Every week, 102.9 The Whale is giving you the big stories happening in football. From the Top Headline, to the Big Game of the week, to those Hail Mary games you watch because you hope to see magic happen, the Three Point Stance is a quick breakdown of the week in Football.
Top Headline: Ezekiel Elliott Signs Six Year Extension With Dallas
The nightmare is over for the Dallas Cowboys as their star running back Ezekiel Elliott signed a massive $90 Million contract extension yesterday morning. According to NFL.com, the contract is for $103 Million over eight years with $50 Million guaranteed, making Elliott the highest paid running back in the league.
In an interview with CNBC yesterday morning, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of Elliott, “Zeke’s has been arguably our best player. I’m not trying to be unfair to anybody else. But he’s an incremental part to our success.”
Although Elliott has not practiced with the team since June, he is likely to start on Sunday against the New York Giants and see around 20 to 25 snaps according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater.
Big Game: Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears
To celebrate 100 years of Football, the NFL is opening the season with one of the greatest rivalries in the league, the Green Bay Packers vs the Chicago Bears.
This is the second year in a row that these teams will play in the season opener and it is the 199th time the rivals will face off in their long history. Last year’s Kickoff game saw Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers return from a knee injury to lead Green Bay in a come-from-behind victory over the Bears. Although the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, Chicago came back strong in their last meeting defeating the Packers in Week 15, a victory that both clinched a playoff spot for the Bears and eliminated Green Bay’s chances of playing in the postseason.
If Matt Nagy’s first year in Chicago was a preview of what’s to come, then the future looks promising for the Monsters Of The Midway. Last year, the Bears had a 12-4 record and secured their first NFC North title in over a decade under the direction of Nagy. Their defense, led by linebacker Khalil Mack, were No. 1 in points allowed and No. 3 in yards allowed. Chicago also went 7-1 at home last year, and the home team has won 14 of 17 Kickoff Games.
While on paper, it certainly seems like the Bears are favored, The Green Bay Packers took time in the off-season to make critical adjustments to their roster. After going 6-9-1 last season, the Packers played the free agent market to help patch some of the holes in their defense. They also picked up a new head coach in Mat LaFleur, who was previously the offensive coordinator of the Rams in 2017 and helped to coach Falcons QB Matt Ryan to an MVP season in 2016.
All in all, we are looking at the potential for excellent football in the season opener which makes this classic rivalry an easy pick for our Big Game of The Week.
Hail Mary Game: Indianapolis Colts vs LA Chargers
With two weeks to go before the start of the 2019 season, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck announced he would be retiring and suddenly the Colts were no longers Playoff contenders. But that might be an unfair jump to make as Jacoby Brissett will be leading a much stronger team than he did during his 2017 run as QB. The Colts have a solid offensive line, a good receiver in T.Y. Hilton, and tight end Jack Doyle is going to see a lot of action as the Colts adapt to Brissett this season.
The Chargers are also looking to start off their season strong despite missing a key player in running back Melvin Gordon. While Gordon is still a hold out, the rest of the team will be lead by future Hall of Fame quarterback Phillip Rivers and the Chargers top ranked defense. Hunter Henry is back as starting TE after an ACL tear kept him off the field for a majority of 2018, which helps to open up the passing game for Rivers.
While many are predicting a Colts defeat, there is potential for an Indianapolis victory that could surprise us all. Perhaps Brissett and company can come out swinging and establish a new era for the Colts. Whatever the outcome maybe, this is a game you’ll want to keep an eye on and it’s our Hail Mary Game Of The Week.
