PFR Polls - Pro Football Rumors

Poll: Should Dennis Allen Be Fired?

September 28th, 2014 at 10:42pm CST by Rob DiRe

Raiders’ head coach Dennis Allen has been on the hot seat since before the season started, and after a blowout loss in a showcase game in London, he could be on the way out very soon.

Before the season started, we polled our readers on which coach they thought would be fired first. Our readers took Jason Garrett of the Cowboys to be the first to go, but at 3-1 as they are in the process of blowing out the Saints, Garrett’s job could be safe for a while. Allen was the second choice in that poll, and right now he looks like the best bet to go first, considering the reports that came out tonight.

Terry Collins of the Associated Press reported that Allen had been fired and that the official team report was coming, but later deleted the tweet. He eventually replaced it with an apology, saying he was unable to confirm that report (via Twitter).

Allen was hired in Oakland prior to the 2012 season. He took over one of the worst teams in football, but has failed to turn them around at all so far. The Raiders posted four win seasons in 2012 and 2013, and to start off 0-4 this year puts them behind the curve on even a four-win season.

General manager Reggie McKenzie has failed equally in terms of procuring, drafting, and keeping talent during his short tenure with the team. His best move to keep his own job could be to fire Allen as a scapegoat, and reset his own clock in the front office.

Despite having little to no talent to work with, it is unclear how much longer the organization stick with Allen. The team has a week off after returning from London, and if McKenzie was going to make this move, it would make sense to do it now when their team still has time to prepare.

Poll: Should NFL Expand To London?

September 27th, 2014 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

As we wrote yesterday, the NFL’s international chief, Mark Waller, still believes the league is on track for potential expansion to Europe by around 2022. With the NFL ramping up to three games played at Wembley Stadium in London this season, Waller and company are beginning to experiment in different ways with those overseas contests, as he explained to Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

“I’m less focused on going from three (games) to four, four to five, five to six,” Waller said. “Can we do back-to-back games? Will the surface hold up? Can we start sending teams there without the bye attached? It’s not about the number anymore. … We’re at a place now where if we continue to do the job with the fans, the fan base will grow, and we’ll be able to have a team (in London). The questions now are logistical.”

While the NFL’s global marketing plan is ambitious, it’s worth considering whether having a franchise in London is the logical next step for the league. In my view, getting a team back in Los Angeles should be the NFL’s top priority, but that doesn’t necessarily preclude the possibility of expanding to London. Reports continue to suggest that when a combination of the right team, the right owner, and the right stadium come together, NFL football will return to L.A., and the league’s goal of installing a franchise overseas can be viewed as an entirely separate issue.

Still, with no NFL franchise seemingly on the verge of relocation at the moment, one has to wonder if the league is willing to move multiple teams within the next few years to get teams in L.A. and London. At 32 franchises, the NFL already features more teams than any of the other major North American sports leagues, so further expansion seems somewhat dubious.

That’s one possible roadblock for a London team, and Waller himself names a few more — it’s not clear yet whether Wembley Stadium will be capable of hosting eight games per season, or whether European fans more accustomed to following another form of football would continue to turn up and support a franchise full-time. Additionally, traveling from one coast of America to the other is already viewed as a significant handicap for West Coast clubs. The idea of having eight teams per year traveling overseas for games likely won’t be an easy sell.

What do you think? Does it make sense for the NFL to attempt to get a franchise in place in London within the next decade or so, or is that an overly ambitious plan for the league?

Poll: Which Team Will Stay Winless Longest?

September 25th, 2014 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

On Wednesday, PFR readers voted the Bengals the most likely team to be the last unbeaten club standing in the NFL this season. The league’s three 3-0 squads haven’t necessarily looked dominant, and face tough schedules in the next few weeks, which could ensure that no team remains undefeated for long.

On the other hand, the league’s three 0-3 teams have struggled immensely in the early going. The Jaguars started off the season by jumping out to a 17-0 lead against the Eagles, but have since been outscored by an incredible 119-27 margin, including 34-0 in the second half of that game in Philadelphia. The Raiders have played tighter games, but also faced three opponents (Jets, Texans, Patriots) that have looked shaky in their other contests. As for the Buccaneers, they’re coming off a 56-14 defeat that was even worse than the final score suggests, after having dropped home games to Derek Anderson and Austin Davis in the season’s first two weeks.

