MLB: Plenty to be Happy About During First Half of 2013 Season

Can Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, and the rest of the players in the Biogenesis case get suspended already. And, sorry nobody cares about your fantasy team taking a big hit when your guy gets put on the shelf for at least 50 games. It is taking away from the great baseball we have seen during the first half of the 2013 season.  

This really annoyed me when I was listening to Mike and Mike in the Morning on Monday morning and the first thing they talked about was Alex Rodriguez. Instead of reporters asking the current All-Stars about their achievements during the first half of the season they were asking them about players on the Biogenesis report. 

Who cares.

Why not talk about Chris Davis having 37 home runs at the break? Only Barry Bonds had more by the mid-summer classic with 39 long balls.

Davis and Miguel Cabrera both have at least 30 HR's and 90 RBI by the All-Star break, this has never happened before during the live ball era (93 years).

Cabrera is trying to do something no one else has ever done: win the Triple Crown in back-to-back seasons. Only two players, Rogers Hornsby and Ted Williams, have won it multiple times. At the break Cabrera leads the American League in average (.365) and RBI (95) and is second in HR's (30). 

Clayton Kershaw is the first lefty to have an ERA under 2.00 at the break since Randy Johnson did it in 2000 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kershaw is on pace to be the first pitcher since Greg Maddux to have the best ERA in the majors for three consecutive seasons (1993-95). 

Yasiel Puig has cooled off a bit since his historic debut, but he single-handily got the Dodgers back into contention. Los Angeles has the best record in the National League since Puig was called up on June 3. He was the first player since 1949 to post a two-homer, five-RBI game within his first two career games. He is the first player ever to win "Player of the Month" in his first month in the big leagues. 

Wait... 


We aren't done with Puigomania. 

His .436 average in his first month is the highest in MLB history. Only Joe DiMaggio had more hits (48) during his first month in the big leagues than Yasiel Puig (44). He enters the All-Star break with an impressive .391/.422/.616 batting line. I'll be nice and do the math for you, that equals a 1.038 OPS. He has eight home-runs, 19 RBI, and 28 runs in 38 games. He is truly a five-tool player, and as Vin Scully said, he is the first player he can remember that utilized all five-tools within his first week of being called up.

A lot of people are comparing Puig to another young stud who fishes not too far from Dodger Stadium: Mike Trout. 

We could be watching the best baseball player to ever play, and we don't even realize it yet. Trout is in his first full season in the big leagues and is having another stellar campaign. Last year he was named the "American League Rookie of the Year" and finished second in the MVP race. He was named to the All-Star team as a rookie, won a Silver Slugger, joined the 30-30 club (youngest ever), and led the American League in runs scored and stolen bases. No player has ever hit 30 home-runs, stole 45 bases, and scored 125 runs in a season, until Mike Trout did it last season as a rookie. He became the only American League player to ever win "Rookie of the Month" and "Player of the Month" last July. Not a bad start to a career, and he also led the majors with a 10.7 WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Just to realize how amazing that is just check this out. Trout's teammate, Albert Pujols, you know the nine-time All-Star and three-time National League MVP, has never had a season with a WAR above 9.4. Miguel Cabrera, last years MVP winner over Trout, had a WAR at 6.9. When Ted Williams won his first MVP in 1946 he had the exact same WAR as Trout. Williams never had another season with that high of a WAR. Trout's 10.7 WAR was the fourth highest ever by a player under 25. The other three: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle. 

Trout enters the All-Star break with a .322/.399/.565 batting line. He ranks in the top-five in just about every offensive category in the American League: hits, batting average, OBP, SLG.%, OPS., runs, stolen bases, doubles, triples, and WAR. On top of that he is one of the best outfielders in all of baseball. He is the only player in the majors with at least 15 HR's and 20 stolen bases at the break. Trout was named to his second consecutive All-Star game, this time as a starter. He is the youngest American League starter since Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez in 1993. It is remarkable what Trout has done during his first 260 games in the majors, and the scary thing is he's only 21. 

There is another starter in the All-Star game under the age of 22, marking the third time ever in the mid-summer classic. The other two times this occurred was in 1953 with Eddie Mathews and Mickey Mantle, and in 1956 with Al Kaline and Frank Robinson. For those of you counting at home these four Hall of Famers combined for 2,033 home-runs, 64 All-Star appearances, 12 World Series rings, and five MVP's. 

Can Mike Trout and Bryce Harper live up to that?

