Last year’s AFC west was one of the most interesting competitive divisions in the NFL last year. The Chiefs won the division with a record of 10-6, the Chargers were a game behind at 9-7 while the Raiders surprised everybody at 8-8, the Broncos picked up the rear of the division and went 4-12. This year I ultimately see the Chargers winning the division because they have the best player at quarterback in the division.
The Oakland Raiders surprised everyone last year by going 8-8. Except for the die hard and out of touch reality fans, there was no one who saw that coming. Drafting Pryor will only cause more trouble for the Raiders. There is no outstanding quarterback for the Raiders now this will open the door for conversations of when and if Pryor should get the starting job after he serves his suspension. Jason Campbell has done a very good job managing the offense but he will not be leading the Raiders to any playoff appearances in the near future. The best part of last year for the Raiders was the improvement of running back Darren McFadden. McFadden was the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft and never rushed for me than 500 yards in his first two years in the league. Last year he rushed for 1,157 yards and 7 touchdowns, his best year by far statistically. The Raiders lost both defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha and left guard Robert Gallery to free agency this past offseason. Look for the Raiders to ride McFadden for around 1,200 yards again this year but also watch their wins drop as they go 3-13.
The Denver Broncos have had more preseason drama than any other team in the NFL. Maybe now that it appears that Kyle Orton will be the full time starter some of the drama will die down. The Broncos still have a good team but off field distractions will keep them from doing any better than last year. Their defense will win more games for them then their offense will. With Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins in the secondary you always have a chance to make big plays. Running back Knowshon Moreno needs to do better if they want to win, last year Moreno only put up 779 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns in thirteen games. Orton will be average in the passing game but not great, and with an average passing game, a sub-par rushing game and a good but not stellar defense, expect the Broncos to go 4-12 again this year.
Hello San Diego, and allow me to sympathize with you as you are going to finish second to the Chiefs and miss the playoffs again. First strike against the Chargers is the loss of Darren Sproles. I know I know the Chargers have Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert at running back. But neither Mathews nor Tolbert ran the ball like Sproles could. Sproles was only third on the team in rushing but he was first in receptions and third in receiving yards. Sproles had more receptions and yards than Mathews and Tolbert, combined. Plus his ability to return punts and kicks. So you cannot say that the Chargers will not miss Sproles. Phillip Rivers might not have had to rely so much on Sproles however, if Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd, and Antonio Gates had been healthy enough (or Jackson decided to not hold out) to play all sixteen games last year. Between the three of them they only played in twenty six games, Gates 10, Floyd 11, and Jackson 5. Despite all of this Phillip Rivers still had one of his best years last year and you can expect him to have a similar year this year. Originally I figured the Chargers would win the division this year, but when I see how they have crumbled in the past in big situations I can’t see them edging out the Chiefs this year. Chargers go 8-8 and barely miss the playoffs.
The Kansas City Chiefs surprised just about everyone by going 10-6 and winning the AFC west last year. I was not convinced the Chiefs would repeat as division champs this year until they acquired Steve Breaston and I remembered about Eric Berry. Matt Cassel has not looked impressive in the preseason and some analysts have doubted that he is ready to play this season. All I have to say is, remember 2008 when he had an amazing year in New England after he was thrown in the starting position when Tom Brady went down with a season ending knee injury, happened to be against the Chiefs too, oh how the sports world turns. Basically Cassel will be fine, he stepped in right away with no preparation as a starter then and he will be great this year with Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston at wide receiver and Jamal Charles in the backfield. All of a sudden the Chiefs are looking like they could almost, can’t believe I’m saying this, make a run in the playoffs. And that Eric Berry guy, in case you missed his stellar rookie performance last year, Berry had 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 interceptions and 1 touchdown. In one word Berry is a playmaker. Chiefs only go 8-8 and take the division but they won’t be a fun matchup for the visiting wild card team.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
NFC West Preview
Last year’s NFC west was the worst division in the NFL by far. It was so bad that the Seahawks made the playoffs and home field advantage for the first round with a record of 7-9! Although the Seahawks did prove some of the doubters wrong by knocking of the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, regardless though it sparked a national conversation about changing the playoff seeding system. This year will be different for the NFC west, well a little different. No team will reach ten wins, but I think that at least two teams will make it to the .500 mark or above.
