Some Week 2021 Week 2 Series Trivia

 What a week! It started with a great game between the Cowboys and Bucs and ended with another great game between the Ravens and Raiders. I really  enjoyed the Saints' beatdown of Green Bay, though I hoped they would preserve the shutout. But remember, the season is only one game old There are no conclusions to draw at this time. Now that Week 1 is in the books, let's take a look at Week 2.

New York Giants vs Washington: The Giants lead the series 105-69-4 and have won their last 5 meetings dating back to 2018. The Giants also lead the series at Washington 48-39-2. The postseason series is tied 1-1. Ironically, both games were shutouts, but not the last time each team has shut out the other. They first met in a Divisional Playoff game in 1943, where Washington blanked the Giants 28-0. Their last postseason meeting was in the 1986 NFC Championship game, when the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants won 17-0. The overtime series is 2-2-1, with the Giants winning the last one 41-35 in 2019. The last time the Giants shut out Washington was 36-0 in 2005. The last time New York shut out the Team was 27-0 in 1979. Their last tie was the overtime tie, 7-7 in 1997.

Cincinnati vs Chicago: The Bengals lead the series 6-5, winning the last two meetings dating back to 2013. The Bears trail the series at home 2-4 and are 1-2 at Soldier Field since 1992. They have never met in the postseason. Cincy leads the overtime series 2-0, last beating the Bears 31-28 in 1992. The last time Chicago shut out the Bengals was 24-0 in 2001. Cincy has never shut out the Bears.

Houston vs Cleveland: The Texans lead the series 7-4 and are 5-1 against Cleveland since 2008. The Browns lead the series at home 3-2, but are 1-2 there since 2008. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Los Angeles Rams vs Indianapolis: The Colts lead the series 23-20-2, but the series is 2-2 since 2013. Indy leads the series at home 14-6-2, but again, the series there is tied at 2-2 since 1986. Though the series started in 1953, they have never met in the postseason. They have also never gone to overtime. There is only one shutout in the series, a Rams beatdown of the then Baltimore Colts 48-0. Their last tie was 24-24 in 1967.

Buffalo vs Miami: The Dolphins lead the series 61-52-1, but the Bills are 7-1 since 2017. Miami also leads the series at home 35-21-1 but are 2-3 there since 2016. Buffalo leads the postseason series 3-1, their last meeting a 24-14 Dolphins win in the 1999 AFC Wildcard round. The Bills are 2-1 in overtime, losing their last overtime game 34-31 in 2016. The last time Buffalo shut out the Dolphins was 19-0 in 2013. The last time Miami shut out the Bills was 28-0 in 1985. Their only tie was 14-14 in 1968.

New England vs New York Jets: The Patriots lead the series 69-54-1 and have won the last 10 meetings. The Jets trail the series at home 32-29 and are 2-6 there since 2013. New England leads the postseason series 2-1, but the Jets won their last meeting in the 2011 AFC Divisional Round 28-21. New York is 4-2 when games in the series go to overtime, winning the last two times. The last time New England just out the Jets was 33-0 in 2019. The last time New York shut out the Patriots was 6-0 in 1993. Their only tie was 24-24 in 1966.

San Francisco vs Philadelphia: The Niners lead the series 19-14-1, but the series is 2-2 since 2011. San Francisca leads the series in Philadelphia 10-5-1 and is 3-1 there since 2005. They met only once in the postseason, a 14-0 Niners win in 1996. This is also the last time San Francisco shut out the Eagles. They are 1-1 going into overtime.The Niners won the last overtime game 31-28 in 2003. Philly has never shut out the Niners. Their only tie was 10-10 in 1956.

Las Vegas vs Pittsburgh: The Raiders lead the series 16-13 and is 3-1 since 2012. Pittsburgh leads the series at home 8-5 and is 4-1 there since 2003. The postseason series it tied 3-3 and is one of the greatest postseason rivalries out there. The Raiders won the last two postseason meetings dating back to the 1976 AFC Championship game. They never went to overtime. There is only one shutout in the series. In 1974, the then Oakland Raiders blanked the Steelers 17-0.

New Orleans vs Carolina: The Saints lead the series 28-25 and is 9-2 against Carolina since 2016. New Orleans also leads the series at Carolina 14-12, winning the last four meetings. The Saints lead the postseason series 1-0, winning at home in the NFC Wildcard game 31-26 in 2018. Carolina leads the overtime series 1-0, winning 23-20 in 2003. The last time Carolina shut out the Saints was 13-0 in 1997. New Orleans has never shut out the Panthers.

Denver vs Jacksonville: The Jaguars lead the series 7-6 and is 4-2 against the Broncos since 2007. Jacksonville leads the series at home 3-2, but trails Denver 2-1 since 2005. The postseason series is tied 1-1, with the Broncos winning in the 1997 Wild Card game 42-17. They never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Minnesota vs Arizona: The Vikings lead the series 17-11 and is 5-1 against the Cardinals since 2010. This is also their first ever meeting in September. Arizona leads the series at home 7-6 and is 3-1 there since 2003. Minnesota leads the postseason series 2-0, both games in the Divisional Round. The Vikings won their last postseason meeting 41-21 in 1998. Minnesota won their only overtime game 30-24 in 1995. The only time Minnesota shut out the Cardinals was 28-0 in 1991. Arizona has never shut out the Vikings.

Atlanta vs Tampa Bay: The Falcons lead the series 28-27, but Tampa Bay is 3-1 in the series since 2019. The Bucs lead the series at home 15-14, but is 2-4 there since 2015. They never met in the postseason. The Falcons lead the overtime series 3-2, winning the last time 28-22 in 2019. The last time Tampa Bay shut out the Falcons was 27-0 in 2004. The last time Atlanta shut out the Bucs was 17-0 in their first ever meeting in 1977.

Dallas vs Los Angeles Chargers: The Cowboys lead the series 6-5 and is 4-1 since 2003. Los Angeles trails the series at home 2-4 and is 2-3 there since 1983. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other. They first met in 1972 when Dallas won 34-28.

Tennessee vs Seattle: The Seahawks lead the series 10-7 and is 6-2 since 1994. Seattle also leads the series at home 7-2, but the series is tied 1-1 since 2010. Their only postseason meeting was in the AFC Wildcard game in the strike shortened season of 1987. Houston won in overtime 23-20. They are 1-1 in overtime, with the Seahawks winning the last time 13-10 in 1990. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Kansas City vs Baltimore: The Chiefs lead the series 7-4, but Baltimore won their last four meetings dating back to 2015. Kansas City also leads the series at home 5-1, winning their last two games there. The Ravens won their only postseason meeting in the 2010 AFC Wildcard game 30-7. Their only game that went to overtime was in 2018, when the Chiefs won 27-24. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Detroit vs Green Bay: The Packers lead the series 104-72-7, winning their last four meetings.Green Bay also leads the series at home 61-27-4, but the series is 2-2 there since 2017. The Packers also lead the postseason series 2-0, both games in the Wildcard Round. Green Bay won their last postseason meeting 16-12 in 1994. The overtime series is 2-2, the last time being a 16-13 Packer win in 2005. The last time Detroit shut out the Packers was 31-0 in 2018. The last time Green Bay shut out the Lions 26-0 in 2009. There were shutouts early in the series, including when the Lions had another team name. In 1933, Green Bay shut out the then Portsmouth Spartans 17-0. In their first meeting as the Detroit Lions, they shut out the Packers 3-0 in 1934. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1973.

Here are some historical scores on this week's matchups on September 19:

 

1982  New York Jets 31 - New England 7 

1982  Houston Oilers 23 - Seattle 21 

1999  Detroit 23 - Green Bay 15

2004  Jacksonville 7 - Denver 6

2010  New York Jets 28 - New England 14

Have a great day!!

Some 2021 Week 1 NFL Series Trivia

 It's been a while since I posted anything. After living through Hurricane Ida, it feels good to have the time (at least for now) to post again. Let's rock & roll!

Dallas vs Tampa Bay: The Cowboys lead the series 15-4, including the postseason. Dallas won the last two games dating back to 2016. The series is tied in Tampa Bay with the Bucs winning 10-6 in 2015. Dallas leads the postseason series 2-0. Their last playoff game was in the 1982 Wild Card, a 30-17 Cowboys win. The Cowboys lead the overtime series 1-0, when they won 27-24 in 1983. The last time Dallas shut out the Bucs was 16-0 in 2003. Tampa Bay has never shut out the Cowboys. 

Philadelphia vs Atlanta: Philadelphia leads the series 20-15-1, with the Falcons winning three of the last four meetings. Atlanta leads the series at home 9-8, winning the last three meetings there since 2011. The Eagles lead the postseason series 3-1, the last one was a 15-10 Divisional Round win from the 2017 season. There is only one overtime game in the series, a 23-17 win for the Eagles in 1985. The last time Philly shut out the Falcons was 16-0 in 1986. Atlanta has never shut out the Eagles. In fact, the only time the Falcons ever held Philly to a single digit score was a 27-3 win in 1969. Their only tie was 13-13 in 1970.

Pittsburgh vs Buffalo: The Steelers are 16-11 in the series, but Buffalo won the last two meeting dating back to 2019. The Bills lead the series 8-6 at home, but the Steelers are 4-2 there since 1999. Pittsburgh leads the postseason series 2-1, winning their last meeting in the 1995 Divisional Round 40-21. They only went to overtime once, in 2010, and the Steelers won 19-16. The last time Pittsburgh shut out the Bills was 23-0 in 1993. The last time Buffalo shut out the Steelers was 13-0 in 1982.

Minnesota vs Cincinnati: The Vikings lead the series 7-6, but they are 3-3 since 1995. Cincy leads the series at home 6-1 and are 3-0 there since 1995. They never met in the postseason or went to overtime. The last time Cincinnati shut out the Vikings was 14-0 in 1980. Minnesota never shut out the Bengals.

San Francisco vs Detroit: The 49ers lead the series 38-28-1, going 10-1 since 1996. Detroit leads the series at home 18-14 and is 5-3 there since 1984. The postseason series is tied 1-1. They last met in the postseason in 1983, when the Niners won 24-23. They never went to overtime. The last time San Francisco shut out the Lions was 49-0 in 1961. The last time Detroit shut out the 49ers was 24-0 in 1960. Their only tie was 20-20 in 1961.

Arizona vs Tennessee: The Cardinals lead the series 7-4, winning the last two meetings dating back to 2013. Surprisingly, Arizona leads the series at the Titans/Houston Oilers 4-2, winning two of the last three meetings dating back to 1994. They never met in the postseason. They went to overtime once, with the Cardinals winning 37-34 in 2013. There is only one shutout in the series. In their first ever meeting in 1970, the St. Louis Cardinals spanked the Houston Oilers 44-0.

Seattle vs Indianapolis: The Colts lead the series 7-5, going 2-2 since 2005. Indy leads the series at home 3-1, going 2-0 since 2009. They never met in the postseason, even when Seattle was in the AFC. They also never went to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Los Angeles Chargers vs Washington: The Team leads the series 7-4, but the Chargers are 4-1 since 2001. Washington leads the series at home 5-1 with the last two games since 2005 going to overtime. They never met in the postseason. They are 1-1 in overtime, the last game going to Washington in 2013, 30-24. There is only one shutout in the series. In their first ever meeting in 1973, Washington dominated the San Diego Chargers 38-0.

