Tuesday, January 9, 2018

(Wild Card Weekend) #6 Atlanta Falcons vs. #3 L.A Rams

#3
#6


Recap: Falcons 26 Rams 13
Age and cunning will always quash youth and enthusiasm, and the Falcons postseason experience paid dividends in L.A this weekend. The Falcons turned in an outstanding defensive performance to completely stuff the Rams' high octane offense. To make matters worse, the Coliseum was less like a football stadium and more like a hockey rink. Running backs and receivers slipped left and right, and Matt Ryan almost got decapitated in the third quarter. The Rams looked like they had reverted to their 2016 selves, owing perhaps to their inexperience in January play. I can imagine this team overlooked the Falcons, believing they would still be trying to get over their Super Bowl hangover. Unfortunately for them, the Falcons drank ten pounds of espresso and now look like one of the best teams in the NFC. Also, going against what I predicted, the Falcons did not choke this game away, instead turning in a better performance in the second half than the first. Devonta Freeman was absolutely on point, and the Rams couldn't do anything to slow this bird down. Todd Gurley ran well for the Rams too, but the need for a good passing performance by Jared Goff was not realized. Hopefully the Rams can keep their momentum going into next season, and perhaps make another run at the Lombardi. This team is still young, and has time to synchronize and perfect everything they've set up this year. The Falcons now head to Philly to take on Nick Foles and the Eagles, which probably means they're headed to the NFC Championship game. My hats off to you, Falcons; it's not often you see teams recover from Super Bowl hangovers quite like this.

(Wild Card Weekend) #5 Tennessee Titans vs. #4 Kansas City Chiefs

#4
#5







Recap: Titans 22 Chiefs 21
"OH MY GOD, YOU FRIGGIN' BLEW IT!" Not the first time we've said that when Andy Reid is involved, but this time he really did it. It's almost a gift, to blow games like he can. On this episode of the Andy Reid choke show, the Chiefs started out on fire in the first half, making the Titans look like the jobbers they are. By halftime, they were up by three scores, and the game was actually running the risk of being a blowout. Now, I was happy to see the Chiefs break the home playoff game curse, mind you, but I still wanted things to be interesting. Well, this turned into a classic alright...at the expense of everyone in the state of Kansas. Only the Chiefs would allow Marcus Mariota to score a TD pass to himself and have one of their best recievers in Travis Kelce go down with a concussion in a freak accident. Without Kelce, the Chief offense looked borderline anemic. The Titans defense unplugged Kareem Hunt's run game, Alex Smith's receivers forgot how to catch a ball, and the defense had no answers for Delanie Walker. In the end, the Titans managed to take a one point lead late in the 4th quarter that their defense managed to...well, defend. Before I congratulate the Titans for advancing to Foxboro, I'm gonna congratulate the Patriots, who will most certainly be in the AFC Championship game now. Chiefs, enjoy the offseason, especially when you burn Andy Reid at the stake for blasphemy. Five home playoff losses in a row? Not even the Browns can lay claim to that. May you have another 5 game winning streak to start the season next year, only for the wheels to come off in January.



Saturday, January 6, 2018

2017-18 AFC Playoffs: Team Breakdowns

#1. New England Patriots
(13-3)
Once again, the Patriots are the #1 seed and favorites to make the Super Bowl. In other news, the sky is blue. Before you roll your eyes and continue scrolling, however, don't be too eager to place the Patriots in the AFC column under the Lombardi just yet. They're still one of the best teams in the league, but the Patriots are merely a shadow of the team they were last year. Their defense has folded under pressure on many occasions like their namesake at the Battle of Charleston. Tampa Bay and the Chargers almost beat this team, folks, and the Dolphins actually DID. In fact, I believe the only reason the Patriots won 13 games is because the AFC is trash and the NFL doesn't know what a catch is anymore. On the other hand, 40-year old Tom Brady continues to be the NFL's Blue-Eyes White Dragon with 3000 ATK points and a great set of support cards in the Patriot receiving core and the best running game is the best we've seen under Belichick in a long time. The MVP of this high-voltage offense is Gronk Robkowski, a freak of nature who can't be toppled unless hit with concentrated elephant tranquilizer. Don't be surprised if these Pats win the Super Bowl again or lose in the divisional game...either outcome is likely.

