Cabache's Corner

Hello! And Welcome to my corner. The NFL season is rumbling on with week 3 starting tomorrow, and week 2 did not disappoint. The Raiders dismantled the Baltimore Ravens defense, who last week held the Broncos to no offensive touchdowns, to the tune of 37 points. Despite the Ravens offense also finding a new gear, scoring 33 points, the Raiders youth were too much for the Ravens to match. This was a great result for the Raiders, but the Ravens now find themselves in a potentially disastrous position and it's only week 2. The Ravens now have to face the 2-0 Cincinnati Bengals and then the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens HAVE to win at least one of these games or it's virtually season over. The Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Miami Dolphins 23-20 and they looked good all round. Blake Bortles took care of the ball and Allen Robinson took over, with 6 catches for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns. On defense, they held the Dolphins when it mattered, giving their rookie kicker the ch...

Hello! And welcome to my corner. The NFL regular season is officially underway! The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off the season in Foxborough on Thursday night with a 28-21 Patriots victory. In a game that saw Gronk do Gronk things, scoring 3 TD's, and Tom Brady begin his season of vengeance with an incredibly sharp performance, going 25/32 for 288 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Steelers on the other hand, despite gaining more yards, missed two field goals and even left Gronkowski completely uncovered on one of his touchdowns. They certainly shot themselves in the foot several times and gave away a game they could definitely have won. Then came Sunday, the first Sunday in 259 days with a full NFL schedule. The best of the early games was an NFC West match-up that featured the Seattle Seahawks travelling to the St. Louis Rams. Over the last few seasons the Seahawks have struggled against the Rams and this game was no different. The Rams beat the Seahawk...

Hello! And welcome to my corner! The regular season is finally upon us! On Thursday night, or Friday morning, the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Foxborough and life will be good again! Earlier this week, the Deflategate scandal finally came to a close (for now) with Judge Berman overruling Commissioner Goodell's 4-game suspension of Tom Brady. During the hearing, Berman pushed for both sides to get a settlement done, but the terms couldn't be agreed on. Brady was rumoured to have been willing to accept a 1-game suspension for obstructing the investigation, but still no settlement was reached. Following the ruling, Tom Brady said, "While I am pleased to be eligible to play, I am sorry our league had to endure this. I don't think it has been good for our sport - to a large degree, we have all lost."  This ruling has triggered yet another controversy; that Roger Goodell's role in the disciplinary syst...

Hello! And welcome to my corner! The NFL preseason is nearly over! The 3rd week of the preseason has wrapped up and the 1st round of cuts ended yesterday, leaving teams with just 75 players. So, naturally, there is plenty of news. One of the biggest story lines of the preseason has been the various QB battles across the league. A three way battle in Buffalo between Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel, the battle in Washington between Kirk Cousins, Robert Griffin III and Colt McCoy and the Hard Knocks' face off between Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett in Houston. Now, entering week 4 of the preseason we know the winner of all 3 battles. In Buffalo Rex Ryan decided to give the keys to the offense to Tyrod Taylor, and I think he made the right move. Matt Cassel not only showed very little, is a known commodity. As Dave Dameshek frequently points out, why not roll the dice on a guy with potential? In a business that bases success on wins, go big, take a risk! That's why I li...

Hello! And welcome to my corner. The East Kent Mavericks lost their last game of the season to the Buckinghamshire Wolves to miss out on their first ever playoff berth. The Mavericks came into this game 4-0-1 and seeking one more win to cap of their most successful season ever with a win and a first ever playoff berth. They were facing a strong  Wolves side who were also looking for the final playoff berth from the South 2 division with a 4-1-0 record. The Mavericks scored first with a touchdown run from Lucas Deveson and later added a field goal from Alfie Oliver to give them a 9-0 lead. The defence backed up the offence for much of the first half, shutting out the Wolves offence until mid-way through the 2 nd quarter.  Following their first score, successful 2-point attempt left the score at 9-8. However, the Mavericks offence added more points when Alfie Oliver hauled in a touchdown pass and nailed the extra point to make it 16-8 heading into halftime. ...

Hello! And welcome to my corner.   The East Kent Mavericks overcame the Essex Spartans 19-12 to keep their undefeated record and leave them in total control of their playoff position. The East Kent Mavericks travelled to Hannakins Farm on Sunday 2 nd August to take on the Essex Spartans in a game that would go a long way to deciding the South 2 divisions playoff picture. The Mavericks won the toss and chose to receive, looking to make a faster start than in all of their previous games. And they did just that. They marched down the field, culminating in a 10-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Harvey Weatherill. After a blocked PAT the Mavericks led 6-0. However, despite the strong start by the Mavericks offence, penalties began to kill their momentum. Combining these penalties with sound defence and good tackling by the Spartans, the Mavericks were shutout for the rest of the 1 st half. Unfortunately, the penalties weren’t exclusive to offence. On one Spartans drive, t...

