2005 Standings – AFC NORTH
Cincinnati ---------- 11-5
Pittsburgh ---------- 11-5
Cleveland ----------- 6-10
Baltimore ----------- 6-10
2006 Outlook:
Cincinnati (13-3) – Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals won the division over Pittsburgh in a tiebreaker only to lose to them in the playoffs after QB Carson Palmer suffered a severe injury in the 1st quarter. Well, Palmer is back and the Bengals have looked excellent this preseason. The offense is a machine with Palmer, RB Rudi Johnson and WR’s Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The defense is young and getting better every year. There were a few offseason brushes with the law, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting the team. The Bengals should cruise into the playoffs in 2006.
Pittsburgh (12-4) – The Steelers played their best football at the end of last season, winning their last 4 games and making it into the playoffs as a wild card team. They then went on to win 3 straight games on the road in the playoffs before going on to buy…I mean win Super Bowl XL. During the offseason, the Steelers lost future hall-of-fame RB Jerome Bettis to retirement and #2 WR Antwaan Randle-El to free agency. Not to mention star QB Ben Roethlisberger was almost killed in a motorcycle accident. Well, Big Ben seems OK and Bettis was only a backup last year anyway, so the Steelers will once again make the playoffs as a wild card and try to defend their title.
Baltimore (8-8) – Baltimore is coming off of a disappointing 6-10 season in which they couldn’t seem to get their offense going. The Ravens made an effort this offseason to correct that by acquiring former NFL MVP QB, Steve McNair in a trade with Tennessee. This reunites him with WR Derrick Mason, who was his top receiver in Tennessee from 2000 to 2004. McNair has looked pretty good this preseason and seems healthy again. At age 33, he still has the ability to scramble and should have a few good years left in him. He’s a definite upgrade over Kyle Boller and as long as his OL can protect him the offense should be much improved. The bad news is they still have to play Cincinnati and Pittsburgh twice a year and they need to get RB Jamal Lewis healthy and back to his old form from 2003. The Ravens will be better, but they can’t compete with the big boys.
Cleveland (2-14) – Somehow, the Cleveland Browns won 6 games last year with a QB combo of Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye. Dilfer has moved on to San Francisco, and Frye is now “the man” for the Browns. Cleveland didn’t do a whole heck of a lot to improve their team this offseason and will instead depend on the draftees and players returning from injury to step up and contribute. The offense will look to improve with the return of a healthy Braylon Edwards at WR and Kellen Winslow at TE. The defense should be better with the addition of rookies Kamerion Wembley at DE and D’Qwell Jackson at LB. The Browns are in a tough division this year with a tough schedule and they didn’t do enough to improve their team. They will be left behind in the 2 to 3 win range.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
NFL Preview 2006 - AFC South
2005 Standings – AFC SOUTH
Indianapolis -------- 14-2
Jacksonville -------- 12-4
Tennessee ----------- 4-12
Houston ------------- 2-14
2006 Outlook:
Indianapolis (12-4) – The Colts ended 2006 with the best record in the NFL at 14-2. They finally had a good defense to go with their monster offense and it almost got them to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for them, kicker Mike Vanderjagt cracked under pressure in the playoffs against the eventual Super Bowl Champions, the Steelers. Well, Vanderjagt is gone and they now have the most clutch kicker in football, Adam Vinatieri. The only other big change is the loss of RB Edgerrin James to free agency. The Colts will have to rely on veteran Dominic Rhodes and rookie Joseph Addai to pick up the slack. Indianapolis still has a high-powered passing attack and that should allow them to run the ball effectively. They are still the team to beat in the AFC.
Jacksonville (10-6) – Jacksonville surprised a lot of people last year by winning 12 games and giving Indianapolis a challenge for the division. This year will be more of the same. The Jaguars have lost top WR Jimmy Smith to retirement and RB Greg Jones to injury. These losses may not be as big as they seem. Jacksonville has a few young WR’s eagerly awaiting to replace Smith (keep an eye on Matt Jones). Greg Jones was the starting fullback and backup RB for “Fragile” Fred Taylor. They still have LaBrandon Toefield to backup Taylor but the FB position will be filled by Derrick Wimbush. Jacksonville is a young team with talent, but not enough to pass the Colts.
