• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

C.S. Elston

Worshipper, Husband, Author, Screenwriter, Home Cook, Fan

  • About C.S. Elston
  • Life of Elston
  • C.S. Elston Books
  • Contact

2017-2018 Pre-Season NFL Playoff Predictions

September 6, 2017 By C.S. Elston

We all know this is little more than a barely educated guess. Football is even less predictable than presidential elections. There are so many impossible to foresee variables (injuries being at the top of the list) that I’ll be impressed if I get a quarter of this right. But, it’s all in good fun. So, with the Chiefs at Patriots officially kicking off the 2017-2018 NFL season tomorrow night, here is how I see the playoffs going in about a dozen and a half weeks from now.

Wild Card Round

AFC:   Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders

* winner: Raiders *

Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans

* winner: Chiefs *

NFC:   Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons

* winner: Falcons *

Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers

* winner: Packers *

*** Notes: The hardest game for me to predict here was Kansas City at Tennessee but that Chiefs defense just barely gives Kansas City the edge. Also, despite being an uber-talented team, I think Dallas will find themselves making it into the Wild Card round by the skin of their teeth due in large part to the Ezekiel Elliot suspension giving them a rough start to the season. If he can stay out of trouble, the team will have a better season next year than they will this year.

Divisional Round

AFC:   Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots

* winner: Patriots *

Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers

* winner: Steelers *

NFC:   Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants

* winner: Falcons *

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

* winner: Seahawks *

*** Notes: Oakland at Pittsburgh was another tough call but, if Le’Veon Bell, Ben Rothlisberger and Martavis Bryant can all stay healthy, the Steelers are going to be a tough offense to beat.

Conference Round

 

AFC:   Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots

* winner: Patriots *

NFC:   Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks

* winner: Seahawks *

*** Notes: What an exciting round of football these two match-ups would make! Losing Julian Edelman was a tough blow for the Patriots but, nobody has more playoff experience than the current Patriots and they’re virtually impossible to bet against. However, pitting them against the Steelers would be a fun AFC title game to watch. Then there’s this NFC matchup between Pete Caroll’s Seahawks and Dan Quinn’s Falcons. Quinn shares a lot of the credit for building the Legion of Boom before leaving to become the head coach in Atlanta, and it’s that reloaded Legion of Boom, coupled with an ever-improving offense, that will beat him to take the NFC title. Sorry, Dan. You won’t be getting Super Bowl revenge this year…

Super Bowl LII

New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks

* winner: Seahawks *

*** Notes: …This year, it’s the Seahawks that will be getting Super Bowl revenge. Nobody has forgotten Malcolm Butler’s interception in Super Bowl 49 and the Seahawks will finally have their revenge in Super Bowl 52. The greatest revenge will be for the man who threw that interception in the end zone, Russell Wilson will be both the league and Super Bowl MVP this year. Don’t forget, you heard it here first…

Filed Under: Blog, Football, Home, Sports Tagged With: Arizona, Atlanta, Ben Rothlisberger, Cardinals, Chiefs, Cowboys, Dallas, Dan Quinn, Ezekiel Elliot, Falcons, Football, Giants, Green Bay, Houston, Julian Edelman, Kansas City, Le'Veon Bell, Malcolm Butler, Martinis Bryant, MVP, National Football League, New England, New York, NFL, NFL Playoff Predictions, NFL Playoffs, Oakland, Packers, Patriots, Pete Caroll, Pittsburgh, Playoff Predictions, Playoffs, Predictions, Raiders, Russell Wilson, Seahawks, Seattle, Sports, Steelers, Super Bowl, Super Bowl 49, Super Bowl 52, Super Bowl MVP, Super Bowl Predictions, Tennessee, Texans, Titans

11 Movies To Watch That Will Get You Fired Up For Football Season

August 24, 2017 By C.S. Elston

After about a 200-day drought, football season is finally right around the corner. High school kids are starting the dreaded two-a-days, college football kicks off this Saturday with a Colorado State / Oregon State (go Beavers!) match-up, and the NFL season begins on Thursday, September 7th, when the Kansas City Chiefs head into Foxborough, Massachusetts to take on the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. I love football. Especially Seattle Football — Go Dawgs! Go Hawks! I hated those two-a-day practices when I was a teenager but, I’ve romanticized the glory days enough over time that I somehow manage to look back on them fondly now.