At this point, all three winless clubs have turned to new quarterbacks, with the Jaguars (Blake Bortles) and Raiders (Derek Carr) giving their rookies a chance under center, while Mike Glennon prepares to take over for the injured Josh McCown in Tampa Bay. While there’s some optimism that these young signal-callers could help turn their respective teams’ seasons around, the jury’s still very much out on that.

Over the next few weeks, the Bucs will play in Pittsburgh and New Orleans before hosting the Ravens and then taking a Week 7 bye; the Jaguars alternate road and home games against the Chargers, Steelers, Titans, and Browns; and the Raiders play in London against the Dolphins before returning stateside for their bye and then home games against the Chargers and Cardinals.

What do you think? Which of these last-place teams will take the longest to win its first game? And are any of them in real danger of a winless season?

Poll: Which Team Will Stay Unbeaten Longest?

September 24th, 2014 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

Through three weeks, only three NFL teams remain unbeaten, and they aren’t necessarily the ones we would have predicted entering the 2014 season. The 3-0 Bengals are the AFC’s only team without a loss, while the Cardinals and Eagles sit atop the NFC at 3-0 themselves.

Although all three teams have looked impressive in their victories, most observers likely wouldn’t consider the unbeaten squads to be the class of the NFL at this point. The Cardinals have won their first three games in spite of backup Drew Stanton taking over for the injured Carson Palmer, while two of the Eagles’ three victories required significant second-half comebacks. The Bengals have looked the strongest of the three squads so far, though their schedule has yet to feature a 2013 playoff team.

The Bengals and Cardinals have byes in Week 4, so each team’s loss column will remain unblemished for at least one more week, but it won’t be easy keeping those winning streaks going starting in Week 5. Cincinnati faces a four-week stretch of games against the Patriots, Panthers, Colts, and Ravens, while the Cardinals will head to Denver to play the Broncos before facing the Redskins, Raiders, and Eagles. As for the Eagles, starting in Week 4, they’ll play in San Francisco before hosting the Rams and Giants in advance of their Week 7 bye.

What do you think? Which of these teams will stay unbeaten the longest? And is it because that club is the strongest of the bunch, or is it just a case of favorable scheduling?

Poll: Should Peterson, Hardy Play Week 3?

September 16th, 2014 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

After last week’s Ray Rice drama led to the Ravens cutting their running back and the league suspending him indefinitely, attention has shifted this week to a pair of other cases of off-field violence involving NFL players. Adrian Peterson, who was indicted and charged with injuring a child, and Greg Hardy, who was recently found guilty by a judge of assaulting and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend, were both inactive in Week 2.

However, Peterson has since been reinstated by the Vikings, and it sounds like the Panthers are at least considering doing the same for Hardy. The NFL typically allows for due process, waiting until cases have fully played out before announcing disciplinary measures for players. In these cases, however, while the legal process hasn’t been completed, Peterson has admitted to causing injury to his son, while Hardy has been found guilty by a judge, if not yet a jury.

Given the increased pressure on the NFL to come down hard on off-field instances of domestic violence and abuse in the wake of the Rice incident, the league appears to be mulling intervening in the cases of both Peterson and Hardy. We heard as much regarding Hardy’s case earlier this morning, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report says the league is taking a long look at Peterson’s case as well.

The Peterson incident, which was publicly reported more recently than Hardy’s altercation, seems to be drawing more attention around the NFL and beyond, with Minnesota governor Mark Dayton suggesting today that the Vikings should have kept the running back suspended until the accusation of abuse is resolved in the legal system. Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com and others have also pointed out that the Vikings’ call for “due process” didn’t seem to apply to less talented players previously on the roster who ran into legal troubles of their own.

What do you think? Are you fine with seeing Peterson and Hardy on the field until their cases have been closed? Or do we already know enough in both instances that their teams – or the league – would be justified in keeping them out of action for Week 3 and beyond?

Poll: Which Week 1 Overachiever Is For Real?

September 8th, 2014 at 10:42pm CST by David Kipke

Although Ray Rice‘s release and suspension currently dominates headlines, the first weekend of the NFL season had several intriguing matchups, including some that left many in the football community scratching their heads.