Houston (3-13) – The AFC South is like 2 separate divisions. You have the Colts and Jaguars fighting for 1st place, and then you have Houston and Tennessee struggling for wins at the bottom. Houston has a ridiculous schedule starting off with 6 playoff-caliber teams. It’s possible they don’t get their first win until Week 8 at Tennessee or Week 11 vs. Buffalo. The Texans had the #1 draft pick this offseason and surprised everyone by passing on Reggie Bush which they may regret now that RB Domanick Davis can’t seem to get healthy. Still, the Texans are starting to put together a good team, but they still have a lot of holes. They’ll give Tennessee a run for their money for 3rd place.
Tennessee (2-14) – Like Houston, the Titans have a rough schedule. If they don’t win against the Jets in Week 1, they could also be fighting for their first win in Week 8. With the loss of QB Steve McNair to Baltimore, the Titans are having trouble finding someone to step up this preseason. Veteran Billy Volek isn’t getting the job done and it may be too early to throw rookie Vince Young to the wolves. So, the Titans have signed Kerry Collins to challenge Volek, and he will probably become the starter. Tennessee is also having the same problem at RB. No one is taking charge and the starting job has been handed to Travis Henry for now. That probably won’t last. I may not be giving them enough credit, but Tennessee will be at the bottom of the division this year.
Indianapolis -------- 14-2
Jacksonville -------- 12-4
Tennessee ----------- 4-12
Houston ------------- 2-14
2006 Outlook:
Indianapolis (12-4) – The Colts ended 2006 with the best record in the NFL at 14-2. They finally had a good defense to go with their monster offense and it almost got them to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for them, kicker Mike Vanderjagt cracked under pressure in the playoffs against the eventual Super Bowl Champions, the Steelers. Well, Vanderjagt is gone and they now have the most clutch kicker in football, Adam Vinatieri. The only other big change is the loss of RB Edgerrin James to free agency. The Colts will have to rely on veteran Dominic Rhodes and rookie Joseph Addai to pick up the slack. Indianapolis still has a high-powered passing attack and that should allow them to run the ball effectively. They are still the team to beat in the AFC.
Jacksonville (10-6) – Jacksonville surprised a lot of people last year by winning 12 games and giving Indianapolis a challenge for the division. This year will be more of the same. The Jaguars have lost top WR Jimmy Smith to retirement and RB Greg Jones to injury. These losses may not be as big as they seem. Jacksonville has a few young WR’s eagerly awaiting to replace Smith (keep an eye on Matt Jones). Greg Jones was the starting fullback and backup RB for “Fragile” Fred Taylor. They still have LaBrandon Toefield to backup Taylor but the FB position will be filled by Derrick Wimbush. Jacksonville is a young team with talent, but not enough to pass the Colts.
Houston (3-13) – The AFC South is like 2 separate divisions. You have the Colts and Jaguars fighting for 1st place, and then you have Houston and Tennessee struggling for wins at the bottom. Houston has a ridiculous schedule starting off with 6 playoff-caliber teams. It’s possible they don’t get their first win until Week 8 at Tennessee or Week 11 vs. Buffalo. The Texans had the #1 draft pick this offseason and surprised everyone by passing on Reggie Bush which they may regret now that RB Domanick Davis can’t seem to get healthy. Still, the Texans are starting to put together a good team, but they still have a lot of holes. They’ll give Tennessee a run for their money for 3rd place.
Tennessee (2-14) – Like Houston, the Titans have a rough schedule. If they don’t win against the Jets in Week 1, they could also be fighting for their first win in Week 8. With the loss of QB Steve McNair to Baltimore, the Titans are having trouble finding someone to step up this preseason. Veteran Billy Volek isn’t getting the job done and it may be too early to throw rookie Vince Young to the wolves. So, the Titans have signed Kerry Collins to challenge Volek, and he will probably become the starter. Tennessee is also having the same problem at RB. No one is taking charge and the starting job has been handed to Travis Henry for now. That probably won’t last. I may not be giving them enough credit, but Tennessee will be at the bottom of the division this year.