I also love football movies. Always have. And, what better way to get fired up for the new season than to watch some inspiring movies that largely take place on the gridiron? This is in no way an exhaustive list and it only includes narrative films. So, please don’t get mad that it’s missing some of your favorites like “Any Given Sunday,” “Facing The Giants,” “Wildcats,” “The Replacements,” “The Longest Yard,” “The Program,” “Heaven Can Wait,” “Leatherheads,” “Necessary Roughness,” “Everybody’s All-American,” “Johnny Be Good,” “The Last Boy Scout,” “The Waterboy,” “Radio,” “Varsity Blues,” or the documentary “Undefeated.” I didn’t forget, I just had to be choosey.

Different films got left off the list for different reasons. For example, I decided to eliminate films that were mostly behind-the-scenes like “Draft Day” and “Jerry Maquire,” as well as some of the others already listed. It couldn’t be just any movie that had anything at all to do with football. I also decided to hold the list to 11 films because that’s how many players you have on each side of the ball. Clever, right? Okay, not really. But, it’s still as good a reason as any to keep the list from getting out of control. So, this is a list of some of my favorite football movies and they are in no particular order. Also, if you’re not a football fan, these are still great films. After all, the best football movies are about a lot more than just football.

  1. Rudy (1993 — Rated PG and starring Sean Astin, Ned Beatty, Charles S. Dutton, Lili Taylor, Robert Prosky, Jon Favreau)

Easily one of the best, this is a movie that will make almost any grown man cry. It’s an encouraging true story about hope and perseverance. It makes me want to silence the naysayers, overcome the odds, and cheer for all the underdogs. Rudy wanted to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish his entire life. But, even his own family laughs at his ambitions. He has a lot to overcome, including his own lack of natural football talent but, as the DVD synopsis says, “RUDY” is an unforgettable testament to the power of dreams and the triumph of the common man.”

  1. We Are Marshall (2006 — Rated PG and starring Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, Ian McShane, Anthony Mackie, Kate Mara, January Jones, Brian Geraghty, David Strathairn)

Another inspiring true story, this one starts with tragedy. On November 14, 1970, one of the worst disasters ever to occur in a U.S. sports program transpired when a chartered plane carrying the Marshall University football team crashed in Huntington, West Virginia. All seventy-five people onboard, including thirty-seven team members, eight coaches, and twenty-five team boosters, were killed in the accident. Jack Lengyel took the job no one else wanted and became the school’s new head football coach. Tasked with fielding a team for the 1971-72 season, Lengyel’s job wasn’t just about winning. It was about helping a school and a town overcome grief to obtain victory in life after catastrophe.

  1. Brian’s Song (1971 – Rated G and starring James Caan, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Warden, Shelley Fabares, Judy Pace, Bernie Casey, David Huddleston)

Another true story and arguably one of the all-time best made for TV movies. It won five Emmy Awards and for good reason. The film is about the heart-wrenching friendship between NFL Hall of Famer Gayle Sayers and his Chicago Bears teammate Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer at the age of 26. The movie was remade in 2001 but, you can’t beat the original.

  1. Remember The Titans (2000 – Rated PG and starring Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Donald Faison, Nicole Ari Parker, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst, Ethan Suplee, Kip Pardue, Hayden Panettiere, Craig Kirkwood, Kate Bosworth, Ryan Gosling)

Yes, this is another uplifting true story. It’s an outstanding film from an entertainment perspective but, it’s also used as a teaching tool in leadership classes. It’s 1971 and beloved coach Bill Yoast has led his team to fifteen winning seasons but is suddenly demoted and replaced by Herman Boone when the local school board is forced to integrate an all-white school with an all-black school. The two men have completely different coaching styles but must overcome their differences and learn to work together to lead a team and the West Virginia town of Alexandria, torn apart by conflict and uncertainty, into victorious harmony.