That's a clown question bro. 

Or is it? 

Bryce Harper has been one of the best players in the majors since being called up as a 19-year old last season. He didn't have quite the year Trout did, but he still took home the "National League Rookie of the Year" award. He did something a teenager hasn't done since 1964 during his rookie season: stole home. He became the youngest position player to ever be named an All-Star and was the third youngest ever (Dwight Gooden and Bob Feller). Harper's 254 total bases and 57 extra-base hits were the most ever by a player under the age of 20. His 22 home-runs, .340 OBP., .477 SLG %, and .817 OPS. were the best regular season numbers in the last 45 years for a teenager. 

"The Phenom" has been banged up this year and has missed over one-third of the season. He plays the game with aggression and passion, which is great for baseball. He has shown his importance to the Nationals because they are 16-21 in his absence and 32-26 in games he's played in. Harper is one of the most exciting players to watch in the majors, and like Trout, he still isn't close to reaching his potential. The kid can't even buy a beer, and don't ask him if he will when he travels to Canada, we remember how that went. 

We've already talked about "Puigs", "Trouts", and "Phenoms", oh my. 

Wait. There is another young stud that pitchers are in fear of:

Manny Machado.

The Baltimore Orioles All-Star third baseman can finally buy a beer. He turned 21 nine days ago and hopefully he avoids "Johnny Football" in the Big Apple, he doesn't want to get "dehydrated". 

Before I get to his MLB stats I want to go back to high-school real quick. During his senior season he batted .639 with 12 HR's and 68 RBI in 29 games. Nobody even does that in Little League. 

Okay back to the big leagues. 


You know he is having a phenomenal season because he was selected as an All-Star at third base. There is a huge log jam at third in the American League. Adrian Beltre, Evan Longoria, and Josh Donaldson were all deserving but Machado brings a lot more to the table as an all-around third baseman. The crazy thing is third isn't even his natural position, he's a shortstop. He played two more games at third base in the minors than I did. That is remarkable because he plays third like he's been doing it his whole life. (Best web gem of 2013, so far.)In his first full season in the big leagues he's leading the American League in doubles with 39, the second most in MLB history at the All-Star break. He's well on pace to break Earl Webb's 81-year old record of 67 in a season. On May 30th he broke Ty Cobb's record for most multi-hit games before turning 21. Cobb had 40 before the age of 21, Machado flew by that with 51. In the month of May he had 44 hits, and the only other player to have more hits in a month under the age of 21 was some guy named Mickey Mantle.

It is huge for the game of baseball what these young studs are doing. From the mid-to-late 1990's the steroid era was creeping in. Now in 2013 it is still in the picture but Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Yasiel Puig are making the transition that much easier. They are proving you don't have to be on the juice to make the game entertaining. 


Alright. Let's take a break and see who wins the awards for the first half of the MLB season.


American League

MVP: Miguel Cabrera

Cy Young: Felix Hernandez

Rookie of the Year: Jose Iglesias

Manager of the Year: John Farrell


National League

MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw

Rookie of the Year: Shelby Miller

Manager of the Year: Clint Hurdle 

Right before the All-Star break we saw the back-to-back NL Cy Young winner from 2008-2009 return to form. Tim Lincecum threw 148 pitches and recorded his first career no-hitter. He is the first pitcher to throw a no-no at Petco Park. "The Freak" finally had his swag back and was pitching with a great amount of confidence. His slider was wicked, changeup was dancing more than Chris Brown, and his fastball command was finally back. If Lincecum can regain his form the Giants instantly become a very dangerous team again. They have won two of the last three World Series all because of pitching. This year has been a total 180 for the reigning champs. They enter the break with the 20th ranked ERA in all of baseball and have the fourth worst team ERA in the National League. Luckily for the Giants, the National League West has been mediocre at best. San Francisco enters the All-Star break eight games under .500 but only 6.5 games back of first place in the NL West. You have to think Matt Cain will be the old Cain in the second half of the season. Ryan Vogelsong is coming off the disabled list soon and Madison Bumgarner has been one of the best pitchers in the game, this team is far from done. 

One thing I have learned over the last three years: never count out the San Francisco Giants.

