3rd String | Last Word On Sports

The NFL Presents: “Ref-capades”

Imagine you have a beat-up old car, and it works for you, but the problem is you have a full-time job over an hour away from your house. The old powerless...
Coaching to Win: Instant Packers vs. Bears Analysis

On Thursday night I watched Lovie Smith throw Chicago’s already slim chances of winning a game at Lambeau field right out the window of a moving vehicle into on-coming traffic. With...
“The Ten” Weekly: Rookie Watch

Editor’s Note: This season, the LWOS Football Department is tracking the progress and success of the league’s 10 up-and-coming signal callers in a regular series called ”The Ten Weekly”, which you will be able...
It Will Come Down to Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the AFC North – AGAIN!

The AFC North division doesn’t really need a preview, but let’s do it anyway. Pittsburgh and Baltimore both have solid QB play, stellar defenses and tremendous head coaches. They have become...
Fighting for Scraps in the NFC West

We have already looked at the two teams which will be fighting to win the division in San Francisco and Seattle, so where does that leave Arizona and St. Louis? Glad...
The Best of the NFC West: The Niners and Hawks

You can point to all the advanced stats you like when it comes to the San Francisco 49ers when trying to prove how they will certainly regress in Jim Harbaugh’s second...
The “Cut and Dry” Teams of the NFC North

After writing my predictions for the 2012 Lions and Bears, I have spent four days trying to come up with a preview for the Packers and Vikings without even thinking of...
NFC North Preview: Da Bears!

After already predicting the Packers to remain as the team to beat in the NFC North, and doing an extensive review of how the Lions are shaping up for this year,...
NFC North Predictions: Detroit Lions Building a Foundation?

This year’s Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears are much more interesting than either the Packers or Vikings. These two teams will put two contentious lines of thought to the test this...
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AFC South Predictions: From the Best to the Rest (Part Two)

Yesterday I made my prediction that the Houston Texans would win the division. But does that mean we don’t have quality in the rest of the AFC South? So we started...
AFC South Predictions: From the Best to the Rest (Part One)

Let’s start with the Best… I spent all offseason trying to convince myself that the Houston Texans were not for real. After years of constantly being projected as the next team...
NFC East Preview: Who to Trust and Who Not to Trust

Every year the NFC East is so race is so close that making a call on the division winner before the season starts doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. This season could be the...
Pete Carroll’s Gamble Might Just Pay Off!

On Sunday evening, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll named Russell Wilson the winner of the starting quarterback competition. The announcement is only slightly more surprising than his admission prior to...
The Riskiest Quarterback Situations *Updated*

A back-up quarterback matters. Almost every year some teams’ fortunes are changed by injuries to their first-string quarterbacks. Some teams like the 2011 Texans and the 2008 Patriots, have developed young...
AFC West Preview: New Look Denver Broncos are led by Peyton Manning

Editor’s Note: This is the final preview for the AFC West. Click the Team Names to see previous previews for the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Diego Chargers. Check...
AFC West Preview: Kansas City Chiefs are an intriguing experiment for the NFL

Click her for my previous previews of the AFC West: Oakland Raiders, and San Diego Chargers. The 2012 Kansas City Chiefs season is marked by an intriguing roster and also a...
AFC West: The Oakland Raider Rebuilding Project

2002 was the last time the Raiders made the playoffs, making them the owners of the second longest playoff drought in the NFL. Life in Oakland has been anything but sweet, as...
AFC West Preview – What Lies Beneath the Real San Diego Chargers

The AFC West is one of the hardest division in the league to figure out this year. Not because there are a bunch of good teams who are going to battle...
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- NFL Blog
The NFL Power Shift

Between 1997 and 2008 we witnessed the AFC win nine of a total 12 Super Bowl’s. There was no doubt who the superior conference was. For a couple of years in...
AFC East Preview: How Belichick is Changing the NFL – again!

This week I have been previewing the AFC – the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets. Today I move on to the New England Patriots. The Patriots are the...