#2. Pittsburgh Steelers
(13-3)












Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is a Super Bowl Championship team. The most well-rounded team I've seen in a long time, the Steelers should have no problem making a late January push at the very least. Big Ben may be on his last legs, but Father Time has done nothing to stop him from having one of his best career passing seasons to date. A young receiving core has given the man Geico pass insurance, led by rookies Juju Smith-Schuster and tight-end Jesse James, and Le'Veon Bell has run circles around the NFL's best defenders. Even without a veteran presence, the Steelers defense lives up to its name: an iron curtain that can't be penetrated unless your last name is Tom Brady. The only problem with this team is that, sometimes, they don't realize just how good they are, which causes them to play down to their competition (how the HELL do you lose to the BEARS at home?!). On one week, the Steelers can beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead, and the next, they're barely holding off the Packers at Heinz. If the Steelers can get all the pieces together, which we all know Mike Tomlin can do, expect them to take the title. Nothing less.

#3. Jacksonville Jaguars
(10-6)












What did you accomplish in 2017? Get that dream job? Ask that girl out? Lose some weight? Your accomplishments pale in comparison to the Jags, who completely reinvented themselves in the year of the Fire Rooster. Pay attention, Cleveland: this is a team that knows how to use their draft picks. As cringy as the name "Sacksonville" is, this team definitely earned this moniker, making even the most hardened of offensive lines quiver in fear. Even when the o-line holds up, AJ Buoye and the Jaguars secondary finds ways to ground even the best QB's in the league. Leonard Fournette leads Jacksonvilles completely reinvented offense with a running game like no other. The main x-factor with this team is the man behind the center, Blake Bortles, who enjoys playing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Pickoff. He's a lot better than he used to be without question, but he's been knocked down a few pegs after his performances in San Francisco and Tennessee. This team has lost a bit of momentum that they need to find, but when/if they do, be prepared for this dark horse to make the Championship game.

#4. Kansas City Chiefs
(10-6)











Meh. I'm indifferent about seeing this team make the playoffs, especially considering their choke job in the middle of the season against the Jets, Bills, and the friggin' Giants. New York State was just not very friendly to these Chiefs this year. The NFL's defenses may have found the codes to Kareem Hunt's nuclear running game, but he's been getting back to his old self in recent weeks. Alex Smith, when he runs the ball at least, is relatively unpredictible (when he doesn't run, he's just a scrub wearing a QB jersey). Andy Reid may have choked early in the season, which means they may have more of a chance this January to actually have some success. The Chiefs are an unusual team, and that may lend itself to their performances against the more predictible schemes of the other teams in the AFC. I won't buy on them quite yet; they have to earn that right. Otherwise, enjoy getting killed by the Steelers again!

#5. Tennessee Titans
(9-7)











The fact that this team made the playoffs speaks for how pathetic the AFC was this year. I'm gonna be frank here: this team is going about as far as a catfish on a hockey rink. Marcus Mariota is average, the running game is anemic, and the defense is only solid at best. This team may have gotten lucky that they're playing the Chiefs first, who have a history of losing easy games in the postseason, but even if they make it past the Chiefs, they're gonna get eaten alive by the Patriots or Steelers. Hell, I'd go so far as to say the Bills can beat this team. Not much to say here, because there's not much to this team.

#6. Buffalo Bills
(9-7)











Congrats Bills, you made the playoffs! Only problem: you made the playoffs. It's all uphill from here; no more easy challenges from teams like the Dolphins, Broncos, and Raiders. Tyrod Taylor will need to remember he's a starting QB if you want to succeed, otherwise, you're gonna have to ride on LeSean McCoy's injured leg. However, you've got a lot of other things going for you. Your secondary is underrated, for one thing, and Micah Hyde can read QB's like picture books. Not to mention, 17 years is a long time, and this team was ECSTATIC just to make it back. Momentum and euphoria is a wild thing, and these Bills may be able to channel that. The Jags are in a bit of a slump after all. Now may be the time to strike...Or get sent home after being thrashed.

AND YOUR AFC CHAMPIONS....
The Steelers
The AFC is a trainwreck this year, but the Steelers and Patriots (and perhaps the Jags) have set themselves apart from the rabble once again. However, I have to give the edge to the Steelers. They're one of the most well-rounded teams of the millenium, who can move the ball just as well as they can stop it. They'll get no challenge from the Titans or Chiefs, and they'll be looking to avenge regular season losses to the Patriots and Jaguars. The Bills? They're just happy to be here. For the Steelers, however, it's Bowl or bust.