Monday, August 28, 2006
NFL Preview 2006 - AFC West
2005 Standings – AFC WEST
Denver ------------- 13-3
Kansas City -------- 10-6
San Diego ---------- 9-7
Oakland ------------ 4-12
2006 Outlook:
Kansas City (12-4) – This could be one of the toughest divisions to predict, but I think the Kansas City Chiefs made enough upgrades to overtake the Broncos. Even though OT Willie Roaf retired, the Chiefs still have a darn good O-Line and possibly the best RB in the league, Larry Johnson. The rest of the offensive weapons are getting old, but they still have enough left to keep defenses honest. The defense is already good, but adding CB Ty Law to the secondary will make them better. If all goes well, the Chiefs are poised to make a run at the AFC Championship in 2006.
Denver (11-5) – The Broncos finished last season with an impressive 13-3 record and a good run in the playoffs before losing to the Steelers in the AFC Championship game. The Broncos still have a good team and will once again make a run at a playoff berth, but this time it will have to be for a wild card and there are a lot of good teams fighting for those 2 spots. The addition of Javon Walker at WR is an upgrade over the team annoyance, Ashley Lelie. There’s still a question as to who will be the main RB in Denver, but then again, does it really matter? Whoever it is will probably rush for over 1000 yards anyway. The Broncos should be able to finish with 10 or 11 wins.
San Diego (8-8) – After winning the division 2 years ago, the Chargers came back with a disappointing 9-7 record in 2005, losing their last 2 games and missing the playoffs. Since then, the Chargers lost their starting QB to free agency and will now rely on the unproven Philip Rivers. Needless to say, San Diego should get used to seeing a lot of dump passes to TE Antonio Gates and RB LaDainian Tomlinson when they aren’t running the ball. Luckily they have Tomlinson who is one of the top 3 RB’s in the league. He will be getting a lot of work, but unfortunately, defenses will be all over him and Chargers fans are in for another disappointing season.
Oakland (4-12) – Ah yes…the team that everyone loves to hate…the Oakland Raiders. WR Randy Moss is 100% again and they dusted off Art Shell to be their coach. They also have a new QB, Aaron Brooks, who they picked up in free agency. Brooks, though, is a career underachiever, and isn’t really an upgrade over Kerry Collins from last year. Moss will have a good year, and RB LaMont Jordan is a great option out of the backfield, but they can’t carry the team. The defense has plenty of holes and will have trouble keeping opponents from outscoring their offense. The Raiders may get back to their glory days some year…but not this one. Owner Al Davis is old. Until he either retires or expires, the Raiders will lose. That’s the only way to break the curse.
Denver ------------- 13-3
Kansas City -------- 10-6
San Diego ---------- 9-7
Oakland ------------ 4-12
2006 Outlook:
Kansas City (12-4) – This could be one of the toughest divisions to predict, but I think the Kansas City Chiefs made enough upgrades to overtake the Broncos. Even though OT Willie Roaf retired, the Chiefs still have a darn good O-Line and possibly the best RB in the league, Larry Johnson. The rest of the offensive weapons are getting old, but they still have enough left to keep defenses honest. The defense is already good, but adding CB Ty Law to the secondary will make them better. If all goes well, the Chiefs are poised to make a run at the AFC Championship in 2006.
Denver (11-5) – The Broncos finished last season with an impressive 13-3 record and a good run in the playoffs before losing to the Steelers in the AFC Championship game. The Broncos still have a good team and will once again make a run at a playoff berth, but this time it will have to be for a wild card and there are a lot of good teams fighting for those 2 spots. The addition of Javon Walker at WR is an upgrade over the team annoyance, Ashley Lelie. There’s still a question as to who will be the main RB in Denver, but then again, does it really matter? Whoever it is will probably rush for over 1000 yards anyway. The Broncos should be able to finish with 10 or 11 wins.
