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Our prayers to the football gods were answered as Wild Card weekend delivered an unbelievable product, with three games decided by a touchdown or less. And I certainly hope the Divisional Round, which is usually the most exciting weekend on the NFL calendar, brings us some more heart-palpitating finishes. And to help us break down this weekend’s games and the NFL’s Elite 8, it is a pleasure to bring back once again our good friend Hal Bent, who covers the Patriots for Scout media, MusketFire.com and Cover32.com. 1. Is the slate of divisional round games more or less interesting than the Wild Card round, and why? 2. Falcons/Eagles -Despite losing Carson Wentz and finishing the season poorly on offense, the Eagles feel disrespected being the underdog at home. How do you feel about the Eagles chances of pulling off the upset against the Falcons? (How well does Nick Foles have to play and how should the Eagles game plan to help him succeed?) -The Falcons have hit their stride defensivel

Happy New Year everybody! We hope all of you had a wonderful holiday. Well, the 2017 NFL regular season has ended and that means it’s playoff time. The final lap to Super Bowl LII officially begins this Saturday as Wild Card weekend commences. And to help us break down all four Wild Card playoff matchups, we are joined once again by our good friend Hal Bent, NFL and Patriots writer for Cover32.com, MusketFire.com, and Scout media. Happy New Year Hal!! Ready for some playoff football?? 1. What were your big takeaways from the 2017 regular season?? 2. Titans/Chiefs -How should the Titans game plan in order to best set up Marcus Mariota for success on Saturday? -Which of the Chiefs three biggest weapons (Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill) will be the most important for the Titans D to contain? -In a matchup of team strengths, which unit has the edge: Chiefs pass rush or Titans OL? Do you think the Titans can run the ball to mitigate that pass rush against an inconsistent Chiefs

Merry Christmas everybody! Well, they’re only two more weeks left to go in the 2017 NFL season, and the playoff picture is quickly coming together. Despite the lack of appeal regarding the matchups this weekend, a LOT of playoff seeds could be locked up after Monday. And to break it down for us, we once again would like to welcome back our good friend Hal Bent, NFL and Patriots writer for Cover32.com, MusketFire.com, and Scout media, to the program. Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE 1. What were your big takeaways from Week 15?? 2. Who do you think will be the Wild Card seeds in the AFC? In the NFC? 3. Falcons/Saints -What do the Falcons need to do the most in order to pull off the upset? Do you trust them to finish strong? -What matchup will determine the outcome of this game the most? -Who wins and why? 4. Rams/Titans -Even though there is a lot at steak (playoff-wise) in this game for both teams, is this matchup somewhat of

Happy Hanukkah everybody! Well, we are down to the final three weeks of the 2017 NFL season and the road to Super Bowl LII took another unpredictable turn this past week. The turn consisted of devastating injuries and poor performances, resulting in a more wide open race for both the NFC and AFC titles. And our good friend Hal Bent, NFL and Patriots writer for Cover32.com, MusketFire.com, and Scout media, is here to help us analyze where it all stands right now, and where it’s likely heading.   Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE   1. What were your big takeaways from Week 14??   2. With Carson Wentz out for the season, who would you say is the favorite to win the NFC Championship right now? How far can the Eagles go without him?   3. How concerned should Patriots fans be based on last night? On a scale of 1-10, how badly do they need home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs?   4. Are the Jaguars a legitimate Super Bowl contender?  

It’s hard to believe, but the 2017 NFL season has already entered the top of the stretch, and the playoff picture became even more interesting given the results in Week 13. With many consequential matchups looming ahead this week, the picture could get even more fascinating. And to help us break it all down, it is a pleasure to welcome back yet again our good friend Hal Bent, NFL and Patriots writer for Cover32.com, MusketFire.com, and Scout media. Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE 1. What were your big takeaways from Week 13?? 2. Do you see the Seahawks sneaking by the Rams to win the NFC West?? 3. Who is the favorite for the NFC’s #1 playoff seed? 4. Which of these under-the-radar teams would you be the most shocked by if they made the playoffs?: Packers, Cowboys, Lions, Bills 4. Saints/Falcons How does Desmond Trufant’s presence in this game help give the Falcons a better chance to win?? How can the Falcons move the ball bette