2017-18 NFC Playoffs: Team Breakdown

#1. Philadelphia Eagles
(13-3)













I hate to say it, but I can't buy on the Eagles. Without Wentz, the Eagles are a wild card team at best, which actually is saying something considering how good the NFC was this year. The Eagles still have a good selection of weapons in the armory, including an excellent run game brought on by Nelson Agholor and Jay Ajayi, a solid defense and a competent QB in Nick Foles...but the absence of Wentz will be as noticeable as the absence of Ferris Bueller. "Wentz? Wentz!?" If this team was in the AFC, I would certainly be giving them more credit at this point, but this is the NFC. With stiff competition from just about every other team in the hunt for the NFC crown, I'm afraid this Eagle is gonna head back to the nest early this year. Christ, I feel bad for them...

#2. Minnesota Vikings
(13-3)












Skol Vikings! Who would've thought a 13-3 football team would be made up of second stringers like Case Keenum, Latavius Murray and Jerrick McKinnon? This is the type of team everyone should fear in the postseason: a team with something to prove. Their offense can strike in many ways, from Case's gunslinging pass game, to the powerful run game of Murray, to the careful running style of McKinnon. Two excellent tight ends in Kyle Rudolph and David Morgan and the superglue hands of Stephon Diggs and Adam Thielen round out this longship of a Viking offense. As for the defense, it doesn't just merely compliment the offense; it's the Vikings best weapon. Sometimes, the greatest sword is the shield, and this Vikings defense has been the equivalent of Fimbulvetr for some of the NFL's best offenses. The icing on the cake? Simple, their homefield advantage. With how forgettable I expect the Eagles to be in the coming weeks, the Vikings should maintain a homefield advantage all the way to the Super Bowl, and will likely be the first team to play at home for the Super Bowl. If that's not a motivator to win the NFC crown, I don't know what is. Brace yourselves, folks: these Vikings are looking to pillage and crush your city's hopes.

#3. L.A Rams
(11-5)













Something wicked this way comes. After over ten years of being the NFL's laughingstock, the Rams have shrugged off the egg whites to be one of the best offensive threats in the league. Jared Goff has emerged from the cobwebs of a tumultuous rookie season as one of the league's best gunslingers. Todd Gurley III is a stud, knocking defenders around like a bull in Sevilla, Spain. Cooper Kupp and Sammy Watkins are corner threats, and the Ram's historically solid defense finally gets to see postseason glory. This is a team that flattened the 12th man in Seattle and made Sacksonville look like their 2016 selves. The Rams have the most intimidating logo in the NFL: it's about time they backed it up.

#4. New Orleans Saints
(11-5)












When the Saints come marching in, you DON'T want to be in that number. One of the biggest surprises in the NFL this year, this team overcame a slow start to become what I consider to be the third best all-around team in the league (behind the Steelers and Vikings). A young offense, led by running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram and a talented receiving core in Michael Thomas and Tedd Ginn Jr., is rounded off perfectly by the wily veteran QB Drew Brees, who looks to lead his Saints back to the promised land for only the second time ever. An equally young defense, led by pickoff king Marshon Lattimore, puts even the best offensive coordinators in the hot seat. Don't be fooled by that 11-5 record (and that fluke loss to the Buccaneers); this team is dangerous.

#5. Carolina Panthers
(11-5)












THIS is a wild card team that earned their spot in the postseason. You paying attention, #5 seed Titans?? The Panthers are masters at controlling the pace of a football game. Their defense is smash mouth, and their offense is loaded with weapons young and old. Ron Rivera is an offensive visionary, always finding ways to frustrate the NFL's best defenses, even besting the Vikings and Patriots. Where this team falls short to the NFC's division champions, however, is consistency. On good days, Cam Newton is a double-headed dragon who can run the ball just as well as he can throw it. On bad days, he looks like a whiny teenager with a football helmet on. The Panthers beat the Patriots, the Packers with Aaron Rodgers, and the Vikings. Great, but they also lost to the Bears and barely beat the Jets and Bills. Once again, if this was an AFC team, they'd be surefire Lombardi contenders...but in the NFC, they're just another tough team in the hunt.