New York Jets vs Carolina: The Panthers lead the series 4-3, with Carolina going 3-1 since 2005. Carolina leads the series at home, 3-1. They have never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Jacksonville vs Houston: The Texans lead the series 25-13, going 12-2 since 2014. Houston also leads the series at home 14-5, going 3-0 since 2018. They are 1-1 in overtime, the last game going to the Texans 43-47 in 2012. They never met in the postseason. The last time Houston shut out the Jaguars was 21-0 in 2004.The last time Jacksonville shut out the Texans was 27-0 in 2003.

Cleveland vs Kansas City: The Chiefs lead the series 14-11-2, including the postseason, winning the last four games since 2013. Kansas City leads the series 10-3-1 at home and is 6-1 at Arrowhead since 1988. They met in the postseason for the first time last season. As most fans know, the Chiefs won that game in the Divisional Round 22-17. They only went to overtime once. In 2006, the Browns won 31-28. There is only one shutout in the series. Kansas City blanked Cleveland 34-0 in 1990. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1989.

Miami vs. New England: The Dolphins lead the series 57-54, including the postseason, but the Patriots are 6-5 against the Fins since 2016. New England leads the series at home 37-18, going 11-1 there since 2009. The Patriots lead the postseason series 2-1, the last time in 1997 in the Wildcard Round, when they won 17-3. Miami leads the overtime series 4-3, but New England won their last one 19-13 in 2003. The last time New England shut out the Dolphins was 43-0 in 2019. The last time Miami shut out the Patriots was 21-0 in 2006.

Green Bay vs New Orleans: The Packers lead the series 17-9, but New Orleans is 4-3 since 2006. The Saints also trail in the series at home 6-7, but are 3-1 since 2002. For the upcoming game, the Saints are at home in Jacksonville, FL. In another bit of trivia, the first win the Saints ever had in the Superdome was in 1975, edging the Packers 20-19. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other, but New Orleans has never held Green Bay to less than 10 points.

Denver vs New York Giants: New York leads the series 7-6, but the series is 2-2 since 2005. The Giants also lead the series at home 5-2, but the Broncos won their last visit at Giants Stadium, which was the Manning Bowl, in 2013, 41-23. They met in the postseason once, with the Giants winning Super Bowl XXI, 39-20. They never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Chicago vs Los Angeles Rams: The Bears lead the series 54-38-3 and are 6-3 versus the Rams since 2006. Los Angeles leads the series at home 24-23-1 and are 3-1 there since 2013. They are 1-1 in the postseason, their last meeting being a 24-0 spanking by the Bears over the Rams in the NFC Championship game in 1985. This was also the last time Chicago shut out the Rams. They never went to overtime. The last time Los Angeles shut out the Bears was 26-0 in 1973. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1972.

Baltimore vs Las Vegas: The Ravens lead the series 9-3, but the series in 2-2 since 2015. The Raiders trail the series at home 2-3, but they are 1-1 since 2015. Baltimore won their only meeting in the postseason, a 16-3 win in the 2000 AFC Championship game. The never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Here are a couple of historical scores of this week's games played on September 12:

2005 Atlanta 14 - Philadelphia 10

2011 New England 38 - Miami 24

I will write posts as long as time allows. At some point, I will narrate these and add the audio.

Have a great day!!

Some 2018 NFL Draft Trivia

It's been too long since my last sports post. There is a ton of stuff out there about the players and what kind of future they have, as well as a plethora of stats.

This post is a bit different. The trivia here involves the teams at their pick location as well as the university where the player selected came from. In Cleveland's case, they had the first pick in the draft before and other Oklahoma Sooners have been picked with the first selection. The players previously chosen will only have listed the year they were drafted. When featuring the university players chosen with a pick, the year and team who drafted them will be listed. Also, if a team trades a pick away, then it will be treated as if that team never had that pick. Hence, the team having the pick is the team who made the pick

This post will only cover the first round. Now let's have some fun.

1. Cleveland Browns - QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma  - This is the fourth time the Browns have had the first overall pick and the third where they picked a quarterback. Their previous three first overall picks were busts, QB Bobby Garrett (1954), QB Tim Couch (1999), and DE Courtney Brown (2000). Mayfield is the fourth Oklahoma Sooner to be picked first overall. The other three are Hall of Famer DE Lee Roy Selmon (1976 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers), RB Billy Sims (1980 - Detroit Lions), and QB Sam Bradford (2010 - St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams).
2. New York Giants - RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State  - This is the third time the Giants have had this pick, The first, HB Skippy Minisi (1948) played for only one season. They fared better with the second one, Hall of Famer LB Lawrence Taylor (1981). Barkley is the third Nittany Lion selected second overall. The other two were first round bust RB Blair Thomas (1990 - New York Jets) and LB LaVar Arrington (2000 - Washington Redskins).
3. New York Jets - QB Sam Darnold, USC - This is the fourth time the Jets had this pick. The first is DB and future LSU head coach Jerry Stovall (1963), but he chose the NFL and played nine season for the St. Louis Cardinals. The next two fared better, RB Matt Snell (1964), and RB Freeman McNeil (1981). Both were solid performers for the team. Darnold is the third Trojan picked third overall. The other two were AFC Central foes fared well in their careers, Hall of Famer T Anthony Munoz (1980 - Cincinnati Bengals) and LB Chip Banks (1982 - Cleveland Browns).
4. Cleveland Browns - RB Denzel Ward, Ohio State - This is only the second time they had this pick. The first is WR/P Gary Collins (1962), who played ten seasons with the team. Ward is the fourth Buckeye to be selected with this pick. The others are T Chris Ward (1978 - New York Jets), QB Art Schlichter (1982 - Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts), and current Dallas Cowboy RB Ezekiel Elliott (2016).
5. Denver Broncos - DE Bradley Chubb, North Carolina State - This the third time the Broncos have had this pick. They drafted DB Kermit Alexander (1963), but he chose the NFL to play for the San Francisco 49ers. However, they fared better the second time, drafting TE Riley Odoms in 1972. He played 11 seasons with the team. Chubb is the first Wolfpack alum to be picked with this selection.
6. Indianapolis Colts - G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame - This is the second time the Colts have had this pick. The first time was from they were still in Baltimore, selecting LB Barry Krauss in 1979. He played ten seasons for the Colts and a season for the Miami Dolphins. Nelson is the seventh Golden Domer to be selected with this pick. The others were C Frank  Szymanski (1945 - Detroit Lions), G Jerry Groom (1951 - Chicago Cardinals), T Frank Varrichione (1955 - Pittsburgh Steelers), FB Nick Pietrosante (1959 - Detroit Lions), Hall of Fame WR Tim Brown (1988 - Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders), and current Baltimore Raven T Ronnie Stanley (2016).
7. Buffalo Bills - QB Josh Allen, Wyoming - This is the second time Buffalo had this pick. They selected TE Paul Seymour (1973), who played five seasons with the team. Allen is the first Wyoming alum to be selected with this pick.
8. Chicago Bears - LB Roquan Smith, Georgia - This is the sixth time the Bears have had this pick. Their other selections had average careers. They are E Les McDonald (1937), WR/TE Jim Dooley (1952), DT Wally Chambers (1973) T Dennis Lick (1976), and WR David Terrell (2001). Smith is the second Bulldog selected with this pick. The first was draft bust G Royce Smith (1972 - New Orleans Saints).
9. San Francisco 49ers - T Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame - This is the sixth time the Niners have had this pick. The others had respectable or better NFL careers. They were Hall of Fame RB Hugh McIlhenny (1952), DT Charlie Krueger (1959), RB Bernie Casey (1961), DE Cedric Hardman (1970), and RB Wilbur Jackson (1974). McGlinchey is the fifth Notre Dame alum who was selected with this pick. Three of them were drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles: E John Yonakor (1946), QB Frank Tripucka (1949), and draft bust FB Neil Worden. The fourth was DT Mike Fanning (1975 - Los Angeles Rams).
10. Arizona Cardinals - QB Josh Rosen, UCLA - This is the sixth time the Cards have had this pick. They are T Bill Fischer (1949), LB Jerry Tubbs (1957), LB Eric Hill (1989), LB Jamir Miller (1994), and QB Matt Leinart (2006). Rosen is the fourth Bruin selected with this pick. The others, including the aforementioned Jamir Miller, are 49ers: DT Bill Sandifer (1974) and J.J. Stokes (1995).
11. Miami Dolphins - S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama - This is the second time they had this pick. The other played defense as well, DE Bill Stanfill (1969). Fitzpatrick is the second Bama alum selected with this pick. The other is current Los Angeles Charger T D.J. Fluker (2013).
12. Tampa Bay - DT Vita Vea, Washington - This is the fourth time the Bucs have had this pick. The other three were selected in consecutive years. They are Hall of Fame DT Warren Sapp (1995), DE Regan Upshaw (1996), and RB Warrick Dunn (1997). Vea is second Huskie to be selected with this pick. The first is current Cleveland DT Danny Shelton (2015).
13. Washington Redskins - DT Da'Ron Payne, Alabama - This is the third time the Skins have had this pick. The others selected here were draft bust RB Ray McDonald and current Tennessee Titan LB Brian Orakpo. Payne is the first Bama alum to be selected with this pick.
14. New Orleans Saints - DE Marcus Davenport, Texas - San Antonio - This is the third time the Saints have had this pick. The previous two picks have had productive careers. They selected DE Renaldo Turnbull (1990) and current Saint and last year's Super Bowl Champion with the Eagles, DB Malcolm Jenkins (2009). Davenport is the first Roadrunner selected with this pick.
15. Oakland Raiders - T Kolton Miller, UCLA - This is the third time the Raiders have had this pick. They did okay with the first one, Marc Wilson (1980) but the second was a bust, T John Clay (1987). Miller is the first Bruin to be selected with this pick.
16. Buffalo Bills - LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech - This is the fifth time the Bills have had this pick. Two of them played on the Super Bowl teams and one is a current player. The Super Bowl players are G Jim Ritcher (1980) and DB James Williams (1990). RB Ronnie Harmon played in a Super Bowl, but it was for the San Diego Chargers. The current player selected with this pick is now Oakland Raiders QB E.J. Manuel. Edmunds is the first Hokie selected with this pick.
17. Los Angeles Chargers - S Derwin James, Florida State - This is the first time the Chargers have had this pick. James is the second Seminole select the other is longtime Oakland Raider and now current Seattle Seahawk player K Sebastian Janikowski (2000).
18. Green Bay Packers - CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville - As long as the Packers have been around, this is only the second time they had this pick. The first was DE/LB Tony Bennett (1990). Alexander is the second Cardinal selected with this pick. The first is current Jacksonville Jaguar player S Calvin Pryor (2014 - New York Jets).
19. Dallas Cowboys - LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State - This is the first time the Cowboys have had this pick. However, this is the second time a Boise State alum has been selected with this pick. The first is current free agent DE Shea McClellan (2012 - Chicago Bears).
20. Detroit Lions - C Frank Ragnow, Arkansas - This is the sixth time the Lions have had this pick. The previous ones are draft bust TE David Lewis (1984), DT Luther Ellis (1995), DB Terry Fair (1998), draft bust T Stockar McDougle (2000), and TE Brandon Pettigrew (2009). Ragnow is the third Razorback to be selected with this pick. The other two are RB Gary Anderson (1983 - San Diego Chargers) and Denver Bronco great S Steve Atwater (1989).
21. Cincinnati Bengals - C Billy Price, Ohio State - This is the fifth time the Bengals have had this pick. Three of those picks are current NFL players and two are still on the roster. The first was WR Tim McGee (1986). TE Jermaine Gresham (2010) just finished his third season with the Arizona Cardinals. The current players are TE Tyler Eifert (2013) and T Cedric Ogbuehi (2015). Price is the third Buckeye selected with this pick. The other two, who had respectable careers, are RB Robert Smith (1993 - Minnesota Vikings) and DB Nate Clements (2001 - Buffalo Bills).
22. Tennessee Titans - LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama - This is the second time the Titans have had this pick. The first was when they were the Houston Oilers, picking RB Lorenzo White (1988), a good selection. Evans is the first Crimson Tide alum selected with this pick.
23. New England Patriots - T Isaiah Wynn, Georgia - This is the third time the Patriots have had this pick and they chose well. The first two are T Bruce Armstrong (1987) and DB Ty Law (1995). Wynn is the first Bulldog alum selected with this pick.
24. Carolina Panthers - WR D.J. Moore, Maryland - This is the first time Carolina has had this pick. Moore is the second Terrapin selected with this pick. The first was DB Chad Scott (1997 - Pittsburgh Steelers).
25.  Baltimore Ravens - TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina - This is the first time the Ravens have had this pick. Hurst is the second Gamecock to be selected with this pick. The first was DB Rick Sanford (1979 - New England Patriots).
26. Atlanta Falcons - WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama - This is the second time the Falcons have had this pick. The first time, they selected DB Devin Bush (1995). Ridley is the first Bama alum selected with this pick.
27. Seattle Seahawks - RB Rashaad Penny, San Diego State - This is the first time the Seahawks have had this pick. Penny is also the first San Diego State alum to selected with this pick.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers - S Terrell Edmunds, Virginia Tech - This is the fourth time the Steelers have had this pick. Each previous pick was an offensive player and each was the pick of the Super Bowl Champion. They are the late TE Bennie Cunningham (1976), RB Greg Hawthorne (1979) and QB Mark Malone (1980). Like his brother twelve picks ago, Edmunds is the first Hokie to be selected with this pick.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars - DT Taven Bryan, Florida - This is the second time the Jags have had this pick. They swung and missed with draft bust WR R. Jay Soward (2000). Bryan is the second Gator to be selected with this pick. This first is current Los Angeles Ram DT Dominique Easley (2014 - New England).
30. Minnesota Vikings - CB Mike Hughes, Central Florida - This is the third time the Vikings have had this pick, but the first time with it being in the first round. The first two players were second round picks and both were cornerbacks. They are CB Willie Teal (1980) and Isaac Holt (1985). Hughes is the first Central Florida alum selected with this pick.
31. New England Patriots - RB Sony Michel, Georgia - This is the second time the Pats have had this pick. The first time, they drafted LB Chris Slade (1993). Michel is the first Bulldog to be selected with this pick.
32. Baltimore Ravens - QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville - This is the second time the Ravens have had this pick. They first selected current Raven S Matt Elam 2013). Jackson is the second Louisville alum and second Cardinal QB selected with this pick. The first is current Minnesota Viking QB Teddy Bridgewater (2014).