If you want to talk about a surprise team in 2013 look no further than the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates haven't finished with a record over .500 since Barry Bonds played there. Yeah, that was in 1992. Pittsburgh has the second best record in the majors and it's because of pitching. Entering the All-Star break they are tops in the majors in ERA (3.07), shutouts (13), and opponents batting average (.225). Jeff Locke has been one of the best stories in baseball this season. Clayton Kershaw is the only pitcher in the National League who has a lower ERA than Locke's 2.15 earned run average. He went 16 consecutive starts without being handed a loss before the Oakland Athletics beat him for the second time all season. Locke is 8-2 with a 2.15 ERA this season and was named to his first All-Star game. 

Another name to remember is Gerrit Cole. The former No. 1 overall selection out of UCLA in the 2011 draft has made seven starts this year and has never allowed more than three earned runs in any start. Cole became the fifth pitcher in MLB history to win his first four career starts. Add those two young arms with A.J. Burnett, Francisco Liriano, and Wandy Rodriguez (when he returns from the DL) they form one of the best rotation in the bigs. The Pirate's rotation has been so good they haven't even had to depend on the first pick of the 2010 MLB draft, Jameson Taillon. The 6'6" right-handed pitcher has a chance to become one of the best in the game down the road. 


Things are looking bright in Pittsburgh, finally. Andrew McCutchen is one of the best players in baseball, Starlin Marte is one of the top young outfielders in the game, Pedro Alvarez is hitting bombs, and they have one of the best bullpens in the game. This could be the year the Pirates finally finish above .500, and more importantly, make the postseason. 


The surprise team in the American League this year has been the Boston Red Sox. While the Pirates are doing it with the arms, the Red Sox are doing it with the lumber. They are tops in the American League in runs, total bases, doubles, triples, OBP., and OPS. They are second in the AL in hits, average, and slugging %. Boston has the best record in the American League at the break (58-39). They have six guys with a batting average above .300. 

Clay Buchholz has the best ERA among all starting pitchers (1.71) and is a perfect 9-0 this season. It is remarkable the Red Sox have the best record in the AL considering they have used three different closers this year. If they sure up the back end of the bullpen the rest of the American League has a lot to worry about. Also, how about John Lackey this season. He is only 7-6 this year but his 2.78 ERA is fourth in the American League. The Red Sox might be the most balanced team in the majors. 


The San Francisco Giants have been a disappointment in 2013, the same can't be said for the other team across the Bay. The Oakland Athletics have the best record in baseball since last year's All-Star break. They have the second best record in the American League (56-39) and enter the break winning six-straight series. Four of those series were against teams that were 10-plus games above .500. Josh Donaldson was the biggest All-Star snub this year, easily. A team that is playing this well deserves more than one All-Star. Donaldson leads the A's in batting average, hits, runs, HR's, OBP., SLG%, OPS., total bases, doubles, walks, and WAR. Donaldson ranks in the top-ten in the American League in average, RBI, OBP., SLG %, OPS., and WAR. It's safe to say the A's are earning all of his $492,500 salary for this year. 

Oakland's second highest paid player, Yoenis Cespedes, put on a show at Citi Field in route to winning the 28th home-run derby. Cespedes went 71 at-bats without a homer heading into the derby. Most people think the derby negatively affects hitters heading into the second half of the season, but this might have the opposite affect with Cespedes. He has been off to a slower start this year in his second full season in the bigs with a .225/.293/.420 batting line with 15 home-runs and 43 RBI. 


Bartolo Colon is having one of his best seasons at the age of 40, posting a 12-3 record with a 2.70 ERA. His name is one the biogenesis list of players who were supplied by Anthony Bosch so he could be serving a suspension in the near future. Luckily, the A's have depth in the rotation and they went through the same scenario last season and still found a way to win the American League West. 

Brett Anderson finally had his walking boot taken off after suffering a stress fracture in his foot, and could be back within a month. The Texas Rangers are dealing with same problem, their only position player to make the All-Star team, Nelson Cruz, is on the Biogenesis list too. One of the Athletics major strengths this year has been at the back end of the bullpen. Grant Balfour replaced Colon on the All-Star team because Colon started on Sunday, and is not elgible to pitch. Balfour is 0-1 with a 1.63 ERA this season and is a perfect 25-25 in save opportunities. He is the only closer in the majors with zero blown saves and passed Dennis Eckersley's 21-year old record for most consecutive saves in Athletics franchise history. His 43 consecutive saves dating back to last year is the longest active streak in the majors. Oakland enters the All-Star break with the best ERA in the American League and the fourth best bullpen ERA. 