  1. Woodlawn (2015 – Rated PG and starring Sean Astin, Nic Bishop, Caleb Castille, Sherri Shepherd, Jon Voight, C. Thomas Howell, Lance Nichols, DeVon Franklin, Brett Rice)

Yet another true story that inspires and uplifts. See a pattern developing? As violence and rage explode in Birmingham, Alabama following government mandated desegregation, football star Tony Nathan and fellow African-American students enter Woodlawn High School. The school’s coach is losing control of his team. At his wit’s end, he allows an outsider to speak to his players. His message of hope and love leads to a spiritual awakening that inspires nearly every member of the team to overcome the hate that surrounds them and, soon, it spreads into the community at large.

  1. The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008 – Rated PG and starring Dennis Quaid, Rob Brown, Omar Benson Miller, Clancy Brown, Charles S. Dutton, Aunjanue Ellis, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Nicole Beharie, Nelsan Ellis, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, Geoff Stults, Evan Jones, Chadwick Boseman, Stephen Louis Grush)

You can probably tell from the title that we’re now six for six on true stories. Ernie Davis overcame nearly impossible odds as a star football player at Syracuse University and became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. Sadly, in 1963, he died of leukemia at the age of only 23. This film, however, primarily focuses on the relationship he had with his coach Ben Schwartzwalder. Both are portrayed realistically, which means both carry flaws like any human being does. However, Davis refuses to let racism and discrimination dominate his life and Schwartzwalder, ultimately, doesn’t care what color his players are if they share the common goal of winning. It’s a powerful story and an example of how to succeed both on and off the field.

  1. Invincible (2006 – Rated PG and starring Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rispoli, Steve Staiger, Fred Strother, Kevin Conway, Kirk Acevedo, Michael Kelly, Randy Couture)

Make that seven for seven on the true story count. Vince Papale is a 30-year-old bartender who never played college football. When the Philadelphia Eagles’ new coach, Dick Vermeil, calls an unprecedented open try-out, Papale takes the opportunity to live every fan’s dream. Staying true to the setting of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it’s an underdog story of “Rocky” proportions.

  1. When The Game Stands Tall (2014 – Rated PG and starring Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis, Alexander Ludwig, Clancy Brown, Laura Dern, Joe Massingill, Stephan James)

Don’t pretend you’re surprised – we’re now eight for eight on true stories. Think we can go the distance? Stay tuned…Legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that destroyed the record for any American sport. But, this film tells the story of the season that changed everything. It’s easy to tell your team that “winning isn’t everything” when you keep on winning. But, when the streak ends, how do you pick up the pieces? That’s when true character is put on full display.

  1. Friday Night Lights (2004 – Rated PG-13 and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez, Lee Jackson, Lucas Black, Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw, Lee Thompson Young, Connie Britton, Amber Heard, Christian Kane)

Based on the 1990 book “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream” by H. G. Bissinger, which chronicled the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team in Odessa, Texas, this story was also spun off into a well-received TV show, two years later, that ran for two seasons on NBC and then three more on DirecTV. Unlike “When The Game Stands Tall,” you could say that a theme in this movie is that sometimes winning is everything. However negative that may sound, this is an exciting movie that will have you cheering the Panthers on as they set their sights on a state championship.

  1. School Ties (1992 – Rated PG-13 and starring Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Chris O’Donnell, Randall Batinkoff, Andrew Lowery, Cole Hauser, Ben Affleck, Anthony Rapp, Amy Locane, Peter Donat, Zeljko Ivanek, Kevin Tighe)

We did it! We squeezed one onto the list that is not a true story. Dick Wolf, the creator of the “Law & Order” television franchise made this one up. But, it still feels like it could have been true. It’s set in the 1950’s and tells the story of a talented quarterback from a working-class background in Pennsylvania, whose gift provides him the opportunity to attend an elite preparatory school. But, because of the prejudices of the time, he tries to hide the fact that he’s Jewish. It’s a movie about honesty, honor and, of course, football.

  1. The Blind Side (2009 – Rated PG-13 and staring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Kathy Bates, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kim Dickens, Adriane Lenox, Catherine Dyer, Andy Stahl, Tom Nowicki)

Most people are familiar with Michael Oher’s amazing story but, it’s worth repeating. He was one of twelve children born to his alcohol and crack-addicted mother who paid him very little attention. He attended eleven schools in his first nine years as a student and had to repeat both first and second grades. He was in and out of foster homes and survived stints of homelessness. Then he was taken in by Briarcrest Christian School – not that all the faculty acted the way Christians should. But, it was there that he met Leigh Anne Tuohy who made him a part of her family – acting the way that Christians should. He went on to the University of Mississippi and was drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens. If this movie doesn’t warm your heart, bring tears to your eyes and make you want to watch football, you might want to see a doctor. Medical and/or psychological.