San Diego (8-8) – After winning the division 2 years ago, the Chargers came back with a disappointing 9-7 record in 2005, losing their last 2 games and missing the playoffs. Since then, the Chargers lost their starting QB to free agency and will now rely on the unproven Philip Rivers. Needless to say, San Diego should get used to seeing a lot of dump passes to TE Antonio Gates and RB LaDainian Tomlinson when they aren’t running the ball. Luckily they have Tomlinson who is one of the top 3 RB’s in the league. He will be getting a lot of work, but unfortunately, defenses will be all over him and Chargers fans are in for another disappointing season.
Oakland (4-12) – Ah yes…the team that everyone loves to hate…the Oakland Raiders. WR Randy Moss is 100% again and they dusted off Art Shell to be their coach. They also have a new QB, Aaron Brooks, who they picked up in free agency. Brooks, though, is a career underachiever, and isn’t really an upgrade over Kerry Collins from last year. Moss will have a good year, and RB LaMont Jordan is a great option out of the backfield, but they can’t carry the team. The defense has plenty of holes and will have trouble keeping opponents from outscoring their offense. The Raiders may get back to their glory days some year…but not this one. Owner Al Davis is old. Until he either retires or expires, the Raiders will lose. That’s the only way to break the curse.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
NFL Preview 2006 - NFC East
2005 Standings – NFC EAST
NY Giants ---------- 11-5
Washington --------- 10-6
Dallas ------------- 9-7
Philadelphia ------- 6-10
2006 Outlook:
NY Giants (12-4) – Unlike the NFC North, the NFC could possibly be the toughest division in the entire NFL, and the Giants appear to be right at the top. QB Eli Manning is improving every year and has developed a great connection with WR Plaxico Burress and TE Jeremy Shockey. RB Tiki Barber is one of the best all-around players in the league and he only seems to be getting better with age. The Giants have solid lines on both sides of the ball and the only question mark (if you can call it that) on the entire team is their defensive backfield. The New York “Football” Giants will be one of the teams to beat in the NFC and should be causing some serious trouble in January.
Philadelphia (11-5) – The Eagles are coming off a very disappointing 6-10 season in which their 2 best players, Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens, played a combined 16 games. The “Owens Experiment” was a miserable failure as he was little more than an annoying distraction for the team. He has since moved on to Dallas and no one in Philadelphia misses him. McNabb is healthy again and seems to be back to his old self. Assuming he stays healthy, the Eagles will be a good team and will give the Giants a run for the division and, at the very least, snag a wild card berth in the playoffs.
Dallas (10-6) – After failing in Philly, the “Owens Experiment” starts over in Dallas and already there is concern. Owens has barely practiced let alone step on the field this preseason due to a hamstring injury as well as a nagging groin injury. QB Drew Bledsoe and WR Terry Glenn know each other well as they have been together since their Patriot days. TE Jason Witten and RB’s Julius Jones and Marion Barber are great secondary options, and the Cowboys defense is one of the best in the NFL. Without Owens the Cowboys are a good team, but with him, they could be a great team. Either way, they should be able to make the playoffs on a wild card.
Washington (8-8) – The Washington Redskins are the dark horse of this division. Last year they overachieved coming in at 10-6 and made the playoffs and, like the Bears, they rely heavily on their defense, which is pretty darn good. The offense is being led by Mark Brunell, who turns 36 during Week 2 and is only a slightly above average QB. Clinton Portis is a top RB in the NFL, but he suffered a shoulder injury in the first preseason game that will knock him out of action until Week 1 of the regular season at the earliest. So, the Redskins acquired RB T.J. Duckett from Atlanta in a trade as insurance. No matter who Washington plays this year, they will be a tough opponent, but they are playing in a tough division and they don’t have enough firepower to keep pace.
NY Giants ---------- 11-5
Washington --------- 10-6
Dallas ------------- 9-7
Philadelphia ------- 6-10
2006 Outlook:
NY Giants (12-4) – Unlike the NFC North, the NFC could possibly be the toughest division in the entire NFL, and the Giants appear to be right at the top. QB Eli Manning is improving every year and has developed a great connection with WR Plaxico Burress and TE Jeremy Shockey. RB Tiki Barber is one of the best all-around players in the league and he only seems to be getting better with age. The Giants have solid lines on both sides of the ball and the only question mark (if you can call it that) on the entire team is their defensive backfield. The New York “Football” Giants will be one of the teams to beat in the NFC and should be causing some serious trouble in January.
