Category: Game Reviews

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Game 32: 49ers @ Rams

December 31, 2017

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, California

My Friend Alex

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: 49ers win by 10

 

Results

Final Score: 49ers 34, Rams 13

My Record: 21-11

 

This was a good way to end the year, wow can’t believe its over! Not a bad final record considering 4 of the losses were form the Giants (yuk). I am not sure what’s next but you can keep following me to other sports!

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: C

 

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Game 31: Steelers @ Texans

December 25, 2017

NRG Stadium – Houston, Texas

 

My Friend Cicley

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Steelers win by 10

 

Results

Final Score: Steelers 34, Texans 6

My Record: 20-11

 

Merry Christmas to the Steelers, what a blow out win! This also was the 20th win of the season, pretty good as far as predictions! Only one more game left, kind of sad actually.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B-

 

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Game 30: Falcons @ Saints

December 24, 2017

Mercedes-Benz Superdome – New Orleans, Louisiana

Solo Game #4 (I am a lucky person to know people in so many cities that I only had to go to 4 games out of the 32 alone)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Saints win by 6

 

Results

Final Score: Saints 23, Falcons 13

My Record: 19-11

 

This game wasn’t ever close, there was a late touchdown by the Falcons. In all a good prediction and good win.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B-

 

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Game 29: Bengals @ Vikings

December 17, 2017

U.S. Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, Minnesota

My Friends Mike (left), Andrew (right) and Sarah

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Vikings win by 17+

 

Results

Final Score: Vikings 34, Bengals 7

My Record: 18-11

 

Great prediction, but I am not going to take too much credit because I feel like this was the easiest game to pick all year.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: A

 

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Game 28: Broncos @ Colts

December 14, 2017

Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana

My Friend Nikki

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Colts win by 3

 

Results

Final Score: Broncos 25, Colts 13

My Record: 17-11

 

Like I said in my video, I had no reason on picking this game, the stadium was half empty, fans were bored and if it wasn’t for Brock Osweiler coming in the game, my prediction probably would have been correct. Sorry for not putting more thought into this one guys.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: A-

 

The stadium has an awesome field when you first enter it. Obviously the Indy 500 is big and Lucas Oil Stadium incubuses that tradition. Its basically a museum of different cars from different races, but in a very non-intrusive way that doesn’t take away from football at all, if anything it adds to it. The location is great too and there is plenty of different options for pre-gaming in close walking distance, parking as well.

 

There are plenty of concessions with lots of options. It is easy to get around the stadium and there isn’t a bad seat in the place. We got to walk around a lot before the game and there are plenty of other amenities (games, shops, local food, etc.). The Colts also were the first NFL team to start the tradition of all the high school football helmets and honor the high school players of the year.

 

The only negative were the scoreboards. There were only two smaller screens on each end and they weren’t really showing any stats throughout the game. Also, the middle facing of the upper deck (where the score, time, downs usually are, like in every other stadium) only had the time remaining in the quarter. The other information were on the lower deck by the end zones. If you sit higher up you might have a hard time finding that, kind of odd.

 

This may go unnoticed in a lot of stadiums, but the staff were really friendly and into the game. That has happened at other stadiums, but it stood out here. Especially on a night where the game was meaningless and kind of boring, the staff was still on point, good customer service. Not sure exactly why it stood out more here, but that’s the key to good customer service, you just have that feeling.

 

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Game 27: Patriots @ Dolphins

December 11, 2017

Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida

My Friends Zach and Dustin

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Dolphins win by 3

 

Results

Final Score: Dolphins 27, Patriots 20

My Record: 17-10

 

This may have been the best prediction of the year. I didn’t get the score exact (and I have other times) but really it is because no one was giving the Dolphins a chance. My thoughts on not having Gronkowski and the Patriots being near last in the NFL in the run came into play big time. Also, credit to Cutler, he didn’t turn the ball over and played amazing!

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: A+

 

This was by far the best stadium this season! With only a handful left, it will be hard to beat. I will get into more details shortly, but pretty simply the Dolphins gave every fan in the stadium a great experience. I mean EVERY FAN because the amenities that the Dolphins had (concessions, bars, bathrooms, picnic areas, seating, etc.) were in EVERY SECTION throughout the stadium. As far as what the stadium has to offer and the experience you receive, it doesn’t matter if you sit in the upper deck or the sidelines and that alone is incredible!

 

I could go on and on about the positives, but let me try and briefly describe them. One is the fact that there are escalators to each level, I mean directly to each one that are clearly labeled and a straight shot up on the outside of the stadium. This is key because other stadiums have escalators that wrap around and everyone has to go up 3-4 to get to their section, sometimes it gets jammed, etc; the Dolphins eliminated that problem. Another problem they eliminated is long lines for concessions and bathrooms. They have food court style areas throughout the stadium with clearly labeled food and drinks before you get in line. Also, you can order some simple foods at the bar and get beers in almost any line (eliminates waiting in two lines). They also built enough large bathrooms but then added a bunch of smaller bathrooms around almost every single section. Fantastic.

 

The only negative might be that it’s not right in South Beach. However, it isn’t far away and if you drive, you can park in the neighborhoods nearby for free. They also do have some vendors in the parking lot selling food/drinks, so you can still tailgate. I think putting it closer to downtown Miami would have clogged traffic even more and raised prices for parking and eliminated the opportunity to have so many food court areas. So the little hassle for the drive, walk or bus to the stadium is eliminated by the experience. Great job Dolphins!

 

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Game 26: Packers @ Browns

December 10, 2017

FirstEnergy Stadium – Cleveland, Ohio

Solo Game #3

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Packers win by 11

 

Results

Final Score: Packers 27, Browns 21 (OT)

My Record: 16-10

 

I will take the win but I honestly can’t believe the Browns blew this one (well yes I can). This win ensures me at least a .500 season! Yay! The Browns wish they could get one win let alone be .500, but cheers to you Browns, you are on your way to another #1 draft pick.

 

The Game

Not many people expected this game to be close, I mean come on, it is the Browns. I hinted at a chance for the Browns to win in my prediction but didn’t think they would; and well they didn’t. A “good” overtime game, and I use the parentheses because it was very sloppy.

 

I was surprised on the first drive the Packers refused to punt. They went for it twice on 4th down and made both of them, the first was on their own 37 yard line on a fake punt. Then when they scored I thought the game would be over quickly. Browns answered right away though with a score of their own.

 

There weren’t too many stand out plays or stats in this game, but some to note were DeShone Kizer had three passing touchdowns but threw two interceptions including the one in overtime that blew the game.
Isaiah Crowell had a great game with 121 rushing yards on 19 carriers. Davante Adams had 10 receptions for 84 yards and two TDs. Other than that the defenses really dominated from both sides.

