Monthly Archives: September 2018

News: Hurricane Florence Update

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by Joshua Blake

florence

Photo by Wall Street Journal

Hurricane Florence wreaked havoc in both North and South Carolina this past weekend, causing mass amounts of rainfall and flash flooding with some places receiving over 20 inches of rain.

According to CNN, more than 1 million people were under a mandatory evacuation as the hurricane approached the shore, and every county in North Carolina experienced some sort of National Weather Service alert. South Carolina has its own problems as their death toll rises and the rainfall continues.

Hurricane Florence has so far caused the death of 32 people, and about 740,000 homes and businesses are still without power, according to CBS News. Although there has been success restoring some of the power in the recover effort, this hurricane caused significant damage to North and South Carolina in only a couple of days.

Hurricane Florence certainly remains a problem this week for both civilians and rescue workers in the Carolinas. Many incidents of flash floods have put a lot of people in danger of drowning. These flash floods resulted from the constant rainfall Florence produced, causing rivers to overflow and mass amounts of damage due to the sheer force of the water being able to move cars and topple houses. The constant threat of flash flooding puts the rescue workers on alert at all times waiting for the next call for help.

“[Hurricane Florence has] never been more dangerous than right now,” Gov. Roy Cooper said at a news conference.

The storm continues to rage on destroying everything in its path. In places like Wilmington, NC rescuers have spent the past two days plucking more than 450 people from floodwaters, according to the New York Times. The heavy rain and flooding is not predicted to slow down until late this week.

 

Bosco: “One School Wednesday” Brings Community to Campus

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by Lucas Garrison

Throughout the school year so far, the St. John Bosco staff has continued to surprise students, and they have done it again.

Teachers and faculty organized an event last Wednesday where all staff and students were blocked from indoors and came outside to experience lunch as a community. This was done with the introduction to a past tradition of intramural activities at lunch.

It was something that students enjoyed and something that a lot of students hope comes back again and again throughout the school year.

“This all came back just with a few of us teachers meeting and wanting to see the students experience something we had in the past. In the past for the most part it looked like that [the activities]. We had Mr. Mestas who was in charge of it at the time,” said facilitator and history teacher Mr. Mario Cordero.

Mr. Cordero, Mr. David Mestas, and Mr. Eddie Torre, among others all collaborated to bring this event back on campus for students to get out and have fun.

“There are alot of students who still want to be great athletically, whether it’s on the court or field and aren’t quite there yet and this is a sort of outlet for them to still experience that,” said Mr. Cordero.

Students that are normally reserved and unable to express their ability in their respective sports got the chance to do that.

“A large problem we saw as a staff with this event is that it’s hard to do this on a short 25 minute lunch, that’s why it was so nice to have these extended lunches because it not only allows us to setup for these events, but to also enjoy them with time to spare,” said Mr. Cordero.

“It was just nice to have something to do at lunch, and if you didn’t play you still could cheer on your classmates. I would love to see this in the near future again,” said sophomore student Parker Moore.

Students and teachers alike at Bosco enjoyed this event, and the gathering is something many hope continues to take place for the future.

A+E: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout Beta Review

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by Enrique Guiterrez

blackout-cod

Following the recent Battle Royale video game trend, Call of Duty enters its 15th year of continuation with the never-before-seen “Blackout” Battle Royale mode.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 introduces a battle royale mode called “Blackout” to join the over-populated battle royale community. The new game mode has brought the attention of many streamers and players that do not usually play Call of Duty. Blackout has gained popularity and interest since its announcement and is going to change people’s view of Call of Duty for a long time.

Treyarch released a beta for those who pre-ordered Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 early. Those people have the opportunity to play the new game mode earlier than anybody else. The beta was live for Playstation and Xbox starting September 10th and ended a week later on September 17th. The beta was live for PC gamers September 14th through September 17th.