#6. Atlanta Falcons
(10-6)












You know the NFC is tough when the former NFC champs are the sixth seed. The Falcons offense isn't nearly as explosive as it was last year, but don't sleep on these birds. The defense has molted their poor 2016 performance to rank 8th in points allowed. The offense isn't exactly a pushover either. Matt Ryan is still a solid threat in the pocket, and trying to guess where Devonta Freeman is gonna run is like trying to guess what NFC team is gonna make the Super Bowl this year. Unfortunately, this team is plagued by the NFC's incarnate of Andy Reid in Dan Quin, who choked away multiple leads this season. Look for this team to start strong, only to get stomped flat in the final quarter of play.

AND YOUR NFC CHAMPIONS....
The Vikings
I know, I know, y'all are gonna think I'm a fanboy. Make no mistake, this was a tough choice. The NFC is absolutely loaded; even the teams that barely missed the playoffs like the Cowboys and Seahawks were dangerous this year. These teams are truly the cream of the crop in the NFL, and I'd say the team that wins the NFC title is gonna take the whole damn thing. That team will be the Vikings. The Saints and Rams are great all-around teams led by their stellar offenses, sure, but the Vikings have an equally stellar defense to match it, in addition to a great offense of their own. The Panthers and Falcons won't make it that far against such stiff competition, and neither will the #1 seed Eagles without Carson Wentz. If I can fanboy for a second...SKOL!

Friday, January 5, 2018

(Week 17~Live at U.S Bank Stadium) Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings








VS.