While most the talk has been about who is on the Biogenesis list this past week we are losing focus on the players who have done their job to make this America's pastime. It might be years from now until we know the game of baseball is finally clean again, but that shouldn't take away from what we are witnessing. 

Matt Harvey, Clayton Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, Madison Bumgarner, Adam Wainwright, Max Scherzer, Matt Moore, Felix Hernandez Justin Verlander, Yu Darvish, and so many other great pitchers in the big leagues are helping transition the game of baseball from the steroid era back to the way it should be.

Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Yasiel Puig, Paul Goldschmidt, Buster Posey, Andrew McCutchen, Yadier Molina, Joe Mauer, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Adam Jones, Ian Kinsler, Dustin Pedroia, Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp, Carlos Gonzalez, Justin Upton, Jacoby Ellsbury, Troy Tulowitzki, and so many other great position players don't deserve steroids being the centerpiece of the talk during the All-Star break. It takes away from what so many great players are doing on natural talent and hard work. 

I hope five years from now we don't have to go through steroid talk again, but baseball in an unpredictable sport, for the good and the bad. I just hope youngsters like Machado, Trout, and Harper can show young kids you don't have to be on performance enhancers to produce at a high-level and make the game entertaining. 

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens should never be inducted into the Hall of Fame. If they wanted to be in the Hall they would have never done it. They knew the choice they were making and knew they wouldn't get in if they got caught. Well sorry to break it to you, but you guys got caught. They aren't little kids, they knew what was right and wrong. It was part of that era, an era that tainted the game, but at the same time made the game more popular. It was what the game needed, but every player that juiced knew they were taking a chance of tarnishing their careers. No player that was on steroids should be in the Hall. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens would easily be in the HOF if they stayed away from steriods, but they got too greedy and got their needle caught in the cookie jar. 

NFL: 55 Days and Counting

It is finally getting close to the best time of the year: 

Football Season. 

It's time to dust off your jerseys, find your face paint, make sure you have wings in the freezer, and stock up on beer because we are less than two months away from watching the best sport in America. There is one thing for certain: Aaron Hernandez will be catching pass from Paul Crewe for a long time, maybe forever. (Paul Krewe highlights.)

Tom Brady is wondering were all his targets went, four of New England's top five receivers are gone. Rob Gronkowski is the only one returning and who knows if he will be ready for the season opener at Buffalo on September 8. Bill Belichick is depending heavily on Danny Amendola to bring out his inner Wes Welker and praying he never has to depend on Tim Tebow. I mean I had to talk about Tebow at least once in here, it's the law. Don't worry about New England contending, they do every year, especially with their super model quaterback.

The Baltimore Ravens have a brand new team after winning the Super Bowl five months ago. They lost eight starters from last years team. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Anquan Boldin combined for 22 Pro-Bowl appearances during their careers in Baltimore. According to the Elias Sports Bureau no Super Bowl winning team has ever lost more than five starters. Luckily, they have their 28-year old gun-slinging quarterback locked up for a long time. Joe Flacco is one of the best in the game and finally earned the respect he deserves after an impressive postseason. No quarterback has won more games than Flacco through his first 80 career starts. He's the only QB to win a playoff game in five straight years to start a career. He made Joe Montana and Kurt Warner make reservations for three, becoming the third QB to throw 11 touchdowns in one postseason. What's even more impressive is he did it without one interception (thanks to Rahim Moore) joining Montana as the only two in NFL history. He was the first to ever have a passer rating over 100 in all four postseason games and his 117.2 rating tied him with Steve Young for third all-time in one postseason. Now it's all on his shoulders to lead the Ravens to their sixth straight playoff appearance. Baltimore is the only active team to make the postseason five straight years and only three other teams have made it at least three straight years (Green Bay, New England, and Atlanta). Baltimore opens up the regular season against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the season debut on NBC's "Thursday Night Football".

I still can't believe that game in the AFC Divisional playoffs. How did Rahim Moore let that pass get over his head. That was one of the best football games I have ever seen. Just to show how good Flacco is he beat two legends and two of the next great quarterbacks in route to winning the Super Bowl MVP: Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Colin Kaepernick. Pretty damn impressive, I think it's safe to say he deserved every penny of his new 120.6 million dollar contract. 