On this edition of the program, we are pleased to have our good friend Jake Marsing join us again for a special “all things football” discussion. Jake left Denver and the 5280 Sports Network (where he covered both the Broncos and the Nuggets) this summer for Fayetteville, Arkansas where he currently covers Arkansas Razorback football. We plan to discuss some of the big storylines surrounding the NFL and college football as well. Jake’s Twitter handle: @JakeDMarsing 1. Why are the Broncos here (as you have been foreseeing for quite some time)? 2. In some of our prior conversations, you were adamant you weren’t sold on Dak Prescott given the fact he was in the PERFECT situation for a rookie QB. Given the struggled mightily last week without Ezekiel Elliott and Tyron Smith, yet still looked impressive with them on the field this year, where do you stand now on Dak? 3. Should the Vikings keep starting Case Keenum as long as Keenum continues to play well? Do they need to go to Teddy Bri

Week 11 of the 2017 NFL season is upon us, and it’s good to have our great friend Hal Bent of MusketFire.com, Cover32.com and Scout media back on the show to break down this week’s slate of games. Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE 1. What were your big takeaways from Week 10?? 2. Rams/Vikings What has been the secret to the Vikings astonishing offensive success this year? Which unit has the edge: Rams OL or Vikings DL?? What individual one-on-one matchup will you be watching the most in this game? Who wins and why? 3. Redskins/Saints Does this Redskins offense have what it takes to exploit the Saints defense and why? The Saints have astonishingly transformed offensively into a run-first attack. If this game is a shootout and Brees needs to throw more, who needs to step up in the passing game the most aside from Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara? Who wins? 4. Eagles/Cowboys What do the Cowboys have to do to help Dak Prescott av

There are only two weeks left in the 2017 college football season before it’s conference championship and bowl game time, which means that NFL scouting departments will likely be watching the final snaps of (and assigning final grades to) many, if not most of the 2018 NFL Draft prospects. And in that spirit, we would like to continue our 2018 NFL Draft preview series with a look at this DB class. And to help us break down where it stands at the moment, it’s a pleasure to welcome to the program for the very first time, Josh Forrest of Tyrant Scouting. Josh’s Twitter handle: @jpfscouting Other handles: @Tyrant_Scouting 1. This is a draft class lacking in surefire star power, but one of the few such players coming in is versatile Alabama DB Minkah Fitzpatrick. What makes him such a special player and is he worth a top-five overall pick in your view? 2. Another S people were high on coming into this year was Florida State’s Derwin James. Although he is still likely to be a first-round

The first half of the 2017 NFL season is officially in the books and the second half begins in earnest Thursday night as the Seahawks meet the Cardinals. And to help us break down these week 10 match ups plus the playoff race going forward is our good friend Hal Bent of MusketFire.com, Cover32.com and Scout media. Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE What were your big takeaways from Week 9?? What current division leaders would you say are locks to win their division? Who is more likely to win their division? -Jaguars or Titans? -Vikings or Lions? -Saints or Panthers? -Seahawks or Rams? Is there any team few or nobody are expecting to make the playoffs right now that you think will wind up playing in January? Saints/Bills Which defense has the edge in this game and why? What can the Bills offense do to exploit the Saints D, and vice versa? Who wins? Cowboys/Falcons Assuming Ezekiel Elliott w

It’s week 9 in the NFL, meaning we have officially reached the halfway point of the 2017 season. And that halfway point was marked with a trading frenzy that we have rarely seen in the NFL. And to help us break down these blockbuster trades and week 9 matchups plus hand out our midseason awards, it is a pleasure to welcome back our good friend Hal Bent of MusketFire.com, Cover32.com and Scout media to the show. What’s up Hal? Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE 1. What were your big takeaways from Week 8?? 2. What grades would you give the big trades that went down and why? -Marcel Dareus to the Jaguars -Duane Brown to the Seahawks -Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers -Jay Ajayi to the Eagles -Kelvin Benjamin to the Bills 3. Midseason Awards -OPOY: (Alex Smith) -DPOY: (Calais Campbell) -OROY: (Deshaun Watson) -DROY: (Marshon Lattimore) -Most Improved Player: (Akiem Hicks) -Comeback POY: (Earl Thoma