Hello! And welcome to my corner. What a game this was. The Kent Exiles came into this game 4-0 and sitting atop the division with their eyes firmly fixed on home field advantage in the playoffs. The East Kent Mavericks came into the game at 3-0, just behind the Exiles in the division. To add to the intensity of the occasion, the Exiles were looking to take the Battle of Kent shield out of the Mavericks hands after losing the inaugural match at home. The Mavericks won the toss and chose to receive, looking to jump out to an early lead. However, the Exiles defence forced and recovered a fumble at the end of a long Mavericks run. On the ensuing possession, the Exiles ran the ball straight down the Mavericks throats, and it payed off with a quick touchdown to start the game. A failed 2-point conversion left the score at 6-0. The rest of the 1 st quarter set the tone for the game, an all-out defensive battle. Each teams’ offense struggled to move the ball consistently and ...

Hello! And welcome to my corner. Last week marked the end of every teams minicamp, meaning we are getting much closer to football. Though it does also signal the start of a long wait for training camp. This week wasn't nearly as busy as last week in terms of big news, nevertheless, here's a run down of a few of the biggest stories. Tom Brady's Appeal Begins Yesterday, Tom Brady's appeal hearing for his role in Deflate-Gate took place and it was a long one. The appeal was meant to last no longer than 4 hours. It lasted 10. Now we wait, Roger Goodell, though no time frame for his verdict has been given, is expected to announce his decision on Tom Brady's suspension at around the same time as training camp starts. As far as the Patriots are concerned, that time frame is okay. Any later would obviously start to cause problems as they need to know whether Jimmy Garappolo will in fact be the starting quarterback for a month. Does Odell Beckham Jr. Need to ...

Hello! And welcome to my corner. It's now officially Rob Gronkowski days until the NFL kicks off again, minicamps are underway and training camp is just around the corner. Excitement among NFL fans is definitely building! With teams training again, there is a natural increase in story's and roster moves among the 32 teams and two of the biggest stories of the off-season continue to make headlines. The San Francisco 49ers' disastrous loss of players and Chip Kelly's complete turnover of the Philadelphia Eagles' roster. The 49ers have been subject to a very sudden and harsh fall from power. 2 years ago they were one play away from winning the Super Bowl. The following year they were one win away from making a 2nd consecutive Super Bowl, they have now fired head coach Jim Harbaugh, lost star linebacker Patrick Willis, Willis' replacement and up-and-comer Chris Borland, longtime d-line lynch pin Justin Smith and starting RT Anthony Davis to retiremen...

Hello! And welcome to my corner! All 32 of the leagues owners convened in San Francisco this past week for their annual spring meeting. Robert Kraft made a statement regarding the Patriots actions towards the Ted Wells report, he finally announced that the Patriots would not appeal their punishments, thus allowing the owners to focus on rule changes for this upcoming season. At the top of the itinerary was changes to the extra point. For a few years, now, the NFL has been thinking up ways to change/get rid of the extra point. Finally, they have. The owners voted 30-2 in favour of the rule change. But is it a good thing? The extra point has always been from the 2-yard line making a 1-point conversion a 17-yard kick, which was converted 99.5% of the time. It's the point at which viewers stop watching to refill their drinks, get another bag of crisps or check their fantasy matchup. The new rule makes the 1-point attempt a 32-yard field goal, which has a league conversion rate ...

Hello! And welcome to my corner. Though the draft is coming up, there is very little significant news to report. The only stories floating about are rumors, so how about something more interesting?  Everyone loves a ranking, it's an opportunity to really show an opinion and they're a great way to start a discussions, so, without further ado, here is my 32-team uniform ranking: The 'Christian Ponder's' Uniforms: 32. New York Jets 31. Tennessee Titans These uniforms are about as good as Ponder is as a QB. I really don't like these uniforms. The Jets use the worst shad of green (fluorescent green would be an upgrade) and the design is boring. Nothing makes up for the colour. They also have very little room for mixing and matching. My problem with the Titans is that I don't like the combination of colours. I really don't like the light blue with dark blue look. If they stuck with the Houston Oilers uniforms they wouldn't find them...

Hello! And welcome to my corner. Day 2 is over as we eagerly await the beginning of the 3rd and final day of the 2015 NFL Draft. The 2nd and 3rd rounds featured a lot more trades, players sliding, big shocks and some great value picks. Here are some of the biggest stories from day 2. To see every pick, click here. The Titans are building quite an offense. At the top of the 2nd round they drafted Dorial Green-Beckham of Missouri/Oklahoma. This gives Mariota (or possibly Mettenberger) an absolutely HUGE target to develop with, some people have even compared him to Megatron purely due to his size. However, he is very raw and there are a bunch of red flags next to his name for off the field issues that the Titans must keep in check. The Giants also got a big time player. In a trade with the Titans, they picked SS Landon Collins out of Alabama. Collins is a player that will be able to step up immediately, and the Giants need him to, they don't have enough safety's to...