The San Francisco 49ers finished last year with a disappointing 6-10 record, unfortunately for the 49ers and their fans, this season will not be any better. The 49ers over the past several seasons have had winning personal that have underperformed or been plagued with injuries resulting in disappointing after disappointing season for the bay area. Enter Alex Smith, the number one over pick from the 2005 NFL draft has never played as well as anyone had hoped he would have. Especially if you compare him to Aaron Rodgers who was taken with the twenty fourth pick and even Kyle Orton who has put up better numbers the past two years then Smith and was drafted in the fourth round. Regardless though Smith is who the 49ers have currently behind center, although it does not seem like they have too much faith in Smith themselves; the 49ers drafted to quarter backs in the draft this year McLeod Bethel-Thompson, and Colin Kaepernick. Smith has never thrown for 3,000 yards or 20 touch downs in a single season and has not played in all sixteen games since 2006, he also has more career interceptions than touch downs. Do not expect the 49ers to be going very far with Smith at quarterback. The addition of wide receiver Braylon Edwards from the Jets will help Smith but ultimately will not put much a dent in the loss column. The 49ers do not have to worry about the running game, but they also cannot rely heavily on it either. Frank Gore has been good but has not come close to duplicating his year in 2006. The only consistent force the 49ers currently have right now is linebacker Patrick Willis, but he can only do so much. The 49ers are in a rut and will end up duplicating last year with a 6-10 record and that is still only because of their relatively weak division.
I just came across a preview of the NFC west on nfl.com saying that the Rams could potentially win the division. Well first, anyone has the potential to win their division or even the Super Bowl; second, I do see the Rams improving, but not winning the division. Sam Bradford put up very impressive numbers for a rookie and he started all sixteen games. Bradford eclipsed the 3,500 yard mark with 18 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a sixty percent pass completion rate. While Bradford did not have any outstanding receivers last year, Steven Jackson and the third most receptions and no one pulled in 700 yards; the good news though is that the two leading receivers, Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson, are both very young and have a lot of room to improve. Amendola is twenty five and Gibson is twenty four and neither have more than three years experience in the NFL. With a year of experience behind Bradford and a year to work on timing and chemistry, Bradford will have another big year and Gibson and Amendola will both have improved years. Steven Jackson will continue to carry the bulk of the carries for the Rams in the running game but with perhaps fewer carries than the previous years thanks to the newly added Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood. Williams never became a clear cut started in Tampa Bay but can still contribute valuable plays to a team. And Jerious Norwood started a handful of games two years ago for the Falcons injured Michael Turner and did a respectable job. With that said, Jackson can take a few more plays off leaving him with fresher legs towards the end of games and pushing his yard per carry up. The Rams future definitely looks bright, they will finally reach the .500 mark and go 8-8.
The Seattle Seahawks, the team that had a losing record, still went to the playoffs and knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions in the most dramatic fashion, via Marshawn Lynch running through every Saints defender. Now the Seahawks have to attempt to repeat as division champions, if Matt Hasselbeck and Lofa Tatupu were both returning I would day that they were the division favorites, but now with the loss of Tatupu’s leadership in the middle of the defense and the experience of Matt Hasselbeck, the Seahawks will have to play that much better if they want to repeat last year’s playoff run. The biggest question mark is and still will be for a while is how well will Tarvaris Jackson play, Jackson has never started more than twelve games in a season. Jackson has only started a combined twenty games in his five year career. So while it is hard to gauge how Jackson will be as a full time starter, the one positive is that at least he can be mobile and get out of the pocket if he gets in trouble or the protection breaks down. Like the Rams the Seahawks have a crew of young receivers, a reborn Mike Williams, Ben Obomanu, and Golden Tate are all talented receivers that have the ability to make Jackson’s first year in Seattle a little easier. Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett it looks like will still share the responsibility to carry the ball. While it can be a very good thing because it allows each to stay rested and to mix up running styles against the defense, it is also a slight problem; the Seahawks do not have a clear go to rusher when it counts. Defensively the Seahawks have almost never ceased to under achieve from their talent level. Hopefully it will start to change with some of the younger players becoming leaders. Line backer Aaron Curry, third year, and safety Earl Thomas, second year, can both make some big plays and will continue to improve over the next few seasons. And who can forget trusty Marcus Trufant, Seahawk since his rookie year in 2003. Trufant will continue to be a reliable cover man and give some freedom for Curry and Thomas to make big plays. The Seahawks will be just short of the division title but win one more game than last year and finish at 8-8.