And that's it. As the cliche` goes, the draft is one big crapshoot. These teams may have selected great franchise players, solid players, or awful draft busts. The NFL Draft is a time of hope and let's hope this draft produces a group great players.

Have a great day!!!

2017 NFL Series Trivia - Week 7

Got some good football going on today. How have these rivalries fared in the past? Note: The series records include postseason games.

Tampa Bay vs. Buffalo - The Bucs lead the series 7-3, and are 3-1 against the Bills since 2000. Buffalo last beat Tampa Bay in 2009, 33-20. Until today, that 2009 game was the only of the series ever played in Buffalo. They first met in Tampa Bay's inaugural season in 1976. Buffalo won 14-9. They never met in overtime or in the postseason. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Tennessee vs. Cleveland - Though it's hard to believe by watching them today, the Browns lead the series of these former AFC Central divisional rivals, 35-30. They first met in 1970, when Cleveland won 28-14. The series is tied 16-16 in Cleveland. Since the Browns returned in 1999, they are 5-8 against Tennessee. They met in overtime three times. Cleveland is 3-0 in the overtime series, the last one a 31-28 victory in 2002. They met in the postseason once, in 1988. Bernie Kosar and the Browns won a squeaker against Hall of Famer Warren Moon and the then Houston Oilers, 24-23. The last time Tennessee shut out Cleveland was 24-0 in 2000. The last time Cleveland shut out Tennessee was 20-0 in 1972, when the Titans were the Oilers.

New Orleans vs. Green Bay - The Packers lead the series 16-8, but the series is tied 4-4 since 2000. However, the Saints are 2-10 in the (sometimes) frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. They first met in 1968, then Green Bay won 29-7. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Though each team has scored at least 50 points on each other (Green Bay 52-3 in 2005 and New Orleans 51-29 in 2008), neither team has ever shut out the other.

Baltimore vs. Minnesota - The Ravens lead the series 3-2, but the series is tied 1-1 since 2009. They first met in 1998, when the Vikings won 38-28. Minnesota won the only game of the series at home, 33-31 in 2009. They never went to overtime nor have they met in the playoffs. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Carolina vs. Chicago - This is a game pitting Julius Peppers' first former team against his second former team. Da Bears lead the series 5-4 and is 3-1 against the Panthers since 2010. They first met in 1995, when Chicago won 31-27. The Bears lead the series at home 4-1. Though they never went to overtime, they met in the playoffs once in the 2005 season, with Carolina winning 29-21. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Jacksonville vs. Indianapolis - The Colts lead the series 22-10 and is 7-5 against Jacksonville since 2011. They first met in 1995 when Indy won 41-31. The Colts also lead the series at home 12-4. They never met in the playoffs, but they did go to overtime once. Indy won that 2015 matchup 16-13. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

New York Jets vs. Miami - The Jets lead this AFC East rivalry series 54-49-1 and is 4-3 against Miami since 2014. They first met in 1966 when the Jets won 19-14.  The Dolphins lead the series at home 25-24-1. New York leads the series in overtime 5-0-1. Their last overtime game was a 23-20 Jets win in 2012. They met in the playoffs once, in the 1982 AFC Championship Game. LSU alum A.J. Duhe and the Dolphins blanked the Jets in a rainy game 14-0. This is also the last time Miami shut out New York. The last time the Jets shut out the Dolphins was 24-0 in 2001. Their only tie was 28-28 in 1981.

Arizona vs. Los Angeles Rams - The Cardinals lead the series 38-37-2, but the series is tied 5-5 since 2012. They first met in 1937, when the Chicago Cardinals beat the Cleveland Rams 6-0. The Rams also lead the home series 21-19. They met in the playoffs once, in 1975, when Los Angeles beat the then St. Louis Cardinals 35-23. The Cardinals lead the overtime series 2-1, winning the last overtime meeting 19-13 in 2011. Their last tie was 24-24 in 1953. The last time the Rams shut out the Cardinals was 21-0 in 1979. The last time the Cardinals shut out the Rams was 7-0 in 1942.

Dallas vs. San Francisco - The series is tied 17-17-1, but the Cowboys are 4-1 against San Francisco since 2005. They first met in 1960, when the Niners won 26-14. The series is also tied in San Francisco 9-9. They met in the playoffs seven times and Dallas leads 5-2. Of those postseason games, six were in the NFC Championship game. Their last NFC Championship game was in the 1994 season, when San Francisco won 38-28 and went on to spank the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. They went ot overtime twice, with the Cowboys winning both. Their last overtime game was a 27-24 Dallas win in 2011. Their only tie was 24-24 in 1969. As much as they beat up on each other, neither team has ever shut out the other.

Seattle vs. New York Giants - New York leads the series 9-8, but trails the Seahawks 2-3 since 2008. They first met in 1976, when the Giants won 28-16. The Giants also lead the home series 6-3. They never met in the playoffs, but they did go to overtime once. Seattle won that game 24-21 in 2005. The last time the Seahawks shut out the Giants was 23-0 in 2013. The last time the Giants shut out the Seahawks was 32-0 in 1981.

Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh - The Steelers lead the series of these longtime divisional rivals 60-35, winning the last four games against Cincinnati. The Steelers also lead the series at home 31-16. They first met in 1970, when Pittsburgh won 21-10. They met in the postseason twice, both in the AFC Wildcard Game. The Steelers won both games, winning their last playoff meeting 18-16 in 2015. Pittsburge leads the overtime series 3-1, winning their last one 23-17 in 2006. The last time Pittsburgh shut out Cincinnati was 15-0 in 2000. Cincinnati has never shut out Pittsburgh.

Denver vs. Los Angeles Chargers - The Broncos lead this AFC West divisional rivalry 65-50-1 and is 11-4 against the Chargers since 2011. Los Angeles leads the series at home 33-24. They first met in 1960, when Denver won 41-33. They met in the postseason once, with the Broncos winning 24-17 in the 2013 season. The overtime series is tied 1-1, with then San Diego tying it up 16-13 in 2011. Their only tie was 17-17 in 1970. The last time Denver shut out the Chargers was 12-0 in 1988. The last time the Chargers shut out the Broncos was 23-0 in 1978.

Atlanta vs. New England - The Patriots lead the series 8-6, including their only playoff and overtime meeting, Super Bowl 51, a 34-28 Pats victory. New England's Super Bowl win increased their winning streak against the Dirty Birds to five games. The Patriots also lead the series at home 3-2. The last time New England shut out Atlanta was 34-0 in 1992. Atlanta has never shut out New England.

Washington vs. Philadelphia - The Redskins lead the series 86-74-5 and is 5-2 against the Eagles since 2014. Washington also leads the series at home 42-38-2. They first met in Fenway Park in 1934, when the Boston Redskins won 6-0. They met in the postseason once in the 1990 season, when the Redskins won 20-6. Washington also leads the overtime series 3-1. Their last overtime game was a 20-17 Redskins victory. Their last tie was 7-7 in 1971. The last time Washington shut out Philadelphia was 23-0 in 1991. The last time Philadelphia shut out Washington was 24-0 in 1980.

Here are some historic scores for this week's matchups on October 22:

1939  Cleveland Rams 24 - Chicago Cardinals 0
1967  New York Jets 33 - Miami 14
1967  San Diego Chargers 38 - Denver 21
1972  Cleveland 23 - Houston Oilers 17
1995  New York Jets 17 - Miami 16
2007  Indianapolis 29 - Jacksonville 7

Last Place Update - November 11

Before we get started, I have a message for all of you who served or are serving our country. THANK YOU!!!!! Thank you for your service and sacrifice. You are most definitely appreciated. Now let's have some fun.