 

The way the Browns blew the game was incredible. Up 21-7 early in the 4th quarter the Packers drove to make the game 21-14 without much resistance. They tied the game with 17 seconds left after a 2 minute drive. The Browns started overtime with the ball and Kizer threw one of the worst interceptions I have seen. It was 3rd down and he was about to get sacked and just threw the ball as high as he could like he was a kid playing jackpot. He should have taken a sack then punted so at least Green Bay would have had to go the length of the field. Instead, what happened was the Packers intercepted the ball easily and started the drive on the Browns 35 yard line. It only took Green Bay 6 plays, 3 minutes before Brett Hundley threw a touchdown pass to Adams to win the game.

 

One cool thing that happened was they honored Jim Brown at halftime. The Hall of Fame is doing a “Ring of Honor” for the greatest hall of famers. It was good to see the Syracuse alumni still moving around. Some say he was the greatest athlete that ever lived, look up his stats in NFL and college (along with his lacrosse numbers), you will be impressed.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: C

 

Stadiums like this make it harder to not be bias. It’s hard to tell if the Browns being a horrible team again played into my review but at the end of the day I don’t think that was the case. The thing with FirstEnergy stadium is that it’s just okay. One good thing is that the walk isn’t too far from downtown Cleveland and it is easy to enter and exit.

 

A few negatives were that the upper deck only had one bar and very few concessions. You also couldn’t walk around the entire upper level, so check your tickets! The bathrooms also only had very few actual toilets in them (that applies to lower levels too). Even though the upper deck was at 25% capacity, it seemed like it was near full. Also, I am sure the stadium is in a nice location on a summer day, but most games aren’t that warm and the wind coming off the lake can be brutal at times. There are also pretty much zero covered seats, which somewhere like Cleveland could benefit. Luckily the wind wasn’t too bad and it was sunny so those two factors didn’t affect me much, but still know your climate when building a stadium!

 

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Love: Overtime games. Especially when I am at a game where it could have been very boring and cold. The excitement of the game keeps you a little warmer. Good comeback by the Packers too.

 

Hate: Blaming bad plays on rookie quarterbacks. Okay, yes there are sometimes where the decision making of young quarterbacks is fully due to lack on experience; like not getting rid of the ball quick enough, not recognizing double coverage or a safety blitz pre-snap, things like that. However, you can’t blame everything on a player being a rookie, they are professional athletes and played at a high level in college. Kiezer’s “jackpot” throw straight up in the air in overtime without looking was garbage. That’s not a rookie mistake. That’s just a really bad mistake.

 

Shout Out: Cleveland Browns fans. You guys have it rough, yet you are so dedicated to the team. Tailgating in the parking lot early on in the cold is insane for an irrelevant team. The fans I was sitting around were also very generous, shared everything they brought in (pretzels, beef jerky and some other snacks)

 

Fan Tips

If you are sitting in the upper deck, get food and drinks as you walk in before you go up, there are a lot more options on the bottom level

 

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Game 25: Saints @ Falcons

December 7, 2017

Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia

My Friends (from left to right) Melissa, Bob, David, Su Mei, Andrea, Alex (cousin) and Josh (this was the largest group of my trip!)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Falcons win by 10

 

Results

Final Score: Falcons 20, Saints 17

My Record: 15-10

 

Another close game and another good prediction. I couldn’t have been more accurate in predicting the Falcons D coming up big, they intercepted a pass in the end zone with under one minute left.
The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B+

 

The overall rating isn’t bad, but that’s because there were extreme positives and negatives to balance one another out. For a brand new stadium, it definitely has a lot more negatives than expected.

 

First and foremost, getting out of the stadium was a nightmare. Now I know its a lot of people exiting at once, but that’s the case for every stadium and this was ridiculous. There are only 4 main ramps, no stairs and if you are sitting in the upper deck you are kind of stuck until the the lower sections leave.

 

One other major negative was the concessions in general. You may have heard the prices are down, which are true, but that comes at a cost. What that means is there are only two registers opened at each concession/bar and there are fewer of them. This makes long lines longer, even when there aren’t that many people. The other thing that lower concession prices brings is that most of the food was generic and very plain/basic (like hot dogs and pizza). Lastly, they only serve alcohol until the end of halftime. I don’t need to drink during games and one quarter short isn’t a big deal, but its the only stadium that does that and I think that does make a lot of fans hit the bars early (depending on the game).

 

Okay the positives. Yes, they kept the Falcons downtown (not like the Braves), so good location. The “halo” scoreboard on the roof is really awesome! No matter where you are sitting you can see most of the screen. The general areas where you walk around are good (except when you leave). Overall I liked it, but it could have been improved.

 

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Game 24: Steelers @ Bengals

December 4, 2017

Paul Brown Stadium – Cincinnati, Ohio

Solo Game #2

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Bengals win by 2

 

Results

Final Score: Steelers 23, Bengals 20

My Record: 14-10

 

My prediction about a late field goal was correct, but I picked the wrong team. I was also right about Andy Dalton having his way with the Steelers for at least the first half.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B+

 

This stadium was in a good location. I walked over the bridge from the Kentucky side and it was a cool walk, especially at night with a great view. There was an escalator directly to each upper deck and plenty of pregaming options.

 

The concessions and bathrooms were good. The walkways were a little thin with the beams and concession carts making it hard to maneuver in areas, but other than that it was a good stadium.

 

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Game 23: Buccaneers @ Packers

December 3, 2017

Lambeau Field – Green Bay, Wisconsin

My Friends Luke and Lolly

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Packers win by 10

 

Results

Final Score: Packers 26, Buccaneers 20 (OT)

My Record: 14-9

 

A decent prediction and a win. I can honestly say that I didn’t think it would be this close the whole game. This was actually my first overtime game!

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B+

 

I feel like I already have to defend my ranking, but let’s face it, this is an old stadium. A few knocks were the lack of bathrooms, bleacher seats and the fact it is up in Green Bay. The other thing is this is the only stadium where the sections have evens on one side and odds on the other side. Pay attention when finding your seats.

 

I will give them props on the pregame and buses up to Green Bay from Milwaukee, those are all good positives. If you get a chance go to the Packers Museum too (we didn’t, but I heard its awesome).

 

I get it, you can’t beat tradition and the commute from Milwaukee isn’t bad, but it’s still out there. Maybe that’s what makes it great? That and the cold weather, although it was 50 and sunny when we were there. But judging not the history and the team, the stadium was good and just above average.