Think Hercules this year with the Arizona Cardinals, you know, the whole
“zero to hero” thing. Last year they brought up the rear in the division going 5-11, the primary difference will be the arrival of Kevin Kolb. Kolb will for sure put up better numbers than Anderson’s 2065 yards, 7 touch downs and ten interceptions. No doubt Kolb’s leading receiver will be Larry Fitzgerald, and with the addition of Todd Heap they will now have a tight end that can put up numbers to compensate for the loss of Steve Breaston. If Beanie Wells can stay healthy then the Cardinals will not have to worry about their rushing attack. Based on their improved offense attack the Cardinals will get back on track and sit on top of the NFC west by the end of the year with a record of 10-6.
The San Francisco 49ers finished last year with a disappointing 6-10 record, unfortunately for the 49ers and their fans, this season will not be any better. The 49ers over the past several seasons have had winning personal that have underperformed or been plagued with injuries resulting in disappointing after disappointing season for the bay area. Enter Alex Smith, the number one over pick from the 2005 NFL draft has never played as well as anyone had hoped he would have. Especially if you compare him to Aaron Rodgers who was taken with the twenty fourth pick and even Kyle Orton who has put up better numbers the past two years then Smith and was drafted in the fourth round. Regardless though Smith is who the 49ers have currently behind center, although it does not seem like they have too much faith in Smith themselves; the 49ers drafted to quarter backs in the draft this year McLeod Bethel-Thompson, and Colin Kaepernick. Smith has never thrown for 3,000 yards or 20 touch downs in a single season and has not played in all sixteen games since 2006, he also has more career interceptions than touch downs. Do not expect the 49ers to be going very far with Smith at quarterback. The addition of wide receiver Braylon Edwards from the Jets will help Smith but ultimately will not put much a dent in the loss column. The 49ers do not have to worry about the running game, but they also cannot rely heavily on it either. Frank Gore has been good but has not come close to duplicating his year in 2006. The only consistent force the 49ers currently have right now is linebacker Patrick Willis, but he can only do so much. The 49ers are in a rut and will end up duplicating last year with a 6-10 record and that is still only because of their relatively weak division.
I just came across a preview of the NFC west on nfl.com saying that the Rams could potentially win the division. Well first, anyone has the potential to win their division or even the Super Bowl; second, I do see the Rams improving, but not winning the division. Sam Bradford put up very impressive numbers for a rookie and he started all sixteen games. Bradford eclipsed the 3,500 yard mark with 18 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a sixty percent pass completion rate. While Bradford did not have any outstanding receivers last year, Steven Jackson and the third most receptions and no one pulled in 700 yards; the good news though is that the two leading receivers, Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson, are both very young and have a lot of room to improve. Amendola is twenty five and Gibson is twenty four and neither have more than three years experience in the NFL. With a year of experience behind Bradford and a year to work on timing and chemistry, Bradford will have another big year and Gibson and Amendola will both have improved years. Steven Jackson will continue to carry the bulk of the carries for the Rams in the running game but with perhaps fewer carries than the previous years thanks to the newly added Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood. Williams never became a clear cut started in Tampa Bay but can still contribute valuable plays to a team. And Jerious Norwood started a handful of games two years ago for the Falcons injured Michael Turner and did a respectable job. With that said, Jackson can take a few more plays off leaving him with fresher legs towards the end of games and pushing his yard per carry up. The Rams future definitely looks bright, they will finally reach the .500 mark and go 8-8.
The Seattle Seahawks, the team that had a losing record, still went to the playoffs and knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions in the most dramatic fashion, via Marshawn Lynch running through every Saints defender. Now the Seahawks have to attempt to repeat as division champions, if Matt Hasselbeck and Lofa Tatupu were both returning I would day that they were the division favorites, but now with the loss of Tatupu’s leadership in the middle of the defense and the experience of Matt Hasselbeck, the Seahawks will have to play that much better if they want to repeat last year’s playoff run. The biggest question mark is and still will be for a while is how well will Tarvaris Jackson play, Jackson has never started more than twelve games in a season. Jackson has only started a combined twenty games in his five year career. So while it is hard to gauge how Jackson will be as a full time starter, the one positive is that at least he can be mobile and get out of the pocket if he gets in trouble or the protection breaks down. Like the Rams the Seahawks have a crew of young receivers, a reborn Mike Williams, Ben Obomanu, and Golden Tate are all talented receivers that have the ability to make Jackson’s first year in Seattle a little easier. Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett it looks like will still share the responsibility to carry the ball. While it can be a very good thing because it allows each to stay rested and to mix up running styles against the defense, it is also a slight problem; the Seahawks do not have a clear go to rusher when it counts. Defensively the Seahawks have almost never ceased to under achieve from their talent level. Hopefully it will start to change with some of the younger players becoming leaders. Line backer Aaron Curry, third year, and safety Earl Thomas, second year, can both make some big plays and will continue to improve over the next few seasons. And who can forget trusty Marcus Trufant, Seahawk since his rookie year in 2003. Trufant will continue to be a reliable cover man and give some freedom for Curry and Thomas to make big plays. The Seahawks will be just short of the division title but win one more game than last year and finish at 8-8.