We are down to the final five weeks of 2017 college football season and after that, we have conference championship games, bowl games, and of course, NFL scouting departments completing their initial reports on 2018 NFL Draft prospects. And to give us a glimpse at how the 2018 crop of OL/DL/EDGE looks at this point, it’s a pleasure to welcome back to the program our good friend Nick Kendell of MileHighHuddle.com. What’s up Nick? Nick’s Twitter handle: @NickKendellMHH Texas HC Tom Herman announced yesterday that OT Connor Williams, still viewed by many as a first-round prospect, can return from his knee injury as soon as November 11, when Texas plays West Virginia. Even before he got hurt, Williams play seemed to regress. What do you think was the main culprit of that? Do you still think he declares for the draft? As of today, how many OT do you see going in the first round? Can this class be better than the 2017 class?? Many people believe Notre Dame G Quenton Nelson is a surefir

It’s week 8 in the NFL, meaning we’re almost at the halfway point of the 2017 season. And to help us break down these week 8 matchups, it is a pleasure to welcome back our good friend Hal Bent of MusketFire.com, Cover32.com and Scout media to the show. Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE 1. What were your big takeaways from Week 7?? 2. Do you expect any trades to come down before the deadline on Tuesday? If so, what trade would you like to see happen and why? 3. Chargers/Patriots How bad is the Dont’a Hightower injury (on a scale of 1-10) for the Patriots defense not just in this game, but going forward as well? Do you think the Chargers pose more of a challenge to the Pats on both sides of the ball than the Falcons did? What matchup will decide the game and why? Who wins? 4. Texans/Seahawks Will Bob McNair’s comments be an unwelcome distraction or extra motivation for the Texans? How can Deshaun Watson pass the biggest test of his

It’s week 7 of the 2017 NFL season and it began last night with one of the wildest endings to a football game I’ve ever seen as the Raiders picked up a HUGE, last-second win against the Chiefs 31-30. And to discuss this and the rest of the week 7 action, it is a pleasure to welcome back our good friend Hal Bent of MusketFire.com, Cover32.com and Scout media to the show. What’s up Hal? Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE 1. What were your big takeaways from Week 6 and last night?? 2. Do you remember a season where it seemed this wide open?? 3. Cardinals/Rams Can Adrian Peterson help lead the Cardinals back to the playoffs? Was last week a fluke? What do the Rams need to do offensively to recapture some of their early-season mojo? Who wins and why? 4. Bengals/Steelers I smell a low-scoring, defensive struggle in this game, do you? What matchup are you watching the most? Who wins and why? 5. Falcons/Patriots What are the main symptoms

We are already at the halfway point of the 2017 college football season and that means that NFL scouting departments have already completed a significant number of player evaluations that will go a long way in determining who lands where in the 2018 NFL Draft. And to give us a glimpse at how the 2018 crop of QB/RB/WR/TE looks at this point, it’s a pleasure to welcome back to the program Jonah Tuls of DraftBreakdown.com. Jonah’s Twitter handle: @JonahTulsNFL 1. There have been mixed reports as to whether or not Sam Darnold will declare for the 2018 NFL Draft. Do you think he declares? Would it be a bad idea for him to stay at USC for one more year? 2. Two polarizing QB prospects getting a lot of buzz recently are Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State) and Josh Allen (Wyoming). For what reason do you think some NFL decision makers view them as first-round talents aside from the fact that they play the most important position in sports?? 3. How many QB’s do you see going in the first round a

It’s week 6 of the 2017 NFL season and it began with another entertaining finish Thursday night with the red hot Philadelphia Eagles hanging on to beat the Carolina Panthers 28-23 to move to 5-1 on the season. And to discuss this and the rest of the week 6 action, it is a pleasure to welcome back our good friend Hal Bent of MusketFire.com, Cover32.com and Scout media to the show. 1. What were your four big takeaways from Week 5?? 2. Is it time to climb aboard the Eagles hype train?? 3. Packers/Vikings With no Sam Bradford, Stefon Diggs or Dalvin Cook, what is the best thing for this Vikings offense to do in order to move the ball efficiently and score points against a suspect Packers defense? What specific matchup are you watching between the Packers offense and Vikings defense? Who wins and why? 4. Rams/Jaguars It’s hard to find a weakness on this Jacksonville defense. If you can spot one, what is it and how can the Rams exploit it? How does Brandon Linder being out change the

