Sam Penix Articles - Page 8

With 9:29 remaining in the fourth quarter of the New England Patriots’ Thursday Night Football victory over the Indianapolis Colts, quarterback Tom Brady made history yet again, this time accomplishing two incredible feats in the same play. The Patriots were up 24-17 and faced a first-and-10 at the Colts’ 34-yard line. Brady faked the handoff […]

On Wednesday, Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden revealed that LT Kolton Miller, the team’s 2018 first-round draft pick, wasn’t his first choice. Jon Gruden said he wanted to take Derwin James in the first round, but unfortunately they took a safety in the first round in 2016 (Karl Joseph) and one in the second […]

After an 0-4 start, the San Diego Los Angeles Chargers finished the 2017 season 6-1 to finish 9-7 overall, which gave fans hope that the 2018 season would be the year the Bolts returned to the postseason, where they haven’t been since 2013. A strong offseason strengthened this sense of optimism, but through the first four […]

A new era of Arizona Cardinals football has begun, with head coach Steve Wilks and quarterback Sam Bradford in their inaugural campaigns with the franchise. After an 8-8 2017 season, Wilks and Bradford’s forerunners, Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer, retired after spending five years with the club. Things didn’t start off well as the Cardinals […]

After a very disappointing 2017 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to rebound to 2018. Head coach Dirk Koetter may be on the hot seat as he begins his third year with the team, and how his club performs early on may be the difference in him lasting through the season or not. If Week […]

It’s been bad for Browns fans ever since the team (via expansion) returned to Cleveland in 1999, but things reached rock bottom last year when they became just the second team in NFL history to go 0-16. New general manager John Dorsey responded by replacing 59% of the roster, and now this Browns team looks […]

The Oakland Raiders and superstar pass rusher Khalil Mack have been at a contract impasse for months now, and it doesn’t appear there will be a resolution any time soon. The best thing for both sides may be a trade, and there are a few teams who could swing a deal for the former Defensive […]

Perhaps no team in recent history has fallen from the ranks of the elite as quickly as the Denver Broncos. Super Bowl champions in 2015, Denver finished with a 5-11 record last season and earned the fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft. There are holes all over the roster, but the biggest was at […]

Last season, the Buffalo Bills ended their 17-year playoff drought by finishing 9-7 and clinching a Wild Card berth. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear Buffalo will be able to repeat that success in 2018. The loss of some key players coupled with the projected improvement of the rival Miami Dolphins and New York Jets (as well […]

In 2017, the Cincinnati Bengals finished a disappointing 7-9, a minimal improvement over their 6-9-1 2016 season. After an active offseason, Cincinnati looks to return to the playoffs, but they face an uphill battle. Bengals Offense The league’s most average quarterback returns for an eighth season. Andy Dalton is not a bad QB. In fact, […]

NFL training camp is always filled with intriguing storylines and crucial position battles, and this year is no different. Here are ten contests to keep an eye on this preseason. 10. Josh McCown vs. Teddy Bridgewater vs. Sam Darnold The New York Jets have needed a franchise QB every since Mark Sanchez fell off the […]

After a 5-11 finish in 2017, the Chicago Bears are ready to take a step forward under a new head coach. John Fox went 14-35 in his three seasons at the helm before being fired, replaced by Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. Chicago may not be able to overtake the Packers or Vikings […]

One of the NFL’s premier divisions just four years ago, the NFC West (San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks) is now a shell of its former self. Age and injuries have turned it from a smashmouth free-for-all into almost a cakewalk for the favorite, and the NFL Draft didn’t do […]

The NFC South (New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Bucs, and Atlanta Falcons) currently has two Super Bowl contenders, possibly even three. Can the division’s 2018 NFL Draft class increase the competition between three playoff teams from last season? Let’s rank them from last to first. 4. New Orleans Saints Round 1 pick 14 […]

The NFC East is home to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. After a less than competitive season, the three other teams (Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Washington Redskins) should be much improved this year, but so should the champs. Let’s breakdown the division’s draft classes from this spring. 4. New York Giants […]

The NFC North (Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings) looks to be one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL this season, and that is thanks in large part to the drafts of the four teams within it. 4. Minnesota Vikings Round 1 pick 30 – Mike Hughes, CB, Central […]

LeBron James has many options this offseason. Which team he decides to join will change the fate of the entire NBA, and for good reason. James will turn 34 during the season, so this could possibly be his last chance to sign a contract and be the top player on a championship contender. He hasn’t […]

A pivotal decision lies ahead for LeBron James, one which will completely change the future of not only the Cleveland Cavaliers, but also the entire NBA. James will have many suitors lined up to sell him on the benefits of joining their team, but only one will win the sweepstakes. Cleveland may not be the […]

