Entering Week 6, the Pittsburgh Steelers return to face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium was by far the marquee event of the schedule. After the Steelers survived on the road in the 2016 AFC Divisional Playoffs over the Chiefs without scoring a field goal, the rematch was a must watch event and a…
In an NFL season defined on the filed by the absence of superstars due to suspension or injury, the biggest blow yet came Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr -- whose blindside sack of Matt Barkley in 2012 ended Barkley's USC career, as college fans might recall -- leveled Aaron Rodgers with…
Before I start Ruttig's Rants this week, I would like to personally apologize for a brief hiatus from The Open Man and this beloved weekly NFL column. Unfortunately, life and the annoying reality of having a real job to pay the bills got in the way for much of September and I missed bestowing you…
Week 1 of the NFL season has come and provided plenty of storylines as is the norm with any debut weekend. While the games on the field drew the ire of many in terms of game quality, there is still plenty to talk about after the first week of 2017. So without further introduction, let's…
green bay packers 2016 was a typical season for the Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers guided the Pack to another NFC Championship Game, and once again they fell short of a Super Bowl appearance in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons. It is becoming clockwork in Green Bay to have Rodgers perform heroics to get…
The Open Man is previewing all 32 NFL teams ahead of the 2017 season. Today's preview focuses on the AFC West, a division with four teams that all have serious hopes of the postseason this year. Kansas City Chiefs If you measure NFL teams based on overall success, the Kansas City Chiefs have been one…
The Wyoming Cowboys entered Kinnick Stadium this past Saturday afternoon as a dangerous opponent for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Sure, it was a Mountain West team against a Big Ten team in the comfort of their own stadium, but Wyoming was expected to give Iowa, and especially Iowa's defense, a big early season test. The reason?…
The Open Man previews the 2017 NFL Season with breakdowns of all 32 NFL teams. Today's preview features the AFC North, one of the NFL's most competitive divisions of the past decade. Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers quietly have retaken their throne atop the AFC North in recent years, after a brief cold spell with…
The Open Man previews the 2017 NFL Season with breakdowns of all 32 NFL teams. Today's preview focuses on the AFC South, a division that should come down to the wire between the Houston Texans and the emerging Tennessee Titans for a second straight season. Houston Texans If not for incredible injury luck in late…
The Open Man previews the 2017 NFL Season with breakdowns of all 32 NFL teams. Starting with the AFC East, a division set to be dominated once again by the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. New England patriots After a comeback for the ages against the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl, the New…
Ryan Tannehill's torn ACL forced Miami Dolphins brass to make a decision on their 2017 quarterback situation: A retiree who threw four touchdowns and five interceptions in an injury-shortened 2016, or a young, dual-threat player who tallied 16 touchdowns in the air against four interceptions and two rushing touchdowns? Miami is going behind Curtain A.…
Corporate interests can take Derek Carr out of Nor Cal, but the Oakland Raiders quarterback will leave a piece of his legacy behind before exiting for Las Vegas. Fresno State administrators announced Monday the athletic department will retire Carr's No. 4 before the Bulldogs' season opener against Incarnate Word. The decision to honor Derek Carr…
Tour De Pharmacy, the latest mockumentary from Andy Samberg, Murray Miller and Jake Szmanski, debuted Saturday night on HBO. And like it's predecessor 7 Days In Hell, a Wimbledon spoof, this look at doping in the world of cycling was hilariously ridiculous and raunchy. It's the second installment of their Legends of Sport series and…
April's NFL draft introduced fans unfamiliar with his UCLA exploits to Takkarist McKinley. The defensive end and first-round draft pick made quite an impression, dedicating his selection to the late grandmother who helped raise him, and letting out a curse word on-air amid the emotional celebration. That's Takk. And it's an example of why the…
Well...I suppose it was only a matter of time before Rob Gronkowski starred in an EDM video. The man is 4% body fat and 100% vodka-Red Bull. The Gronk music video for Vegas-based DJ 3LAU's song "On My Mind" dropped Wednesday, and it's...well, it's as if the very essence of the New England Patriots tight…