Well, we are already a quarter of the way through the 2017 NFL season (can you believe it?) and for the second week in a row, the NFL brought us some more exciting, heart-palpitating finishes. And Week 5 brings us a slate that promises more of such quality entertainment, beginning this Thursday night as week 5 kicks off with the Patriots meeting the Buccaneers for what could be a shootout in Tampa. And to help us preview that and the other intriguing week 5 contests, let’s bring in our good friend Hal Bent, Patriots writer for MusketFire.com, Cover32.com and Scout media, to the show. Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE 1. What were your four big takeaways from Week 4?? 2. Patriots/Buccaneers What is the bigger problem for the Patriots defense: Lack of pass rush or communication issues in the secondary? Is it fair to expect the Patriots to show dramatic improvement on defense in just four days or should we expect a shootout? Who wins an

It’s hard to believe we’re already almost a quarter of the way through the 2017 NFL season as week 4 began Thursday night with the Packers embarrassing the Bears 35-14. And to help us preview the remaining games left before we reach that quarter pole, it’s a pleasure to welcome back yet again our good friend Hal Bent, Patriots writer for MusketFire.com, Cover32.com and Scout media, to the show. Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE 1. Should Danny Trevathan be suspended, and if so, for how many games should the suspension be? 2. Is there any reasons for the Bears to NOT start Mitchell Trubisky next week against the Vikings? 3. Rams/Cowboys Do you see this game coming down to who has the ball last? Are the Rams capable of fixing their run defense enough to contain Ezekiel Elliott? Who’s this game more important for: Dallas or LA? Who wins and why? 4. Bills/Falcons The Bills are currently the only team ranked in the top ten in both run

NFL Week 3 began last week with an unexpectedly entertaining barn-burner between the Rams and 49ers with LA escaping an admirable San Francisco comeback by a score of 41-39. We arguably saw the best game of this young 2017 NFL season last night, but hopefully it is a sign of exciting games to come this weekend. And to help us preview those contests, it is a pleasure to welcome our good friend Hal Bent back to the program. Hal covers the Patriots for Scout media, MusketFire.com and Cover32.com.     Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01   Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE   1. Does the Rams offense make them a legit playoff contender??   2. How encouraged should 49ers fans be about the long-term future under the Lynch/Shanahan regime??   3. Contender or Pretender?   • Lions • Falcons • Panthers • Ravens • Steelers • Broncos • Chiefs • Raiders • Would it surprise you if it turns out to be a three-team race for first in the AFC West until the very end?   4. Falcons/Lions   • Which

Week 2 of the 2017 NFL season kicked off Thursday night with the Texans knocking off the Bengals 13-9 in a game that was infinitely more boring than the score indicates. Only two games went down to the wire in week 1, but week 2 will hopefully bring more entertaining games. And to help us preview those games, it is a pleasure to welcome our good friend Hal Bent back to the program. Hal covers the Patriots for Scout media, MusketFire.com and Cover32.com. Hal’s Twitter handle: @halbent01 Other Twitter handles: @MusketFire, @Cover32_NE 1. What did you think of Deshaun Watson’s first NFL start? Can he grow into a pocket passer? 2. Is this the final season for Marvin Lewis and Andy Dalton in Cincinnati? 3. Patriots/Saints How much harder will it be for the Pats to stop Brees without Dont’a Hightower? Do you expect the Pats to pepper Brandin Cooks with even more targets than usual given his return to NOLA? What’s the matchup that will decide this game? Who wins and why? 4. Eagles/Ch

Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season is officially in the books and many fantasy owners came away disappointed, myself included. However, there’s no need to frown. There is still a ton of football to be played and Sports Krunch is here all season long to help you win a fantasy league championship. Tonight, we begin our Sports Krunch Fantasy Breakdown series, a weekly installment to help you dominate your matchups for Week 2…and beyond. And to provide us all with such world-class advice today, it is a pleasure to welcome Jody Smith to the show for the very first time. Jody is the senior writer for the fantasy football website GridironExperts.com and was also the most accurate fantasy expert in 2012. Jody’s Twitter Handle: @JodySmithNFL Other handles: @GridironExperts 1. Which of these QB’s should QB-needy teams sprint to the waiver wire for this week? Alex Smith, Sam Bradford, or Jared Goff? 2. Buy or Sell: Tarik Cohen, Cooper Kupp, Nelson Agholor, Kenny Golladay 3. Overreaction/Not Over