NFL Playoff Predictions

Brian Hauch

Staff Writer

 The NFL regular season is two thirds of the way over, which means it's that time where true super bowl contenders start to emerge and mediocre teams start to sink. With just a handful of games left on each team’s schedule it’s now or never for many decent teams to take the step towards the postseason, or fall out of the playoff picture all together. Below are my predictions for which teams will be in the hunt for the Lombardi trophy come late December.

NFC North Champion: Green Bay Packers

Why they will win: The Packers offense has been nothing short of incredible. They have the best quarterback in the NFL (Aaron Rodgers) and arguably two top 10 wide receivers in Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. They can also run the ball at ease with an upgraded o-line and backs like John Kuhn and Eddie Lacy. Barring Injury, The Pack could easily return the Lombardi Trophy to Green Bay.

NFC East Champion: Philadelphia Eagles:

Why they will win: You know your offensive system works when you can plug in your backup quarterback and he throws for 322 yards and 2 tds, and that’s exactly what Chip Kelly’s low risk high reward offense is. That, along with a much improved defense and outstanding special teams play should put the Eagles right into the postseason.

NFC West Champion: Arizona Cardinals

Why they will win: So what Carson Palmer is done for the season, they got Drew Stanton! Many forget the backup qb won 2 tough games for the Cardinals this year, one in New York and one at home against division rival San Francisco. Palmer’s loss in not nearly as big as many people make it to be. A stout defense along with a big play offense should carry the 8-1 Cards to the playoffs.

NFC South Champion: New Orleans Saints

Why they will win: This division is flat out terrible. The Bucs are terrible, The Falcons suck, and The Panthers offense can’t do anything right now. The Saints are a 4-5 team with a mediocre defense that just lost Keenan Lewis, but they have guys like Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, and Marc Ingram on the other side of the ball so they win this division by default.

NFC Wildcards: Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys

Why they will win: I know what you're all thinking “Where are the Seahawks?”. Well they are not the dominant force they were last year and these two teams are simply better. The Lions have an insanely good defensive line along with a high powered passing attack with Megatron and Golden Tate. The Cowboys on the other hand have an insanely good offensive line along with one of the best backs in the league, Demarco Murray. Their defensive is iffy but they should win at least 10 games.  

AFC North Champion: Cleveland Browns

Why they will win: The Browns have a solid defense along with a strong running game and the reinstatement of Josh Gordon will provide huge support to one of the worst passing attacks in the league. I really like how Cleveland is playing and they have a serious shot of making the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

AFC East Champion: New England Patriots

Why they will win: Tom Brady’s offense is on a tear as of late. The ability to run the ball for 5 yards a pop coupled with the pinpoint accuracy on passes from Brady is a dangerous combination. That along with one of the best secondaries in the league allows the Pats to win this division easily.

AFC West Champion: Denver Broncos

Why they will win: Peyton Manning doesn't miss the playoffs. The Broncos offense is too good to miss the postseason.

AFC South Champion: Indianapolis Colts

Why they will win: The Colts are a very good team in an extremely weak division. Andrew Luck should have no problem navigating his team into the playoffs.

AFC Wildcards: Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs:

Why they will win:The Dolphins have had a very good season so far. The play of Ryan Tannehill has been outstanding and he has the offense playing extremely well. The defense is not half bad either, being the 6th best run defense in the AFC. The Chiefs are almost an exact replica of the Dolphins except with an upgrade at running back. A solid defense combined with the big play ability of Jamaal Charles should lead this team to the postseason.

NFL Power Rankings 2014

Ryan Shadle

Staff Writer

2014 NFL Power Rankings: Week 13

#32 Oakland Raiders- They will not go without a win this season but just got blown out and embarrassed by the Rams.

#31- Jacksonville Jaguars- This team has grit after coming back from 21-3 and winning the game. This team still has a long way to go relevance at the end of the season.

#30 Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Mike Evans looks like a steal at #7 in the draft but QB issues between Josh Mccown and Mike Glennon make this not as sweet. They are supposed to get Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston in the draft.

#29 Washington Redskins- This team has to figure out their QB situation as former #2 overall pick Robert Griffin III has not played well at all as Colt McCoy has taken over the starting QB spot. Colt McCoy is a free agent after this season they have must decide if they want to give up on RGIII.