Hello! And welcome to my corner. Day one of the 2015 NFL Draft is over. 32 picks down, 224 left. It was certainly an interesting 1st round, and my mock was certainly a long way off. Here is how it went down. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB Jacksonville Jaguars: Dante Fowler Jr., OLB Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper, WR Washington Redskins: Brandon Scherff, OL New York Jets: Leonard Williams, DE Chicago Bears: Kevin White, WR Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley, OLB New York Giants: Ereck Flowers, OT St Louis Rams: Todd Gurley, RB Minnesota Vikings: Trae Waynes, CB Cleveland Brows: Danny Shelton, DT New Orleans Saints: Andrus Peat, OT Miami Dolphins: DeVante Parker, WR  San Diego Chargers (via San Francisco 49ers): Melvin Gordon, RB Houston Texans: Kevin Johnson, CB San Francisco 49ers (via San Diego Chargers): Arik Armstead, DT Kansas City Chiefs: Marcus Peters, CB Cleveland Browns: Cameron Erving, OL Philadelphia Eag...

Hello! And welcome to my corner! It's Draft Day, the 2015 NFL Draft is finally here. Dreams are going to become a reality for 256 men tonight and I cannot wait. Without further ado, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the clock: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon* Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Williams, DE, USC Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama Washington Redskins: Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida New York Jets: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson Chicago Bears: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia  Atlanta Falcons: Alvin 'Bud' Dupree, OLB, Kentucky New York Giants: Brandon Sherff, OG, Iowa St Louis Rams: Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami Minnesota Vikings: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville Cleveland Browns: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington New Orleans Saints: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State Miami Dolphins: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest San Francisco 49ers: Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon Houston Texans: Nelson Aghol...

Hello! And welcome to my corner. It's Tebow Time in the City of Brotherly Love! Chip Kelly's crazy off-season is continuing as the Eagles announced on Monday that they have signed Tim Tebow to a 1-year deal. Tebow will go into cam likely as the 4th-string QB and will certainly have an uphill battle to make the final roster, which makes this move all the more puzzling. If he is as improved as his personal trainer claims, then he may have a chance to compete with Sanchez as the backup but I don't see why they would bring in a QB who hasn't played in 2 years.

Hello! And welcome to my corner. The Ravens have reached a verbal agreement with Jimmy Smith to sign him to a contract extension worth $48 million over 5-years with $21 million guaranteed. This deal is huge for the Ravens as it means we've locked up the young corner back for the foreseeable future. Especially seeing as currently our best DB and he seems to be improving into one of the better corners in the league. I'm definitely excited to see him anchor our secondary or the next 5 seasons.

Hello! And welcome to my corner. Matt Schaub is heading to Baltimore to back up Joe Flacco. I think this is a good signing, for both parties. For Schaub, he gets to play for a perennial contender towards the end of his career and he has a chance to provide competition for younger guys during the preseason. For the Ravens, we get an experienced starter, who has passed for over 4000 yards in 3 seasons, who should be  a capable backup and will provide more security than 2, young and unproven guys in Keith Wenning and Bryn Renner. He'll also be a very good teacher, helping them develop.

Hello! And welcome to my corner. In early January Jeffrey Lurie announced that Chip Kelly would oversee the player personnel department, giving him a lot more power over his roster. And boy has he used it.   The first move he made was shipping All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy to the Bills for Kiko Alonso. At first, this trade seemed ridiculous. To get rid of such a key player so abruptly, with no clear alternate, for a player who's only played 1 year and is coming of an ACL tear that kept him out for the entirety of the 2014 season was certainly bold and left the majority of Philly crying for answers. However, I think that it's ultimately a good move for the Eagles. Kelly believes he can plug any running back into his system and they'll be successful. They also get an excellent linebacker who, should he come back from a torn ACL, can become one of the premier linebackers in the league. Kelly has also worked with Alonso before, they were at Oregon together, so he...

Hello! And welcome to my corner. Most of the big names are off the market, the huge contracts have been signed and lots of teams are now focusing on the draft. However, there are a lot of guys still on the market, with plenty to give for any team who comes calling. The Ravens still have many needs, here are the guys I think are at least worth a look. At this point, following the resigning of Justin Forsett and loss of Torrey Smith, receiver is our biggest need. Most of the big name receivers are gone, the only receivers raked in Around the NFL's Top 101 Free Agents list are Michael Crabtree, Dwayne Bowe, Greg Jennings, Hackeem Nicks and Denarius Moore. Of course, there are more than 5 receivers, but I only see a few that are worth a look. That said, I think any of these players would only be a filler for a year or two whilst younger guys develop.   Hackeem Nicks  Down the stretch last year, Nicks showed glimpses of his old self. I think that he could function as ...