This week's Kings of the Cellar did not lose last week. Then again, they didn't play either. Hence, the 1-7 Detroit Lions hold on to the Cellar for one more week. The 2-6 Tennessee Titans had a chance to kick out the Lions, but their overtime win over my New Orleans Saints ruined that opportunity. The 2-7 San Diego Chargers and Cleveland Browns round out the bottom three. Cleveland is sporting a four game losing streak, but San Diego does one better by losing their last five games.

Today's honorable mention goes once again to the 2-6 Dallas Cowboys, losers of their last six. Say what you want about QB Tony Romo, but the Cowpokes are not the same team without him. This week, Dallas visits the New Sombrero to take on the 3-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unless the former America's Team can play 60 minutes of good football, Jameis Winston and the Bucs will notch win #4.

Next loss...

In a rivalry that goes back to the Great Depression, the former Portsmouth Spartans will travel to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. The now Detroit Lions trail the series 67-97-7 and are 7-25 against the Packers since 1999. They first met in 1930, when Green Bay spanked the former Spartans 47-13. The teams met in the postseason twice and the Packers lead that series 2-0. Both games were in the Wild Card round in 1993 and 1994. They went to overtime four times and the series is tied 2-2. The last overtime game was a 16-13 Detroit loss in 2005. The last time Green Bay shut out Detroit was 26-0 in 2009. The last time Detroit shut out Green Bay was 34-0 in 1973. Their last tie was 13-13, also in 1973.

Here are some historic scores from games played today, November 11,

1979  Chicago 27 - Los Angeles Rams 23
1979  Buffalo 14 - New York Jets 12
1984  Miami 24 - Philadelphia 23
1984  Los Angeles Rams 29 - Chicago 13
2001  Pittsburgh 15 - Cleveland 12 (OT)
2007  Denver 27 - Kansas City 11
2007  Pittsburgh 31 - Cleveland 28

Will Detroit hold on to the Cellar? Will the Browns and Chargers continue their collapse and take the Cellar? Will Dallas ever get a win without Tony Romo this season?

Stay tuned...

Have a great day!!!!

Some 2015 NFL Draft First Round Trivia

Wow, this took long enough to complete. By now, there's been a wealth of articles and blog posts with tons of analysis about the NFL Draft. Not here. You're getting a different take. This post focuses more on the selection number than the round number and what happened with those picks. For example, the17th pick is in the first round, but in 1959, it was in the second round. The players chosen with these picks, even if it's in lower rounds in earlier years, are mentioned here. Also, there are players from the 1960's selected in the NFL and AFL drafts. Both drafts are mentioned for those players.

So instead of figuring out if Winston/Mariotta are star level QB's or busts, let's see what history the picks in the first round show us...