 

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Game 22: Packers @ Steelers

November 26, 2017

Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

My Friend Anthony (left), Duncan (middle) and Paul (right)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Steelers win by 17

 

Results

Final Score: Steelers 31, Packers 28

My Record: 13-9

 

Another close win. My predictions haven’t been terrible, but sometimes the scores are way off, I will try to improve that.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: A

 

This stadium really had almost everything; the location, the concessions, the great views from all the seats, great pregaming and good views of the video boards and TVs throughout the concourses.

 

The only two negative points were that there are limited entrances/exits and you most likely have to take a ramp to the higher up sections. Those are minor in the scheme of things as the stadium was great overall.

 

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Game 21: Falcons @ Seahawks

November 20, 2017

CenturyLink Field – Seattle, Washington

Solo Game #1 (thankfully there are not too many games I attend alone)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Seahawks win by 7

 

Results

Final Score: Falcons 34, Seahawks 31

My Record: 12-9

 

The Seahawks nearly came back, but credit to the Falcons on their win and my loss.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B+

 

Overall the stadium was pretty nice. Location was great and easy to walk to, there really isn’t a bad seat in the place, the concessions have a lot of local food and the best part is the atmosphere of having the “12th man”.

 

The 12th man is very symbolic in Seattle and one fan always gets to raise the flag. At this game it was a 95 year old military veteran that was incredible. Also a father and son (both military veterans) sung the National Anthem together and the Seahawks gave them tickets to the Super Bowl!

 

One BIG setback is getting in and out of the upper deck sections. It is cool that the middle section goes up to about 50 rows, but it takes forever to exit. They need to have additional stairs or escalators that would help this process. It was also a little issue getting up and I was there plenty early.

 

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Game 20: Bills @ Chargers

November 19, 2017

SubHub Center – Carson, California

My Friends Brooke and Alex

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Chargers win by 2

 

Results

Final Score: Chargers 54, Bills 24

My Record: 12-8

 

Well, I did get a “win” and some people say a win is a win, but boy was I wrong about the score. I was also wrong about Rivers turning the ball over, he actually played decent.

 

The Game

This will be a quick summary since the game was so boring. I have been spoiled to attend some really good games, so a blowout was bound to happen. The game started off ugly for Nathan Peterman as he threw an interception returned for a touchdown on the opening drive. He finished with 5 interceptions in the first half, an NFL record, and was replaced by Tyrod Taylor. The Bills were able to tie the game at 7-7 but then it was all Chargers. It was 37-7 at halftime and every drive the Chargers had it seemed like the Bills were only playing 10 men on defense (not sure if 12 would have even helped them).

 

Keenan Allen went off, he finished with 12 receptions, 159 yards and 2 TDs. Phillip Rivers had a modest 251 yards and the team had 146 yards rushing of which Melvin Gordon had 80 yards with a score. Not notable, but even Kellen Clemons was 5-5 passing for 33 yards in garbage time. For the Bills LeSean McCoy had 114 yards rushing with a score and it was confirmed Tyrod Taylor will be the starting quarterback moving forward.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: D

 

The biggest issue with this stadium is that it is a soccer stadium so even the closest sideline seats are pretty far from the field. Also, it is a lot smaller and compact than other NFL stadiums. I honestly cannot believe the Chargers are playing here for three years!? Kind of crazy they moved right away. I kind of get that they wanted to establish a fan base and a brand, but I still would not have wanted three years at this place.

 

Another bad example is that they added bleachers in one of the end zones but have them covered with banners (not even sponsors, just like “Go Chargers”). The team apparently said it was because there “were not enough bathrooms for the fire code”. HA! Good try there. Its because there aren’t enough fans going to the game. In fact if they had enough to break the fire code, I would be shocked.

 

Love, Hate, Shout Out

Love: Stadiums not in the middle of nowhere. This stadium was a drive from anywhere relevant in LA. It made me appreciate other stadiums that are closer to their city centers and have food/drinks around the stadium to pre-game and post-game at.

 

Hate: This is their temporary stadium. It is a soccer stadium and should remain only soccer. Really the Chargers should have stayed in San Diego a few more years because playing here for 3 more years is not a great experience.

 

Shout Out: Nathan Peterman. You have to feel a little bit bad for him because I think he was thrown into a situation he should not have been in. He did tie an NFL record by throwing 5 interceptions in one half, so there’s that.

 

Fan Tips

Go to “Thunder Alley” before the game, it is a big party and great tailgate (I didn’t get a chance to go, but you should)

 

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Game 19: Giants @ 49ers

November 12, 2017

Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, California

My Friend Gemma

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Giants win by 5

 

Results

Final Score: 49ers 31, Giants 21

My Record: 11-8

 

Well I went 0-4 picking the Giants. At least I don’t have to watch my awful team play anymore.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B

 

The stadium is cool. It had some really nice areas where you could hang out surrounded by plenty of food and drinks. Escalators were everywhere, plenty of entries with lots of metal detectors so nothing was held up. They also had two walkways to get to your seat which was a great idea. One walks through the concourse as normal, but if you were in a section further away, you could use a walkway along the outside of the stadium.

 

The huge downfall is the location. They should really change their name and not be allowed to be called “San Francisco”. The stadium is in Santa Clara and only 10 minutes from where the San Jose Sharks play. If you fly in for the game use the San Jose airport and stay out that way. I stayed at the Hilton Santa Clara, which was nice. Even if you don’t stay there, you can tailgate in the hotel parking lot before and after the game (free entry, standard drink prices).

 

 

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Game 18: Seahawks @ Cardinals

November 9, 2017

University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona

My Friend Tiff

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Seahawks win by 10

 

Results

Final Score: Seahawks 22, Cardinals 16

My Record: 11-7

 

This game was a lot closer than I expected. Still got the win, but the Cardinals had chances to ruin that for me. In the end the Seahawks Defense came through.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: C+

 

Another stadium with nothing really around it. Although this one has the awareness that it is nowhere and created a great pregame area. It’s a giant lawn with live music. You can bring whatever you want, chairs, tents, grills, anything and just setup and party (you can leave your stuff right there too and it won’t get touched).

 

Inside the stadium was nice. Lots of food, lots of space to walk around. The escalators are on the outside of the stadium and plenty of people had to walk back out the doors (it wasn’t obvious to do that and no real signs). They have a few huge areas to stand around and have some food but no standing tables. Plenty of room for tables too, like a huge area, but everyone is awkwardly trying to balance their food.

 

We left the stadium with ride share. Don’t do it or at least walk very far away from the field (maybe even through the corn field – you read that right, a corn field in Arizona). The ride share was one of the most ridiculous and unorganized crazy things I’ve seen this trip. It took us over an hour to get a car.