Let’s take a look at the 2018 NFL Draft class for all four teams in the AFC West (Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers), giving them each a grade for their selections. 3(t). Kansas City Chiefs Round 2 pick 14 – Breeland Speaks, DE, Missouri Round 3 pick 11 – […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers are now down 0-2 to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals after dropping the opening two contests by the Bay. The Game 1 loss was no fault of LeBron James, who had a masterful performance with 51 points on 59% shooting, eight assists, eight rebounds, one block, and one steal. […]

Let’s take a look at the 2018 NFL Draft class for all four teams in the AFC East (Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and New York Jets), giving them each a grade for their selections. 4. Buffalo Bills Round 1 pick 7 – Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Round 1 pick 16 – Tremaine […]

Let’s take a look at the 2018 NFL Draft class for all four teams in the AFC South (Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans), giving them each a grade for their selections. 3(t). Jacksonville Jaguars Round 1 pick 29 – Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Round 2 pick 29 – D.J. Chark, WR, LSU […]

The trades that sent the Cavs’ Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics and the Pacers’ Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder were two of the biggest moves of the 2017 NBA offseason. Although the trades were unrelated, Irving and George were nearly dealt for each other multiple times. If that deal had gone through, […]

Let’s take a look at the 2018 NFL Draft class for all four teams in the AFC North (Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens), giving them each a grade for their selections. 4. Pittsburgh Steelers Round 1 pick 28 – Terrell Edmunds, S, Virginia Tech Round 2 pick 28 – James Washington, […]

Most draft-eligible college players are not selected in the NFL Draft, so they must attempt to begin their professional career as an undrafted free agent. Legends such as John Randle, Warren Moon, and Kurt Warner weren’t drafted, so great players can be found after all of the picks are made. Here are the ten players […]

The 2018 NFL Draft is now finished. Pack your bags and get out of Dallas. Although Day 3 is usually the least eventful, there were still some very good players on the board when the Carolina Panthers kicked off the fourth round. Here are the 10 best selections from the draft’s final day: 10. Da’Shawn […]

The Cleveland Browns took Baker Mayfield first overall last night, and the NFL Draft only became more unpredictable from there, culminating with the Baltimore Ravens trading back into the first to take Louisville’s Lamar Jackson. There were plenty of surprises, and that means that quite a few talented players were not taken. Here are the […]

Sam Darnold, Saquon Barkley, and the other top prospects in this year’s NFL Draft class are getting all the hype, but there are a plenty of players who aren’t talked about much who could end up becoming household names in the NFL. Here are just a few that may end up becoming stars at the […]

The 2018 NFL Draft class is stacked with talent at the top. Plenty of deserving players won’t even be drafted in the first round, even though they would have been in previous years. Some prospects have the potential to be among the NFL’s best in a few years. Here are ten to keep an eye on: […]

On April 21st, the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Portland Trail Blazers 131-123, completing a four-game sweep in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Pelicans placed sixth in the West, and even with their series victory, are not considered a serious threat to the Golden State Warriors or Houston Rockets, and that’s […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves may be down 2-1 to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, but falling in the first round doesn’t mean their season will be a failure. In fact, quite the opposite is true; the team finished 47-35,and made the playoffs for the first time since 2004! In […]

The 2018 NFL Draft is just days away, and there have already been multiple trades that have reshaped the first round. The New York Jets sent the sixth pick along with two second-rounders this year and one next year to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the third overall pick. The Jets are almost certainly […]

Before the start of the 2017 college football season, LSU edge rusher Arden Key was receiving top-10 buzz. This mock from CBS Sports has him going fifth overall. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller pegged him as the ninth selection. And Key goes fourth overall in this NBC Sports mock. But now, just days away from the […]

The 2018 NFL Draft is just six days away, and rumors are flying left and right. Four quarterbacks are expected to go high: USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Wyoming’s Josh Allen. But there is another QB who is receiving first-round buzz, albeit with less hype. What makes Louisville’s Lamar Jackson such […]

Tom Brady is entering his 19th season in the NFL, and he will turn 41 years old in August. In 2017, he led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl, throwing for 4,577 yards, 32 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions on his way to the MVP award. He was named first-team All-Pro for the […]

Every year, an average of seven new NFL head coaches are hired. The 2018 offseason was no different, as seven teams moved on from their former leaders. Opinions on some of the new hires are mixed, but there is a sense of optimism around them all. What could the records of these coaches look like […]

NFL teams spend exorbitant amounts of time scouting draft prospects in order to determine if they will fit with their team. But often times, NFL players end up not fitting with their squads, whether it be personality or attitude reasons, playing style, scheme fit, or a number of other factors. Even when things don’t work […]

While it is ultimately an entertainment product, the NBA is a business for players. And, like any business, there is an element of risk involved. Players have to be able to maximize their career earnings while putting themselves in the best position for playoff success. There are plenty of examples of guys who succeed in […]

Every year, NFL fans gather with anticipation to see which young star their team will add through the NFL Draft. The harsh reality is that most draft selections will not end up panning out. Many prospects are hyped up, but few live up to their potential. This year’s draft class is no different. Here are […]