Philadelphia (11-5) – The Eagles are coming off a very disappointing 6-10 season in which their 2 best players, Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens, played a combined 16 games. The “Owens Experiment” was a miserable failure as he was little more than an annoying distraction for the team. He has since moved on to Dallas and no one in Philadelphia misses him. McNabb is healthy again and seems to be back to his old self. Assuming he stays healthy, the Eagles will be a good team and will give the Giants a run for the division and, at the very least, snag a wild card berth in the playoffs.
Dallas (10-6) – After failing in Philly, the “Owens Experiment” starts over in Dallas and already there is concern. Owens has barely practiced let alone step on the field this preseason due to a hamstring injury as well as a nagging groin injury. QB Drew Bledsoe and WR Terry Glenn know each other well as they have been together since their Patriot days. TE Jason Witten and RB’s Julius Jones and Marion Barber are great secondary options, and the Cowboys defense is one of the best in the NFL. Without Owens the Cowboys are a good team, but with him, they could be a great team. Either way, they should be able to make the playoffs on a wild card.
Washington (8-8) – The Washington Redskins are the dark horse of this division. Last year they overachieved coming in at 10-6 and made the playoffs and, like the Bears, they rely heavily on their defense, which is pretty darn good. The offense is being led by Mark Brunell, who turns 36 during Week 2 and is only a slightly above average QB. Clinton Portis is a top RB in the NFL, but he suffered a shoulder injury in the first preseason game that will knock him out of action until Week 1 of the regular season at the earliest. So, the Redskins acquired RB T.J. Duckett from Atlanta in a trade as insurance. No matter who Washington plays this year, they will be a tough opponent, but they are playing in a tough division and they don’t have enough firepower to keep pace.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
NFL Preview 2006 - NFC North
2005 Standings – NFC NORTH
Chicago ------------- 11-5
Minnesota ----------- 9-7
Detroit ------------- 5-11
Green Bay ----------- 4-12
2006 Outlook:
Chicago (9-7) – The NFC North could possibly be the worst division this year, but someone has to win it. Last year the Bears were able to get 11 wins because their defense kept them competitive. Having the best defense in the league will do that for you. This year will pretty much be the same. They haven’t done much to improve their offense, so Chicago will once again be relying on the defense to get some wins. Keep an eye on 2nd year RB Cedric Benson to take over as the #1 back on the team. The guy has skills and could have a big season. With the schedule they have, the Bears won’t win 11 games, but they will win the division.
Detroit (8-8) –The Lions only won 5 games a year ago, but in a weak division, they should be able to improve on that. They have good players on both sides of the ball, and they have a brand new quarterback in Jon Kitna who replaced the vastly underperforming Joey Harrington. If Kitna can make a good connection with wideout Roy Williams, they could rack up some big numbers together. Detroit is a young team that could be a contender in the very near future, but as for this season, the Lions will just miss out on the playoffs at 8-8.
Minnesota (4-12) – Many experts are picking the Vikings to be the team to challenge the Bears for the division this year, but I just don’t see it. They’re putting a lot of faith in the Brad Johnson to lead them to victory, but he’ll be 38 years old before Week 2, and he’s an injury waiting to happen. Their #1 WR, Koren Robinson, is in trouble with the law and may not even play this year. Their top RB, Chester Taylor, showed talent as the backup in Baltimore, but he’s not proven as a full-time starter. Minnesota’s defense also has holes, and their #1 draft pick from 2006, LB Chad Greenway, is out for the year due to an injury. The Vikings just have too many issues, so don’t expect more than 4 or 5 wins in 2006.
Green Bay (3-13) – Once one of the toughest teams to play in the league and a perennial playoff participant, much like the 49ers, the Packers franchise has fallen far from grace. They won 4 games a year ago and have done very little to make themselves better. They traded their top WR, Javon Walker, for future draft picks, and they didn’t make any big moves in free agency. They did use their #1 draft pick (#5 overall) to get LB A.J. Hawk, who is a bundle of energy and should be all over the place on defense, and they still have the ageless Brett Favre, who decided against retirement, at QB. Last year, Favre tried to do too much on his own and threw a career-high 29 interceptions. This year won’t be much different and the Packers will once again be at the bottom of the NFC.