 

 

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Game 17: Bengals @ Jaguars

November 5, 2017

EverBank Field – Jacksonville, Florida

My Friends Bob and Andrea

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Jaguars win by 10

 

Results

Final Score: Jaguars 23, Bengals 7

My Record: 10-7

 

Good win. Good prediction on Bortles and Dalton too!

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: A-

 

This stadium is relatively easy to get to. Some of the signage when we were driving was a little confusing but we figured it out. It was really easy to park a few blocks away and get out of there quickly after the game. Plenty of bars within walking distance to grab food or drinks prior to the game.

 

They probably did one of the better jobs for an open air stadium (maybe I’m a little bias because the weather was gorgeous). We were there plenty early though and all the seats seemed pretty good from where we walked around. We did end up with seats that had access to the club level concessions which was awesome. I had some chicken and waffles.

 

Other than a long wait to walk out of the stadium and the music being WAY TOO LOUD (seriously, their speaker system was awful) I’m not sure there is anything else negative to say. Maybe there wasn’t enough shade, which is a positive complaint.

 

 

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Game 16: Bills @ Jets

November 2, 2017

MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey

My Friend Mike (first NFL game)

 

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Bills win by 10

 

Results

Final Score: Jets 34, Bills 21

My Record: 9-7

 

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I can’t believe how well the Jets played and dominated this game. A late score by the Bills made it a little closer but really the game wasn’t close at all.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: D

 

I am not going to repeat my comments on why this is a bad stadium, you can read that over on my Giants Review.

 

 

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Game 15: Broncos @ Chiefs

October 30, 2017

Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, Missouri

My Friend Michelle

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Chiefs win by 7

 

Results

Final Score: Chiefs 29, Broncos 19

My Record: 9-6

 

Got the win, good prediction with the score too. What I said was right that my heart was with the Broncos (they did not look good at all). Sometimes if you are right it still doesn’t feel great, this was one of those times because the Chiefs got the win.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: C+

 

Middle of nowhere in Kansas. Just kidding it’s Missouri, I wanted to see who was paying attention. But yeah it’s in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. That being said the tailgating is awesome but you have to be part of one, there was no general tailgate to pay like some other stadiums.

 

Getting in and out of the stadium was easy and the space inside the stadium was perfect to walk around and not feeling too crowded. Plenty of places to buy drinks and food and of course some really good BBQ.

 

 

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Game 14: Cowboys @ Redskins

October 29, 2017

FedEx Field – Landover, Maryland

My Friend Rohit

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Redskins win by 3

 

Results

Final Score: Cowboys 33, Redskins 19

My Record: 8-6

 

Loss. The Cowboys Defense was the difference maker here. The rain sucked too, so me saying “its raining but its okay” was also a bad prediction.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: F (definitely earned this)

 

This was a very disappointing stadium. The distance from any metro station and from the city was the first bad part. Then the fact that half of the upper deck is blocked off, can’t tell why, I can only assume it’s because the stadium is falling apart.

 

Another negative was that there were no fireworks, no large flags, no salute to troops and it was hard to remember I was in our nationals capital. On top of that the entrance to the field by the Redskins was really weak.

 

Concessions were average but there weren’t too many to select from. Escalators were good but there was only one set. Seemed like the stadium was bare bones, which no problem just focusing on football, but this place needs some improvements.

 

 

Love, Hate, Shout Out

Love:

 

Hate:

 

Shout Out:

 

Fan Tips

 

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Game 13: Redskins @ Eagles

October 23, 2017

Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My Friend Annette

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Eagles win by 10

 

Results

Final Score: Eagles 34, Redskins 24

My Record: 8-5

 

Another win, another perfect prediction! On to the next one.

 

The Game

Review to come! Sorry, this guy has been busy!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: A

 

The best part about this stadium is the Infinity Center with all the bars and restaurants. You must go there before and after games.

 

Inside the stadium the lines moved quickly and concessions had several options. Also, it seemed like you couldn’t find a bad seat in the house.

 

The only negative was that it takes forever to get out of the parking lot. But no team has really figured that one out. Maybe it’s a little tougher in Philly from the lack of public transportation and location, but just go early enough and stay after at Infinity as I mentioned and you will avoid most of the traffic.

 

 

Love, Hate, Shout Out

Love:

 

Hate:

 

Shout Out:

 

Fan Tips

 

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Game 12: Falcons @ Patriots

October 22, 2017

Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, Massachusetts

My Friend Rich (yes, those are the two best photos I had)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Patriots by 10

 

Results

Final Score: Patriots 23, Falcons 7

My Record: 7-5

 

Good prediction except for the score. It was not a close game at all at any point in the game.

 

The Game

The Patriots dominated in every aspect of the game (possessing the ball 60% of the game too). Tom Brady continues to look like young quarterback. He was very efficient completing 21 of 29 passes, 249 passing yards and two touchdowns.

 

The game was relatively boring in my opinion. There were no turnovers, only three sacks and limited penalties. Also, there was really dense fog where you couldn’t see anything at times (the field or the scoreboard). That photo of the field is the only clear one I had and it was ah hour prior to kickoff.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B

 

The stadium was nice, pretty standard. The best part is the fan areas right at the entrances. It has everything you need and has enough vendors where its not too crowded before games. There really isn’t a bad seat in there (unless the fog exists).

 

The negative part is how far away it is from civilization. I am learning a lot of stadiums aren’t too close anymore, but this one doesn’t have much in the near area either. There is one McDonald’s and gas station a 10 minute walk away, but no bars.

 

Love, Hate, Shout Out

Love: Clear days. The fog made me appreciate when the weather is nice and clear. It was warm for a late fall night game, but the fog really put a damper on the game.

 

Hate: No Ubers or Taxis available after the game. We were staying at my friend’s grandparents and it was over an hour walk on some dark windy roads. At midnight it wasn’t a fun walk at all.

 

Shout Out: Robert Kraft. There were 200+ cancer survivors brought on the field beforehand, including his wife. He also made a million dollar donation to local cancer treatment hospitals. I am not a Patriots or a Kraft fan, but I respect this.

 

Fan Tips

Plan ahead for transportation, the stadium is literally in the middle of nowhere!

 

 

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Game 11: Chiefs @ Raiders

October 19, 2017

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum – Oakland, California

My Friend Chris

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Raiders win by 3-7 points

 

Results

Final Score: Raiders 31, Chiefs 30

My Record: 6-5

 

Another good prediction and another win! It did end up being one point so I don’t get the “perfect score” status, but come on you can’t predict that.