The Experience: Minneapolis/Saint Paul: Twin Cities with cold air and warm hearts. Deplaning in Minneapolis, I didn't really know what to expect. The Twin Cities don't have the brand-name recognition of Los Angeles and New York City, nor do they have the atmosphere of small-town pigskin hubs like Buffalo and Green Bay. As it turns out, this is exactly what the Twin Cities go for: it's a humble city. I know; kinda hard to call a city with the Mall of America, a literal shrine to the evils of American consumer culture, humble, but that's honestly what this city is.
Every sensation in this city feels natural, and not forced like in so many places. You don't get that momentary sensation of "wow, I'm in New York City! Okay, back to my cave." Minneapolis/Saint Paul has a learning curve, and yet something about it makes you want to challenge yourself. To go out and really expose youself to what the city has to offer. Let's call this "Northern Comfort."
So, how does one "learn" Minneapolis/Saint Paul? The first place to start is the cold air temperatures, which can feel like -34 degrees Fahrenheit at the lowest. If there's one thing you should know before planning a trip to the Northern Midwest, it's that the air is pretty goddamn cold. We're talking that meme of Jack Nicholson from The Shining, folks. The cold in Minnesota is like Big Brother; it's alive. It's all-knowing. It strikes swiftly, and there's no adjusting to it. The instant you walk outside, it hits you like a Delta airplane landing at MSP. 
This brings us to one of the cooler features (no pun intended) of the city: the Skyway. The Skyway is a series of walkways between the biggest entertainment centers, sports venues, and hotels in Minneapolis, which is great if you want to watch a Vikings game without having to do the Iditarod. Believe me, folks, you don't want to walk any further than a few streets in Minneapolis temperatures. 
Having been to Buffalo many times for football games, I always assumed that cold cities had fans with equally cold hearts. Yes, Bills fans have been bitter for a long time (until this season): sitting in slush covered seats while getting coated with lake effect snow would do that to you, I suppose. However, Minneapolis is able to embrace this cold. Certainly, there were great minds behind the invention of the twin city Skyways, but the hearts of Minneapolis individuals were just as big. Minneapolis is a football town, and purple and yellow is everywhere...but there were just as many Bears fans in town that weekend too. Instead of being treated like outcasts, however, they were embraced as if they were hometown fans, something you rarely see in Buffalo.
Furthermore, in a time when cities across the United States are liberalizing, and taverns give way to hippie bars and girl drink fantasies, Minneapolis has one hell of a dive bar scene. My family and I met a bunch of great people at a small bar called Bullwinkles, right across the street from our hotel. Featuring an exotic upstairs lounge area overseeing downtown Minneapolis, a couple of very open, friendly bartenders, and the perfect rustic charm, Bullwinkles was my kind of hangout. My parents are both connoisseurs of dive bars, and a good part of my childhood was spent in the company of snowmobilers, bikers, and all sorts of colorful characters. We met a couple of UMinn graduates who basically told us their life stories, a married couple from Sioux Falls who loved the Packers (bold people!), and another married couple with seasons tickets to Vikings games. Our conversations always started like this: Them:"where are you folks from?" Us: "Upstate New York." Them: "Oh, so you're Bills fans?" My parents: "No, Dolphins fans." Them: "Then why the hell didn't you go there?!"
Stadium Review:
U.S Bank Stadium feels less like a sport venue, and more like a convention hall. Check that: a clean convention hall. I've been to football stadiums all over the country, and I can honestly say that when it comes to ambiance, experiencing one means you've seen them all. You know what I'm talking about; the lingering stench of beer, the smell of stale urine emanating from the bathrooms...this ain't ballet folks. You're there to watch a football game.
That's where U.S Bank Stadium feels so different. Even with cheap seats up in the rafters, I felt like a welcomed guest rather than a piece of meat. The air is clean, and the only smells of food are that of freshly made fried foods. Everything, from the floors to the seats, looked brand new, a pretty impressive feat considering how big it is and how far into the season it is. The ambiance isn't perfect (the bathrooms are public, after all), but it's a hell of a lot better than the dens of drunkeness in Cleveland and Buffalo.
It's a low stress kind of football stadium, featuring good lighting, ample space for navigation, and great views of the turf, no matter where you are staying. The lighting was especially well done, mostly owing to the glass panelling on the outside, offering great views of downtown Minneapolis. Our seats offered a great view of the Minneapolis skyline, and despite being relatively static, it was almost hypnotic in the mid-afternoon sun. In fact, I actually missed a few plays during the actual game because of how saturating the sights were.
A final note: the Vikings have the BEST pre-game entrances. At gametime, a giant Viking warship acted as the entryway for the players. Sound awesome? What if I told you it BREATHED FIRE?! Literally! I could actually feel the heat from it up in the nosebleeds! The Vikings also have a really cool chant that they do, where a guy will bang a massive drum (forgot what it's called) twice, and then the crowd will clap and chant "Skol!" It's pretty surreal, listening to an entire football stadium go quiet for this one chant.
Recap: Vikings 23 Bears 10
The game itself wasn't all that much to look at, which probably lends to why I got distracted by the sights of the stadium. Once again, the Bears proved that only their special teams and defense are competent, at the very least, while Mitchell Trubiskey continues to crap the bed. The Bears marched into the Red Zone twice, only to fall apart because John Fox is a friggin' idiot. Even without him though, are the Bears really that well off? 
As for the Vikings, I think the offense needs a little help. They won soundly, sure, but the offense just seemed tired on Sunday. The defense was absolutely rock solid as always, but great defense needs solid offense to back it up. Other than that, the Vikings are still my favorites to win the NFC Championship this year, and not simply because I'm a fan. Rather, it's because the Vikings fanbase is strong, and their connection to the players was palpable in that stadium. They have the best defense in the league, a good mixed offense, and they have the home field advantage all the way to the Super Bowl (aside from Philly, possibly). Time to bring it home, purple people eaters.

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

OP-ED: Black Monday may be a blessing

It wasn't exactly a happy New Year if you were Jim Caldwell, John Fox, Chuck Pagano, or Jack Del Rio, whose firings were all announced during the two day New Year span. I also suppose it was uncertain if you were Bruce Arians and Marvin Lewis, who appear to be retiring from head coaching positions for good. Now that the axe has finally been lifted, it's safe to say that the NFL will look very different next year, in more ways than one. This may very well be the best thing for all of these teams.

As the L.A. Rams and Buffalo Bills have proven, young blood at the head coaching position can be a shot in the arm for struggling teams. Sean McVay led the NFC West's punching bag from the doldrums of what was once the NFC's weakest division, to Super Bowl contention. The Rams have one of the best offenses in the league, led by a powerful running game and career-defining passing statistics set by one Jared Goff. As much as Jeff Fisher wants to take credit for that, it's obvious that McVay has done a lot more for the Rams than any other washed-up coach they've hired over the past 12 years.