Blackout has 13 marked and named locations on its map where you may land. These 13 points of interest are: Estates, Construction Site, Hydro Dam, Train Station, Asylum, Turbine, Array, Firing Range, Rivertown, Nuketown Island, Fracking Tower, Factory, and Cargo Docks. The map has many little locations that are not marked on the map but are still available for the player to access and to land at. The map has many open areas, and if you’re not lurking from building to building, you’re a sitting duck waiting to be shot at by enemy players.

Blackout introduces the first ever controllable vehicles as transportation. There are four vehicles that players are able to drive around the map. These vehicles are a Cargo Truck that can hold up to three players in the trunk, an ATV that can hold two players, a boat that can hold two players, and a helicopter than can hold five players in total. These vehicles were made to transport yourself and your team. The player has the option to play solo, duo, or quads (Squads) in the Blackout game mode.

Throughout the beta, Treyarch has been productive and introduced new content throughout the week. Blackout’s player limit was increased throughout the beta, beginning at 80 players and ultimately increased to 100 players during the final hours of the beta’s release. As there is no campaign or story mode yet revealed in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Treyarch is heavily focused on this mode and multiplayer in general for this year’s release. 

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Another change is going to be the health system, especially in the Blackout mode. Players have 150 health and can attain medkits, bandaids, and armor. Player armor has been controversial throughout the beta due to the amount of bullets needed to eliminate someone. Another controversial item was perks. Perks are scattered around the map as consumables that affect a player’s play style during the match. Thus far, there are only seven perks available: Paranoia, Looter, Consumer, Skulker, Outlander, Iron Lungs, and Stimulant.

Character skins and other customizable player items give Battle Royale games an identity. In Blackout, there are 20 different characters you may choose from to play with. These 20 players are from the Black Ops storyline, Black Ops Multiplayer, and Black Ops Zombies characters. During the beta, all characters were available. At full launch, these characters will need to be unlocked via challenges and certain tasks.

What makes Blackout special compared to all the other battle royale games is the nostalgia that players receive when playing. A player who has kept up with the Black Ops series will remember the old maps, weapons, and franchise characters that have been brought back for this mega-release. Treyarch stepped up their game and are bringing a whole new fun in the games’ multiplayer platform. Call of Duty Black Ops 4 will be available on all platforms October 12th, 2018.

 

RECAP: St. John Bosco 56, Chaminade 20

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by Ethan Piechota

The number one high school football team in America dominated again last night in West Hills against Chaminade, winning 56-20 and capping off an undefeated preseason before league play begins.

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Photo by EC Sabin

Bosco started hot again behind star junior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who led the team to a huge lead at halftime. Uiagalelei is still near-perfect on the season, going a ridiculous 52/69 in passing attempts with 16 touchdowns through the preseason.

The Braves offense got a great contribution from senior running back George Holani last night, who punched in three touchdowns on the ground for the team, all in the first half. Junior Keith Savage also had a rushing touchdown.

Senior tight end Jude Wolfe and senior wide receiver Colby Bowman also caught touchdown passes in the first half from Uiagalelei, as the Braves offense routed Chaminade’s defense.

Bosco’s defense also did it’s job – as it has all preseason – last night. Both units are working very well and cohesively at the moment, which is a great sign leading into league play in just two weeks.

The Braves have a bye week next week to rest and time to prepare for their first league game, September 28th at Panish Family Stadium against JSerra. The game has already been pre-labeled as the Fox Sports “Game of the Week” and will be televised.

This game should be the first true test Bosco receives this year, and it will be exciting to see how this talented Braves squad reacts to potential adversity. “The Tribe” will need to be out in full force and in heavy support for this one.

Movie Review: Black Klansman

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by Elijah Ramos

BlacKkKlansman is a 2018 crime and drama film that will have you laughing out loud but also taking in and understanding a powerful message on racial discrimination and breaking down racial barriers in the late 20th century in America.