 

The Game

By far the best game I have seen thus far! Let’s jump right to the final series. Raiders down by 6 and the ball around the 50 yard line. A deep pass and a touchdown! Oh wait, after further review, its not a touchdown, its down at the one yard line. Maybe a couple passes. Then an incomplete pass to end the game as time expires. Nope penalty. Okay now another play, incomplete pass to end the game. Nope another penalty. Chiefs royally messed that up. Then finally, a touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree to win it. They did review it and confirm it, I was a little afraid for how angry the place would be if they overturned that.

 

The whole game had so many highlights, it was just back and forth with a lot of long scoring plays. The teams combined for 7 touchdowns and almost 1,000 total yards. There was also an ejection (more on that below). Amari Cooper went off for 11 receptions, 210 yards and two touchdowns (of course I started Michael Crabtree over him in fantasy, great job Jason).

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: F

 

Well, the stadium looks like it is literally falling apart. They also had a lack of concessions. I mean I was in the club level and they only had one pizza line. The bar was nice, but we had to walk around a quarter of the stadium before we found hot dogs. The first place was all snacks then the next one was burritos (which I would eat, but wasn’t in the mood for it at that particular moment).

 

No wonder the Raiders want to move to Vegas. Golden State is out of there too. Now someone needs to adopt the Athletics and after seeing this stadium I really hope they get to go somewhere else too…. All sports wave goodbye to Oakland.

 

Love, Hate and Shout Out

Love: The Raiders Offense with Derek Carr. The team looks completely different when he plays and the offense is actually electrifying. They had at least five plays of more than 20 yards. Hopefully Carr can stay healthy and help Oakland grab a wild card spot, because I think this team could make some noise in the playoffs.

 

Hate: Marshawn Lynch. What are you doing? When he went after the Chiefs D for hitting Derek Carr late, he looked like he wasn’t going to stop until he got ejected. I mean it looked like he had somewhere better to be or maybe was thinking he should have stayed retired. He hasn’t done much this season anyway, but this was just a boneheaded stupid play.

 

Shout Out: Raider Nation. I can’t believe the NFL is going to move the Raiders to Vegas (not a done deal yet). I mean I can believe it from a business perspective, but they should have moved the Chargers there, not the Raiders. These fans are die hard! Somewhat crazy and they would probably fight a five year old kid if they were cheering for the other team, but very passionate. They love their Raiders, some of the most dedicated fans I’ve seen so far.

 

Fan Tips

Eat before going to the game due to lack of concessions and choices.

Plan a long commute back home no matter where you are going or how you are getting there.

 

 

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Game 10: Colts @ Titans

October 16, 2017

Nissan Stadium – Nashville, Tennessee

My Friends Alex and Dan (they were recently engaged so excited for them!)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Titans win by 3

 

Results

Final Score: Titans 36, Colts 22

My Record: 5-5

 

A good prediction and another win. The score was affected by a touchdown by the Titans with under a minute left. Otherwise I was pretty spot on.

 

The Game

There are a few reasons the Titans won this game. I think the one we all are aware of is no Andrew Luck. That had a huge impact, especially because the Colts settled for five field goals. Derrick Henry had 131 yards rushing including a 72 yard touchdown run with a minute left in the game. Marcus Mariota played well and ended up with 306 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception.

 

Before the long touchdown run, the Colts actually had a chance to tie the game. It appeared that Jacoby Brissett had enough yards on a 4th down run down around the 10 yard line, but after review they ruled he was just short, kind of the theme of the night for the Colts, just short.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B

 

I thought I may be running a little late for the game (late meaning not in my seat 15 minutes before, I would never miss kickoff people – knock on wood). It took longer to get in than it should have, they were filtering everyone through a handful of gates and so people had to stop going through the metal detector because the ticket scanners couldn’t keep up. Once you are in, it is a nice place. A few large areas by each end zone to drink and eat. Also, to get to the top sections the elevators were extremely convenient and fast.

 

This was my second halftime show and since its Nashville, guess what? Yes, they had a country singer, Trace Adkins. I like country but I am not really a huge fan, in this case it was good to listen to live. This is the first time I saw more people stay in their seats at halftime and then go get food at the beginning of the third quarter. Kind of backwards and crazy to me, but I am obviously more interested in football, to each their own.

 

Love, Hate and Shout Out

Love: The use of the Titans. A scene from the movie “300” is shown every third down. The mascot looks like an actual Titan, as in don’t go near him or he will eat you. The pregame ceremony stabs a sword into the middle of the field. And almost unnoticeable, there are constant digital flames behind all of the scoreboards that gives a very Titan feel.

 

Hate: Teams settling for field goals. No one wants to see it, although it is the difference in the game most times. Even when its not my team, I get worked up over a team constantly kicking field goals inside the red zone.

 

Shout Out: Nashville for their love of country music. They really really love their country music, again not my thing, but it is a good experience in person.

 

Fan Tips

Get there a little earlier to enter because they don’t have enough ticket scanners.

Use the elevators if going to the top sections.

Watch the half time show if you aren’t getting food or going to the bathroom.

 

 

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Game 9: Eagles @ Panthers

October 12, 2017

Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, North Carolina

My Friend Rob

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Panthers win by 7

 

Results

Final Score: Eagles 28, Panthers 23

My Record: 4-5

 

Not a good prediction. I nailed the last game and followed it up with a poop prediction, I apologize to my fans. I can blame my hatred for the Eagles (being a Giants fan and all), but I won’t. It was just bad. I will try and do better next time.

 

The Game

I am going to leave my dislike for the Eagles out of this one, with that aside, it was a good game. I expected Cam Newton to have a better passing performance (especially since that great display I saw in Detroit). He ended up throwing only one touchdown three interceptions and had 239 passing yards. He did add 71 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown though. Carson Wentz was the one that walked away with the victory throwing three touchdowns with 222 yards passing.

 

The Panthers did have a shot in the last few minutes on a final drive but turned the ball over on downs around midfield. The last few plays of that series didn’t make much sense as 3 of the 4 plays were deep balls. They had plenty of time to get the first down (and many more) instead of trying to get it all in one play. Give credit to the Eagles defense for stopping the Panthers offense the final drive and pretty much all game (relatively). They had 15 points off turnovers in the game.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: A+

 

The location in Charlotte is perfect. Really close to downtown and all the places to go out. There was also an area right outside the stadium to party before the game that looked fun.

 

Very friendly people everywhere. When I say everywhere, I mean it. Going up the escalators, they had staff every flight giving high fives and making sure you were having a good time. They also had a minister say a prayer before the game.