#28 New York Jets- This team is gonna be a spoiler in a close division. Bad draft picks have led to this team being 2-8. This teams defense looked well against the Dolphins and almost won them the game. Difficulty passing the ball has lead to this teams record.

#27 Tennessee Titans- This team needs to draft a star playmaker or QB in the upcoming draft. This team has a lot of needs and needs to decide which ones they can put off.

#26 New York Giants- Eli Manning has gone from 2 Super Bowls in 3 years to the offense having a turnover in 26 straight games. It looks right now that they may need to cut their ties to Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin soon.

#25 Carolina Panthers- Nobody thought Kelvin Benjamin would be this good with the 28th pick. Their offensive line is filled of 5 undrafted guys that are doing a bad job. Look for this team to be reworking their offensive line the first 3 rounds.

#24 Minnesota Vikings- This team needs AP back. They will be focusing on WR’s, offensive line, and defense in this draft

#23 Chicago Bears- Signs a huge contract no one except the Bears thinks Jay Cutler deserves and then he plays like crap. Their defense is not that good and they have very inconsistent play from their QB.

#22 St Louis Rams- The Rams are hoping Tre Mason continues to produce and the project of turning Kenny Britt into the star receiver he used to be with the Titans succeeds.

#21 Atlanta Falcons- Not sure how a 5-7 is leading a division but the Falcons are. A lot of teams need offensive line in this upcoming draft and the falcons will be one of them. TE’s, offensive line, and linebackers will be critical pieces for this team to target.

#20 New Orleans Saints- The Saints are 3-5 since last season when Jimmy Graham has three or less catches compared to 13-6 when he has 4 of more.

#19 Buffalo Bills- They will probably need 3 wins out of four games against raiders, bronco, packers, and patriots.

#18 Houston Texans- Ryan Fitzpatrick abused the Titans. Fitzpatrick isn't the answer for the future though.

#17 Cleveland Browns- Looked like a surprise contender to make the playoffs but now looks like they don’t have enough talent at the moment.

#16 San Diego Chargers- Comeback win against the ravens. Firmly in the playoff race but has a tough game this week against the Patriots/

#15 Miami Dolphins- Almost lost to the jets but all that matters is they won. I don’t believe in this team because they almost lost to a 2-10 team.

#14 Baltimore Ravens- Joe Flacco has to prove that huge contract he got a couple years ago was worth it in this close division.

#13 Cincinnati Bengals-This team has talent on both sides of the ball but just needs consistency.

#12 Pittsburgh Steelers- Leveon Bell is just outright a stud RB. This guy may prove his worth if the Steelers get in the playoffs.

#11 Seattle Seahawks- The seahawks have a total of teams with the second highest winning percentage to finish the season.

#10 San Francisco 49ers- Colin Kaepernick had to get over the hump off division rival Seahawks if they want to get into the playoffs.

#9 Indianapolis Colts- Passing game very strong and running game very weak. Need to establish a constant solid running game.

#8 Detroit Lions- Megatron is heating up at a good time as he has two touchdowns and over 100 yards against division rival Bears last week.

#7 Dallas Cowboys- If they win or tie one game they will have a winning record for the first time since 2009.

#6 Arizona Cardinals- Toughest schedule in my opinion to finish off the season.

#5 Kansas City Chiefs- Have lost 8 out of 9 last divisional games at home. Need to win more.

#4 Denver Broncos- No real divisional challenge to get into the playoffs yet to the Broncos.

#3 Philadelphia Eagles- Lesean McCoy broke out against the cowboys for the first time this season. 244 yards on 40 runs.

#2 New England Patriots- They hold the tiebreaker over the broncos and winning the last couple of games will put them in foxborough for most of their run in the playoffs.

#1 Green Bay Packers- Beating the Patriots last week is what has vaulted the packers to the #1 spot.

76ers Expected to Struggle

Matt Steele

Staff Writer

 Although it feels like an eternity, the Philadelphia 76ers are only in year two of their total rebuild. Season one was the infamous gutting of the team, leaving the roster with more hateful and accusatory basketball fans than actual NBA-level talent. Their season was defined by 10-day contracts and losing. The question is: Will this season be any different? Ready for the scary answer? They may actually be worse this year than last.