The Lions just lowered the boom on Eli Manning‘s Giants in this season’s first Monday Night Football matchup. The Giants’ secondary had no answer for Calvin Johnson, and eventually fell 35-14 as their offense stagnated, picking up less than 2.5 yards per carry on the ground. Should the Bears and Packers be worried about Detroit? Or is this Giants team just destined to become the NFC East’s doormat this year?

Many thought that the Falcons were one of football’s unluckiest teams last season. Injuries prevented the team’s offensive playmaking core of Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Steven Jackson from ever taking the field together. Atlanta was a popular bounce-back candidate heading into this season, and the team’ supporters were vindicated early by the Falcons’ 37-34 victory over the Saints this past weekend. Are the Falcons a serious playoff contender? Or were they overachieving?

The Patriots just went to the AFC Title Game last season without injured stars Sebastian Vollmer, Jerod Mayo, Vince Wilfork, and Rob Gronkowski. The team would additionally lose Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib to a leg injury in the second quarter of that game against the Broncos. On top of returning all of those impact starters, Bill Belichick‘s squad was strengthened when Darrelle Revis was brought in to fill the the vacated cornerback position after Talib signed with the Broncos in free agency. These new-look Patriots flopped big-time this weekend in the form of a 33-20 loss to the Dolphins. Are the Dolphins for real? Or did they just catch the high-octane Patriots machine before it was firing on all cylinders?

The Bills made some of the biggest waves of the offseason when they traded up on draft night to select Sammy Watkins fourth overall. The win-now move was a clear signal to Bills fans that Doug Marrone intends to contend in his second season at the helm of the team. Although the Watkins move drew some criticism in the spring, the Bills silenced some of those critics by leaving Chicago with a 23-20 victory. The Bears, a popular playoff projection candidate, came into the game with the league’s scariest receiving duo in Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall and a revived pass rush led by Jared Allen. Are Marrone’s Bills going to make noise in the AFC East this season? Or are they going to fall back down to earth next weekend against the Dolphins?

The Titans’ lead was never in doubt on Sunday as the team cruised to a 26-10 victory over the Chiefs in Kansas City this weekend. The Chiefs’ infamous Wild Card meltdown to the Colts last season left confirmed what many skeptics already suspected of Andy Reid‘s squad: that they had vastly overachieved in 2013 thanks largely to the easiest schedule in the NFL. The Titans were expected to rock the boat in a weak AFC South this year, but this commanding victory on the road against a reigning playoff team raised some eyebrows. Are Jake Locker and the Titans going to keep up their winning form? Or did they just take advantage of a highly overrated Chiefs’ team?

Will we see one or more of these teams in the postseason? Do you think any other surprise winners from Week 1 are legit? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Poll: Which Team Will Win The Super Bowl?

September 4th, 2014 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

It’s been over seven months since the Seahawks dismantled the Broncos to win Super Bowl 48, and we’re finally here: The NFL’s 2014 season gets underway tonight, with those same Seahawks back in action, hosting Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. So, appropriately, with the season’s first week about to begin, we’ll turn attention to the last week of the coming season, in an attempt to predict which team will still be standing in February.

While we haven’t seen a back-to-back Super Bowl champion since New England defeated the Panthers and Eagles in 2004 and 2005, the Seahawks retained many of the crucial players that allowed them to make that run last winter, and head into the season as the favorite to come out of the NFC. In fact, Vegas pegs a rematch of this year’s game as the most likely matchup for Super Bowl 49, with the Broncos heading into the season as the team with the best odds to win it all (5.5-to-1), per betting site Bovada.lv.

Besides the Broncos and Seahawks, Bovada has listed four other teams whose odds of winning this year’s championship at 9-to-1 or better. Those four clubs are the Patriots, 49ers, Packers, and Saints. While it’s certainly possible that another team walks away with the crown at season’s end, those six clubs head appear to be heading into Week 1 representing the NFL’s top tier. The team with the seventh-best odds, per Bovada, is the Eagles, down at 20-to-1.

What do you think? Will one of those preseason favorites be celebrating in Phoenix on February 1, or will an upstart team win this year’s Super Bowl? After placing your vote, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

Poll: Which Rookie RB Will Have Best Season?