Wait. Wes Welker goes from Tom Brady to Peyton Manning? That's like trading Kate Upton for Julianne Hough. The Broncos enter the 2013 season as the runner-up to win the Super Bowl (6.5 : 1) because of No. 18. Manning has more toys than Jenna Jameson (sorry Tito Ortiz). Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, and Welker combined for 297 receptions, 3,852 yards, and 29 touchdowns last season. They also have three very talented young running backs after selecting Montee Ball in the second round in this years draft. The rookie out of Wisconsin rushed for more touchdowns (77) than anyone in Division 1 history. He joins Knowshon Moreno and Ronnie Hillman in the backfield and it will be interesting to see who wins the job during the preseason. Von Miller is the quarterback on the other side of the ball and is one of the best players in the NFL. Lets just say it's not easy for quarterbacks to sleep on Saturday night when they are playing Denver on Sunday. The third-year pro from Texas A&M has 30 sacks and eight forced fumbles in his first two seasons and his 18.5 sacks last year were third most in the NFL. On a side note, Peyton Manning purchased 21 Papa John franchises right when marijuana was legalized in Colorado, just to show how smart this dude is. Smartest athlete in the world, easily. The Broncos are the clear favorite to win the AFC West for the third straight year, and I think it's a shoe in they run away with the division. Manning has a really good chance to make his third career Super Bowl this season.

Remember when the NFC West was a joke? I'm sure glad those days are long gone. The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks have developed the best rivalry in the NFL since Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll returned to the NFL. 

San Francisco opens as the overall favorite in Vegas to win the Super Bowl this year (6 : 1), thanks to Aaron Hernandez. I love the way the Niners play football. They are going to smack you in the mouth and run the ball down your throat. Now Harbaugh finally has his quarterback who can open up the entire field. Colin Kaepernick was the Yasiel Puig of the NFL last year. He came out of nowhere and took the league by storm. In his first career playoff game he set an NFL single-game record for most rushing yards by a quarterback (181 yards) against the Green Bay Packers. Erik Walden is still looking for Kaepernick. The 25-year old quarterback out of Nevada is the real deal. He enters his third season with his first full training camp knowing he is the starting quarterback and I could see him becoming the first Niner to win the regular season MVP since Steve Young did in 1994. San Francisco is going to be even hungrier this year after falling five yards short of winning their sixth Super Bowl in franchise history. They have one of the best defenses in the NFL, if not the best, led by Patrick Willis. The seven-year linebacker from Ole Miss has had at least 120 tackles in five of his first six seasons. (Missed three games in 2011, finished the season with 97 tackles.) His linebacker in crime, NaVorro Bowman, has been one of the best in the NFL over the last two seasons. He has a knack for finding the rock, Bowman has 291 tackles over the last two years. Justin Smith is the most underrated player in the NFL, and we saw how important he was to the defense after he tore his bicep tendon against Seattle in Week 16 last year. The defense was never the same, even though Smith returned for the playoffs. He is the engine that gets the truck started and a healthy Justin Smith is important for the success on defense. Aldon Smith is one of the best pass rushers in the league and his 33.5 sacks in his first two seasons are the most in NFL history. They lost one of the best safeties in the game in Dashon Goldson after he signed a five-year deal with Tampa Bay, but they are hopeful their first round pick from LSU can fill his shoes. Eric Reid was one of the best safeties in college and was a consensus first-team All-American during his junior season last year. San Francisco will be without Michael Crabtree for a large part of the season but I don't see that affecting them that much. They acquired a three-time Pro Bowler from the Baltimore Ravens. Anquan Boldin has been one of the top receivers in the NFL during his 10-year career and is the complete package. He will fit Jim Harbaugh's system very well, just ask how it went for Jim's older brother, John Harbaugh. I would be shocked if the Niners don't make it to the NFC Championship at worst. 

From one great young quarterback to another. Russell "The Magician" Wilson was an absolute stud last year. He threw for over 3,000 yards and rushed for nearly 500 more. The kid improved game by game last season and was one of the most exciting players to watch in the league. He was the steal of the 2012 NFL draft, falling all the way to third round because he is only 5'11". The guy was a proven winner during his four-year college career and the most impressive attribute that Wilson brings to the table is the way he presents himself. He's the type of guy you'd want your daughter to marry. It is going to be amazing watching Wilson vs. Kaepernick for the next decade in the NFC West. Seattle knew they needed to add another weapon on offense. Hello Percy Harvin. He is one of the best playmakers in the NFL and is a matchup nightmare for any defensive coordinator. Before he got hurt in Week 9 he was leading the league in total yards from scrimmage and if he can stay healthy this season expect him to become Wilson's new best friend. Marshawn "Skittles" Lynch is an absolute beast. I love the way this dude runs the rock. Adrian Peterson is the only running back with more rushing yards than Lynch over the last two seasons. Seattle is loaded with talent all across the board on offense, especially the big boys on the offensive line. The defense is loaded with a ton of great athletes too. Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are arguably the best corner/safety combo in the NFL. They Added Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril in the offseason to help solidify the defensive line. The NFC West went from being the laughing stock of the NFL to one of the best divisions in the league.