In this “Spike Lee joint,” Lee hones in on a powerful message. One of Lee’s most popular films in a while, it is certainly one of his best. 

He tackles the issue of racism and it’s history, which is never easy. As a director, you are bound to receive a lot of criticism and controversy when talking about racism and taking sides in your film.

Who better than Spike Lee to do this film, though? Lee, an African-American male, grew up in the 1960s in Atlanta, Georgia, but later moved to and was raised in the projects of Brooklyn, New York. Throughout his youth, he experienced several types of racism first hand. This isn’t Lee’s first time doing a film on racism either, as in his film Malcolm X, the Klu Klux Klan were involved as well.

The setting of BlacKkKlansman takes place in Colorado Springs, where main character Ron Stallworth is hired as the first black police officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department’s history. 

He is quickly promoted due to his style and looks, as being a black man Stallworth was able to illegally infiltrate  a Black Panthers meeting for his police department. 

Stallworth, the department’s top detective, also infiltrates a local Klan meeting and goes as far as talking on the phone with David Duke, the grand wizard of the KKK. 

When Ron gets off the phone with the a local Klan member, he realizes that he used his real name on the phone instead of a fake one, which causes him problems later on in the movie. His partner Flip Zimmerman, who is a white man, is forced to play the part of the fake Ron Stallworth and has to stop the Klan from attempting an attack they have planned on the African-American community. 

This film is based on a true story, as there is an actual Ron Stallworth, who did infiltrate the Klan and stop their attack. Lee does a great job of portraying this fact and turns in a quality film for people of all races to enjoy.

 

News: The Downfall of Venezuela

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by Lucas Agatep

veninflation1

Currently, it is cheaper in Venezuela to use the bolivar, the country’s inflated currency, than toilet paper. Photo by Rueters

Venezuela once was one of the richest and prospering countries in Latin America with one of the world’s largest oil deposits, but hyperinflation has sent the country into a downward spiral. 

From 2013 to 2018, with the election of new President Nicolas Maduro, the value of the Venezuelan bolivar has constantly decreased, with the potential to fall by one million percent by the end of this year, making common goods and food practically unaffordable for people to buy.

This hyperinflation was caused by dependence on the nation’s oil exports. Before Nicolas Maduro became president his predecessor Hugo Chavez made major changes that helped Venezuela become Latin America’s richest country, but his one flaw was not expanding to different sources for income, rely on their production and distribution of oil.

After Hugo Chavez’s death in 2013, the same year Nicolas Maduro was elected, oil prices started to plummet, and Venezuela’s economy rapidly fell. The crumbling economy caused civil unrest and riots against the Venezuelan government. 

Nicolas Maduro, Vladirnir Padrino Lopez

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Photo by Arlana Cubillos/AP

As thousands took to the streets to protest against the government, things started to get violent, leaving many injured and over a hundred dead. Though in recent months the amount of riots and protests have lowered political and economic problems are still on the rise. From political corruption to refugees, Venezuela’s problems keep stacking.

Last March, the Venezuelan government had a vote to remove the power of the country’s National Assembly and replace it with Maduro’s National Constituent Assembly, which has the power to completely rewrite Venezuela’s constitution.

At first, the established ruling government boycotted the vote to establish the new Maduro-led assembly. But in July, a vote resulted in the establishment of the National Constituent Assembly.

Many were outraged by the results and Venezuelans took to the streets again to riot the decision. Additionally, many foreign powers condemned the vote as corrupted. The United States imposed sanctions on the Venezuelan government to apply diplomatic pressure for opposition to the vote, but after Maduro’s assembly took power, many opposition leaders were arrested and removed from government.

Political strife isn’t the only problem they face.

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Protesters take to the street to protest President Maduro’s regime. Photo by Christian Vernon/Rueters

Over the years, more than one million Venezuelans have left the country to neighboring ones in look for food, medicine and work. Ever since hyperinflation caused prices to go up on everyday items, many Venezuelans have either been getting food out of the trash or from towns on the border of Venezuela.

