up to date with the Free Agency chaos the last few weeks, here is a round up of activity in the NFC:
NFC East
The Cowboys have been quiet bringing in new players, with the only recognisable name being RB Darren McFadden coming in to replace the outgoing 2014 rushing leader DeMarco Murray, who has signed for division rivals the Eagles.
The Giants should have an interesting ground game this year, adding Superbowl winner Shane Vereen to their backfield.
The Eagles have made headlines since Free Agency started – firstly Chip Kelly shipped out star running back Shady McCoy, then he let last years top reciever Jeremy Maclin leave the building. Kelly then traded QB Nick Foles to the Rams in exchange for Sam Bradford. The Eagles have also added blue chip talent on the ground in DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, and got very legion-of-boomy in their secondary with Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond.
The Redskins have improved the defensive line with the additions of Terrance “Potroast” Knighton from the Broncos and Stephen Paea from the Bears. CB Chris Culliver also came in from the 49ers, but they lost big name OLB Brian Orakpo who left on a big contract with the Titans.
NFC North
The Packers tied Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga to a new long term deals, but let experienced defenders AJ Hawk and Tramon Williams go. Traditionally, the Packers are usually quiet in Free Agency and like to pick up new players through the draft.
The Lions lost Ndamukong Suh when Miami outbid them to sign the all-pro Defensive Tackle to a $114million deal, and then let partner in crime Nick Fairley leave the building. To replace them, they picked up an able replacement in a trade for Haloti Ngata. Running back Reggie Bush also left to sign for the 49ers.
The Bears quietly added proven talent to their porous defence, bringing in Safety Antrelle Rolle and LB Pernell McPhee. They traded away the increasingly troublesome Brandon Marshall to the Jets for a low round pick, and brought in veteran Eddie Royal in replacement. Veterans like Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman remain unsigned, but aren’t expected back to John Fox’s new regime.
The Vikings have been quiet in Free Agency, but have picked up contraversial WR Mike Wallace from the Dolphins. Wallace comes in on a big contract, but is a good fit for Norv Turners offence, and an upgrade on the outgoing Greg Jennings. Draft bust Christian Ponder also moved on.
NFC South
The Falcons have a new head coach, and look to have a greatly changed roster in 2015. A load of new defensive players have been brought in, and have even more looking to be on the way out. No big names as of yet though.
The Panthers have also been quiet – big names Greg Hardy and DeAngelo Williams are out of the door, and only Michael Oher and Ted Ginn have come in, which won’t have the Panthers fanbase that excited yet!
The Saints however are in turnaround mode – a massive trade on the opening day of Free Agency saw crowd (and Drew Brees) favourite Jimmy Graham head to NFC rivals the Seahawks, and in came top Center Max Unger and a 1st round pick. The reinvention of this team continued – CJ Spiller was signed to join the re-upped Mark Ingram in the backfield. Brandon Browner is a new arrival from New England, while WR Kenny Stills was traded to the Dolphins for Dannelle Ellerbe, and Pierre Thomas was released.
The Buccaneers are yet to make any big Free Agency splashes, but Lovie Smith is recreating his Chicago Bears defence by bringing in Safety Chris Conte and tackle Henry Melton, neither of which should give much confidence to the Buccs fans. They do have the 1st pick in the upcoming draft though to console themselves with!
NFC West
The Cardinals have the best guard available in Free Agency, stealing Mike Iupati away from rivals, the 49ers. They’re losing a couple of pieces on defence though, as Darnell Dockett went in the opposite direction, and Antonio Cromartie followed Todd Bowles to New York.
The 49ers added Dockett and wideman Torrey Smith from Baltimore, but they’re realing from the shock retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland at linebacker. New HC Jim Tomsula will need to look a the uncertainty around Justin Smiths impending retirement and the volatility that surrounds Aldon Smith in order to stabilise the defence. They moved on from veteran Running Back Frank Gore, but brought in Reggie Bush.
The Seahawks look to be even stronger thanks to the Jimmy Graham – Max Unger trade, but they lost Superbowl champs Bryon Maxwell and Malcolm Smith. Jag CB Will Blackmon is the latest addition to the Legion of Boom.
The Rams got involved with one of the biggest QB trades of recent years, trading former 1st pick Sam Bradford for the Eagles’ Nick Foles. They re-signed Kenny Britt to a big deal, and also added even more depth to their D-line with Nick Fairley.
Happy New Year everybody! The 2015 NFL calendar opened with a bang last night.
Just minutes before free agency began we were given the news that Jimmy Graham was being traded from the Saints to the Seahawks. Graham was only locked down to a 4-year $40m contract last summer!
Talk leading up to 8pm (GMT) was of Ndamukong Suh, DeMarco Murray and Julius Thomas. As of this morning that trio are yet to sign for anyone.
Here are the top five deals so far:
Jimmy Graham – New Orleans Saints to Seattle Seahawks. The Saints will send the Tight End and a 4th round pick to the Seahawks for a 1st round pick (no. 31 overall) and center Max Unger. Although this wasn’t the biggest trade financially, it is the one that blew everyone away. Has Russell Wilson got his number one target?
Darrelle Revis – to the Jets. The star Cornerback got his ring in New England and returns to the Jets for his bumper pay deal. It’s a 5 year, $70m deal with $39m guaranteed. UK fans will see Revis Island at Wembley on October 4.