 Since we already brought up Kaep and Wilson, let's stay on the same page and talk about two of the best young quarterbacks in the game: Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.

Luck shocked the world last season when he led the Indianapolis Colts to the postseason. He broke all kinds of rookie records: most passing yards in a game (433), most passing yards in a season (4,374), most 300+ yards passing games (6), most game-winning drives (7), and his 11 wins were the most ever by the first overall pick. Luck is the only quarterback to be selected No. 1 overall and lead his team to the playoffs. He did it all replacing a legend and without his head coach for most of the season. Chuck Pagano missed 12 games after being diagnosed with leukemia. If you were going to build the perfect quarterback, Andrew Luck would be your guy. He's 6'4", 240 pounds, has a cannon for an arm, mobile, and is one of the smartest quarterbacks in the NFL. He threw for 23 touchdowns and ran for five more last year. If you asked all 32 general managers in the NFL who they would select first overall, Andrew Luck would be the most popular pick. The Colts are hoping he will be the same franchise quarterback Peyton Manning was for 13 seasons, and judging by his rookie campaign, I don't think fans in Indianapolis have to worry.

 From the first overall pick to the second overall selection: RGIII. There isn't a more exciting quarterback in the NFL. Griffin added an "Offensive Rookie of the Year" award on his mantle, right next to his Heisman Trophy. After watching RG III last season you would think he's been an NFL quarterback for the last decade. His calm demeanor and leadership qualities are as good as any other quarterback.  His five interceptions were the fewest among all quarterbacks that started at least 10 games. Only 1.3% of his passes were intercepted last season, a new rookie record. Only Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning had a better passer rating than RG III, and his 102.4 rating, new rookie record. His 8.1 yards/completion were tops in the NFL. Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers were the only three quarterbacks that had a higher completion percentage. His 815 yards rushing were easily tops among quarterbacks, and he finished 20th in the entire NFL. A lot of people are worried with the way he plays the game. He is a running quarterback and that's not going to change. That is what makes him one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He tore his ACL against Seattle in the NFC Wild Card playoffs and all signs point he will be ready to roll for their season debut against the Philadelphia Eagles, on Monday Night Football. The Eagles are praying they face Kirk Cousins, no offense Kirk, but facts are facts. I would be shocked if Griffin isn't behind center on September 9. If Griffin stays healthy this season I would put my money down on the Skins to repeat as NFC East champs, but the New York "football" Giants, Cowboys, and Eagles all improved heading into the 2013 season. Eli Manning might have two Super Bowl MVP's, but RG III is the best player in the NFC East.

Just to look back at what the 2012 quarterback rookie class did. It was the best season ever by any class, sorry 1983. John Elway, Dan Marino, and Jim Kelly went on to have Hall of Fame careers but they didn't come out of the gates like this. Of course Kelly didn't play in the NFL until he was 26 after starting his career in the USFL. The 1983 draft class combined to throw for 4,689 yards, Andrew Luck threw for 4,374 yards by himself. Obviously the class of 12' has a lot of work to do down the road to be considered the best ever, but they are in good hands with Luck, RG III, and Wilson. Throw in Nick Foles, Ryan Tannehill, and Brandon Weeden who all played well at times during their rookie campaigns. Wilson, Griffin, Tannehill, and Weeden all threw for at least 3,000 yards, 790 more yards than Marino did during his rookie season. The 2012 class has a chance to go down in the history books as the best to ever live, I know it is just one year, but the scary thing is Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson aren't close to reaching their potential.

While Andrew Luck and company are on the right path to have great NFL careers, lets talk about the best quarterback in the NFL: Aaron "Discount Double Check" Rodgers.