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - No surprise here. The Bucs picked Florida State QB Jameis Winston and even have him signed to a contract. This is the fifth time Tampa Bay had the first overall pick and it's been a hit or miss proposition. In their inaugural season of 1976, they picked Hall of Fame DE Lee Roy Selmon. Then again, in 1986, Tampa Bay picked Bo Jackson with the first pick and he didn't play a down with the team. The last quarterback they drafted with the first pic, 1987 first pick Vinny Testaverde, had a respectable career, but not with the Bucs. Winston is the first Florida State player the Bucs selected with the first overall pick and the first Seminole player ever drafted first.
2. Tennessee Titans - Again, no surprise. Tennessee drafted QB Marcus Mariotta from Oregon. This is the third time Tennessee/Houston had the second overall pick. They're 1-1 at this point. The Houston Oilers picked Baylor WR Larry Elkins with the second pick of the 1965 AFL draft. He was also the 10th overall pick by the Green Bay Packers. Opting for the AFL, Elkins only played for two seasons. However, they fared much better in 1984, drafting T Dean Steinkuhler of Nebraska. Mariotta is the first Oregon player Tennessee drafted with the second pick and as with Winston, he's the first Duck selected with the second pick.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Didn't they have the third pick last year? More on that in a bit. The Jags selected DE Dante Fowler, Jr. from Florida. This is only the second time the Jags had this pick. Last year, they drafted QB Blake Bortles. It's too early to gauge his career. Although this is the second time Jacksonville had this pick, this is the fourth time someone from Florida was selected here. Although the San Francisco 49ers picked Heisman winner and NFL bust Steve Spurrier with this pick in the 1966 draft, the other picks fared better. My New Orleans Saints picked WR Wes Chandler with this pick in 1978 and had a respectable career with multiple teams, as  DT Gerard Warren had when Cleveland picked him here in 2001.
4. Oakland Raiders - For the first time since 2009, the Raiders picked a wide receiver with their first pick, this one WR Amari Cooper from Alabama. This is the fourth time Oakland had the number four pick and had fairly good luck with it. In 1998, they selected DB Charles Woodson, who had a great NFL career and is still playing. In 2008, the Raiders picked RB Darren McFadden, who just signed to play with the Cowboys this offseason. Oakland also had this pick in the AFL. In 1961, they picked DT Joe Rutgens, but he chose to play in the NFL (Washington), never playing a down for the Raiders. Cooper is the fifth player from Alabama selected with this pick. In 1989, the Kansas City Chiefs used this pick to select Hall of Famer LB Derrick Thomas, but Tampa Bay's choice of Keith McCants didn't pan out so well. Indianapolis chose DE Jon Hand here in 1986, who played his nine seasons with the team. The New England Patriots chose Hall of Famer OT John Hannah in 1973. Some lagniappe trivia, future Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant was drafted with the fourth pick of the fourth round by the Brooklyn Tigers.
5. Washington Redskins -The Skins selected OT Brandon Scherff from Iowa, who was the second tackle they selected with their first pick since 2010. This is the second time they had the 5th overall pick. In 2004, Washington took DB Sean Taylor, whose life was tragically cut short. This is also the second time that a player from Iowa was selected with this pick. In 1966, the Dallas Cowboys picked G John Niland (also picked in the 13th round by Oakland), who played for 10 seasons in the NFL.
6. New York Jets - The Jets picked DE Leonard Williams from Southern Cal. This is the first time since 2008 that the Jets had this pick, when they picked another DE Vernon Gholston, who only played for three seasons. This is the fifth time the Jets had this pick. They first used the sixth pick in 1971 to draft Hall of Fame RB John Riggins. The other picks were DT Carl Barzilauskas (1974) and QB Richard Todd (1976). Williams is the fourth USC player taken with this pick. Doyle Nave was the first Trojan taken with this pick in 1940, but didn't play a down in the NFL. However, the next two USC alums taken with this pick had decent NFL careers. In 1973, the Philadelphia Eagles picked TE Charle Young, who ended up winning a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers. In 1990, the Chicago Bears selected DB Mark Carrier, who had an 11 year career.
7. Chicago Bears - Speaking of the Bears, Chicago drafted WR Kevin White from West Virginia. This is the eighth time they had this pick. They drafted Hall of Fame C Bulldog Turner in 1940. With a couple of exceptions, Chicago did well with this pick. In 1958, they picked LB Chuck Howley. Unfortunately for the Bears, Howley had his greatest success with the Cowboys. In 1993, the last time Chicago had this pick, they picked another wide receiver, Curtis Conway, who played for 12 seasons. White is the third West Virginia alum to be selected with this pick, along with fellow alum Howley. The third Mountaineer picked was G Brian Jozwiak, taken in 1986 by Kansas City. Jozwiak only played for three seasons.
8. Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons chose LB Vic Beasley from Clemson. This is the fourth time Atlanta had this pick and they had a history of choosing well here. In 1992, they chose T Bob Whitfield, who played for 15 seasons. The Falcons picked CB DeAngelo Hall in 2004, who is still in the league today, and DE Jamaal Anderson in 2007, who played for six seasons.  Beasley is the first Clemson alum selected with this pick.
9. New York Giants - The G-Men selected G Ereck Flowers from Miami. This is the second time the Giants ever had this pick. The last one was in 1936, when they selected T Art Lewis, who only played for three seasons. Flowers is the third player from The U to be selected with this pick and all were selected by NFC East teams. FB Dan Bosseler was the first Hurricane picked here by Washington in 1957. He played for eight seasons. The last time a Miami player was picked here was in 1987, when the Eagles picked the late great DT Jerome Brown.
10. St. Louis Rams - The Rams picked RB Todd Gurley from Georgia. This is the eighth time the Rams had this pick, dating back to their Cleveland Rams days. They first used this pick in 1937 to choose Johnny Drake, who played for five seasons. The next four times they had this pick, the Rams selected okay players to busts. However, the last two before Gurley had respectable careers. In 1971, the Los Angeles Rams selected LB Isiah Robertson, who played for 12 seasons. The last time they had this pick, the Rams selected Hall of Fame RB Jerome Bettis in 1993. Gurley is the first player from Georgia selected with this pick.
11. Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings selected CB Trae Waynes from Michigan State. This is the third time Minnesota had this pick. The first time they had this pick, the Vikings selected DE Derrick Alexander in 1995. He only played for five seasons. They fared better in 1999, when Minnesota chose QB Daunte Culpepper. Waynes is also the second Spartan selected with this pick. In 1963, Chicago drafted C Dave Behrman. However, Berhman never played a down for the Bears and was a bust. He opted for the AFL (4th overall by the Buffalo Bills) and ended up playing for a total of three seasons.
12. Cleveland Browns - The Browns selected DT Danny Shelton of Washington. This is the fourth time they had this pick. Their first two selection with this pick didn't fare so well. QB Harry Agganis was picked in 1952 and never played a down for the team. The second was a bust. They picked T John Bauer in 1954 and he only played for one season. However, the last time the Browns had this pick, they hit paydirt. In 1978, Cleveland selected LB Clay Matthews, who played for almost two decades, most of them with the team. Shelton is the first Huskie selected with the #12 pick.
13. New Orleans Saints - The Saints chose T Andrus Peat of Stanford. This is the seventh time New Orleans had this pick. They first had this pick in 1974, when they selected draft bust LB Rick Middleton. WR Lindsey Scott, also a bust, was taken with this pick in 1982. However, the rest of the times the Saints had this pick, they chose well, such as DE Joe Johnson (1994), LB Mark Fields (1995), WR Donte Stallworth (2002), and T Jammal Brown (2005), all playing for at least nine seasons. Peat is the fourth Stanford Cardinal drafted with this pick. The rest were second round picks, starting with C Vic Lindskog, taken by the Eagles in 1942. The other two Stanford alums were busts. B George Quist (1948 by the Detroit Lions) never played a down in the NFL and LB Jack Chapple, taken in the second round in 1965 by the Kansas City Chiefs (3rd round by the 49ers), only played for one season for KC.
14. Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins drafted WR DeVante Parker of Louisville. This is the second time Miami had this pick. In 1984, they drafted LB Jackie Shipp, who played for six seasons. Parker is the first Louisville Cardinal selected with this pick.
15. San Diego Chargers - The Chargers selected RB Melvin Gordon from Wisconsin. This is the fifth time San Diego had this pick. They first used the pick in the second round in of 1961 to draft FB Keith Lincoln and chose well. Lincoln played for eight seasons. In 1970, the Chargers picked WR Walter Gillette, who played for seven seasons, but only two of them with San Diego. Their best choice with this pick was in 1988, when they drafted WR Anthony Miller, who played for ten seasons in the league. Gordon is the first Badger to be selected with this pick.
16. Houston Texans - The Texans picked CB Kevin Johnson of Wake Forest. This is the second time Houston had this pick. They last used this pick in 2005 to select DT Travis Johnson, who played for six seasons in the NFL. Johnson is the first Demon Deacon taken with this pick.
17. San Francisco 49ers - The Niners drafted DT Arik Armstead from Oregon. This is the fifth time they had this pick. San Francisco first used the pick in 1951 and drafted HB Pete Schabarum in the second round, who only played for three seasons. The Niners fared better with this pick in 1959, when they picked LB Bob Harrison in the second round, who played for nine seasons, six with San Francisco. In 1970 they drafted CB Bruce Taylor, who played for eight seasons. The last time the 49ers had this pick was in 2010, when they selected G Mike Iupati, who is still with the team. Armstead is the third Duck to be selected with this pick. The first was in 1945, when the Boston Yanks drafted C Cecil Gray in the third round. Gray never played a down in the league. The last Duck taken was Hall of Fame DB Mel Renfro, drafted with this pick in 1964 in the second round by the Cowboys.
18. Kansas City Chiefs - This is the second time the Chiefs had this pick and they used it to select CB Marcus Peters of Washington. The first time was in 1964, when they picked DT Ken Kortas. However, Kortas chose to play with St. Louis Cardinals, who drafted him with the ninth pick. He went on to play for six seasons in the league. Peters is the fourth Huskie taken with this pick. The first Huskie taken with this pick was C Ray Mansfield by the Eagles in the second round in 1963. Mansfield played for 14 seasons, all but his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  In 1992, the 49ers drafted DB Dana Hall, who played for six seasons. The Raiders drafted RB Napoleon Kaufmann in 1995 and he also played for six seasons.
19. Cleveland Browns - With their second pick in the first round, the Browns chose C Cameron Irving from Florida State. This is the second time Cleveland had this pick.  In 1960, the Browns drafted HB Prentice Gautt in the second round, who played for eight seasons, his last seven with the St. Louis Cardinals. Irving is the third Seminole to be drafted with this pick. In 2005, the St. Louis Rams used this pick to draft T Alex Barron, who played for six seasons and the Chargers used this pick in 2006 to choose CB Antonio Cromartie, who now plays for the Arizona Cardinals.
20. Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles selected WR Nelson Agholor of USC. This is the seventh time Philly had this pick. The first time they had the #20 pick was in the third round of the 1944 draft. The Eagles chose G Loren LaPrade, who never played a down. The same thing happened when Philly used this pick to draft B Al Conway in the second round in 1953. However, in 1960, the Eagles chose LB Maxie Baughan in the second round and he played for twelve seasons. Another good selection with this pick in the second round was DE-DT Gary Pettigrew, drafted in 1966 (6th round by the Chargers), who opted for the NFL and played for ten seasons in the league. The Eagles also chose a wide receiver with the 20th pick in 1982, Mike Quick of North Carolina State, who played until 1990. Agholor is also the second USC Trojan taken with this pick. In 2004, Minnesota picked DE Kenichi Udeze, who only played for four seasons.
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Cincy picked OT Cedric Ogbuehi from Texas A&M. This is the fourth time, and the third time in six years, that the Bengals had this pick. They chose offensive players every time. The first time was in 1986, when Cincy picked WR Tim McGee, who played for nine seasons. The other two, both tight ends, are still with the team: Jermaine Gresham (2010) and Tyler Eifert (2013). Ogbuehi is the third Aggie chosen with this pick. In 1975, the St. Louis Cardinals picked DB Tim Gray, who only played for five seasons, one of them with the team that drafted him. The other was RB Roger Vick, the Jets' pick in 1987, who only played for four seasons.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers chose LB Alvin Dupree from Kentucky. This is the fourth time they had this pick, but only the latter two times was this pick in the first round. Pittsburgh first had this pick in 1946, when the selected E Jack Russell in the third round. The end position in his case was more a receiver than a defensive end. Russell played for five seasons. The Steelers had the 22nd pick again in 1950, which was in the second round, when they chose Hall of Fame DT Ernie Stautner, who played for 14 seasons. The last time they had this pick was in the first round in 1978, when they chose DB Ron Johnson, who played for seven seasons. Dupree is the first Wildcat taken with this pick.
23. Denver Broncos - The men in orange picked DE Shane Ray out of Missouri. This is the first time the Broncos had this pick. Ray is the second player from Mizzou to be selected here. In 1961 the Lions picked T Dan LaRose in the second round, who played for six seasons. LaRose  was also picked in the 3rd round, 18th overall, by the Boston Patriots, but he chose to play with Detroit.
24. Arizona Cardinals - The Cards selected T DJ Humphries of Florida. This is the second time the Cards had this pick. In 1964, the St. Louis Cardinals also chose a tackle, Herschel Turner in the second round. He was also selected in the 8th round by Oakland. Turner only played for two seasons. Humphries is the second Gator to be selected with this pick. In 2000, the 49ers picked DT Reggie McGrew, who only played for three seasons. Hopefully Humphries will fare better.
25. Carolina Panthers - The Panthers picked LB Shaq Thompson from Washington. This is the second time Carolina had this pick. In 2007, they picked another LB, Jon Beeson, who is still playing in the NFL. Thompson is the second Huskie to be selected with this pick. In 1962, the Oakland Raiders drafted DT John Meyers in the fourth round, who never played a down with the team. Instead Meyers, also drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round, chose to play for the NFL and played six seasons in the league for the Cowboys and the Eagles.
26. Baltimore Ravens - Baltimore drafted WR Breshad Perriman of Central Florida. This is the second time the Ravens had this pick. In their inaugural season of 1996, Baltimore's used this pick to draft LB Ray Lewis. Perriman is also the first Knight taken with this pick.
27. Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys chose DB Byron Jones of Connecticut. This is the fourth time Dallas had this pick. The first time was in 1970, when they chose T Bob Asher in the second round. Asher played for six season, the last four with the Bears. They had this pick again in 1976, this time in the first round, when they chose DB Aaron Kyle, who played for seven seasons. The last time the Cowboys had this pick was in 1979, when they chose C Robert Shaw, who only played for three seasons. Jones is the third Huskie taken with this pick. In 1963, the Jets drafted DT John Contoulis in the fourth round, but he chose to play with the Giants. However, the joke was on the G-Men, because Contoulis only played for one season. Maybe that's why New York drafted him in the 16th round. The last UConn alum who was taken with this pick was RB Donald Brown by the Colts in 2009. Brown is still in the league today.
28. Detroit Lions -The Lions picked G Laken Tomlinson from Duke. This is the first time Detroit has ever had this pick. Tomlinson is also the first Blue Devil ever taken with this pick.
29. Indianapolis Colts - The Colts picked WR Phillip Dorsett of Miami. This is the fourth time Indy had this pick. In 1983, the Baltimore Colts used this pick in the second round to draft LB Vernon Maxwell. This was the Colts next pick after they drafted John Elway. At least Maxwell played for the Colts and he lasted six seasons in the league. In 1992, Indy picked DB Ashley Ambrose in the second round. Ambrose played for 13 seasons in the league. The Colts also used this pick in 2005 to pick DB Marlin Jackson, who played for six seasons in the league. Dorsett is the first Hurricane ever selected with this pick.
30. Green Bay Packers - The Packers drafted FS Damarious Randall of Arizona State. This is the fourth time Green Bay had this pick. The first had the 30th overall pick in 1950, when they chose DE Gordie Soltau, who played for nine seasons, all with the 49ers. In 1966, Green Bay used this pick in the second round to draft T John Cichowski, who never played a down in the NFL. Although not drafted by the AFL, Cichowski's only two years were with Denver (1967-68). The Packers had better luck in 1997, when they drafted T-G Ross Verba, who played eight years in the league, four in Green Bay. Randall is the second Sun Devil to be selected with this pick. In 1988, Philadelphia picked DB Eric Allen in the second round. Allen played 14 seasons in the league.
31. New Orleans Saints - The Saints used their second pick in the first round to draft LB Stephone Anthony from Clemson. This is the fourth time the Saints had this pick, but it's the first time in the first round. They first used the 31st pick to choose T Sam Holden in the second round in 1971.  Holden, who only played for that season, was the player New Orleans chose after Archie Manning. They had this pick again in 1972 and the Saints used it to choose LB Willie Hall, who played for six seasons, the last four with the Raiders. New Orleans fared better in 1986, when they drafted RB Dalton Hilliard, who played his eight year career with the Saints. Anthony is the second Clemson Tiger to be selected with this pick. In 1987, Atlanta drafted RB Kenny Flowers in the second round. Flowers only played for two seasons.
32. New England Patriots - The Patriots selected DT Malcolm Brown of Texas. This is the fifth time the Patriots had this pick and none of the previous four were busts. The Boston Patriots first had this pick in 1968 and drafted T Tom Funchess in the second round, who played seven seasons in the league. The Pats had this pick again the next year and selected C Mike Montler, also in the second round, who played for ten seasons in the league. New England had this pick in consecutive years again. In 2004, they picked TE Ben Watson, who is still in the league. In 2005, the Pats chose G Logan Mankins, who played all but last season with the team. Brown is the only Longhorn ever taken with this pick.
     

There you have it. As you can see, there's a lot of history and it still says the NFL Draft is a total crapshoot. For all we know, there may be a bunch of future Hall of Famers from this draft, legendary busts, or both. Only time will tell. Good luck to all the players, selected or not.

Have a great day!!

Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 14

A few days after I posted my last entry, I realized that it was Week 13, not Week 14. I regret the error, which has now been corrected. Now let's get to the Week 14 series trivia.

Houston vs Jacksonville - In a battle for Kings of the Cellar, Houston leads the series 13-10 and is 5-1 against the Jaguars since 2011. Jacksonville leads the series at home 6-5 and is 4-2 since 2007. They first met and became divisional opponents in Houston's inaugural season in 2002. The Texans won that game 21-19. They never met in the postseason, but they have gone to overtime twice. The overtime series is tied 1-1. They last went to overtime in 2012, with Houston winning 43-37. The last time Houston shut out Jacksonville was 21-0 in 2004. The last time Jacksonville shut out Houston was 27-0 in 2003.

Oakland vs New York Jets - The Raiders lead the series 23-17-2, but the Jets are 4-2 against Oakland since 2003. New York leads the series at home 10-8-1, winning the last three home meetings. They first met in the AFL in 1960, when the Raiders beat the New York Titans 28-27. They met in the postseason four times, with the series tied 2-2. Their first postseason meeting was the 1968 AFL Championship, when the Jets won 27-23 and went on to win Super Bowl III. They played for the AFC Championship in 2002, when Oakland won 30-10 and went on to lose Super Bowl XXXVII to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They went to overtime twice and the series is tied 1-1. They last went to overtime in 2008. The Raiders won 16-13. The last time the Jets shut out the Raiders was 38-0 in 2009. The last time the Raiders shut out the Jets was in 1985, when the Los Angeles Raiders won 31-0. Their last tie was 28-28 in 1966.