Sean McDermott's debut as the Bills head coach may not have been as explosive, but he's done something no other head coach has: leading a team back to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. The Bills may still prove to be a laughibly weak wild card team in the AFC East, but there's something different about this Bills squad this year. In years past, the Bills, when faced with adversity, would pack up their bags and call it quits. This is especially true when they lost at home to the Dolphins late last year (speaking of, why isn't Adam Gase on the chopping block?!). This year, however, they stuck to their guns, got a little help from the Cincinnati Bengals (or Baltimore Ravens, depending on how you look at things), and did the improbable.

All six of the NFL's departees were veteran coaches with impressive resumes, sure, but the NFL landscape is changing rapidly, and teams need to adapt. Just look at the playoff picture: eight new teams in the playoffs this year, four of which haven't been to the promised land for over ten years. Sure, these struggling squads have had a lot of help in the drafting department, but players are only as good as their coaches, in most cases at least.

Except, of course, if you're Jack Del Rio. Last year, the Raiders were Super Bowl contenders before Carr went down with an injury. Now? Mediocrity. Carr has fallen back to Earth, and Del Rio can't do anything to bring him back up...because he's not a good head coach. The same goes for Chuck Pagano, who made the AFC Championship back in 2014 on the shoulders of Andrew Luck. Even with a good amount of talented, yet aging, players, the Colts have become a laughingstock. If Pagano was as good a coach as people thought in 2014, wouldn't this team have at least finished at .500? These two cases are proof that high-end talent can make you look like Coach of the Year.

As much as I hate to say it, that's also true of Bruce Arians and Marvin Lewis. The Cardinals have Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald, and a littany of solid running backs. The Bengals have Andy Dalton, AJ Green, and have had solid defenses in years past. Injuries and trades, however, have riddled both squads, and it was once the herd thinned that Arians and Lewis were exposed. Think about it: both teams went 13-3 in 2015, only to don cement shoes and sink to the bottom of the ocean for the next two years. The Cardinals offensive line crapped the bed, while the Bengals offense went from dilly-dilly to the pit of misery. The quality of play sank dramatically for both squads, and you can't blame that on one or two players alone.

That's not to say that all of these coaches deserve to be on the streets. Caldwell's firing is especially questionable: he's led the Lions to 3 winning seasons, after all. While their playoff performances have been equivalent to a toddler running headfirst into a door, the Lions have risen pretty far from the ashes of their 0-16 season back in 2008. That's not all Caldwell's doing, but to blame him for the Lions' bad luck is a bit unfair. Yeah, his 2009 Super Bowl appearance may have been him riding on Peyton Manning's shoulders, but that offensive line he had is, to this day, one of the best I can recall, and you have to give credit where it's due. Besides, the Lions got screwed over in the game against Atlanta, and also beat what's arguably the NFC's best team right now in their prime (the Vikings).

In any case, as I've stated many times already, young blood may be exactly what these teams need. Sean McVay, Sean McDermott...hell, even Kyle Shanahan...all of these head coaches have completely turned their teams around. This is something the Raiders have apparently failed to realize. Instead of hiring someone new, or even someone from out of house, the Raiders have decided to climb in the Delorian and travel back to 2001 to pick up Jon Gruden and make him head coach again. I love the Gruden brothers...but MAN is this a bad idea. If anything, Gruden should be a scout, not the head coach of a team so meh-worthy they're considering moving to Las Vegas. It's time for the Raiders, like every other team I've mentioned, to consider young coaches who can bring fresh ideas to the table.

Which brings us to the Chicago Bears, and John Fox. As much of a clueless redneck that Fox is, the Bears' plight is hardly his fault. His team is run by the McCaskey's after all, who can run an NFL team just as well as Fat Albert can run a marathon. The Bears defense has actually improved immensely under him, actually shutting out the very talented (except for Cleveland) AFC North this year. I just don't think the Bears have the tools necessary to improve, even without Fox, merely because of how the team is run. Questionable draft decisions, terrible stadium deals...the McCaskey's have committed every sin an NFL owner can. The Bears' future is bleak, even with a new head coach.

With so many young teams taking the league by storm, the best way for teams to compliment this evolution is with equally young head coaches. Just look at Mike Tomlin, who's led the Steelers to two Super Bowls in his tenure. He was the youngest head coach in the NFL when he was hired, and he's now one of the best head coaches in the league. Youth and enthusiasm may not always beat treachery and experience, but that doesn't mean one can't lead to the other.