Corridors have opened up to allow Venezuelans to come in and out of  Brazil, Colombia and Guyana for work or goods. Some Venezuelans even try to make their way to Peru through Colombia to look for work if they have the right paperwork.

But hatred toward these Venezuelans is growing for people that live in the border towns of these neighboring nations. Whether due to overcrowding, stores being nearly empty of their goods or from actual cases of crime committed by the Venezuelans, those seeking work and refuge from Meduro’s government face the threat of violence. 

In August, a Venezuelan migrant stabbed and severely injured a local in the Brazilian border town of Pacaraima. In response, locals destroyed a migrant camp and burned Venezuelan belongings, ultimately forcing them to cross the border back to Venezuela.

Recently, neighboring countries also created new policies to control and manage this migrant influx, making it harder for them to move around. 

But the problems still don’t end there. The Venezuelan opposition has led attacks against Maduro’s government.

In June 2017, several police officers took a helicopter and dropped grenades on to the Supreme Court building in a show of retaliation against Maduro.

In July of 2017, during a riot,  protesters planted a bomb. When motorcycle police got to the spot where it was planted, the bomb went off, killing none but severely injuring many.

Last month, an assassination attempt on Maduro was made during a military rally. The assassination attempt was done using a drone with explosives attached to it. The drone didn’t hit Maduro and no one was injured. However, ever since the assassination attempt, Maduro has yet to make a public announcement and has yet to be seen in public, only releasing government issued videos his government’s future solutions to economic inflation. 

So far the solutions have done little to nothing to help the Venezuelan situation. All Maduro’s government has done is remove five zeros off the bolivar and create a cryptocurrency that no ones uses.

It seems that Maduro is trying his best to deceive the Venezuelan people, but as of now the situation is getting more drastic by the day.

RECAP: St. John Bosco 56, Paramount 12

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by Ethan Piechota

Another week, another dominating performance for the number one team in the nation the St. John Bosco Braves.

At this rate, Bosco should only have their games played for one half, because every game is over by then. The Braves defeated the Division 4 Paramount Pirates by a score of 56-12 last night at Panish Family Stadium, pushing their record to 4-0 on the season.

The Braves led this one 49-0 at halftime, as backup quarterback Isaiah Saldana had already come in to relieve DJ Uiagalelei midway through the second quarter. Uiagalelei finished the game going 6-8 with 74 yards, 4 of his completions going for touchdowns.

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DJ Uiagalelei throws the ball for one of his four touchdowns on the night. Photo by EC Sabin

USC commit tight end Jude Wolfe had 2 catches for 49 yards and 2 touchdowns as well for the Braves, and junior wide receiver Tyus Poyer reeled in 8 catches for 51 yards and a score.

Starting running back George Holani dominated again, rushing the ball just 4 times for a whopping 89 yards. Keith Savage scored a touchdown on the ground for the Braves.

This one got ugly quick and was over early, as the Braves once again handled business for the fourth straight week. It was also a much more disciplined performance from the Braves, who cleaned up on the 21 penalties they had last week against Mililani.

Bosco is now 4-0 on the season and still the clear number one team in the nation. They will travel to West Hills next week to take on Chaminade High School as they look to continue their national championship run.

Review: Rainbow Six Siege Update

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grim-sky-heroby Enrique Gutierrez

Rainbow Six Siege enters its year 3, season 3 update with Ubisoft introducing new in-game improvements, a renovated Hereford Base, the return of Favela, a new Elite Skin Set and two new additions to the Rainbow Six Siege team.

The long awaited update and game patch has finally released September 4th on all platforms, introducing Operation Grim Sky. PC players were been able to play the new operation as Ubisoft released it on a test server mid-August.

