NFL Playoffs Preview: Divisional Playoff Edition

January 15, 2016 By Keilone Gordon Leave a Comment

After some wild weekend finishes in the Wild Card Games of the NFL Playoffs, now we are onto the Divisional Playoff beginning this weekend. Six teams are trying to get two steps closer to play in Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, February 7, 2016. This round is showcasing some great matchups between some red hot teams and some bona fide contenders. The matchups are also featuring quarterbacks who know how to win games in the postseason, and defenses that can get their teams crucial stops or create opponent turnovers in the postseason. Here is a preview from Keilone Gordon of this weekend’s Divisional Playoff games and my predictions.

NFC Divisional Playoffs

Seattle Seahawks @ Carolina Panthers Sunday @ 1:00 P.M.

This game is leading up to a great matchup between these two teams. The Panthers beat the Seahawks in Seattle in Week 6 in a 27-23 come-from-behind win. The Panthers finished with best record in the NFL at 15-1. The record is the best season Carolina has had in franchise history. Cam Newton is the odds-on favorite to win the MVP despite not having big-name receivers. His primary target is tight end Greg Olsen, who leads the Panthers in receptions. Also, the team has a solid running game in Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Stewart. But, they have a tough, hard-nose defense that’s being anchored by Pro Bowlers cornerback Josh Norman and linebacker Luke Kuechly.

Ever since that game, the Seahawks has been one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Russell Wilson has returned to his Super Bowl winning quarterback form. Not only Wilson is still running the football, but he has become a better passer in the 2^nd half of the season. His favorite target has been receiver Doug Baldwin, who finished the season with 1,069 yards and 14 touchdowns, which is the most of his career. The Seahawks running game has dramatically shifted due to the injuries of Marshawn Lynch and Thomas Rawls. Like Carolina, the Seahawks have a tough, speedy, stout defense led by defensive ends Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett and cornerback Richard Sherman. This will be a close defensive battle.

Prediction: Panthers 27 Seahawks 23

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals Saturday @ 8:15 P.M.

The Packers and the Cardinals meet up again in the Desert. In Week 16, the Cardinals dominated the Packers at home 38-3. The defense got four turnovers off of Aaron Rogers including a pick six. The Cardinals are the most underrated team heading into the playoffs. Carson Palmer has had an MVP-caliber year with 4,671 yards, 35 touchdowns and 11 picks. Larry Fitzgerald has regained his Pro Bowl form, and Michael Floyd has had a solid year. But, the Cardinals have a ferocious defense led by Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu.

On the other side, the Packers have Aaron Rogers, a QB that can win a playoff game for a team. But, the Packers limped into the playoffs with a bad offensive line, inconsistent receivers and an even more inconsistent running game. They have a solid defense led by Clay Matthews, Jr. They played an inexperienced team in the Washington Redskins in the NFC Wild Card. This is a different animal (no pun intended) they’re facing.

Prediction: Cardinals 36 Packers 21

AFC Divisional Playoffs

Kansas City Chiefs @ New England Patriots Saturday @ 4:35 P.M.

The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will start their journey of a repeat against the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs. The Patriots have a future Hall of Fame QB in Tom Brady, who is a postseason legend. Plus, he has the weapons in Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski that can haul big-time touchdown passes. But, one thing that everyone has overlooked about the Pats is their defense. They are Top 10 in almost every defensive category in the league.

Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL since they lost five in row in the regular season. They have also been doing this without star running back Jamal Charles, who is out for the season due to injury. The main reason the Chiefs have been this run is because of their defense with players such as Dee Ford and Justin Houston. They can pressure and get to the quarterback as well as create turnovers. Their offense has been good not great as Alex Smith has been very solid with his play. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has had a touchdown or two in their streak, and tight end Travis Kelce can make big plays down the field as well. This game could go two ways: a white-knuckle defensive battle or a Patriots domination.