Think Hercules this year with the Arizona Cardinals, you know, the whole
“zero to hero” thing. Last year they brought up the rear in the division going 5-11, the primary difference will be the arrival of Kevin Kolb. Kolb will for sure put up better numbers than Anderson’s 2065 yards, 7 touch downs and ten interceptions. No doubt Kolb’s leading receiver will be Larry Fitzgerald, and with the addition of Todd Heap they will now have a tight end that can put up numbers to compensate for the loss of Steve Breaston. If Beanie Wells can stay healthy then the Cardinals will not have to worry about their rushing attack. Based on their improved offense attack the Cardinals will get back on track and sit on top of the NFC west by the end of the year with a record of 10-6.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
NFC East Preview
The NFC East will once again be a battle between great teams for the divisional title. Overall I see the division winning more games this year than last year but at the expense of one team dropping a few more wins. After going through the season schedule and going through the tie breaker process after picking each individual game, all four teams will finish in the same order but this year three teams from the NFC East will be going to the playoffs.
The one team that will not make the playoffs out of the NFC East, and the team that will drop a few more wins from last year are the Washington Redskins. Surprised? I doubt you are. The Redskins look to be a mess right now, and playing the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys twice a year means you have to have it together to survive. Last year the Redskins went 6-10, this year their win total will only be half that. Just looking at the Redskins offensive personal is enough to see that immediate success is not coming. Tim Hightower will be playing in Washington for the first time, and while Hightower has played well in Arizona, he has yet to surpass 750 yards in a season and only reached 10 touchdowns once in his three year career. The good news for Hightower is that Mike Shanahan has made average running backs in the NFL into MVP candidates. However, that is about all the good news the Redskins have offensively. Santana Moss has been one of the most productive and consistent wide receivers in the league for the past eight years, Moss is the Redskins number one weapon offensively. Moss will continue to be very productive but his numbers will definitely not be better than before and if anything will fall off slightly. Two things will affect Moss this year and the years following, first is his age, Moss is now 32, and second is the guy throwing him the ball. Rex Grossman is not a step up from Donovan McNabb, as much as Mike Shanahan wishes he was. Grossman has not played in all sixteen regular season games since 2006 with the Chicago Bears, since then Grossman has only played in seventeen games and started in just eleven of those. Grossman is not going to be leading the Redskins to any playoff or even winning seasons in the near future. Even with the addition of Donte Stallworth, not because Grossman is horrible but because Stallworth would not help any quarterback at this point in his career. Stallworth has jumped from four different teams in the past four years and his production has gotten worse each year. The Redskins do not have much to offer and are going to leave their fans with another losing season as they go 3-13 this year.
If we awarded Super Bowl wins from hype and looking at teams “on paper”, then the Dallas Cowboys should have won about two Super Bowls in the past five years. Last year was a large disappointment for the Cowboys, not only did they start poorly but they also saw Tony Romo go out for the rest of the season due to injuries after just six games. Jon Kitna did a good job filling in for Romo but the hole was already too deep and Kitna was still no Romo. This year if Romo can stay healthy the Cowboys will put up a much better record than their lack luster 6-10 performance from last year. The running game is the one area that the Cowboys could use more production out of offensively. Felix Jones is a capable back but needs to step up or the Cowboys need to come up with a better way to utilize Jones in their system. Dropping Roy Williams was one of the best decisions that the Cowboys made thus far this year. Williams was dead weight in payroll and taking up a roster spot. Romo has plenty of options to throw too, Miles Austin has exploded onto the season two years ago and will continue to perform well, and Dez Bryant is a consistent contributor that will be an excellent number two receiver. Romo’s favorite target might be tight end Jason Witten, Witten is one of the best tight ends in the NFL and has hauled in over a thousand yards each of the past two years along with a combined eleven touchdowns. The ‘D’ in Dallas will be present as always. The line will still be anchored by Marcus Spears and DeMarcus Ware will be head hunting running backs and occasional quarterbacks from the blind side. Cowboys bounce back this year and sneak in the playoffs over the Saints with the tie breaker and go 10-6.