The biggest Twitch TV Rainbow Six Siege streamers including Macie Jay, King George, and Beaulo have shared the content across the web and given a taste to those who were unable to play the test servers. Rainbow Six Siege has exploded and has gained interest over the past month due to it being on a limited time sale and popular Fortnite streamers promoting the game. Thanks to their partnership with Fortnite streamers, they have drawn interest and new players are coming to join the Siege community. 

Rainbow Six Siege introduces a new recoil pattern which affects all weapons and will change the way players play the game. The new recoil pattern will change the direction of bullet path now as where the player aims down sights, that is where the bullet will go. The weapon’s crosshair will be a main role in the way you kill someone as bullet trail before this update was very inconsistent. 

Hereford Base was one of the games original maps at launch back in 2015. The map was a three story army base used for target practice. This map lacked of competitive play and had many gameplay issues. For this reason, Ubisoft decided that Hereford Base needed a change of scenery and received a map rework. Players hope with this renovation that Hereford Base will find a new home in the ranked and competitive playlist. 

“The map will still retain its ‘soul,’ making multiple nods to the old Hereford Base,” posted Ubisoft on their website. 

Another map that will be making a return to Rainbow Six Siege is Favela. Favela is a Brazilian map that has many locations around the map accessible to defend and attack from. The map was removed from the game and vaulted because Ubisoft wanted to fix bugs and glitches the map had. In this September 4th update, the map will make its return to the casual playlist. 

Ubisoft gives elite skin sets to operators that have a high pick rate. In the Season 3 update, the defensive operator Frost was given an elite skin set. This skin set changes the operators entire wardrobe and look. When purchasing this item, the player receives headgear, a uniform, a weapon skin, a weapon charm, and an animation that will play anytime you are the ‘MVP’ of the match. 

One of the newest operators to join Team Rainbow is Maverick. Maverick is an attack operator whose gadget is an Exothermic Torch. The torch is able to burn through walls and give the attacking team an advantage for using a hole in the wall for a line of sight. The torch is also able to give the team an entering route to the objective. Maverick’s ability is unique as he is a counter towards reinforced walls, Bandit’s shock charges, Mute’s mute devices, barb wire, and many more utilities. Maverick is a lightweight operator which makes him a three speed and a one armor operator. 

The second new operator to join Team Rainbow is Clash. Clash is a female operator who is the first defensive operator with a shield. Since she has a shield equipped, this makes her a one speed and three armor. Her unique ability is having the CCE Shield as her primary weapon, with a pistol or an SMG as her secondary – your choice. This shield she has is no ordinary shield either, consisting of high voltage electricity to zap, damage, and slow down the opposition. Although the thought of having a shield defensive operator is overpowered, she is easily counterable with a well-coordinated team giving call outs, flash grenades, Zofia’s stun launcher, and other lethal equipment. Clash is a distraction and a detour for the attacking team to reach the objective. 

Operation Grim Sky is bringing a boatload of content into the game. The two new operators will be changing Rainbow Six Siege’s meta as players will find different ways to win games with these new operators. The game’s additions are completely free to the Siege community besides the two new operators and the frost elite skin set. Hop on the new update now!

Bosco: New Computer Science Pathway is Here, New Computer Lab on the Way

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by Victor Curiel 

computer scienceIn response to the community’s need and desire for computer science curriculum, Bosco’s administration looks to begin construction on a computer lab in the 300 building to serve a brand new Computer Science Pathway.

The new pathway was established for students who felt that they weren’t adequately prepared for all the new challenges and career opportunities that come with our fast-paced, highly technological world. It also gives those students already knowledgeable in the field a chance to hone their skills with further instruction.

Several faculty members have reported being concerned that their students may be at a disadvantage as future professionals in current tech-heavy industries.

“We saw a growing need across the student population. A lot of students were asking about it, and it’s kind of an intimidating class to teach, so not many teachers were willing or knew how to [teach the classes],” Computer Science Pathway co-founder and coordinator Mr. Nathan Corkhill said.

