Matthew Bowen, Author at Franchise Sports

Five things we learned from the Divisional Round

January 14, 2020 Matthew Bowen 1

Many call the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs the best weekend in sport, and rightly so. The fat theoretically will have been trimmed away in the Wildcard round allowing for four quality football games to be played.

This year saw the “YOU LIKE THAT” Minnesota Vikings hit their ceiling and crash out against the strong San Francisco 49ers, the Derrick Henry led Tennessee Titans charge through the unsuspecting Ravens like a cavalry through a wheat field, Bill O’Brien ‘Bill O’Brien-ed’ a 24-0 lead against the superpowered Kansas City Chiefs and the broken down Seattle Seahawks could not muster enough fire to escape frozen Tundra of Green Bay.… Read more

Kevin Stefanski is perfectly suited to the Cleveland Browns roster

January 12, 2020 Matthew Bowen 0

Following the Minnesota Vikings' Divisional Round exit, the Browns announced the hiring of Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach.

Niners vs Vikings Divisional Round Preview: San Francisco should have too much

January 11, 2020 Matthew Bowen 0

The path to the Super Bowl is paved in Red & Gold.

Thanks to a 13-3 record (with a few tie-breakers) the San Francisco 49ers will play their first playoff game since Jan 2013. The 49ers will host the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round on Saturday.… Read more

What comes next for Tom Brady?

January 5, 2020 Matthew Bowen 1

A few hours before the New England Patriots kicked off their first Wildcard appearance in close to a decade, Tom Brady, presumably aided by his social media team, posted a video to his Twitter account. The video, captioned ‘It’s Too Late to be Scared’, was a two-minute-long montage of a lion roaring intercut with footage of Brady and the Patriots from this season.… Read more

Niners triumph over Seahawks: Game of Inches

January 2, 2020 Matthew Bowen 0

Al Pacino's famous speech in the hit football movie 'Any Given Sunday' is just about as cheesy and pulpy as you can get when it comes to football-inspired speeches. Pacino's character, coach Tony D'Amanto delivers, 'life’s this game of inches. So is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small -- I mean one-half a step too late, or too early, and you don’t quite make it. One-half second too slow, too fast, you don’t quite catch it.'

Franchise Sports All-Decade NFL Team

January 2, 2020 Matthew Bowen 0

With the 2010s coming to an end, the time is right to look back on what has been an electrifying decade of football and put together the team of the 2010s.

Nuggets wing Will Barton praises Mike Malone’s role in his development

December 20, 2019 Matthew Bowen 1

The Denver Nuggets have continued to be one of the most consistent and efficient teams in a stacked Western Conference currently resting in third place, only behind the two juggernaut LA-based teams, the Lakers and the Clippers.

Niners Saints shootout provides game of the year

December 9, 2019 Matthew Bowen 0

Entering Week Fourteen, the NFC remained in the balance. The premier conference in the NFL has proven to be a blood bath this year as the 10-2 San Francisco 49ers and the 10-2 New Orleans Saints met in the Superdome in a matchup that was sure to deliver - and deliver it did. Jimmy Garoppolo and co. clutched victory from the jaws of defeat with Robbie Gould's game-winning 30-yard field goal.

Ron Rivera sacked by Panthers, could mean the end for Newton

December 3, 2019 Matthew Bowen 0

After eight years serving as Carolina Panthers head coach, it was announced this evening that Ron Rivera was relieved of his duties.

Film Study: Kirk Cousins is elite

November 28, 2019 Matthew Bowen 1

The narrative that Kirk Cousins is not a very good quarterback is one that needs to stop. After last season's somewhat disappointing campaign for the Minnesota Vikings, which saw Cousins throw for 4298 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, the 'talking-heads' and media personalities sentenced Cousins to a career of mediocrity and 'choking'.

Film Study: Colts running game

November 22, 2019 Matthew Bowen 0

With the shock news of Andrew Luck‘s retirement on the eve of the 2019 NFL regular season, the Colts gameplan shifted suddenly. No longer were they to rely on their swashbuckling all-pro quarterback slinging the pigskin across the field for 350 yards and 3 TD’s a game.… Read more

Film Study: Kyler Murray is the Cardinals future

November 17, 2019 Matthew Bowen 0

Let's take a look at what makes Kyler Murray the next great QB in the National Football League.

Kyrie Irving: Artist, fool, deliverer of magic

November 9, 2019 Matthew Bowen 0

I first began watching the NBA in 2016. The sport of basketball had always appealed to me but due to the time difference among other things I never got the chance to fully engross myself.

Niners vs Seahawks: Five key things to look out for

November 9, 2019 Matthew Bowen 0

As we draw nearer to the end of the decade, it feels fitting to look back on the great teams, games and rivalries that graced the 2010s. Among those noteworthy moments, the rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks feels like a missed opportunity.

What are the San Francisco 49ers’ chances of going 16-0?

November 4, 2019 Matthew Bowen 0

After the events of Week Nine in the NFL, there remains only one undefeated team. The 8-0 San Francisco 49ers. Coming into the season, many predicted the Niners to be a frisky, wildcard type team despite the disappointing 4-12 2018 season.