Prediction: Patriots 27 Chiefs 19

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos Sunday @ 4:40 P.M

The Steelers continue on the road trip to the Mile High city. The Steelers are coming off a late-game, white-knuckle 18-16 road win over AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals on Wild Card Saturday. Peyton Manning was reinstated as the starting quarterback for the Broncos in the final game of the season. The Broncos finished the regular season with the #1 seed in the AFC. They have a terrific, hard-hitting and aggressive defense that is led by Von Miller, T.J. Ward, Demarcus Ware and Aqib Talib. This defense can do it all: pressure the quarterback, get to the quarterback, stop the run and create turnovers. At times, the Broncos have trouble scoring on offense, even though they have talented receivers in Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas.

The Steelers has been another hot team in the NFL. They won their last three out of four to make the playoffs. Big Ben is having a spectacular despite suffering injuries during the season. But, their offense is having setbacks with running back Deangelo Williams out for the season and now star wide receiver Antonio Brown out for this game. The Steelers defense can still blitz like crazy with its front seven. But, the secondary is exposed to big plays down the field. The altitude may not be the only thing that’s high in this game, but the level of play could be as well.

Prediction: Broncos 27 Steelers 21

Houston Texans: 2015 Season Preview

September 8, 2015 By Keilone Gordon Leave a Comment

Football has played a major roll throughout the life of Keilone Gordon. He has played the sport all his life and later began coaching children and high school students. His favorite NFL teams include the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Francisco 49ers, and of course his home team, the Houston Texans. Below is a preview of the Houston Texans in the upcoming NFL season set to start this week as well as a few of Keilone Gordon’s predictions for what he expects to see out of his team.

Houston Texans Offense

Unfortunately, this offense could very likely be disastrous to start the season. One of the biggest threats on offense, Arian Foster, is hurt until at least week 4. Alfred Blue, Chris Polk and Jon Grimes will all get their fair share of touches in the attempt to try to find a true handcuff for Foster. Deandre Hopkins will definitely receive a lot more targets than he did last year, as he showed down the stretch that he could be “the guy” to replace Andre Johnson. His game against Tennessee last year where he had 9 rec’s, 238 yards and 2 td’s was one of the best all season among WR’s. He won’t get much help from his QB though, as Brian Hoyer was named the starter just one week ago. He didn’t exactly “win” the job; it was more of a lesser of two evils situation. Both Hoyer and Ryan Mallet were uninspiring in the Summer and in preseason, but Hoyer has much more starting experience on his side, hence the decision by Bill O’Brien to name him the week 1 starter. The offensive line has been built more for the run game, as evidenced by big road-grading guards in Brandon Brooks and Xavier Su’a-Filo. These two guys just might be good enough to open big holes for the backup RB’s like Blue and Polk.

Houston Texans Defense

Jadeveon Clowney is actually expected to be ready to go week 1; this is a very scary thought for AFC South QB’s. With J.J. Watt and Clowney coming from both sides, one of them is only going to have a single blocker on most plays. The Texans didn’t think this was enough, however. They went out and got Vince Wilfork from New England to clog the run up the middle. Brian Cushing is fully healthy, that might not last long, but for the time being he is a very good box to box LB who can jack up a RB and also cover a TE with ease. The only main concern for Cushing is how long he can stay healthy during a season. The CB’s are both very reliable on each side, with Kareem Jackson locking down one half and Jonothan Joseph on the other. With the expected constant pressure from Watt and Clowney, these CB’s should be in for a lot of errant throws leading to interception opportunities. Rahim Moore comes over from Denver and will play his role of “centerfielder”. He is a very good lone cover safety who you can trust won’t get beat deep on many plays.

Season Prediction

If Jadeveon Clowney can stay healthy for a majority of the season, this Texans defense could be top 5. If Arian Foster can come back before week 5 and stay healthy, the running game will be a force to be reckoned with. Deandre Hopkins will be the undisputed #1 target on an inevitably poor passing offense. I think this could definitely be a playoff team and I’m hoping we can make a run this year in the 2015 NFL season.