 

The concessions were great, one main reason because they had a lot of them. The concourses were big, clean and had plenty of places to hang out to eat and drink. One of the best parts was they had soda refill stations to fill up your souvenir cups yourself, makes it faster and more efficient.

 

Also, every replay on the jumbotron had two camera angles. The use of split screens is awesome and more stadiums should do this. It gives you a really good look at the play.

 

Love, Hate and Shout Out

Love: Halftime shows. This was the first stadium that had a halftime show believe it or not! It was Rob Base (“It Takes Two”), Young MC (“Bust a Move”) and Biz Markie (“Just a Friend”). It was a little sad to see those guys at the end of their career. I mean it literally sounded like me singing karaoke way off tune. Maybe they should get someone more recent next time, but it was still good. Thanks for the show Panthers.

 

Hate: Eagles winning and listening to their fans. I never heard so many “kill him” statements or just overall mean things with F-bombs every sentence.

 

Shout Out: Halftime performers. Yes, this is my love and shout out, but for different reasons, deal with it. If you don’t like it, donate more money and I won’t do it again. The shout out is for those guys still performing after all these years and trying really hard. Keep living your dream guys, I know I am right now.

 

Fan Tips

Go out in Charlotte before and after the game.

 

 

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Game 8: Vikings @ Bears

October 9, 2017

Soldier Field – Chicago, Illinois

My Friend Trevor

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Vikings win by 3

 

Results

Final Score: Vikings 20, Bears 17

My Record: 4-4

 

A fantastic prediction! I did think the score would be lower and the first half was proving that to be true, but it was a great game and I saw it coming. I hope I predict more like these!

 

The Game

It was Mitch Trubisky’s NFL debut and he had a chance to win it. Overall, he played pretty good, a bad decision on their final drive cost a chance at a game winning field goal and instead gave the Vikings the lead. He threw an interception on the first play of that drive with only 2:32 left and all the Vikings had to do was sit on the ball and kick the game winning field goal. The Bears had two great plays, a fake punt for a touchdown and a fabulous two-point conversion (more below).

 

Give credit to the Vikings too, I mean they did win the game after all. The game was 3-2 at half and was an awful performance from Sam Bradford (only 36 yards passing), so he was replaced. The Vikings offense in the second half looked like a new team. Case Keenum had 140 passing yards, 1 touchdown and 22 yards rushing. It was a great game overall.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: D-

 

This might deserve an F, but as you read this it was just my personal experience. I won’t let my experience completely ruin the stadiums rankings.

 

The concessions were unprepared, like badly. At halftime a few of the concession stands didn’t have their credit cards working. Then the ATM wasn’t working. We found a concession stand that was open and they were out of cups, hotdogs were a 15 minute wait and pretzels were a 10 minute wait; I am not even sure why they were open. When we finally got to a stand that had food and drinks we could purchase the cashier said, “really this is nothing, once we didn’t have any ice or water and it was 100 degrees, people were passing out and we couldn’t do anything about it.”

 

Also, after the game they filter all the fans through a small doorway the size of a standard garage door. There were only two options too, north gate or south gate. So trying to fit everyone out took an extremely long time. I am glad the game was good, because the stadium was not. Oh and then when you get out, public transportation isn’t really close by.

 

Love, Hate and Shout Out

Love: Play calling. John Fox pulled a few tricks out of his hat with what was the best play I have seen this season, a fake punt for a Touchdown to give the Bears a lead at 10-9 early in the 3rd quarter. There was also the best two-point conversion I have seen, a reverse pitch back from the running back to the tight end back to the quarterback. In addition, the Vikings coach made a great call by replacing Sam Bradford at half (although that wasn’t a hard choice because I could have ran a better offense), but he still had to make the move. Great job coaches!

 

Hate: Concessions. I mentioned this enough, no need to get heated up again.

 

Shout Out: Mitch Trubisky. I think it was a great NFL debut regardless of the stats (128 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 22 yards rushing). He made some rookie mistakes sure, but he looked solid and I think the Bears found their guy. Hopefully he stays healthy and they build an offensive line around him. If that happens, I think the Bears will be back in the playoffs and a (dare I say it) Super Bowl contender in a few years.

 

Fan Tips

Bring cash so you can get food and drinks from the staff walking around, that way when the concessions are unprepared (which seems inevitable in Chicago) you can avoid that situation.

 

You can’t leave early (I mean you can, but that’s against my rules) so just be prepared for a long exit time.

 

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Game 7: Panthers @ Lions

October 8, 2017

Ford Field – Detroit, Michigan

My Friend Duncan (props to his throwback jersey)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Panthers win by 10+

 

Results

Final Score: Panthers 27, Lions 24

My Record: 3-4

 

A good prediction for the most part. I was on pace for calling it perfectly, but then the Lions woke up with 7 minutes left and decided to make it a game. I got a win, but need to do better with the score. I will try better next time!

 

The Game

The game was great and ended up being a lot closer than expected too. The Lions took an early lead but around the 13 minute mark of the second quarter to the 9 minute mark of the fourth quarter, they managed to have a total of -19 yards. I mean they barely looked like a football team. Luckily their defense helped them out and Stafford had some key throws to bring them back and make the game close. Ultimately Cam Newton and the Panthers won the game, in which Newton threw the call as best as he ever has. He managed to stay in the pocket with only 7 rushing attempts for 0 yards and 355 passing yards with 3 touchdowns, including one of the best throws I have ever seen live, a bullet to Golden Tate!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: A+

 

Downtown Detroit and the stadium are awesome. Ford Field is by far my favorite stadium at this point in the trip. The atmosphere when you walk in is amazing, you feel like you are just hanging out in a comfortable place. Its very family friendly and very loud when the game is going on.

 

Love, Hate, Shout Out

Love: Cam Newton’ passing game. He looked like a pure pocket passer and limited his running. Maybe he should think about doing it more often.

 

Hate: How many times the people in our row got up. I mean seriously, I think it was over 10 times per person, multiple times literally standing in front of us as we let them out. DON’T BE THOSE FANS!

 

Shout Out: Downtown Detroit. Detroit has a great area to hang out before the game for all ages. The area around the stadium includes things like live music, free games and even a zip line. Plenty of nearby bars and if you want to go out before or after the game there is plenty to do. Good job Detroit.

 

Fan Tips

Go to the stadium early to grab drinks, play games, eat, etc. both outside and inside the stadium (for all ages).

 

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Game 6: Giants @ Buccaneers

October 1, 2017

Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Florida

My Dad Jim (left), Brother Dana (center left) and Brother Jordan (center right)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Giants win by 3

 

Results

Final Score: Buccaneers 25, Giants 23

My Record: 2-4

 

An okay prediction, although I was still wrong. In hindsight, I think this was more of a hopeful bet so the Giants wouldn’t be 0-4 (yikes). They actually account for 3 of my losses, maybe I should stop picking them or going to their games? I hope both the Giants and myself do better next time!