  Through General Manager Sam Hinkie is a evil genius, he has completely stripped the roster of anything resembling a go-to scorer, leaving the team absolutely inept on the offensive end. The Sixers now have between three and seven guys who look like legitimate NBA players, depending on who you ask. While this is less than the beginning of last season, as Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner, Lavoy Allen, and fan favorite Thaddeus Young are gone, they have been replaced by a group of young, athletic, defensive minded players who have high upside. However, most of them haven’t yet earned a spot in the Association, but it looks like there is a definite path. But a light at the end of the tunnel doesn’t translate to wins right now. This has been evident. At the time of writing this, the Sixers are a paltry 1-17, and their upcoming schedule doesn’t seem too likely to lend them a win.

  This leaves many people asking what possible reason there is to watch the league’s worst team during a historically bad season. The easy answer is, there isn’t a valid reason to. However, looking deeper into the makeup of the team, there is a chance for a truly entertaining basketball team, albeit one who seems to have a phobia of wins. If fans can look past the final box score, they will see an athletic team that has a penchant for crazy dunks, highlight worthy plays, and jaw dropping blocks.

  It may be emotionally draining, but being a fan of the Sixers will pay its dues in a few years. The future outlook of this team is extremely bright, but make no mistake, they will be bad this year. Very bad. Much like the Dark Ages transitioning into the Renaissance, the future holds success, but the present is bleak.

Eagles Still one of NFL's Best

Ben Keenan

Staff Writer

  The 2014 season for the Philadelphia Eagles has had a lot of ups and downs this season. Yet they find themselves 7-3 and in first place in the NFC East. This Eagles team has been the definition of bends but doesn't break. After becoming the first team in NFL History to start of the season 3-0 after trailing by at least ten points in each game  the Eagles picked up their first loss of the season in a heartbreaker to the San Francisco 49ers (24-21) in which the Eagles scored no offensive touchdowns.

  One of the biggest headlines for the Eagles this season has been the Injuries. Several star players have been injured and missed an extended period of time most notably starting quarterback Nick Foles, linebacker Demeco Ryans, and offensive lineman Todd Herremans. The Eagles are in a tight race for the playoffs in the NFC and their own division as well. The Dallas Cowboys are also 7-3. The Eagles have a rough stretch coming up with two of the Eagles next four games come against the Cowboys. Including a Thanksgiving day game and against the 2013 Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

  Unlike the 2013 season under Chip Kelly the Eagles have struggling on offense at times this season. Most notably from the running game lead by Lesean Mccoy. Mccoy has struggled behind an offensive line that has had as many as four backups in at times. Despite these struggles Lesean Mccoy is still in the top ten in rushing yards. Also having struggles after a record breaking year was quarterback Nick Foles before his injury that could end his year. Backup Mark Sanchez has also had his ups and downs in the offense with 6 touchdowns and 6 turnovers in three appearances. The Eagles still have still found themselves to be one of the best teams in the NFL.

Lebron James Returns to Cleveland Cavaliers

Tommy Lupo

Staff Writer

 Over the NBA offseason there were a lot of changes, but the biggest of all was Lebron James’s return to Cleveland.

  Lebron’s first seven years in the NBA were spent with the Cleveland Cavaliers. When his contract was up he decided to go play with the Miami Heat along side all-stars Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

  While In Miami, Lebron won his first ring, and made it the NBA finals 4 times in a row. After his 4-year contract was up, Lebron made the decision to head back to his hometown.

  It was an offseason full of surprises when The Cavaliers traded away the number one overall pick in the draft, Andrew Wiggins, and a few other average players for the double-double king Kevin Love.

  With a team that had Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and Lebron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers were bound to have a successful season.

  The first game of the year came against Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks. The anticipation of Lebron’s arrival back in Cleveland grew so much attention towards Lebron that he did not perform like his normal self. Lebron finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. So far throughout the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are 5-4. This was not the start they were looking for, and they look to turn it around as the season goes on.

  With Lebron’s new transition. there will be even more spectators therefore even more criticism. Although according to Lebron, wins are the only things that matter, and stats come with it.

  Lebron’s return to Cleveland was an unexpected one, but he is looking to make the most of it, and continue his record breaking career.