The Giants missed the playoffs based on the tie breaker as the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers pushed them out and took the sixth seed. This year will be a little brighter for the Giants. They have not dramatically improved from off season moves but they are a good enough team that they do not need more help to produce a playoff berth. The Giants still have one of the top defensive lines in the NFL; expect Osi Umenyiora to have another year with double digit sacks. The running game will be just as strong if not stronger than last year with the one-two punch of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Bradshaw ran for just over 1200 yards last year and Jacobs just over 800 yards; they also combined for 17 rushing touchdowns and just under 400 receiving yards. Eli Manning will have his top two receivers returning as Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks both looks to have close to or above thousand yard receiving seasons. Manning had a good year last season; throwing fewer interceptions would have made it a great year. He threw for just over 4,000 yards, the second most in his career, the most touchdowns with four more than any year previous but also for five more interceptions than any previous year also. Like his brother Peyton, Eli will only get better and smarter over the next few years; Eli’s interceptions will dwindle slightly this year as the rest of his numbers stay the same. Giants will go 10-6, and have the tie breaker over the Cowboys for the fifth seed in the playoffs.
The Philadelphia Eagles are already being given the passage to the Super Bowl and some even say the Lombardi Trophy. It is difficult to not pick them immediately as being at least the NFC champions I admit, but for right now I am putting them at the top of the NFC East. It is near impossible to find a weakness in the Eagles in more than one or two positions offensively or defensively. They do have three of the best corner backs in the league now, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Asante Samuel. I would actually look to Samuel as having the biggest year out of the three as far as interceptions go if he starts in the slot position. Basically whoever will be in the slot position out of the three will end up with a lot of picks. They will most likely have more freedom and will not be covering as talented receivers compared to the other two outside. Between Asomugha, Rodgers-Cromartie, and Samuel, and the Eagles ridiculous blitz packages they bring, good luck ever having success passing the ball against them. On the opposite side of the ball the Eagles also now have three receivers that one could say compliments the three cornerbacks in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and newly signed Steve Smith. If a defense comes up with a scheme to cover Jackson, Maclin and Smith well they still have to deal with LeSean McCoy and now Ronnie Brown out of the backfield. McCoy averaged over five yards a carry last year and had almost 600 yards receiving, not bad for a running back. Ronnie Brown will bring more size to the Eagles backfield when McCoy is taking a breather. Although do not be surprised if the Eagles begin to run a few wildcat formations. Brown is already familiar with the wildcat from Miami, McCoy is beyond athletic enough to run it and the Eagles already have a speedy running back with a cannon arm playing quarterback in Michael Vick to begin with. Vick is what brings this offense together, he is the best scrambling quarterback the NFL has ever seen and has one of the strongest arms the NFL has ever seen as well, making it easy to fling it way downfield when the defense breaks down. As long as Vick stays healthy, oh wait, that’s right they also have Vince Young who is just the bigger slightly slower version of Vick at backup. I must admit, I almost convinced myself the Eagles will win the Super Bowl after just writing this brief preview of their team. Eagles will go 12-4 with the second seed in the NFC only because of play in their tough division.
The one team that will not make the playoffs out of the NFC East, and the team that will drop a few more wins from last year are the Washington Redskins. Surprised? I doubt you are. The Redskins look to be a mess right now, and playing the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys twice a year means you have to have it together to survive. Last year the Redskins went 6-10, this year their win total will only be half that. Just looking at the Redskins offensive personal is enough to see that immediate success is not coming. Tim Hightower will be playing in Washington for the first time, and while Hightower has played well in Arizona, he has yet to surpass 750 yards in a season and only reached 10 touchdowns once in his three year career. The good news for Hightower is that Mike Shanahan has made average running backs in the NFL into MVP candidates. However, that is about all the good news the Redskins have offensively. Santana Moss has been one of the most productive and consistent wide receivers in the league for the past eight years, Moss is the Redskins number one weapon offensively. Moss will continue to be very productive but his numbers will definitely not be better than before and if anything will fall off slightly. Two things will affect Moss this year and the years following, first is his age, Moss is now 32, and second is the guy throwing him the ball. Rex Grossman is not a step up from Donovan McNabb, as much as Mike Shanahan wishes he was. Grossman has not played in all sixteen regular season games since 2006 with the Chicago Bears, since then Grossman has only played in seventeen games and started in just eleven of those. Grossman is not going to be leading the Redskins to any playoff or even winning seasons in the near future. Even with the addition of Donte Stallworth, not because Grossman is horrible but because Stallworth would not help any quarterback at this point in his career. Stallworth has jumped from four different teams in the past four years and his production has gotten worse each year. The Redskins do not have much to offer and are going to leave their fans with another losing season as they go 3-13 this year.