Haloti Ngata – Baltimore Ravens to Detroit Lions. The Lions traded a 4th and 5th round pick for the Nose Tackle. He only had one year left on his deal, so it’ll interesting to see who the winner is in this deal.
Nick Foles for Sam Bradford – Chip Kelly is moving his pieces this off season. The Philadelphia Eagles clearly didn’t see Foles as their franchise QB. Sam Bradford has had a tumultuous time with the St Louis Rams. Injuries haven’t helped, so is he the answer for Philly? Will they using Bradford as a sweetener to make a move for Mariota next month?
Frank Gore – San Francisco 49ers – Indianapolis Colts. All the talk on Monday was of Gore moving to Philadelphia, but the five-time Pro Bowler will end his career playing behind Andrew Luck. The Running Back flies into Indy coming off the back of four consecutive 1000-plus yard seasons. But have we seen the best of the “Inconvenient Truth”? Let’s see what 2015 brings.
Top 5 Free Agents still on the market:
Ndamukong Suh (DT) – looks like he’s heading to Miami, but don’t be surprised if there are 11th hour offers coming into his agent!
Julius Thomas (TE) – looks set for Jacksonville.
DeMarco Murray (RB) – he’s testing the free agency market with Arizona, Philadelphia, Dallas, Jacksonville and Oakland interested.
Percy Harvin (WR) – Probable to stay in the AFC East, with Buffalo and New England likely suitors now that he’s been released by the Jets.
Andre Johnson (WR) – he was reported to be travelling to Indianapolis on Tuesday to join fellow veteran Frank Gore at LucasOil Stadium.
Today is the last official day of the 2014 season. Tomorrow is the start of free agency, but also the opening day of the 2015 season – this means that most players’ contracts will have a guaranteed roster bonus attached – that’s why everyone is looking at what the Patriots do with the $20m due to Darrelle Revis….
So after seeing a couple of big trades go down for pro-bowl calibre players like Shady McCoy and Brandon Marshall, what if I were GM for a day? Here’s a couple of QB trades that would get Twitter lit up with the clock ticking down towards March 10th:
1. Bears trade their 7th place in the 2015 NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles for Nick Foles + their 20th place pick.
Chip Kelly wants Marcus Mariota, and that means moving up the draft, however he doesn’t have a great hand to play. Nick Foles could go up to the Bears, solving their Jay Cutler problem, and in return they get much closer to Mariota. They may have to package another trade to move up again, but 7th is much better than 20th. This would also see Cutler hit the open market.
2. Redskins trade RG3 and this year’s 1st rounder to the 49ers for Colin Kaepernick.
So the Redskins haven’t had a 1st round pick for 3 years anyway, so why not trade this one away for a more reliable read-option QB? The 49ers could use the 5th pick in this year’s draft to pick up a new pass rusher, or even a QB as RG3 insurance. The Redskins love a bit of offseason headlines, so this would be right up their street!
The Buffalo Bills have been the talk of the NFL this week.
They surprised everyone with news of their trade for Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy. The Bills’ linebacker Kiko Alonso heads the other way, joining the former Oregon Ducks coach, Chip Kelly, and eight other ex-Ducks on the Eagles’ roster.
McCoy was the best RB in the league two seasons ago. His stats dipped last year, but at the age of 27 he still has a lot to offer in west New York. He will see a lot of the ball in 2015 and has the ability to light up the AFC East.
UK fans should get excited about the prospect of seeing him tear up the Wembley turf in October. He’s a rusher that can run in a 60 yard touchdown like Adrian Peterson did under the arch in 2013.
It’s been more than a week since Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass. We all know what happened.
The criticism of Pete Carroll’s and Darrell Bevell’s decision-making still rages. The hatred they’ve received is unnecessary.
Sport is made up of ifs and buts. It’s those what ifs that keep us coming back for more.
Those nearly moments are just as important as the glorious occasions when things go our team’s way.
So, what if Ricardo Lockette clutched that ball with 20 seconds to go? Pete Carroll would be a genius. He would have been the coach who fooled us all, even the great Bill Belichick. With the ball on the 1-yard line you expected nothing but to see Marshawn Lynch barging through two or three defenders on his way into the endzone.
Carroll tried and failed. But what if he ran it? What if Belichick had called a timeout? The result would probably be different. We don’t know. All we know is what happened happened. That’s sport.
What if Carroll had chosen to go for a field goal against the Packers in the Championship game instead of faking it? The Seahawks would probably have not been in Arizona last week. But he went for it and everyone raved about it.
What if Brandon Bostick had done his job and let Jordy Nelson receive the onside kick in that same game? The Packers would have definitely been in the Super Bowl instead of Seattle!
Sport is won and lost on split-second decisions. Those decisions are what separate superstars from us mere mortals. If Dick Fosbry hadn’t broken from the norm the high jump would be completely different.
Every game in the NFL is won and lost by decisions made on the field. Carroll, Bevell and Wilson got it wrong, but they gave it a go. What if Jeremy Lane didn’t break his wrist after picking Brady’s pass in the first quarter? His replacement, Tharold Simon, got torched by the MVP the rest of the game. Would the outcome have been different? We assume it will, but we will never know.
Super Bowl XLIX was a fantastic game that was filled with drama. The drama was created by those wonderful coaches, players, decision-makers. Let’s not forget that we’re all fallible. Even the great get it wrong at times, but what if they get it right next time? We don’t want to miss it for the world and that’s why our love for the game will never wane.
5th Down UK 