2014 NFL Power Rankings: Week 13

Ryan Shadle

Staff Writer

#32 Oakland Raiders- They will not go without a win this season but just got blown out and embarrassed by the Rams.

#31- Jacksonville Jaguars- This team has grit after coming back from 21-3 and winning the game. This team still has a long way to go relevance at the end of the season.

#30 Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Mike Evans looks like a steal at #7 in the draft but QB issues between Josh Mccown and Mike Glennon make this not as sweet. They are supposed to get Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston in the draft.

#29 Washington Redskins- This team has to figure out their QB situation as former #2 overall pick Robert Griffin III has not played well at all as Colt McCoy has taken over the starting QB spot. Colt McCoy is a free agent after this season they have must decide if they want to give up on RGIII.

#28 New York Jets- This team is gonna be a spoiler in a close division. Bad draft picks have led to this team being 2-8. This teams defense looked well against the Dolphins and almost won them the game. Difficulty passing the ball has lead to this teams record.

#27 Tennessee Titans- This team needs to draft a star playmaker or QB in the upcoming draft. This team has a lot of needs and needs to decide which ones they can put off.

#26 New York Giants- Eli Manning has gone from 2 Super Bowls in 3 years to the offense having a turnover in 26 straight games. It looks right now that they may need to cut their ties to Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin soon.

#25 Carolina Panthers- Nobody thought Kelvin Benjamin would be this good with the 28th pick. Their offensive line is filled of 5 undrafted guys that are doing a bad job. Look for this team to be reworking their offensive line the first 3 rounds.

#24 Minnesota Vikings- This team needs AP back. They will be focusing on WR’s, offensive line, and defense in this draft

#23 Chicago Bears- Signs a huge contract no one except the Bears thinks Jay Cutler deserves and then he plays like crap. Their defense is not that good and they have very inconsistent play from their QB.

#22 St Louis Rams- The Rams are hoping Tre Mason continues to produce and the project of turning Kenny Britt into the star receiver he used to be with the Titans succeeds.

#21 Atlanta Falcons- Not sure how a 5-7 is leading a division but the Falcons are. A lot of teams need offensive line in this upcoming draft and the falcons will be one of them. TE’s, offensive line, and linebackers will be critical pieces for this team to target.

#20 New Orleans Saints- The Saints are 3-5 since last season when Jimmy Graham has three or less catches compared to 13-6 when he has 4 of more.

#19 Buffalo Bills- They will probably need 3 wins out of four games against raiders, bronco, packers, and patriots.

#18 Houston Texans- Ryan Fitzpatrick abused the Titans. Fitzpatrick isn't the answer for the future though.

#17 Cleveland Browns- Looked like a surprise contender to make the playoffs but now looks like they don’t have enough talent at the moment.

#16 San Diego Chargers- Comeback win against the ravens. Firmly in the playoff race but has a tough game this week against the Patriots/

#15 Miami Dolphins- Almost lost to the jets but all that matters is they won. I don’t believe in this team because they almost lost to a 2-10 team.

#14 Baltimore Ravens- Joe Flacco has to prove that huge contract he got a couple years ago was worth it in this close division.

#13 Cincinnati Bengals-This team has talent on both sides of the ball but just needs consistency.

#12 Pittsburgh Steelers- Leveon Bell is just outright a stud RB. This guy may prove his worth if the Steelers get in the playoffs.

#11 Seattle Seahawks- The seahawks have a total of teams with the second highest winning percentage to finish the season.

#10 San Francisco 49ers- Colin Kaepernick had to get over the hump off division rival Seahawks if they want to get into the playoffs.

#9 Indianapolis Colts- Passing game very strong and running game very weak. Need to establish a constant solid running game.

#8 Detroit Lions- Megatron is heating up at a good time as he has two touchdowns and over 100 yards against division rival Bears last week.

#7 Dallas Cowboys- If they win or tie one game they will have a winning record for the first time since 2009.

#6 Arizona Cardinals- Toughest schedule in my opinion to finish off the season.

#5 Kansas City Chiefs- Have lost 8 out of 9 last divisional games at home. Need to win more.

#4 Denver Broncos- No real divisional challenge to get into the playoffs yet to the Broncos.

#3 Philadelphia Eagles- Lesean McCoy broke out against the cowboys for the first time this season. 244 yards on 40 runs.