Indianapolis vs Cincinnati - The Colts lead the series 17-9 and are 7-1 against the Bengals since 1998. Cincinnati trails the series at home 3-8, but is 2-1 against Indianapolis since 1996. They first met in 1970 in their only postseason meeting. The Baltimore Colts won that game 17-0 on their way to winning Super Bowl V. This was also the only shutout in the series. They went to overtime once, with the Bengals winning that game 24-21.

Detroit vs Philadelphia - The Eagles lead the series 15-13-2 and is 6-1 against Detroit since 1995. Philadelphia trails the series at home 8-9, but is 4-1 at home since 1995. They first met in 1933, when the Portsmouth Spartans won 25-0. They met in the postseason once, in 1995. Philadelphia won that game 58-37. They went to overtime twice, with the Lions leading 1-0-1. The last time they went to overtime was in 2012, when Detroit won 26-23. The last time Philadelphia shut out Detroit was 12-0 in 1968. The last time Detroit shut out Philadelphia was 21-0 in 1940. Their last tie was 23-23 in 1984.

Kansas City vs Washington - The Chiefs lead the series 7-1, winning the last five meetings. Washington trails the series at home 1-3. Their only win came in 1983, when the Skins won 27-12. They first met in 1971, when Kansas City won 27-20. They never met in the postseason. They never went to overtime, nor are there any shutouts in the series.

Minnesota vs Baltimore - The series is tied 2-2, with Minnesota winning the last meeting in 2009. Baltimore leads the series at home 2-1, winning their last two. They first met in 1998, when the Vikings won 38-28. They never met in the postseason nor did they ever go to overtime. There are no shutouts in the series.

Miami vs Pittsburgh - The Steelers lead the series 13-11, winning the last five meetings. Pittsburgh also leads the series at home, 7-3, winning their last three games against the Dolphins. They first met in 1971, when Miami won 24-21. They met in the postseason three times, with Miami leading 2-1. That includes two AFC Championship games, which is tied 1-1. The winner of every postseason meeting went on to the Super Bowl. Miami won in 1972 and 1984, moving on to winning Super Bowl VII and losing Super Bowl XVIX. The 1972 meeting was a divisional playoff game. Pittsburgh won in 1979 and went on to win Super Bowl XIV. They went to overtime once, in 1994, when the Steelers won 16-13. The last time Pittsburgh shut out Miami was 3-0 in 2007. The last time Miami shut out Pittsburgh was 21-0 in 1998.

Cleveland vs New England - The Browns lead the series 13-9, but New England is 6-2 since 1995. The series is tied in New England at 5-5, with the Patriots winning the last four. They first met in 1971 when the Browns won 27-7. They met in the postseason once, in the 1994 season, when Cleveland won 20-13. They went to overtime once in 1977. The Patriots won that game 30-27. The last time Cleveland shut out New England was 20-0 in 1991. New England has never shut out Cleveland.

Buffalo vs Tampa Bay - The Buccaneers lead the series 6-3, but the series is tied 2-2 since 1991. Tampa Bay leads the series at home 6-2, winning their last two meetings. They first met in Tampa Bay's inaugural season in 1976, when Buffalo won 14-9. They never met in the postseason. They never went to overtime nor has either team shut out the other.

Atlanta vs Green Bay - The Packers lead the series 15-13, with the series tied 2-2 since 2005. Green Bay also leads the series at home 9-5, losing two of their last three meetings at Lambeau Field. They first met in 1966, when Green Bay spanked the Falcons 56-3. They met in the postseason three times and the Packers lead that series 2-1. They last met in the postseason in 2010, when Green Bay won 48-21 on their way to a Super Bowl XLV victory. They went to overtime twice, with the series tied at 1-1. The last time they went to overtime was in 2002, when the Packers won 37-34. The last time Atlanta shut out Green Bay was 20-0 in 1988. The last time Green Bay shut out Atlanta was 23-0 in 1967.

Tennessee vs Denver - The Titans lead the series 22-16-1, but Denver is 3-1 against Tennessee since 2004. However, Denver leads the series at home 10-7-1, with Denver winning their last four meetings. They first met in 1960, when the Houston Oilers won 45-25. They met in the postseason three times, with the Broncos leading the series 2-1. They last met in the postseason in 1992, when the Broncos beat the Houston Oilers 26-24. They never met in overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

New York Giants vs San Diego - The series is tied 5-5, but the Chargers won the last two meetings. The series is also tied 2-2 in San Diego, going 1-1 in their last two meetings there. They first met in 1971 when the Giants won 35-17. They never met in the postseason nor have they ever gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

St. Louis vs Arizona - The Rams lead the series 35-33-2, winners of their last three meetings. Arizona trails the series at home 15-16-2, but is 4-2 against the Rams at home since 2007. They first met in 1937, when the Chicago Cardinals beat the Cleveland Rams 6-0. Their only postseason meeting was in 1975, when the Los Angeles Rams beat the St. Louis Cardinals 35-23. They went to overtime three times, with Arizona leading 2-1. They last went to overtime in 2011, when Arizona won 19-13. The last time the Rams shut out the Cardinals was 21-0 in 1979. The last time the Cardinals shut out the Rams was 7-0 in 1942. Their last tie was 24-24 in 1953.

Seattle vs San Francisco - The Seahawks lead the series 15-14, winning the last two meetings. San Francisco leads the series at home 7-3, winning the last four meetings at Candlestick Park. They first met in Seattle's inaugural season in 1976, when the 49ers won 37-21. They never met in the postseason, but they did go to overtime once. San Francisco won that game in 2008, 33-30. The last time Seattle shut out San Francisco was 24-0 in 2007. San Francisco has never shut out Seattle.

Carolina vs New Orleans - The Panthers lead the series 19-17 and swept the series last year. Carolina also leads the series in New Orleans 10-8. but the Saints are 3-1 in the Superdome since 2009. They first met in Carolina's inaugural season of 1995, when the Panthers won 20-3. They never met in the postseason, but they went to overtime once. Carolina won that game in 2003, 23-20. The only shutout in the series was a 13-0 Panther victory in 1997.

Dallas vs Chicago - The Cowboys lead the series 13-10, but the Bears won the last two meetings. Chicago trails the series at home 5-6, but they are 2-1 at Soldier Field since 1996. They first met in Dallas' inaugural season in 1960, when Chicago won 17-7. They met in the postseason twice, with the Cowboys winning both games. The last time they met in the postseason was a Dallas win in 1991, 17-13. They never went to overtime. The only shutout in the series was a 44-0 blowout by the Bears over Dallas in 1985.

The 2-10 Houston Texans are this week's Kings of the Cellar. Honorable mention goes to the 3-9 Washington Redskins, losers of four straight.

Here are some historical scores for this week's matchups on December 5,

1954  Philadelphia 13 - Detroit 13
1965  Los Angeles Rams 27 - St. Louis Cardinals 3
1971  Philadelphia 23 - Detroit 20
1982  Cincinnati 20 - Baltimore Colts 17
1993  Arizona 38 - Los Angeles Rams 10
2004  New England 42 - Cleveland 15
2004  Carolina 32 - New Orleans 21
2010  St. Louis 19 - Arizona 6

Have a great day!!

Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 13

Although it's Week 13, this is the first series trivia entry of the 2013 season. Let's get started.

Jacksonville vs Cleveland - The Jaguars lead the series 9-5, but Cleveland is 5-3 against Jacksonville since 2001. However, the Jags lead the series in the Dawg Pound 5-2. Jacksonville dominated the beginning of this series, going 6-0 the first three seasons they played each other. They first met in 1995. Jacksonville won 23-15. They last met in 2011, with Cleveland winning 14-10. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. The only shutout in the series was a 48-0 pasting by the Jaguars over the Browns in 2000.

Chicago vs Minnesota - The Vikings lead the series 53-50-2, but the Bears are 7-2 against Minnesota since 2009. The Vikings also lead the series at home, 32-21 and are 8-3 at home against the Bears since 2002. They first met in 1961, when Chicago won 37-13. They went to overtime four times. THe Bears trail the series 1-3, but won the last overtime game in 2009, 36-30. They met once in the postseason. The Bears won that game, 35-18. The last time Chicago shut out Minnesota was 23-0 in 1986. The last time Minnesota shut out Chicago was 17-0 in 1974. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1967.

Arizona vs Philadelphia -  In a battle of former NFC East opponents, the Cardinals lead the series 57-54-5 and are 4-1 against the Eagles, winning three straight since 2009. However, Philadelphia leads the series at home 28-27-3, going 3-2 against Arizona since 2000. They first met in 1935, when the Chicago Cardinals beat the Eagles 12-3. They first played in Philadelphia in 1937, which ended in a 6-6 tie. They went to overtime three times and have a 1-1-1 record. They last met in overtime in 1998, with Arizona winning 20-17. They met in the postseason three times, all of them deciding the NFL or NFC Championship. The Cardinals lead the postseason series 2-1 and were NFL Champions in 1947, defeating the Eagles 28-21. Arizona won the NFC Championship in 2008 and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. The last time the Eagles shut out the Cardinals, Philadelphia shut out the St, Louis Cardinals 38-0 in 1981. The only time the Cardinals shut out the Eagles, the Chicago Cardinals shut out Philadelphia 13-0 in 1936. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1986.

New England vs Houston - The Patriots lead the series 4-1, only losing to the Texans in 2010. The series is tied 1-1 in Houston. They first met in 2003, which was their only overtime game. New England won that game 23-20. They met in the postseason once, which was a 41-28 Patriot victory last year. There are no shutouts in the series.

Tennessee vs Indianapolis - The Colts lead the series 24-14 and are 9-2 against the Titans, winning the last four games. Indianapolis also leads the series at home 14-7 and are 9-1 against Tennessee since 2002. They first met in 1970, when the Baltimore Colts defeated the Houston Oilers 24-20.  They went to overtime twice and have a 1-1 record. Indy won the last OT in 2012, 19-13. They met in the postseason once, in the 1999 season when Tennessee defeated Indianapolis 19-16, on their way to becoming Super Bowl XXXIV Champions. The only shutout in the series was a 23-0 Colts victory in 2008.

Tampa Bay vs Carolina - The Panthers lead the series 15-11, but the Bucs are 4-3 against Carolina since 2010. Carolina also leads the series at home, 7-6, but that series is tied 4-4 since 2005. They first met in 1995, when Tampa Bay won 20-13. They never met in the postseason, but they did go to overtime twice and have a 1-1 record. The last time they went to overtime was in 2012, when the Buccaneers won 27-21. The only shutout in the series was a 24-0 win by Tampa Bay in 1996.

Miami vs New York Jets - New York leads the series 49-45-1, but the series is tied 3-3 since 2010. The Jets also lead the series at home 27-20, going 4-1 since 2008. They first met in 1966, when the Jets beat the Dolphins 19-14. They met in the postseason once, in the 1982 AFC Championship game. Miami won 23-0 and went on to lose Super Bowl XVII to the Washington Redskins. This was also the last time Miami shut out the Jets. They went to overtime six times. New York owns the overtime series 5-0-1. They last went to overtime in 2012, when the Jets won 23-20. The last time the Jets shut out the Dolphins, was 24-0 in 2001. Their only tie was 28-28 in 1981.