The Green Bay Packers' quarterback finished last season with the highest passer rating in the NFL, for the second straight season. Since being named the starting quarterback after the Brett Favre drama queen saga in 2008, he has thrown for at least 4,000 yards in four of five seasons. He's never had a season with less than 28 touchdowns through the air and has thrown 84 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Throw in a regular season MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and a discount double check belt, he's living the life. His 122.5 passer rating during his MVP season in 2011 is an NFL record. If he retired today he'd have the highest passer rating of all-time (104.9). He's the only quarterback with at least 1,500 pass attempts to have a rating above 100. His 171/46 touchdown to interception ratio is the best in NFL history. Rodgers' is the only QB to throw for at least 4,000 yards in his first two full seasons and the only player to throw 45+ touchdowns and less than six interceptions in a season. He has the lowest interception percentage (1.7) in NFL history. The guy has all the credentials on his resume and expect another great season for the Packers. Anytime you have No. 12 behind center you have a chance to win the Lombardi Trophy. The one weakness Green Bay had last year was the running game, that is not the case anymore. They drafted two studs in Eddie Lacy (Alabama) and Johnathan Franklin (UCLA). Lacy will be the steal of the 2013 NFL draft. Called it last year with Russell Wilson and I think the rookie running back from Alabama will have a breakout season. If the Packers' defense plays better than average this season they have a good chance to win their fifth Super Bowl in franchise history.

Before the Major League Baseball season started, I said the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox would be the two surprise teams of 2013, so far so good. Let's see if I can keep the luck going in the NFL.

Drum roll please.

The team in the AFC that is going to surprise everyone has a new head coach and a new quarterback. The Kansas City Chiefs will make the postseason this year. Andy Reid and Alex Smith both didn't deserve to lose their jobs. Smith was 19-5-1 and 2-1 in the postseason over the last two seasons with San Francisco. He lost his job after suffering a concussion in Week 10 against St. Louis last year and never started again in the Bay. Reid was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles for 14 seasons and led them to six NFC East titles, nine playoff appearances, four NFC Championship games, and one Super Bowl. He was 130-93-1 during his career in Philly. Kansas City was atrocious in 2012, and that landed them the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. They selected the 6'8", 305 pound tackle from Central Michigan, Eric Fisher. He has a really good chance to become one of the best tackles in the NFL and could be blocking for Alex Smith's blindside soon. He'll most likely start his career at right tackle while Branden Albert holds down the fort on the left side. Expect Fisher to move over to the left side within the next few years. Kansas City made Alex Smith a happy quarterback because they signed Dwayne Bowe to a five-year deal worth $56 million. Bowe is one of the most talented receivers in the game and he's happy to finally have a reliable quarterback under center. Sorry Matt Cassel, but you played like all the other USC quarterbacks in the NFL. Jamaal Charles is one of the best running backs in the NFL, during his five-year career he's averaging a ridiculous 5.8 yards/carry. On the other side of the ball they have one of the best young safeties in the NFL. Eric Berry has been named to the Pro Bowl in both seasons he avoided injuries. In 2011 he tore his ACL in the first game of the season. They added a ton of help to their secondary, adding Sean Smith and Dunta Robinson in the offseason. Smith is one of the most underrated corners in the NFL. Expect Alex Smith and Andy Reid to form a nice duo in Kansas City and mark your calenders on September 19 when Kansas City goes into Philadelphia. It will be Reid's first time going back to the place he called home for 14 seasons, and to make it even better, it is a primetime Thursday night game on NFL Network.

Drum roll again!

This team had one of the most underrated offseasons. They finished in the top ten in total offense in 2012 but defense was the major reason they lost five of their last six games. They were 29th in total defense and dead last in passing defense. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fixed that problem. Hello Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson. Revis is the best cornerback in the NFL, easily. Richard Sherman is an outstanding corner, but he has to do it for more than one year. He is coming off a torn ACL, but all signs point he will be the same Revis we saw in New York for the last six seasons. Just to show how good Revis was before he tore his ACL. In 2011 he allowed only 41.2 % of all targets to be completed, recorded 20 total pass breakups, and had four interceptions. Keep in mind he is lining up against the top wide receivers every week and is the premier shut down corner in the NFL. Not only did Tampa Bay add the best corner in the league, they arguably added the best safety in the NFL in Dashon Goldson. The Hawk has made back-to-back Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro safety last season. This guy fits Greg Schiano's coaching style perfect: lay the wood! Goldson is easily a top-five safety in the NFL. Over the last two years Goldson has 136 tackles, 20 pass breakups, and nine interceptions. The Buccaneer's made all the right moves during the offseason fixing their horrendous secondary. Mark Barron had a decent rookie year, and now with the addition of Goldson, Barron will be able to play closer to the line of scrimmage were he is most comfortable. Of course a lot rides on the right shoulder of Josh Freeman. He gets a lot of flack for his season last year, but he shouldn't. He threw for more than 4,000 yards and had 10 more touchdowns than interceptions (27:17). He enters his fifth year on a contract season, so if he wants to make the big bucks, it's time to have another season like he did in 2010. He threw for nearly 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns to only six interceptions three years ago. With Doug Martin in the backfield, Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams on the outside, and one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, everything is lining up for Freeman to have his best season behind center. Tampa Bay added a ton of help on the defensive side of the ball and put it all in the hands of their quarterback, Josh Freeman. Expect the fifth year pro to have his best season and lead Tampa Bay to the postseason for the first time since 2007.