Chicago ------------- 11-5
Minnesota ----------- 9-7
Detroit ------------- 5-11
Green Bay ----------- 4-12
2006 Outlook:
Chicago (9-7) – The NFC North could possibly be the worst division this year, but someone has to win it. Last year the Bears were able to get 11 wins because their defense kept them competitive. Having the best defense in the league will do that for you. This year will pretty much be the same. They haven’t done much to improve their offense, so Chicago will once again be relying on the defense to get some wins. Keep an eye on 2nd year RB Cedric Benson to take over as the #1 back on the team. The guy has skills and could have a big season. With the schedule they have, the Bears won’t win 11 games, but they will win the division.
Detroit (8-8) –The Lions only won 5 games a year ago, but in a weak division, they should be able to improve on that. They have good players on both sides of the ball, and they have a brand new quarterback in Jon Kitna who replaced the vastly underperforming Joey Harrington. If Kitna can make a good connection with wideout Roy Williams, they could rack up some big numbers together. Detroit is a young team that could be a contender in the very near future, but as for this season, the Lions will just miss out on the playoffs at 8-8.
Minnesota (4-12) – Many experts are picking the Vikings to be the team to challenge the Bears for the division this year, but I just don’t see it. They’re putting a lot of faith in the Brad Johnson to lead them to victory, but he’ll be 38 years old before Week 2, and he’s an injury waiting to happen. Their #1 WR, Koren Robinson, is in trouble with the law and may not even play this year. Their top RB, Chester Taylor, showed talent as the backup in Baltimore, but he’s not proven as a full-time starter. Minnesota’s defense also has holes, and their #1 draft pick from 2006, LB Chad Greenway, is out for the year due to an injury. The Vikings just have too many issues, so don’t expect more than 4 or 5 wins in 2006.
Green Bay (3-13) – Once one of the toughest teams to play in the league and a perennial playoff participant, much like the 49ers, the Packers franchise has fallen far from grace. They won 4 games a year ago and have done very little to make themselves better. They traded their top WR, Javon Walker, for future draft picks, and they didn’t make any big moves in free agency. They did use their #1 draft pick (#5 overall) to get LB A.J. Hawk, who is a bundle of energy and should be all over the place on defense, and they still have the ageless Brett Favre, who decided against retirement, at QB. Last year, Favre tried to do too much on his own and threw a career-high 29 interceptions. This year won’t be much different and the Packers will once again be at the bottom of the NFC.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
NFL Preview 2006 - NFC South
2005 Standings – NFC SOUTH
Tampa Bay ----------- 11-5
Carolina ------------ 11-5
Atlanta ------------- 8-8
New Orleans --------- 3-13
2006 Outlook:
Carolina (12-4) – The Panthers lost the division to Tampa Bay in a tiebreaker last year although I felt they were a much better team. That won’t happen this year. Carolina is pretty much returning the same team from last year. They also added Keyshawn Johnson at WR to compliment Steve Smith, and drafted DeAngelo Williams to back up the oft-injured DeShaun Foster at RB. These additions should help them run away with this division and also make them a top contender to win the NFC.
Tampa Bay (8-8) – Somehow last year the Buccaneers pulled off 11 wins and won the division in a tiebreaker over Carolina. This year, the Bucs come back down to earth with one of the toughest schedules in the league. Chris Simms will go into the season as the starting QB for the first time in his career, and although he has potential, he’s not as good as his father (Phil Simms) was…yet. The Bucs record falls to around 8-8 and this time they beat out Atlanta in a tiebreaker for 2nd place.
Atlanta (8-8) – How many times can we hear “Is this the year that Michael Vick has a breakout season?” Well, once again, many experts seem to think that this will be the year…and once again, it won’t be. Michael Vick is a great athlete and exciting to watch when he runs with the ball. The problem is that he’s a quarterback…and an average quarterback at that…with an average receiving corps. It’s a good thing he has a top-notch TE in Alge Crumpler, as well as Warrick Dunn out of the backfield to throw to. Otherwise, Vick would be running on every play. A good defense will keep them in games, but they still only get about 8 wins if they’re lucky.