Filed Under: Blog, Home Tagged With: Adriane Lenox, Alabama, Alexander Ludwig, Alexandria, Amber Heard, Amy Locane, Andrew Lowery, Andy Stahl, Anthony Mackie, Anthony Rapp, Any Given Sunday, Aunjanue Ellis, Baltimore Ravens, Ben Affleck, Ben Schwartzwalder, Bernie Casey, Bill Yoast, Billy Dee Williams, Birmingham, Bob Ladouceur, Bob Thornton, Brendan Fraser, Brett Rice, Brian Geraghty, Brian Piccolo, Brian's Song, Briarcrest Christian School, C. Thomas Howell, Caleb Castille, Catherine Dyer, Chadwick Boseman, Charles S. Dutton, Chelcie Ross, Chicago Bears, Chris O’Donnell, Christian, Christian Kane, Clancy Brown, Cleveland Browns, Cole Hauser, Connie Britton, Craig Kirkwood, Darrin Dewitt Henson, David Huddleston, David Strathairn, De La Salle High School, Dennis Quaid, Denzel Washington, Derek Luke, desegregation, DeVon Franklin, Dick Wolf, DirecTV, Donald Faison, Draft Day, Elizabeth Banks, Ernie Davis, Ethan Suplee, Evan Jones, Everybody's All-American, Express, Facing The Giants, Fighting Irish, Football, Football Movies, Fred Strother, Friday Night Lights, Garrett Hedlund, Gayle Sayers, Geoff Stults, Greg Kinnear, H. G. Bissinger, Hayden Panettiere, Heaven Can Wait, Herman Boone, Huntington, Ian McShane, Invincible, Jack Lengyel, Jack Warden, Jae Head, James Caan, January Jones, Jay Hernandez, Jerry Maquire, Jewish, Jim Brown, Jim Caviezel, Joe Massingill, Johnny Be Good, Jon Favreau, Jon Voight, Judy Pace, Kansas City Chiefs, Kate Bosworth, Kate Mara, Kathy Bates, Kevin Conway, Kevin Tighe, Kim Dickens, Kip Pardue, Kirk Acevedo, Lance Nichols, Laura Dern, Law & Order, Leatherheads, Lee Jackson, Lee Thompson Young, Leigh Anne Tuohy, Lili Taylor, Lily Collins, Lucas Black, Mark Wahlberg, Marshall University, Matt Damon, Matthew Fox, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Chiklis, Michael Kelly, Michael Oher, Michael Rispoli, movies based on real life, National Football League, NBC, NCAA, Necessary Roughness, Ned Beatty, Nelsan Ellis, New England Patriots, NFL, NFL Draft, Nic Bishop, Nicole Ari Parker, Nicole Beharie, Notre Dame, Odessa, Omar Benson Miller, Panthers, Pennsylvania, Permian High School, Peter Donat, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Eagles, Prejudice, Quinton Aaron, Racism, Radio, Randall Batinkoff, Randy Couture, Ray McKinnon, Remember The Titans, Rob Brown, Robert Prosky, Rocky, Rudy, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Hurst, Sandra Bullock, Saul Rubinek, School Ties, Sean Astin, Seattle Seahawks, segregation, Shelley Fabares, Sherri Shepherd, Spartans, Stephan James, Stephen Louis Grush, Steve Staiger, Super Bowl, Super Bowl 2017, Super Bowl LI, Syracuse University, Texas, The Blind Side, The Express, The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, The Last Boy Scout, The Longest Yard, The Program, The Replacements, The Waterboy, Tim McGraw, Tom Nowicki, Tony Nathan, true story, Tuohy family, Undefeated, Vasity Blues, Vince Papale, Washington Huskies, We Are Marshall, West Virginia, When The Game Stands Tall, Wildcats, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Woodlawn, Woodlawn High School, Zeljko Ivanek

© 2023 C.S. Elston · Log in