If we awarded Super Bowl wins from hype and looking at teams “on paper”, then the Dallas Cowboys should have won about two Super Bowls in the past five years. Last year was a large disappointment for the Cowboys, not only did they start poorly but they also saw Tony Romo go out for the rest of the season due to injuries after just six games. Jon Kitna did a good job filling in for Romo but the hole was already too deep and Kitna was still no Romo. This year if Romo can stay healthy the Cowboys will put up a much better record than their lack luster 6-10 performance from last year. The running game is the one area that the Cowboys could use more production out of offensively. Felix Jones is a capable back but needs to step up or the Cowboys need to come up with a better way to utilize Jones in their system. Dropping Roy Williams was one of the best decisions that the Cowboys made thus far this year. Williams was dead weight in payroll and taking up a roster spot. Romo has plenty of options to throw too, Miles Austin has exploded onto the season two years ago and will continue to perform well, and Dez Bryant is a consistent contributor that will be an excellent number two receiver. Romo’s favorite target might be tight end Jason Witten, Witten is one of the best tight ends in the NFL and has hauled in over a thousand yards each of the past two years along with a combined eleven touchdowns. The ‘D’ in Dallas will be present as always. The line will still be anchored by Marcus Spears and DeMarcus Ware will be head hunting running backs and occasional quarterbacks from the blind side. Cowboys bounce back this year and sneak in the playoffs over the Saints with the tie breaker and go 10-6.
The Giants missed the playoffs based on the tie breaker as the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers pushed them out and took the sixth seed. This year will be a little brighter for the Giants. They have not dramatically improved from off season moves but they are a good enough team that they do not need more help to produce a playoff berth. The Giants still have one of the top defensive lines in the NFL; expect Osi Umenyiora to have another year with double digit sacks. The running game will be just as strong if not stronger than last year with the one-two punch of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Bradshaw ran for just over 1200 yards last year and Jacobs just over 800 yards; they also combined for 17 rushing touchdowns and just under 400 receiving yards. Eli Manning will have his top two receivers returning as Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks both looks to have close to or above thousand yard receiving seasons. Manning had a good year last season; throwing fewer interceptions would have made it a great year. He threw for just over 4,000 yards, the second most in his career, the most touchdowns with four more than any year previous but also for five more interceptions than any previous year also. Like his brother Peyton, Eli will only get better and smarter over the next few years; Eli’s interceptions will dwindle slightly this year as the rest of his numbers stay the same. Giants will go 10-6, and have the tie breaker over the Cowboys for the fifth seed in the playoffs.