New Orleans (3-13) – What can I say about the Saints? They started out with a spirited 2-2 record last year before losing 11 of the next 12 and ending up at 3-13. Then they received a gift from Houston in the draft in the form of RB Reggie Bush, who is one of the most talented players to come out of college in a long time. Bush will bring excitement back to the city of New Orleans, but the Saints have a long way to go before they will become a winning team again. There are still too many problem areas that need to be addressed. New Orleans is heading in the right direction, and getting a top 5 draft pick again in 2007 will help. They could be a pesky opponent because of the “Bush factor”, but I still think they’ll end up in the 3 win range.
Tampa Bay ----------- 11-5
Carolina ------------ 11-5
Atlanta ------------- 8-8
New Orleans --------- 3-13
2006 Outlook:
Carolina (12-4) – The Panthers lost the division to Tampa Bay in a tiebreaker last year although I felt they were a much better team. That won’t happen this year. Carolina is pretty much returning the same team from last year. They also added Keyshawn Johnson at WR to compliment Steve Smith, and drafted DeAngelo Williams to back up the oft-injured DeShaun Foster at RB. These additions should help them run away with this division and also make them a top contender to win the NFC.
Tampa Bay (8-8) – Somehow last year the Buccaneers pulled off 11 wins and won the division in a tiebreaker over Carolina. This year, the Bucs come back down to earth with one of the toughest schedules in the league. Chris Simms will go into the season as the starting QB for the first time in his career, and although he has potential, he’s not as good as his father (Phil Simms) was…yet. The Bucs record falls to around 8-8 and this time they beat out Atlanta in a tiebreaker for 2nd place.
Atlanta (8-8) – How many times can we hear “Is this the year that Michael Vick has a breakout season?” Well, once again, many experts seem to think that this will be the year…and once again, it won’t be. Michael Vick is a great athlete and exciting to watch when he runs with the ball. The problem is that he’s a quarterback…and an average quarterback at that…with an average receiving corps. It’s a good thing he has a top-notch TE in Alge Crumpler, as well as Warrick Dunn out of the backfield to throw to. Otherwise, Vick would be running on every play. A good defense will keep them in games, but they still only get about 8 wins if they’re lucky.
New Orleans (3-13) – What can I say about the Saints? They started out with a spirited 2-2 record last year before losing 11 of the next 12 and ending up at 3-13. Then they received a gift from Houston in the draft in the form of RB Reggie Bush, who is one of the most talented players to come out of college in a long time. Bush will bring excitement back to the city of New Orleans, but the Saints have a long way to go before they will become a winning team again. There are still too many problem areas that need to be addressed. New Orleans is heading in the right direction, and getting a top 5 draft pick again in 2007 will help. They could be a pesky opponent because of the “Bush factor”, but I still think they’ll end up in the 3 win range.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
NFL Preview 2006 - NFC West
The 2006 NFL season is a few weeks away so I wanted to post my season preview and predictions for the year. This will by no means be as comprehensive as Jeff's monster review, which is much more informational and entertaining. If you haven't read that yet, go here: http://volumeat11.livejournal.com/#131247. The reason for my doing this is just to keep a record of how I thought the season would play out so I can go back after the season is over and see how wrong I was.
I'm going to post these every couple days or so going division by division starting with the NFC West and ending with the AFC East (because I wanted to do that one last). I'll first list the standings from last year and then tell you how I think each team will do this season and why. After I go through all the divisions, I will make one last post with my playoff and Super Bowl predictions. So...without further ado, let's get this puppy started:
2005 Standings – NFC WEST
Seattle ------------ 13-3
St. Louis ---------- 6-10
Arizona ------------ 5-11
San Francisco ------ 4-12
2006 Outlook:
Seattle (12-4) – The Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl “loss” and are coming into the season with a chip on their shoulder. The only big loss from last year is offensive guard Steve Hutchinson, but Seattle still has a pretty good line and the best player in the NFL, 2006 MVP Shaun Alexander at running back. Let’s not forget the solid defense that will only get better with the addition of Julian Peterson and the improvement of their young players such as 2nd year linebacker Lofa Tatupu. The Seahawks are one of the best teams in the league and should win the division and earn themselves a 1st round playoff bye.