 

The Game

The Giants lost another one and are now 0-4, but at least this one was close, which is no silver lining. Nick Folk made a 34 yard field goal as the time expired to win it (after he already missed two field goals and an extra point earlier in the game). Jameis Winston had a solid game with 332 yards passing and 3 touchdowns.

 

The Giants had a small bright spot, Wayne Gallman made his NFL debut with 42 rushing yards and a touchdown reception.

 

It poured rain in the first quarter but was clear for the rest of the game and very warm.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B

 

The stadium was pretty cool, open air. The Pirate Ship throws out souvenirs every time the Buccaneers score (which unfortunately was more than I wanted). There is also a good view of George Steinbrenner Stadium and a good view of downtown Tampa Bay (from afar). There were areas right when you go through the gate to hang out with live music and drinks as well.

 

Love, Hate, Shout Out

Love: The Pirate Ship. Its just cool. I needed to pick something, so this is what you get as there wasn’t much that stood out about the game.

 

Hate: Giants are now 0-4. Enough said. Fill in thoughts of whatever makes you mad and that’s how I feel.

 

Shout Out: My dad. If you know my family this won’t surprise you. My dad managed to get lost coming out of the stadium, while we were all together, on the same exact ramp, all walking together. Remind you I am I wearing my classic orange Syracuse basketball jersey to a game with no orange teams, so already it is hard to miss me. Somehow he turned the wrong way and was gone. And of course he thought it was a good idea not to bring his cell phone and he doesn’t have a good sense of direction or memory. My two brothers and I looked around for a while. It was a good idea that one of us waited at the car because he eventually showed up at about an hour later.

 

Fan Tips

Park at the Yankees Training Facility (not to be confused with George Steinbrenner Field).

Take the escalators up to the top levels if that is where you are sitting.

 

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Game 5: Broncos @ Bills

September 24, 2017

New Era Field – Buffalo, New York

My Brother Dana (left), Nephew Tanner (bottom left), Uncle Dave (top left)

Brother-In-Law Keith (middle right) and Dad Jim (right)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Broncos win by 7

 

Results

Final Score: Bills 26, Broncos 16

My Record: 2-3

 

Broncos played bad. I picked bad. I am now below .500, that’s really it on that.

 

The Game

The Buffalo Bills defense shut down the Denver Broncos and Trevor Siemian. Give credit to Tyrod Taylor for making some key plays down the stretch. He finished 20 out of 26 passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

 

The game changer was when Von Miller pretended to offer a hand to help Tyrod Taylor up, but then pulled it away. The two laughed about it, but the referee threw the flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. Instead of the Broncos getting the ball back down 7, the Bills capped off an 8 minute drive with a field goal to seal the victory.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: B

 

Besides tailgating, there isn’t much to do around New Era Field or in Buffalo in general. The stadium had some good live music and is easy to walk around. Lots of fan sections to hang out in at half time or if you need a break from the sun (or snow in the winter time). Overall good stadium besides the location I guess.

 

Love, Hate, Shout Out

Love: The Sun. Usually in Buffalo at this time of year, you need layers. I was expecting a cool fall day, but it was really hot. I guess I can thank everyone on Earth for extending summer with our carbon footprint. Way to go I guess?

 

Hate: Referees getting too involved in the game. The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty should have never been called. I partially blame the NFL for trying to control the game too much and training the refs to be trigger happy with flags. Both players laughed, the offense was leaving the field. Come on man!

 

Shout Out: My Uncle Dave. For knowing the trick of avoiding lots of people and traffic. See below in the tips section for details.

 

Fan Tips

Go to nearby Niagara Falls if you are coming in from out of town and are staying longer than a night.

 

Park at Erie Community College. We saved at least 40 minutes sitting in traffic and some money. The parking lot is only 10 minutes from New Era Field.

 

 

 

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Game 4: Lions @ Giants

September 18, 2017

MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey

My Friend Dave

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Giants win by 3

 

Results

Final Score: Lions 24, Giants 10

My Record: 2-2

 

Terrible pick again for the Giants. My two losses are their two losses, both equally bad.

 

The Game

A late 88 yard punt return for a touchdown by Jamal Agnew for the Lions put the Giants away. This was overall a sloppy game with each team held to around 250 yards. Eli Manning was sacked 5 times and knocked down another 8 times (great job Offensive Line). The Lions did not play great but came out with a win thanks to the poor play of the Giants.

 

The Giants celebrated their 10 year anniversary of Super Bowl XLII. Most of the players and coaches from the 2007 team were there and honored at half time.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: D (too harsh to give an F)

 

New York City is filled with things to do, so there is not much to say about that, too bad the stadium isn’t really anywhere near it. The train is somewhat easy to get to MetLife (as long as you leave early enough), but a royal pain to get back. The stadium doesn’t have the greatest setup and although it is newer, it has an old feeling to it. They could have done a much better job on this one.

 

Easy to enter and good concessions with plenty of choices are the only upsides.

 

Love, Hate, Shout Out

Love: Michael Strahan’s half time speech about the Super Bowl anniversary. I don’t have the exact words, but it was powerful and got you motivated to do something. The current team should have been on the field, maybe they would have learned something.

 

Hate: Giants Offensive Line. It’s a tough argument to make when you say Eli Manning is losing it and getting old. Let’s face it, he is, but he was never an elite QB and you can’t put it all on him. When you get hit literally every other play, its hard to get any timing down. Maybe it is time to address the Offensive Line issue, since its been an issue for 4 years now, ughhhhh!

 

Shout Out: Giants Defense. I am not sure how many weeks they will be asked to play 40 minutes a game, but so far its two out of two. Playing that much and giving up less than 20 points both games is great (can’t count the punt return against them).

 

Fan Tips

If you are taking the train leave really early for the game and expect to wait a long time before you get out (unless you leave the game early, which I would never do).

 

You cannot walk all the way around the stadium on some levels because of the suites. So check your section before you go up the escalators.

 

 

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Game 3: Browns @ Ravens

September 17, 2017

M&T Bank Stadium – Baltimore, Maryland

My Friends Duncan (left), Rachel and Mike (right)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Ravens win by 17

 

Results

Final Score: Ravens 24, Browns 10

My Record: 2-1

 

Almost nailed it! I am surprised the Browns scored at all to be honest. The Ravens Defense dominated like I said, but I did say “Kizer looks good” which was way off.