Atlanta vs Buffalo - The Falcons lead the series 6-4, winning the last three. However, Buffalo leads the series at home 3-2, but they're 1-2 against Atlanta in Rich Stadium since 1992. They first met in 1973, when the Bills won 17-6. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. The only shutout in the series was in 1977, when the Bills won 3-0.

St. Louis vs San Francisco - The 49ers lead the series 63-62-3, but trail the Rams 8-2-1 since 2008. The series is tied 32-32-1 in San Francisco, but the 49ers are 8-2-1 at home since 2002. They first met in 1950, when the Los Angeles Rams won 35-14. They met once in the postseason, when the 49ers won 30-3. They went to overtime three times. St. Louis leads that series 2-1. They last went to overtime in 2012, when the Rams won 16-13. The last time the 49ers shut out the Rams was 26-0 in 2011. The Rams have never shut out the 49ers.

Denver vs Kansas City - The Chiefs lead the series 56-51, but the Broncos are 9-4 since 2007, winning the last three. Kansas City also leads the series at home 36-17, but Denver is 4-2 in Arrowhead Stadium since 2007. They first met in 1960, when the Dallas Texans beat the Broncos, 17-14. They met in the postseason once, in 1997, when Denver won 14-10, and went on to win Super Bowl XXXII over the Green Bay Packers. They went to overtime five times, with the Broncos leading the series 4-1. They last went to overtime in 2006. Denver won 9-6. The last time Denver shut out Kansas City was 21-0 in 1984. The last time Kansas City shut out Denver was 16-0 in 1970.

Cincinnati vs San Diego - The Chargers lead the series 19-13, but Cincinnati won the last two meetings. San Diego also leads the series at home 10-6 and are 5-2 against the Bengals there since 1992. They first met in 1968, when the Chargers won 29-13. They met in the postseason once, in the 1981 AFC Championship game. The Bengals won 27-7 and went on to lose to San Francisco in Super Bowl XVI. They never went to overtime. The only shutout in the series was a 31-0 Bengals win in 1971.

New York Giants vs Washington - The Giants lead the series 93-65-4, but Washington is 3-1 in the last four meetings. However, Washington trails the series at home, 37-42-2, but they won the last home meetings. They first met in 1932, when the then Boston Braves beat the Giants 14-6. They met in the postseason twice and have a 1-1 record. Their last posteason game was in 1986, when the Giants won 17-0, on their way to beating the Broncos in Super Bowl XXI. They went to overtime four times, with the Redskins leading the series 2-1-1. They last went to overtime in 2003, when New York won, 24-21. The last time the Giants shut out the Redskins was 36-0 in 2005. The last time the Redskins shut out the Giants 27-0 in 1979. In a trivia twist, their only other postseason meeting, a divisional playoff game in 1943, was also a shutout, this time, with Washington winning 28-0.

New Orleans Saints vs Seattle Seahawks - The series is tied 6-6, but Seattle is 4-2 against the Saints since 2000. The Seahawks lead the series at home 4-3 and are 3-1 since 2000. They first met in 1976, when the Saints won 56-27. They never went to overtime, but they did meet in the postseason once, in 2011, when Seattle ran all over New Orleans and won 41-36. There are no shutouts in the series.

The 2-9 Houston Texans are this week's Kings of the Cellar and the 5-6-1 Green Bay Packers are the Honorable Mention until Aaron Rodgers returns.

On a different subject, I completed my NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge with a day to spare. The first draft of my second novel, Second Chance, is complete. My next goal is to finish the final draft of my novella, Rickshaw, New Mexico, and publish it before Christmas.


Here are some historical scores for this week's games played December 1,

1963   Minnesota 17 - Chicago 17
1963   Los Angeles Rams 21 - San Francisco 17
1968   New York Jets 35 - Miami 17
1994   Minnesota 33 - Chicago 27 OT
1996   Tampa Bay 24 - Carolina 0
1996   Baltimore 31 - Pittsburgh 17

What's Been Going On Lately?

It's been a few months since my last entry. I apologize to those of you who enjoyed my posts. It's not that I lost interest in writing a blog. The task of writing editing my ebooks has been taking more of my time.

Since my last entry, I released my ebook novelette, The Hunted. The link takes you to the Amazon page. If you have a NOOK, it's The Hunted. Right now, I'm working on a NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project, titled Second Chance.

So will there be more entries? Probably. When I start again, there may be some changes so the entries won't interfere with my other writing, but am not sure what they'll be.

Thanks for reading these posts over the years and I hope more will be coming soon. Just for the fun of it, here are a few historical NFL scores.

On this day, November 20,

1955  Cleveland 41 - Pittsburgh 14
1960  Pittsburgh 14 - Cleveland 10
1964  Boston Patriots 12 - Denver 7
1977  Detroit 16 - Tampa Bay 7
1977  New Orleans 21 - Atlanta 20
1988  Cleveland 27 - Pittsburgh 7

The Jacksonville Jaguars would be this week's Kings of the Cellar, with the NFC East getting the honorable mention over an underachieving Atlanta Falcons team. In that group of scores, the game of the day would have been the 1977 Saints/Falcons game. Atlanta led 20-7 at halftime and Archie Manning brought the Saints back by throwing two touchdown passes to Henry Childs to win the game.

Have a great day!!!

Some NFL Draft First Round Trivia

Here we are again. Round 1 is in the books and we have the usual gamut of good picks, bad picks, and trades. A few teams didn't have a pick in this round, such as New England and Tampa Bay. Let's have some fun.

