By Nick Shook
Beacon Journal copy editor
Read full column on Ohio.com
Everyone has a bad week here and there — just ask Andrew Luck.
But the beauty of early season football is that we get plenty of surprises, which fill this week’s waiver wire column. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
Beacon Journal copy editor
Read full column on Ohio.com
I told you to play Peyton Manning in Week 1. I was wrong.
Manning showed the same glaring issues that were present in his late-season decline in 2014. He couldn’t throw a deep pass effectively, and the Baltimore Ravens took away the short side of the field, forcing Manning to complete short passes to the long side of the field in what NFL.com’s Marc Sessler called “a blueprint for other teams to follow.” Continue reading
By Nick Shook
Beacon Journal copy editor
Read full column on Ohio.com
Sunday is upon us. I’m hoping you read your morning paper with your coffee, well before the 1 p.m. kickoffs, or online with a second tab open with your fantasy football lineup, because I’m about to drop some knowledge.
Setting your lineup is vital to fantasy football, for obvious reasons. But that doesn’t mean we can see the future. We can, however, use statistics to project who will perform well. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
Beacon Journal copy editor
Read full post on Ohio.com
Week 1 is just about here, finally, which means it’s time to set your lineups. If you’ve yet to draft, you still have time, and I still have some advice for you, for both now and a few weeks later.
We’ll keep this opening section brief this week, because you won’t struggle too much with setting your lineups. Your drafts, projections, and countless hours of studying will help you with that. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
Beacon Journal copy editor
Read full column on Ohio.com
The NFL season is fast approaching. More importantly, fantasy football is coming, the time of year fantasy sports players have been anxiously awaiting.
Fantasy football magazines have been sitting on shelves for more than a month. Draft kits have been ordered and are sitting in the backs of UPS trucks nationwide. It’s time to start building that big board. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
Read full post on Medium.com
LeBron James celebrates against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals. (Photo credit: Curtis Compton/Associated Press)
Five years ago, they burned his jersey in the streets.
He was leaving them, leaving behind his home and their grand visions of supremacy.
He encountered the vitriol of a population scorned. He departed and twice reached the pinnacle elsewhere as Northeast Ohio watched with envious eyes and pained hearts. Continue reading
Nick Shook of NFL.com joined 1590 WAKR-AM’s Sam Bourquin on The Sam Bourquin Show to talk about the Cleveland Browns’ grand uniform reveal. Click here to read WAKR’s full post online.
By Nick Shook | NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com
It was a tough go for road teams in Week 4. Squads away from home won just four of 11 games if we include Miami’s triumph across the pond over Oakland — a home game for the Raiders, according to the league schedule.
But those road victors included a resonating divisional win, and a very unlikely, thrilling conquest in a hostile environment, led by a quarterback with minimal experience. Here are Week 4’s heroes staying in hotels.
Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Going into Week 4, it was a dead heat between the Oakland Raiders and the Buccaneers for worst team in the league. Tampa Bay was thrashed on national TV against Atlanta in Week 3, and an injury to starting quarterback Josh McCown forced the Buccaneers to go with the backup.
Enter Mike Glennon.
By Nick Shook | NFL.com
Through three weeks, we’ve seen a trend start to develop. Road teams won six of 14 games for the second straight Sunday, but unlike last week, quarterbacks ruled the day.
Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles made their debuts, Andy Dalton caught — yes, caught — a touchdown pass, and one notable Cowboy was at the helm of a monumental comeback. But only one can earn honors of Greatest On The Road. Here are this weeks stars away from home.
Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
At 0-2, Kansas City reached Week 3 in a state of confusion. Are they the team that contended for the AFC West crown in 2013, or were we seeing more of the turnover in playoff teams from one season to the next? Continue reading
By Nick Shook | NFL.com
The arrival of Week 2 can have a comforting effect on many teams. Those who failed to get the job done in Week 1 have a chance to get back to .500, and many squads get the opportunity to greet their home fans for the first time. It’s very early in the season — the allure of opportunity still reigns supreme.
Road teams went 6-8 in Sunday’s 14 games. Here are the week’s road heroes.
Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears
It’s tough not to give this honor to Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, because, well, a ball must first be thrown in order to complete a touchdown pass. But Marshall’s impact on Chicago’s stunning comeback victory cannot be denied. At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Marshall is a big target. What makes Marshall such a huge threat for the Bears‘ passing attack is his incredible pair of hands.
Great hands make a catch like this, for example.
Nick Shook 