That almost wraps up what to expect for the 2013 NFL season, time for some  rapid fire to end the show.

RAPID FIRE - Five Other Teams To Pay Attention To


Atlanta Falcons: They added Steven Jackson in the backfield. Julio Jones and Roddy White are arguably the best receiving tandem in the NFL, and expect Julio Jones to be one of the best in the game this season. They were close to reaching the Super Bowl last season, until San Francisco ended their hopes. The Falcons will be right back in the thick of things, and another NFC South crown has a good chance to happen again in 2013. They lost John Abraham, but added Osi Umenyiora to sure up the defensive line. 

Houston Texans: Hello Ed Reed. The best safety over the last decade. The nine-time Pro Bowler is one of the best defensive playmakers in the NFL, if not the best. Add him to a defense that has the reigning "Defensive Player of the Year" in J.J. Watt and this makes for one of the best defenses in the NFL. Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, and Matt Schaub make for one of the best QB/RB/WR combos in the league. The Texans will be right in the thick of things contending for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.


Cincinnati Bengals: Andy Dalton and A.J. Green are the best young QB/WR duo in the NFL. Outside of Calvin Johnson you could make a legitimate argument that Green is the best wide receiver in the NFL. The two-year wide out has 162 receptions for 2,407 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first two seasons. The "Red Rifle" has thrown for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in both of his first two seasons behind center and is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. Marvin Lewis is one of the most underrated coaches in the NFL, and expect the Bengals to make the postseason for the third consecutive season.


New York Giants: The Giants have won two Super Bowls since trading for Eli Manning in the 2004 NFL draft. The NFC East is up for grabs once again this season, and with Robert Griffin III coming off a torn ACL, this is anyone's division. Manning still doesn't get the credit he deserves, with two Super Bowl MVP's on his resume, he is a top-ten quarterback in the NFL. Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks make up one of the best duo's at wide receiver. It will be important for the second year running back from Virginia Tech, David Wilson, to have a big-time year if the Giants want to be serious contenders in 2013. The Giants defense was banged up all year in 2012. If they stay healthy in 2013 this team has all the talent to be one of the better teams in the NFC this season. 



New Orleans Saints: They finally have their head coach back. Sean Payton is one of the best game-callers in the NFL. The Saints have one of the best offenses in the game, thanks in large part to their quarterback: Drew Brees. Brees has led the NFL in touchdown passes in four of the last five seasons. You could make the argument that he is the best quarterback in the NFL, I would still rank Rodgers, Brady, and Peyton Manning ahead of him, but he has the credentials to make a legitimate argument. The major issue with New Orleans last year was on the other side of the ball, but having their head coach back, they will be way better on defense. Imagine any team in the NFL not having their head coach for an entire season. No way the Ravens or Forty-Niners are in the Super Bowl without their Harbaugh. 



Rapid Fire - Five Rookie Sleepers in 2013

Keenan Allen 

San Diego Chargers (3rd Rd. - 76th overall)

Wide Receiver - California




Tyrann Mathieu

Arizona Cardinals (3rd Rd. - 69th overall)

Safety - LSU

Jarvis Jones 

Pittsburgh Steelers (1st Rd. - 17th overall)

Linebacker - Georgia






Montee Ball 

 Denver Broncos (2nd Rd. - 58th overall)

Running Back - Wisconsin




Matt Elam 

 Baltimore Ravens (1st Rd. - 32nd overall)

Safety - Florida





LAST BUT NOT LEAST : 

                   2013 SUPER BOWL PREDICTION

 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS over DENVER BRONCOS