“Mr. Pillon and I really wanted to help our students achieve this. We both have some past history in coding and we took some classes this summer. We are really interested in it and so we got this thing going.”

Members of administration were equally aware of growing student need for computer science classes.

“How the pathway started was really built on student need. What these students want– and it became very apparent–not only at this school but many schools, that computer science, programming, coding, app development was something that kids wanted to have,” said Mr. Salmingo.

Bosco administration has long wanted to create and fund a Computer Science Pathway, and the pathway was initially scheduled to launch at a later date due to the construction of the new football field. Although thanks to an anonymous donor, Mr. Pillion and Mr. Corkhill being willing and able to teach, and the efforts of our administration to make it all happen, the plan came to fruition much sooner than originally planned.

Currently, administration is negotiating the terms for construction of the school’s new computer lab. In the meantime, new Computer Science and AP Computer Principles courses were added to the school’s academic curriculum for those wishing to become versed in the art of programming, coding, web design and maintenance.

“We’ve had a lot of stories [from seniors] that said they wished they had this when they were here, and our principal, Dr. [Christian] De Larkin, heard the same thing. So when we said we were willing to do it, he jumped all over it and we got lucky with an anonymous donation as well to build a computer lab upcoming. So it kind of just worked out perfectly. Right time, right place and now it’s going.” Said Mr. Corkhill 

Mr. Pillon and Mr. Corkhill both hope to be able to teach their students advanced computer programs and principles to better help them get a job in a tech field and use their own computers more efficiently.

Even for Braves with no experience in computer science, there’s no need to worry! The program is open to anyone willing to learn regardless of prior knowledge. 

“Everyone, whether they have no coding experience at all, can come in and learn what it takes to then pass the AP exam.” said Mr. Pillon of his AP Computer Principles class.

So if you want to get a leg up on the latest tech trends and acquire relevant skills, or just have an elective class to fill, remember to consider Computer Sciences and Computer Principles as options. 

2018 NFL Season Preview: Division Favorites and Sleepers

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by Lucas Garrison

With the 2018 NFL Season finally upon us, we break down the sleepers and the favorites in each division as we get ready for an action-packed year.

AFC North

Favorite: Pittsburgh Steelersusatsi-10441209-antonio-brown-steelers-td

As always, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be a premier team in the NFL and are favored to win their division. However, with the absence of Le’Veon Bell, it does raise some questions about the team. Bell has already been ruled out for Week 1’s game against the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers draft class this year was exceptional for the fact that they covered their needs on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. First round pick Terrell Edmunds will have time to develop behind top-ten safety Morgan Burnett. The Steelers addressed long-term potential issues at wide receiver and quarterback as well in the draft. They brought in receiver James Washington and quarterback Mason Rudolph from Oklahoma State. It should be very interesting to see how the Steelers perform this year in the wide-open AFC.

Sleeper: Baltimore Ravenscollins-flacco-ap

In past years, we’ve see the AFC North come down to the wire in a fight between the Steelers and Ravens. This year, it’s expected that the Ravens offensive unit will finally be able to complement their stellar defense. With the additions of receivers Michael Crabtree, John Brown, and Willie Snead, longtime quarterback Joe Flacco finally has some weapons. The rookies the Ravens drafted this year all have very good upside as well, such as wide receiver Jordan Lasley who was an honorable mention for the All PAC-12 Team at UCLA. However, their best addition this year was bringing in Heisman-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson from Louisville, who might have a chance to prove himself as early as this year if Flacco is to struggle.

AFC South

Favorite: Jacksonville Jaguars2157889318001_5829366554001_5829340641001-vs

Coming off a year in which they were one step away from a Super Bowl appearance, the Jacksonville Jaguars are hungry for more. Obviously, the talk of this team is that defense. Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell, and AJ Bouye will definitely prove cause headaches for most teams that they face this year. And you can’t talk about the Jaguars without mentioning Leonard Fournette. Fournette is coming off a rookie year in which he rushed for 1040 yards and had 9 rushing touchdowns, so expect to see a lot of him this year. However, the Jags did lose receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns to free agency and Marquise Lee to injury this year, taking away subpar quarterback Blake Bortles’ top weapons. This team undoubtedly has a top defense, but the big question will be whether or not their offense can put points on the board.