 

The Game

The Ravens defense dominated, forcing 5 turnovers, 3 sacks and repeated hits on the quarterback. Outside of a few highlight reel catches, the Browns didn’t have much going for them. DeShone Kizer looked good at times, but the Ravens defense made it hard for him to get any sort of timing down and he ended up with 3 interceptions and got benched.

 

Not too many offensive standouts on either side. Benjamin Watson had 8 receptions for 91 yards for Baltimore and Rashard Higgins had 7 receptions for 95 yards for Cleveland (with a few ridiculous catches too). It is early in the season but both guys are players to keep an eye on.

 

Joe Thomas played in his 10,000 consecutive snap for the Browns. That is an NFL record and unbelievable.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: A

 

M&T Bank Stadium was easy to get to and had a great pregame. Getting home wasn’t terrible either. It was a really hot day, so maybe this was just me, but they need escalators to get to the top. Who knows, they might be there somewhere. We took the stairs.

 

I walked around several sections and there isn’t really a bad seat. Some sections lacked restrooms and concessions but you can’t expect them everywhere. Overall great.

 

Love, Hate, Shout Out

Love: Inclusive tailgating. Not every stadium has somewhere that you can simply pay and then party. It was very close to the stadium and the food was amazing.

 

Hate: Odd giveaways. Okay, its marketing, I understand. But little bottles of hand sanitizer with a brand on it (honestly I forgot which one), isn’t a giveaway. The bottle was probably good for two uses and didn’t seem like antibacterial, it was more of straight alcoholic based water. Give a rally towel at least like everyone else or nothing at all.

 

Shout Out: Joe Thomas. 10,000 consecutive snaps. That is just remarkable to think about, especially when you realize he is on the Browns. Every single play he has been in there putting for 10+ seasons!

 

Fan Tips

Don’t get confused by the BWI airport and BWI train station, they are not one in the same (my friends learned this).

 

There is an all you can eat and drink tailgate somewhere around Leadenhall St and Olstend St. There were several, try to find one, best tailgate I have been to over the years (we will see if that is still true at the end of the trip).

 

 

 

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Game 2: Chargers @ Broncos

September 11, 2017

Sports Authority Field at Mile High – Denver, Colorado

My Cousins Kailah and Tyler

 

Pregame Thoughts

Broncos win by 14

 

Results

Final Score: Broncos 24, Chargers 21

My Record: 1-1

 

My first win of the season. It ended up being a lot closer than I expected, but it still counts!

 

The Game

The Denver Broncos dominated the first three quarters of the game and should have won by a pretty sizable margin. However, the two turnovers in the 4th quarter got the Chargers back in the game.

 

Neither Phillip Rivers or Trevor Siemian played great. CJ Anderson had some nice runs and ended with 81 rushing yards. Either way, the story of the game was the Broncos Defense with two turnovers, four sacks and a HUGE block to end the game.

 

The block came during the final drive of the game, and really the Chargers should have tied it. Instead, Shelby Harris blocked the potential game tying field goal as time expired. The place went nuts!

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: A-

 

Sports Authority Field was a great stadium. The one standout special thing was the fans. The place was so loud and literally shaking. Awesome atmosphere. The stands along the top are metal so it creates extra noise, which was cool.

 

A few knocks on the stadium was that they could have used more concessions and a more organized entry. Even when it wasn’t halftime and people were in their seats, the lines were kind of long (maybe I am being picky).

 

I also like how the team comes out to an actual Bronco running on the field too. Makes sense and it is pretty cool.

 

Love, Hate, Shout Out

Love: True fans. You can tell they really love their Broncos and the noise proved it. Every play the fans were engaged in the game. It will be hard to beat this type of atmosphere!

 

Hate: Unorganized entry. The entrance to the stadium could have been better. It may have possibly been because it was close to game time, but with very few metal detectors at only about 8 entry gates, it seems like that wouldn’t have mattered much.

 

Shout Out: Stadium location. It is both out of the city but in the city. You can walk from Pepsi Arena not too far away. There was public transit there too (didn’t take it, but looked like plenty of trains coming constantly).

 

Fan Tips

You can walk to Sports Authority Field from downtown, about 20 minutes.

 

Spend the pregame at Brooklyn’s by the Pepsi Arena. It has great craft beers and good food (about a 10 minute walk across the bridge).

 

 

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Game 1: Giants @ Cowboys

September 10, 2017

AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas

My Cousins John and Carrie (I love them even though they are Cowboys fans)

 

Pregame Thoughts

Prediction: Giants win by 3

 

Results

Final Score: Cowboys 19, Giants 3

My Record: 0-1

 

A terrible prediction followed by a terrible game. I am a Giants fan so it was kind of a biased pick, but none the less I thought the game would at least be close!

 

The Game

Dak Prescott was not at his best only completing half of his passes and looking confused at times, but the Cowboys came out with the win behind the running of Ezeikiel Elliot. He finished with 104 rushing yards and 36 receiving yards.

 

The Giants defense actually didn’t play bad holding Dallas to only one touchdown. It was surprising that they only surrendered 19 points considering they were on the field most of the game.

 

Jason Witten set two franchise records for the Cowboys; receiving yards and games played.

 

The Stadium

Overall Rating: C+

 

AT&T Stadium is more like a luxury hotel. You can find anything you need and the staff is super friendly. There is not really a bad seat in the place, including the standing room. There is also a lot of art throughout the stadium. However, the walkways are kind of narrow and their weren’t a lot of bathrooms. Building a newer stadium you should over do it with convenience.

 

The large video board is hard to ignore. I noticed myself looking at the screen even when I could see the play perfectly fine. I think this was a strategy in “Jerry’s World” not to make a better fan experience but to make more money. With its size and location, you can’t help but to look at all the brands that paid top dollar to be featured.

 

My only other complaint is that it is in Arlington kind of in the middle of nowhere. You can take an Uber if you don’t have a car (expensive), but definitely can’t rely on public transportation.

 

Love, Hate and Shout Out

Love: The city of Dallas. It is a great place to visit, lots of outdoor bars, fairly easy to get around and lots of friendly people.

 

Hate: Cowboys. Sorry, does this surprise you? I won’t elaborate.

 

Shout Out: Cowboys fans. They really weren’t as bad as I thought. Especially the way the game went, I thought for sure I would get a lot of harassment, but they were tame. Good luck getting that when you visit New York Cowboys fans.

 

Fan Tips

Park at Six Flags in the very back of the lot. It is only a 15 minute walk over to the stadium and there is plenty of room to tailgate.

 

Most bathrooms in the stadium have multiple entrances, don’t settle for waiting in line.