The Philadelphia Eagles are already being given the passage to the Super Bowl and some even say the Lombardi Trophy. It is difficult to not pick them immediately as being at least the NFC champions I admit, but for right now I am putting them at the top of the NFC East. It is near impossible to find a weakness in the Eagles in more than one or two positions offensively or defensively. They do have three of the best corner backs in the league now, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Asante Samuel. I would actually look to Samuel as having the biggest year out of the three as far as interceptions go if he starts in the slot position. Basically whoever will be in the slot position out of the three will end up with a lot of picks. They will most likely have more freedom and will not be covering as talented receivers compared to the other two outside. Between Asomugha, Rodgers-Cromartie, and Samuel, and the Eagles ridiculous blitz packages they bring, good luck ever having success passing the ball against them. On the opposite side of the ball the Eagles also now have three receivers that one could say compliments the three cornerbacks in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and newly signed Steve Smith. If a defense comes up with a scheme to cover Jackson, Maclin and Smith well they still have to deal with LeSean McCoy and now Ronnie Brown out of the backfield. McCoy averaged over five yards a carry last year and had almost 600 yards receiving, not bad for a running back. Ronnie Brown will bring more size to the Eagles backfield when McCoy is taking a breather. Although do not be surprised if the Eagles begin to run a few wildcat formations. Brown is already familiar with the wildcat from Miami, McCoy is beyond athletic enough to run it and the Eagles already have a speedy running back with a cannon arm playing quarterback in Michael Vick to begin with. Vick is what brings this offense together, he is the best scrambling quarterback the NFL has ever seen and has one of the strongest arms the NFL has ever seen as well, making it easy to fling it way downfield when the defense breaks down. As long as Vick stays healthy, oh wait, that’s right they also have Vince Young who is just the bigger slightly slower version of Vick at backup. I must admit, I almost convinced myself the Eagles will win the Super Bowl after just writing this brief preview of their team. Eagles will go 12-4 with the second seed in the NFC only because of play in their tough division.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
AFC East preview
Before the arrival of Rex Ryan the AFC east was a little quieter. Not many players or coaches stirred the pot as the Patriots would often walk away with the division title. Now Rex Ryan has been giving energy and assembling a team to contest the Patriots for the division title, last year only coming two divisional games short. With all eyes fixed on the Jets and Patriots, do not be surprised if one of them falls off their high horses and the Dolphins or Bills creep up.
The Miami Dolphins are a team that should at least be entertaining to watch this year. If Chad Henne can lower his TD to INT ratio then maybe they can win a few more games as well. The Dolphins finished last year with a 7-9 record, but went only 2-4 in the division. They have added Reggie Bush to their plethora of running backs; perhaps Bush will flourish more if the Dolphins continue to run the wild cat. Overall I do not see much potential in the Dolphins this year, Henne needs to find 6’4” Brandon Marshall more than three times in the end zone this year otherwise the Dolphins will be the bottom feeder in the AFC east, which is where I have them finishing with a 3-13 record.
The Buffalo Bills are my “dark horse” in the AFC east. I do not have the Bills going to the playoffs or winning the division. (I’m not that crazy) I do think the Bills can do some damage this year with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback and Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller in the backfield. What really sets apart the Bills from the Dolphins is the defense. The Bills have a strong line backing corps with Nick Barnett leading the way and if Shawne Merriman can be half of what he used to be, they could cause some real problems for opposing offenses. The Bills also drafted Marcell Dareus out of Alabama at the defensive tackle position who will also give offensive lines headaches. Fitzpatrick will continue to lead the team, Spiller is more familiar with the offense after his rookie season, and the Bills defense will keep them in most games. Look for the Bills to hover around .500; I have them at 8-8.
As mentioned earlier Rex Ryan is yet again ready to lead the Jets this season with his bold predictions and sailors mouth. Guaranteeing a Super Bowl win is almost not surprising since that is what we expect from Ryan. What we can also expect from the Jets this year is a good year that will lead them to the playoffs. The Jets have the players needed to make a super bowl run. Mark Sanchez is not great but he plays well and can manage a game well. Resigning Santonio Holmes and acquiring veterans Derrick Mason and 6’5” Plaxico Burress will only help make Sanchez’s job a lot easier. The Jets backfield is one of the tops in the league depth wise; they have LaDanian Tomlinson, Joe McKnight, and Shonn Greene. Between the well rounded offense the their attacking defense, the Jets will once again challenge the Patriots for the division title but will once again fall just short going 12-4 and advancing to the playoffs with the fifth seed.
First thing I thought of when I heard Ochocinco signed with the Patriots was Moss in 2007, I know the numbers will not be that big, but I do think that there is potential for Brady and Ochocinco to become one of the top QB-WR connections this coming season. Even if not Ochocinco can be a threat along the sidelines and deep middle of the field which is why Wes Welker is licking his chops right now, Welker also had an outstanding year in 2007 thanks to Moss opening up the flats and short middle of the field. By week four the Patriots no doubt will be making opposing defenses look helpless. As Dan Patrick pointed out on his radio show, if anyone else signed Albert Haynesworth than they would have been criticized. But not the Patriots, because somehow they seem to always make it work with “troubled” players. The system, coach and work ethic that the Patriots are known for account for most of it, and the fact that they are not afraid to cut or not pay anyone, except Tom Brady of course. Remember Ty Law? Played cornerback and helped the Patriots win a Super Bowl, he wanted more money and the Patriots said see ya! Law has not done anything as big since and the Patriots have continued to do just well defensively without him. That is why the Patriots will win the AFC east again this year, they have a great system and great players to put into it. And the competiveness to get playing time is off the charts, they currently have nineteen defensive linemen on their roster, 19! And if Haynesworth was not enough of an addition to fuel the competiveness, they also signed Shaun Ellis, and you know he will bring it against the Jets. Patriots will sneak by the Jets, win the division, and go 13-3.