1. The Kansas City Chiefs chose OT Eric Fisher from Central Michigan. Fisher is the first ever Chippewa to be selected with the first pick. This is the second time Kansas City had the first overall pick. The Chiefs also had the first pick in the 1963 AFL Draft and they selected future Hall of Famer Buck Buchanan. 
2. The Jacksonville Jaguars chose OT Luke Joeckel from Texas A&M. Joeckel is the fifth Aggie chosen with this pick. Denver picked LB Von Miller with the second overall pick in 2011. A more infamous Aggie at #2, was in 1992, when Indianapolis picked LB Quentin Coryatt. This is the third time the Jaguars had the second pick. They chose OT Tony Boselli in 1995 and LB Kevin Hardy in 1996. Boselli was one of the best players Jacksonville ever had and Hardy had a respectable NFL career. 
3. The Miami Dolphins made a trade with Oakland to get this pick. The Dolphins selected LB Dion Jordan from Oregon. Jordan is the third Oregon player ever chosen with the third pick. The other two were QB Akili Smith by Cincinnati in 1999 and QB Joey Harrington by Detroit in 2002. Both were busts. This is the first time Miami has had the third pick. 
4. The Philadelphia Eagles chose OT Lane Johnson from Oklahoma. For the first time since 1968, three tackles were chosen with the first four picks. Johnson is the fourth Sooner taken with the fourth pick. Washington chose two, FB Leon Heath  in 1951 and OT Trent Williams in 2010, and RB Joe Washington by San Diego in 1976. Only Heath was a bust. The Eagles had the fourth pick, five other times. Every fourth pick Philly had was a good, except one. The exception was QB Davey O'Brien in 1939, who retired after his second season and joined the FBI. This is the same Davey O'Brien the best college quarterback award is named after. The last time Philadelphia had the fourth pick was in 1984, when they chose WR Kenny Jackson.
5. The Detroit Lions chose DE Ezekiel Ansah from BYU. Ansah is the second Cougar chosen with this pick. The other was QB Jim McMahon by Chicago. This is ironically the fifth time the Lions have had this pick. They have not had any luck with this pick. The first three times were busts (WB Jim Thomason 1941, FB Bob Westfall 1942, and C Joe Watson 1950), one chose to play in the AFL (QB Pete Beathard 1964), but their last #5 pick actually more than a couple of years for the team, DB Bryant Westbrook in 1997. To be fair, Thomason and Westfall fought in WWII before they played. Although Beathard never played a down for the Lions, he played from 1964-73. 
6. The Cleveland Browns chose DE Barkevious Mingo from LSU.  Mingo is the fourth LSU Tiger to be chosen with the #6 pick and LSU picks have fared well here. Two are still playing (DB LaRon Landry in 2007 by Washington and DB Morris Claiborne last year by Dallas) and one is in the Hall of Fame (QB Y.A. Tittle by Detroit in 1948). This is the third time Cleveland had the #6 pick. They first used this pick in 1956 to pick Hall of Fame RB Jim Brown from Syracuse. The other #6 was used in 2004 for TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. from Miami (FL).
7. The Arizona Cardinals chose G Jonathan Cooper from North Carolina. Cooper is the first Tarheel chosen at #7. This is the fifth time the Cardinals had the #7 pick.  Every pick was productive at some level. The last time Arizona had this pick was in 2000, when they picked RB Thomas Jones. He also had the longest playing career of the #7's, playing form 2000-11.
8. Buffalo traded down to get more picks and the St. Louis Rams chose WR Tavon Austin from West Virginia. Austin is the first Mountaineer chosen with this pick. This is also only the second time the Rams had this pick. They last had it in 1969, when the Los Angeles Rams chose RB Larry Smith from Florida. Smith played from 1969-74.
9. The New York Jets chose DB Dee Milliner from Alabama. Milliner is the fourth Crimson Tide player to be chosen with this pick. Only FB Butch Avinger, drafter #9 by Pittsburgh in 1953, was a bust. He played for one year. The last time an Alabama player was chosen with this pick was DB Antonio Langham by Cleveland. This the third time the Jets had this pick. Both of their previous #9's were tight ends who had productive NFL careers (Jerome Barkum in 1972 and Kyle Brady in 1995). 
10. The Tennessee Titans chose OG Chance Warmack from Alabama. Warmack is the first Crimson Tide player taken with this pick. This is also the Titans' first time with this pick, even as the Houston Oilers.
11. To round off the trio of Alabama players, the San Diego Chargers chose OT D.J. Fluker. As with Warmack, Fluker is the first Crimson Tide player ever taken with this pick. This is also San Diego's first time with the #11 pick.
12. From that trade with Miami, the Oakland Raiders picked DB DJ Hayden from Houston. Hayden is the first Cougar player picked 12th. To round out this trio of first timers, this is the Raiders' first time with this pick.
13. In a trade with Tampa Bay, the New York Jets chose DT Sheldon Richardson from Missouri. Richardson is the second Missouri Tiger chosen with this pick. Hall of Fame TE Kellen Winslow was chosen at #13 by San Diego. Richardson is the second player taken at #13 by the Jets. The last time New York had this pick, they chose DB Burgess Owens from Miami (FL). Owens played from 1973-82. 
14. The Carolina Panthers chose DT Star Lotulelei from Utah. Lotulelei is the first Ute chosen at #14. This is Carolina's second time with this pick. In 1997, they chose DE Jason Peter, who only played for a few years.
15. The New Orleans Saints selected S Kenny Vaccaro from Texas. Vaccaro is the second Longhorn choses at #15. The other was LB Derrick Johnson by Kansas City in 2005, who still plays for them. This is the Saints' first time with the 15th pick.
16. From the trade with St. Louis, the Buffalo Bills chose QB E.J. Manuel from Florida State. Manuel is the second Seminole taken with this pick. DT Travis Johnson was taken #16 by the Houston Texans in 2005. This is the fourth time Buffalo had this pick. The previous three had respectable NFL careers, most notably G Jim Ritcher (1980-95) and RB Ronnie Harmon (1986-97). The last time the Bills had this pick was in 1990, when they chose RB James E. Williams from Fresno State.
17. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected LB Jarvis Jones from Georgia. Jones is the second Bulldog chosen with this pick. Cincinnati chose LB David Pollack in 2005, who only played for a couple of seasons.This is Pittsburgh's fifth time with the #17 pick. They last picked DE Keith Gary from Oklahoma in 1981 and WR Charles Johnson from Colorado in 1994, neither one a bust. The only bust was QB/RB Billy Patterson from Baylor, chosen with this pick (in the third round) in 1939. 
18. In a trade with Dallas, the San Francisco 49ers selected S Eric Reid from LSU. Reid is the second LSU Tiger chosen with this pick. St. Louis picked WR Eddie Kennison in 1996, who played for 13 seasons in the league. This is the third time the 49ers had this pick. They chose DB Mike Holmes from Texas Southern in 1973 and DB Dana Hall from Washington in 1992. 
19. The New York Giants chose OT Justin Pugh from Syracuse. Pugh is the second Orange player chosen at #19. Indianapolis chose WR Marvin Harrison in 1996. This is New York's sixth time with this pick. The last one, DB Prince Amukamura, chosen in 2011, is still with the team. Outside of Amukamura and draft bust DB Henry Moore (1956 - Arkansas), the average career span with this group is seven seasons. 
20. The Chicago Bears selected G Kyle Long from Oregon. Kyle, the son of Hall of Fame DE Howie Long and brother of St. Louis DE Chris Long, is the first Duck chosen at #20. This is Chicago's second time at #20 in the first round. They picked DE Dave Gallagher from Michigan, who played in the league until 1979. However, they had the #20 pick five times in the second round, from 1949-63. Only two were busts, both in consecutive years and both OT's: Clyde Brock from Utah State in 1962 and Steve Barnett from Oregon in 1963.
21. The Cincinnati Bengals picked TE Tyler Eifert from Notre Dame. Eifert is the third Fighting Irish player taken with this pick. In 1997, Jacksonville chose DE Renaldo Wynn and in 2003, Cleveland picked C Jeff Faine. Both had respectable NFL careers and Faine still plays in the league and is now a teammate of Eifert with the Bengals.
22. In a trade with St. Louis, the Atlanta Falcons chose DB Desmond Trufant from Washington. Trufant is the first Huskie picked at #22. This is also the first time the Falcons had this pick.
23. The Minnesota Vikings selected DT Sharrif Floyd from Florida. He is the third Gator chosen with this pick. The Houston Oilers chose OT David W. Williams in 1989 and Oakland chose G Mo Collins in 1998. Both played for several years in the NFL. This is Minnesota's second time with #23. They last had it in 1965 and chose WR Lance Rentzel from Oklahoma, who played for nine seasons. 
24. The Indianapolis Colts, fresh of a successful first overall pick last year, chose DE Bjoern Werner from Florida State. Werner is the second Seminole selected with this pick. Pittsburgh drafted DB J.T. Thomas in 1973, who won four Super Bowls with the team. This is Indy's eighth time with the #24 pick. Their last pick, from 2003, is still playing in the league, TE Dallas Clark from Iowa. Between 1958-63, The Baltimore Colts had this pick in the second round. None of those players selected played past 1969.
25. In a trade with Seattle, the Minnesota Vikings returned to the first round and picked CB Xavier Rhodes from Florida State. Rhodes is the third Seminole player chosen at #25. Atlanta picked DB Bobby Butler in 1981 and San Francisco picked RB Dexter Carter in 1990. Both had respectable NFL careers. This is Minnesota's sixth time with this pick, the last three being on defense. They last chose DT Chris Hovan from Boston College in 2000 with this pick. All of Minnesota's #25 picks played for at least seven years.
26. The Green Bay Packers selected DE Datone Jones from UCLA. This is the first time a Bruin was picked at #26. This is Green Bay's sixth time at #26. They last chose LB Clay Matthews from USC with this pick in 2009. In fact, the last three times the Packers had this pick, they chose linebackers (Matthews, John Anderson from Michigan in 1978 and George Cumby from Oklahoma in 1980). Outside of Matthews, the average career span of Green Bay's #26 picks is eight seasons.
27. The Houston Texans chose WR DeAndre Hopkins from Clemson. Hopkins is the second player from Clemson  to be selected with this pick. Green Bay chose FB/K Fred Cone in 1951. He played for nine seasons. This is Houston's second time with this pick. They last chose LB Jason Babin from Western Michigan. Hopkins could be yet another good pick at #27 for the Texans.
28. The Denver Broncos picked DT Sylvester Williams from North Carolina. Williams is the fourth Tarheel to be chosen at #28. The last Tarheel chosen was DB Thomas Smith by Buffalo in 1993. The other two were T Brian Blados by Cincinnati in 1984 and T Glen Szafaryn by Washington in 1949. All had respectable careers. This is Denver's second time with this pick, last selecting DT Trevor Pryce from Clemson in 1997. He played from 1997-2010.
29. In a trade with New England, the Minnesota Vikings once again returned to the first round and selected WR Cordarrelle Patterson from Tennessee. Patterson is the second Volunteer to be chosen with this pick. The Chicago Cardinals chose E Al Hust in 1943. He served in WWII and played one season with the team in 1946. His career stat is one reception for nine yards. This is Minnesota's fifth time with this pick and except for two, they haven't fared very well. Their lone good pick was their first one, Hall of Fame QB Fran Tarkenton from Georgia in 1961. The other was drafted last year out of Notre Dame, FS Harrison Smith.
30. From that trade with Atlanta, the St. Louis Rams chose LB Alec Ogletree from Georgia. Ogletree is the first Georgia Bulldog ever taken with this pick.  This is St. Louis' first time with this pick in Round 1, but it's their tenth time with this pick in other rounds. They last had this pick in 1992 and the Los Angeles Rams chose DB Steve Israel. Historically, the Rams have not fared very well with this pick. Most of the players were busts and two (a 3rd rounder in 1937 and a 5th rounder in 1948) were cut before the season started. Only Israel played for more than just a few seasons, from 1992-2001.
31. In a trade with San Francisco, the Dallas Cowboys picked C Travis Frederick from Wisconsin. Frederick is Wisconsin's first ever pick at #31. This is also Dallas' first time with this pick.
32. The Baltimore Ravens finished off Round 1 by selecting S Matt Elam from Florida. Elam is the first Gator chosen with the 32nd pick. It is also Baltimore's first time with this pick. When the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, they had the 31st pick in 2001. The Houston Texans started drafting players in 2002.

There you have it. Again, the draft is one big crapshoot. Although this is not considered one of the more talent laden drafts, only time will tell. The NFL Draft is a time of hope and let's hope it produces some great players.

Have a great day!!!

Some Super Bowl Series Trivia

Welcome to Super Bowl Week and the beginning of Mardi Gras season in the Big Easy. Here's the trivia with a little lagniappe.

Baltimore vs San Francisco: By now, you've heard practically everything about this series from the sports pundits of TV and radio. Unfortunately, this isn't exactly a storied rivalry, but one could begin this week. Baltimore leads the series 3-1, winning the last three games. San Franciso's only win over the Ravens came in Baltimore's inaugural season of 1996. Elvis Grbac and the Niners beat Vinny Testaverde and Eric Zeier of the Ravens 38-20. Ray Lewis is the only player from that game still in the league. This is also the highest scoring game in the series. Neither team has ever shut out the other, nor have they ever gone to overtime.

The Harbaugh Bowl: Older brother, John, leads the Harbaugh series 1-0, winning the brothers' only meeting in 2011, 16-6. Although John never played in the NFL, Jim did. He was drafted in 1987 by the Chicago Bears and played for 14 seasons. In the 1995 AFC Championship game, Jim was one dropped pass in the end zone away from beating the Pittsburgh Steelers and appearing in Super Bowl XXX to face the Dallas Cowboys. Jim wore the number 4, his number at Michigan, for most of his career. He wore 14 in his rookie year and 12 his first year with the Colts. Kicker Dean Biasucci wore 4 in 1994.  Jim even played for the Ravens in 1998. He finished his career as a player in San Diego from 1999-2000. After the 2000 season, Jim retired and the Chargers drafted a quarterback who ended up winning a Super Bowl with another team. His name: Drew Brees.

AFC vs NFC (The New Orleans Super Bowl Edition): This is the 10th Super Bowl held in the Crescent City. The NFC teams lead the series in New Orleans 5-4, but the AFC team won the last meeting there. In an exciting game between the New England Patriots and the defending champion St. Louis Rams, they were tied 17-17 inside the last two minutes. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, in for an injured Drew Bledsoe from earlier in the playoffs, drove the team down the field. Kicker Adam Vinatieri kicked a 48 yard field goal to win Super Bowl XXXVI, 20-17. The first one in New Orleans, was Super Bowl IV, at Tulane Stadium. The Kansas City Chiefs dominated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7. The biggest New Orleans Super Bowl blowout happened in Super Bowl XXIII, when the San Francisco 49ers put on an offensive clinic and nailed the Denver Broncos 55-10. This was also the highest scoring Super Bowl in New Orleans. New England made the most Super Bowl appearances in New Orleans with three (XX, XXXI, and XXXVI) and are 1-2 there. There have been no shutouts, nor has the game ever gone to overtime.

Other Stuff...

So who will win? According to the computer models, San Francisco will win. However, I bet those same computer models would have picked the Baltimore Colts to win Super Bowl III, the Vikings to win Super Bowl IX, the Buffalo Bills to win Super Bowl XXV, the Rams to win Super Bowl XXXVI, and the Colts to win Super Bowl XLIV. But as they say, that's why they play the game.

And who's my pick? By a sliver of a margin, I pick San Francisco. Both teams' defenses are among the best, but the team who runs the ball better will win.

If you're visiting New Orleans, catch a parade or two. There are lots of good parades in the Greater New Orleans area. If you're in Metairie on Saturday night, I'll be marching in the Krewe of Caesar with the Echoes of New Orleans Drum & Bugle Corps.

Here's some lagniappe. In fact, there are two. The first Harbaugh Bowl was a bit of a snoozer, so here's some old highlights of Jim Harbaugh as a player. The first is a YouTube video of his final 1995 AFC Championship drive with the Colts against the Steelers. The second is also a YouTube video from when he played at Michigan. Keep an eye out for other future NFL players, such as Jamie Morris (#23) and Jumbo Elliott (#72) for Michigan, and Chris Spielman (#36) and Cris Carter (#2) for Ohio State. I claim no rights of ownership to either of these videos.

Indianapolis vs Pittsburgh - Final Drive

Michigan vs Ohio State - 1986

Have a great day!!