August 28th, 2014 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

In the weeks leading up to the 2014 season, we’ve asked Pro Football Rumors readers which rookie quarterback and which rookie wide receiver would put up the best numbers in their first year in the NFL. In both cases, there was no clear-cut winner — at the moment, Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater are deadlocked with 27.64% of the vote, while for the wideouts, the Saints’ Brandin Cooks is ahead of Jordan Matthews of the Eagles by a single vote.

If we weren’t be able to establish any sort of consensus for quarterbacks or receivers, it may be even more difficult to do so for running backs. The rookie landscape is muddled by the fact that no backs were selected in the first round, and no rookies are expected to immediately step in as workhorses, or even starters. Bishop Sankey of the Titans appeared to have the best chance to earn the majority of his team’s carries, but he has yet to distinguish himself in the preseason, and will have to compete with Shonn Greene and Dexter McCluster for touches.

Other second- to fourth-round picks, including Jeremy Hill (Bengals), Carlos Hyde (49ers), Terrance West (Browns), Devonta Freeman (Falcons), and Andre Williams (Giants), have a chance at big years. But the opportunities may not be there with veterans Giovani Bernard, Frank Gore, Ben Tate, Steven Jackson, and Rashad Jennings currently penciled in as those clubs’ respective starters.

It seems likely that at least one of the aforementioned rookies – or someone I haven’t discussed yet – will ultimately earn a more significant workload and have a big year, but it’s hard to pin down which one it might be. What do you think? Which running back will have the best rookie season in 2014?

Poll: Which Rookie WR Will Have Best Season?

August 21st, 2014 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

They say there are some things you can’t teach in sports. One of them is size. Another is the ability to make a jaw-dropping one-handed catch after tripping just one second prior. Bills rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins is lacking in the first department but he’s got the latter down pat.

With top-level speed, excellent agility, and soft hands, Watkins was almost universally regarded as the top WR talent in the 2014 class. So, he’s a lock to win this poll, right? Maybe not. Second-year quarterback EJ Manuel boasts a strong arm but he’s far from elite and one has to wonder how many quality balls he can deliver to Manuel. The Clemson product is also working through a rib injury which could possibly hamper him to start the season.

Moving further down the draft board, there are plenty of other wide receivers with an opportunity to make a name for themselves in year one. The Panthers overhauled their entire receiving corps this offseason and many are expecting big things out of FSU’s Kelvin Benjamin. In New Orleans, many are skeptical of what the once solid Marques Colston can do and the hype around Brandin Cooks is reaching a fever pitch. And, without DeSean Jackson, Jordan Matthews could see a lot of balls thrown his way in Philadelphia. Beyond those guys, there are even more promising WR’s from this year’s receiver-heavy draft. Who among them will have the best 2014 season?

Poll: Will Browns Start Hoyer Or Manziel?

August 19th, 2014 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Last night’s exhibition game against the Redskins was supposed to help the Browns’ coaching staff determine which quarterback would start for the team in Week 1, but neither Brian Hoyer nor Johnny Manziel did anything to impress. While third-stringer Connor Shaw racked up 123 passing yards on just nine passing attempts, Hoyer and Manziel combined for 22 pass attempts and only accumulated double-digit yardage (81).

Meanwhile, it was a single digit – namely, the middle one on Manziel’s right hand – that dominated most headlines, after the rookie gave the finger to Washington’s sideline in a moment of frustration. Speaking to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, head coach Mike Pettine indicated that incident probably wouldn’t be a factor in his decision on the team’s starting quarterback, but added “it will be dealt with.” As for his signal-callers’ performances, Pettine confirmed that the game didn’t make his decision easier.

“I don’t know,” Pettine said. “Neither guy really distinguished himself tonight, and we’ll have to go back and study the tape and figure out who to go with. I will lean on [offensive coordinator] Kyle Shanahan and [quarterback coach] Dowell Loggains quite a bit, because they’ve watched them every day.”

The team likes Hoyer, who was solid when healthy last season and has several years of experience as a backup on his résumé. But Hoyer has only thrown 192 regular-passes during his NFL career, so it’s not as if he’s all that more experienced than Manziel, who was drafted in the first round and figures to start sooner or later. Whether the rookie is ready to step in and play right away remains to be seen, and Pettine’s decision will ultimately depend on how far along the team feels Manziel is.

What do you think? Will the Browns play it safe and go with the veteran option in Hoyer, or roll the dice with the higher-upside option in Manziel?

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