Sleepers: Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis ColtsTennessee Titans v Houston Texans

All three of these teams have the potential to overtake the Jags in the AFC South this year. The Texans looked as good as any team in the league last season before they lost star players JJ Watt, Deshaun Watson and Whitney Mercilus to season-ending injuries. The Titans are brewing a Patriots 2.0 roster by adding several former well-known Pats to their team that include defensive backs Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler and running back Dion Lewis. On top of that, their new head coach is Mike Vrabel who was a linebacker for the Patriots from 2001-2008. And don’t rule out the Colts with quarterback Andrew Luck at full strength, because they have proven to be dangerous. However, their defense is still awful and it’s still up in the air if Andrew Luck will be the same as he was before his shoulder injury. Plus, this team doesn’t have a solid running back since the departure of veteran Frank Gore and are weak at receiver after losing Donte Moncrief to free agency. But, if Andrew Luck proves to be the same, the Colts can still contend in this wide-open division.

AFC East

Favorite: New England PatriotsBill Belichick, Tom Brady

It’s Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Nothing more needs to be said.

Sleeper: New York Jets

The Jets can take second place easily this year in the AFC East as other teams in this division will have a tough time competing due to struggling offenses and depleted rosters. The Jets have arguably the most complete rookie quarterback in years in third overall pick Sam Darnold and second-year star safety Jamal Adams. Speaking of Jamal Adams, he will have help this year on the defensive side of the ball as the Jets went out and signed cornerback Trumaine Johnson. Defensive end Leonard Williams is primed to make a great impact on that defense as well after a down year last year plagued by bad coaching and injuries. The Jets –  if healthy –  can pose a real threat in the AFC East this season for the first time in a while.

AFC West

Favorite: Los Angeles Chargerslszkkc71at7crthxxotg.jpg

The Chargers are coming off a year in which despite being plagued by injuries and close losses they still managed to go 9-7. This year they are much stronger at safety after adding rookie Derwin James in the first round of this years draft. James has continued to impress throughout camp, and looks to complement the Chargers already strong defensive back crew of Casey Hayward, Trevor Williams, and second year man Desmond King. On top of that, the Chargers pass rush will still be exceptional with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram getting to opposing QB’s. Wide receiver Keenan Allen is coming off a 102 reception, 1393 yard breakout season for the Chargers high-powered offense as well. Pro Bowl running back Melvin Gordon had a 1105 yard season last year and punched in 12 touchdowns. Don’t underestimate longtime quarterback Philip Rivers either, as he remains a reliable option at the helm for the team. However, with all this good the injury bug has already claimed tight end Hunter Henry and cornerback Jason Verrett in training camp. If healthy, the Chargers can be Super Bowl contenders as early as this year.

Sleeper: Kansas City Chiefs1025397912.jpg.0.jpg

The Chiefs took a major risk this year by trading away quarterback Alex Smith and putting their faith in second-year talent Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs offense on paper should be a top-five offense with Travis Kelce at tight end, Kareem Hunt at running back, and Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins maning the receiving core. However, the biggest questions will revolve around Patrick Mahomes and if he is ready to take this team to the next level. The only thing standing in the Chiefs way from success is themselves, more specifically their defense after trading away star cornerback Marcus Peters to the Rams and letting their defense continue to age. As long as this offense puts up 63 points per game (lol), their defense should be fine.