Over the next few weeks I will be posting previews of the other seven NFL divisions. I hope that you will enjoy reading them and give me feedback from time to time. Let me know what you think about my previews, leave comments below or on my twitter, @thelawonsports.
The Miami Dolphins are a team that should at least be entertaining to watch this year. If Chad Henne can lower his TD to INT ratio then maybe they can win a few more games as well. The Dolphins finished last year with a 7-9 record, but went only 2-4 in the division. They have added Reggie Bush to their plethora of running backs; perhaps Bush will flourish more if the Dolphins continue to run the wild cat. Overall I do not see much potential in the Dolphins this year, Henne needs to find 6’4” Brandon Marshall more than three times in the end zone this year otherwise the Dolphins will be the bottom feeder in the AFC east, which is where I have them finishing with a 3-13 record.
The Buffalo Bills are my “dark horse” in the AFC east. I do not have the Bills going to the playoffs or winning the division. (I’m not that crazy) I do think the Bills can do some damage this year with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback and Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller in the backfield. What really sets apart the Bills from the Dolphins is the defense. The Bills have a strong line backing corps with Nick Barnett leading the way and if Shawne Merriman can be half of what he used to be, they could cause some real problems for opposing offenses. The Bills also drafted Marcell Dareus out of Alabama at the defensive tackle position who will also give offensive lines headaches. Fitzpatrick will continue to lead the team, Spiller is more familiar with the offense after his rookie season, and the Bills defense will keep them in most games. Look for the Bills to hover around .500; I have them at 8-8.
As mentioned earlier Rex Ryan is yet again ready to lead the Jets this season with his bold predictions and sailors mouth. Guaranteeing a Super Bowl win is almost not surprising since that is what we expect from Ryan. What we can also expect from the Jets this year is a good year that will lead them to the playoffs. The Jets have the players needed to make a super bowl run. Mark Sanchez is not great but he plays well and can manage a game well. Resigning Santonio Holmes and acquiring veterans Derrick Mason and 6’5” Plaxico Burress will only help make Sanchez’s job a lot easier. The Jets backfield is one of the tops in the league depth wise; they have LaDanian Tomlinson, Joe McKnight, and Shonn Greene. Between the well rounded offense the their attacking defense, the Jets will once again challenge the Patriots for the division title but will once again fall just short going 12-4 and advancing to the playoffs with the fifth seed.
First thing I thought of when I heard Ochocinco signed with the Patriots was Moss in 2007, I know the numbers will not be that big, but I do think that there is potential for Brady and Ochocinco to become one of the top QB-WR connections this coming season. Even if not Ochocinco can be a threat along the sidelines and deep middle of the field which is why Wes Welker is licking his chops right now, Welker also had an outstanding year in 2007 thanks to Moss opening up the flats and short middle of the field. By week four the Patriots no doubt will be making opposing defenses look helpless. As Dan Patrick pointed out on his radio show, if anyone else signed Albert Haynesworth than they would have been criticized. But not the Patriots, because somehow they seem to always make it work with “troubled” players. The system, coach and work ethic that the Patriots are known for account for most of it, and the fact that they are not afraid to cut or not pay anyone, except Tom Brady of course. Remember Ty Law? Played cornerback and helped the Patriots win a Super Bowl, he wanted more money and the Patriots said see ya! Law has not done anything as big since and the Patriots have continued to do just well defensively without him. That is why the Patriots will win the AFC east again this year, they have a great system and great players to put into it. And the competiveness to get playing time is off the charts, they currently have nineteen defensive linemen on their roster, 19! And if Haynesworth was not enough of an addition to fuel the competiveness, they also signed Shaun Ellis, and you know he will bring it against the Jets. Patriots will sneak by the Jets, win the division, and go 13-3.
Over the next few weeks I will be posting previews of the other seven NFL divisions. I hope that you will enjoy reading them and give me feedback from time to time. Let me know what you think about my previews, leave comments below or on my twitter, @thelawonsports.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)