Aruba: One Happy Island

August 10, 2015 By Keilone Gordon Leave a Comment

Keilone Gordon is almost always on the go, keeping busy as a professional healthcare marketing specialist. However, when he does find some time to get away, Keilone loves to travel and go on vacation with his family. One of his favorite family vacation spots is the tiny island country of Aruba located in the southern Caribbean sea.

Unlike many parts of the Caribbean region, Aruba has an arid, dry climate with a cactus-strewn landscape. This means that visitors to the island can almost always rely on there being warm weather with plenty of sunshine. Lying outside of Hurricane Alley, Aruba hardly ever sees any rain, with the exception of a few showers here and there.

While the island may be tiny, measuring only 19.6 miles long and 6 miles wide, there are plenty of things to do. From water activities, to restaurants and dining, to sightseeing, to nightlife and more, Aruba is filled with fun for families, couples, and people of all ages. Listed below are a few of the distinct highlights Aruba has to offer.

Sea Trek

Sea Trek is a very unique activity found exclusively on De Palm Island in Aruba. It involves a specially designed diving helmet that allows you to take a walking tour under the crystal clear waters of the caribbean sea. Sea Trek is unlike snorkeling or scuba diving. It requires absolutely no previous experience. Explore the amazing and colorful marine life, feed tropical fish, and pose for memorable photos.

Natural Pool

To get a glimpse of how beautiful and majestic nature really is, check out the natural pool located on the northeast coast of Aruba. The clear water pool is surrounded by massive rocks with waves crashing all around. Most people either hike, ride ATVs, or travel on horseback to get to the pool. Water shoes are highly recommended as the rocks tend to be quite slippery.

California Lighthouse

The California Lighthouse is one of Aruba’s most well known landmarks. With spectacular views of the island as well as Venezuela, it is a very popular place to stop for sightseeing. Most people only spend about an hour or so here to snap a few pictures and enjoy and snack or refreshing coconut water at the nearby food truck.

The Value of Sports for Children

July 27, 2015 By Keilone Gordon Leave a Comment

Keilone Gordon has been an active participant in sports his entire life. After being a successful athlete in high school and college, Keilone went on to spend some time playing in the NFL. Since then he has dedicated his time to coaching young athletes in little league, football, track, and wrestling. Keilone has also been honored as a keynote speaker at numerous sports related events in his local community. As a coach and keynote speaker, Keilone Gordon hopes to share and pass on the life lessons he has learned through sports that have stayed with him throughout his life journey.

Sports are a great way for kids to stay active, make friends, and have fun. At the same time, sports provide kids with an even greater opportunity to gain important life lessons without even realizing it. Listed below are a few of the skills and life lessons kids will obtain through playing sports that they will take with them as they grow older and face life’s challenging obstacles.

Staying Healthy and Active

Physical fitness and health are some of the most easily recognized values of sports. Participating at practice and at sports games allows kids to stay busy and get off the couch. Engaging in physical activity will improve strength, increase flexibility and cardiovascular endurance, and prevent excessive weight gain.

Development of Social Skills

Sports provide an opportunity for kids to interact with other kids and build essential social skills. Kids will be able to more easily make friends and learn how to cooperate with other people by working as a team. Teamwork is a significant skill children develop that will be largely beneficial when they grow up, go through school, and begin looking for jobs in the real world.

Showing Respect for Opponents

Alongside teamwork comes the importance of showing others respect. Showing respect for opponents is a strong value in every sport that is always taken very seriously. Most children’s sports games end with the kids lining up to shake hands with the opposing team to say “nice job” or “good game”. Win or lose, it is important to remember that everyone is out there sharing the same experience of playing the sport they love.

Learning Commitment and Persistence

Playing a sport requires a certain level of commitment for the individual. Teammates and coaches are relying on you to make it to every game and practice so that the team can build together. Kids will learn the importance of being on time and sticking to a schedule. Another important trait kids develop through sports is persistence. If a child is willing to keep working at a particular skill, overtime they will see themselves improving and gaining noticeable results. They will begin to feel proud at the accomplishments they are making and will want to work more and more to become the best they can be, not just in sports but in their careers and futures with their families.

Keilone Gordon

Healthcare Marketing Specialist