#2 New England Patriots- They hold the tiebreaker over the broncos and winning the last couple of games will put them in foxborough for most of their run in the playoffs.

#1 Green Bay Packers- Beating the Patriots last week is what has vaulted the packers to the #1 spot.

NHS Winter Sports Begin

Gabby Lehotay & Toni Suler

Staff Writers

  With the heat heading south, students at New Hope are taking sports inside. Winter sports start this week, and everyone is excited!

  For both boys and girls, basketball is starting. New captains Spencer Tinkle, Anthony Vlahovic, Andrew Bove, and Patrick Gimpel are leading the team this year, and plan to take the team further than ever before. For the girls, Karli Burns, Annie Behre, and Lexi Morse are taking over the team this year. Both teams are aiming to get further than they did last year, and hopes are high for these talented teams.

  Moving off the football field and into competitions, competitive cheer is starting up. The team may be small but it’s fiercely competitive and the girls are playing on having a successful season.

  Wrestling is also starting up with the new season. This team of star athletes has dominated in all years past, and plan on continuing this tradition this year.

  Winter track is the last sport to start this season. The team, always successful, is planning on keeping up their reputation with this coming season.

  The cold may be coming, but these teams are ready. Each and every athlete is working hard and showing amazing results. With all eyes on them, the New Hope Solebury High School winter sports teams are going for the win this year.

Winter Sports Season Kicks Off

Katie Hunt and Parker Miele

Staff Writers

The start of winter sports is an exciting time for everyone. From boys’ and girls’ basketball to wrestling, winter cheer, and winter track, there’s plenty of excitement this winter season. All of these sports have team members that are dedicated to the sport and are excited for the season to start with high hopes.

 The practices for the Girls’ Basketball season opened this Nov. 17. With two seniors, six juniors, two sophomores, and four freshman, the New Hope team is looking good for the long season ahead. Toni Suler, a junior on this years Girl’s Varsity basketball team, was asked what she missed most about basketball in the off season. “Just playing and the home games. They were the best.” Toni says that this year, the team’s goal is to win districts. If you want to come cheer on Toni and the rest of the team, their games started  December 9, 2014 at New Hope and will continue through Feb. 5 at New Hope.

 With practice’s for the upcoming season already in high gear, starting up again on Nov.13 Winter Cheer is getting everybody pumped for the start of the new cheerleading season. Lexi Basford, a freshman on this year’s Winter Cheer team, says: “I’m excited for competition to start and to finally hold our own B.A.L. Cheerleading Competition at our own high school.” The BAL Competitive Spirit Championship is on Jan. 31 so come and flip out for cheerleading this winter season.

 The practices for the Boys’ Basketball season opened this Nov. 17, and the guys are working real hard to make a lasting impact on the season ahead. Kevin Dougherty, a freshman on the Boy’s Basketball Team this winter season, was asked what the team’s goals were for the season.

 “We are going to work really hard and it’s going to pay off because we are going win.”

 The boys’ games started  December 9, 2014 at Holy Ghost and will continue through Feb. 6, at Church Farm School so come and support the team before the season ends!

 The NHS Wrestling team is looking forward to the season ahead, with the practices already in process. A freshman, who wishes to be anonymous on this year’s wrestling team says “I am looking forward to getting into shape and learning a new sport. The goal is to become stronger and as a team to win and represent our school.”

 The boys’ competitions started December 17, 2014 at New Hope and will continue through Feb. 11, at Phil-Mont Christian and Feb. 14 is the BAL Wrestling Championship come and cheer them on!

 NHS Winter Track practices have started and the team is excited for what’s to come. Makena Kramli, a freshman on the NHS Winter Track team this season, is “looking forward to this winter track season!” When asked what she was looking forward to the most and what expectations she had for the season, Makena said: “The Armory at New York City, it’s my favorite event and expectation for myself are to improve my times and heal myself physically. Also, as a team, I would like at least a few of us to qualify for states and met all our goals as a team.”

 Chris Cammarata, a freshman on this years Winter Track team, was asked what he thought about the season ahead. “I think that we are going to do well this year.”

 The team had their first meet on Dec.13, at Lehigh University and will have their last one on March 1 so come and cheer on Makena, Chris, and the rest of the winter track team!