NFC North

Favorite: Green Bay Packers1535640746983

Yes, the Packers are coming off one of their worst years in recent history, but Aaron Rodgers is back. The Packers added red zone weapon and veteran tight end Jimmy Graham in free agency, as he looks to rejuvenate his career alongside Rodgers. Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson and rookie corners Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson have shown a lot of promise for the Packers defense as well. Lambeau Field is still the hardest place to play as well. 2018 should be a big comeback year for the Packers.

Sleeper: Chicago Bears201809051732631618484.jpg

The Bears are going to be dangerous this year. Not only did they recently bring in elite pass rusher Khalil Mack in a trade with the Oakland Raiders, but also brought in free agent receivers Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton. These guys will give second-year promising quarterback Mitch Trubisky weapons in the passing game. Running back Jordan Howard is coming off another 1000 yard season as well, and the Bears offense is looking substantially better than in recent years. The defense will also be a strong force led by rookie linebacker Roquan Smith, defensive end Khalil Mack, and cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Kyle Fuller. The Bears have potential to make some noise this year in the stacked NFC.

NFC South

Favorite: New Orleans Saints1023458776.jpg.0

The Saints are once again led by veteran quarterback Drew Brees who will look to propel  this star-studded squad into the Super Bowl. This team has one of the best young rosters in football as well. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore, running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Michael Thomas lead this force of talent and youth. Lattimore and Kamara last year won the Defensive Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year awards respectively in the NFC. Expect these two to continue on their strong path and the Saints to be contenders.

Sleeper: Atlanta Falconsfpacas6yewfg6qhl6ijn

The Falcons aren’t necessarily a sleeper team, but more of just a sure-fire contender in the jam-packed NFC South. The Falcons return playmakers Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman to their high-powered offense that struggled in the playoffs last year against the Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Matt Ryan will lead this unit, and has proven to be a formidable picker passer in the NFL. The Falcons also have one of the better defensive units in football and will continue to try and make their return to the Super Bowl after their embarrassing choke job in 2017.

NFC East

Favorite: Philadelphia Eagles5a78628124d5056d1b8b4c2c-750-563

The defending Super Bowl champions will look to repeat the underdog season that they had last year. Despite returning nearly the same team as last year, they will have to start the season without wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and MVP-candiate Carson Wentz. However, the Eagles appear to be just fine with Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles manning the offense until Wentz is 100 percent ready to return. The Eagles also return one of the NFL’s best defenses, led by a strong secondary and scary defensive line. Expect the Eagles to be a heavy favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Sleeper: Dallas Cowboysjohuu73wzqqas12nzboz 

The Cowboys are coming off a tragic year that was nowhere near their expectations heading into last season. Back from suspension this year is star running back Ezekial Elliott, which is a great sign for the team. However, the big question remains who will emerge as the number one wide receiver on their roster for quarterback Dak Prescott following the dismissal of Dez Bryant. The Cowboys did bring in Allen Hurns in the offseason and drafted Courtland Sutton, but that’s about it. The Cowboys defense too is a large question mark with their struggling secondary. Head coach Jason “The Clapper” Garrett is still on the hot seat for the ‘Boys as well.

NFC West

Favorite: Los Angeles Ramsgettyimages-859094078.jpg

The LA Rams are starting to look like the Golden State Warriors of the NFL after building their Madden-like super team this offseason. They’ve done this by adding cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to their already strong defensive unit. On the offensive side of the ball, the Rams brought in WR Brandin Cooks from the Patriots, adding weapons for quarterback Jared Goff. The Rams also have elite running back Todd Gurley who is primed for another big-number season. The Rams have arguably the strongest roster in football on paper and are Super Bowl favorites.

Sleeper: San Fransisco 49ersnbc_pft_willgaroppolomccarronthrive_180219.jpg

Jimmy Garoppolo is already looking like an elite quarterback in this league after his tremendous start last year with the team. However, the 49ers already started off on the wrong foot after losing running back Jerrick Mckinnon for the remainder of the year to an ACL injury. However, the 49ers are still a strong and trendy squad that can definitely make some noise in the NFC this year.

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