St. Louis (9-7) – The Rams had a disappointing season last year and they have a new coaching staff this year headed by offensive genius, Scott Linehan. Rumor is that Linehan would like the Rams to run more. They have a young workhorse running back in Steven Jackson who is ready to have a breakout season. St. Louis should have no problems scoring points, but the question is whether or not the defense can hold up. If they can, and their key players stay healthy, the Rams could find themselves a wild card contender by season’s end. Otherwise, they’ll end up watching Arizona blow right by them without even looking back.
Arizona (8-8) – Arizona made a serious push this offseason to get a contending team out on the field, but was it enough? They got the running back they wanted in Edgerrin James, but do they have a good enough line to make some holes for him? They have their QB of the future, who finally signed a contract, in Matt Lienart, but will he be ready to step in when Kurt Warner gets hurt? Will the defense be good enough to stop opposing teams from scoring more points than their offense? Too many questions need to be answered. Arizona could win anywhere from 6 to 10 games this year, so I’ll go with 8-8 and I see them just missing the playoffs.
San Francisco (3-13) – The 49ers were a bad team last year. Period. They have a long way to go before they will be a good team, let alone a great team, again. They lost, arguably, their best defensive player, Julian Peterson, to Seattle, and they didn’t really get too much to improve the team over the offseason. New TE Vernon Davis (#1 draft pick in 2006) will give 2nd year QB Alex Smith a nice target to throw to when he’s not laying on his back, and 2nd year RB Frank Gore will be getting much more playing time. Unfortunately, the 49ers are in a tough division with much better teams than they are. San Francisco will once again be fighting for the #1 overall draft pick in 2007 and will be lucky to win more than 3 games.
I'm going to post these every couple days or so going division by division starting with the NFC West and ending with the AFC East (because I wanted to do that one last). I'll first list the standings from last year and then tell you how I think each team will do this season and why. After I go through all the divisions, I will make one last post with my playoff and Super Bowl predictions. So...without further ado, let's get this puppy started:
2005 Standings – NFC WEST
Seattle ------------ 13-3
St. Louis ---------- 6-10
Arizona ------------ 5-11
San Francisco ------ 4-12
2006 Outlook:
Seattle (12-4) – The Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl “loss” and are coming into the season with a chip on their shoulder. The only big loss from last year is offensive guard Steve Hutchinson, but Seattle still has a pretty good line and the best player in the NFL, 2006 MVP Shaun Alexander at running back. Let’s not forget the solid defense that will only get better with the addition of Julian Peterson and the improvement of their young players such as 2nd year linebacker Lofa Tatupu. The Seahawks are one of the best teams in the league and should win the division and earn themselves a 1st round playoff bye.
St. Louis (9-7) – The Rams had a disappointing season last year and they have a new coaching staff this year headed by offensive genius, Scott Linehan. Rumor is that Linehan would like the Rams to run more. They have a young workhorse running back in Steven Jackson who is ready to have a breakout season. St. Louis should have no problems scoring points, but the question is whether or not the defense can hold up. If they can, and their key players stay healthy, the Rams could find themselves a wild card contender by season’s end. Otherwise, they’ll end up watching Arizona blow right by them without even looking back.
Arizona (8-8) – Arizona made a serious push this offseason to get a contending team out on the field, but was it enough? They got the running back they wanted in Edgerrin James, but do they have a good enough line to make some holes for him? They have their QB of the future, who finally signed a contract, in Matt Lienart, but will he be ready to step in when Kurt Warner gets hurt? Will the defense be good enough to stop opposing teams from scoring more points than their offense? Too many questions need to be answered. Arizona could win anywhere from 6 to 10 games this year, so I’ll go with 8-8 and I see them just missing the playoffs.
San Francisco (3-13) – The 49ers were a bad team last year. Period. They have a long way to go before they will be a good team, let alone a great team, again. They lost, arguably, their best defensive player, Julian Peterson, to Seattle, and they didn’t really get too much to improve the team over the offseason. New TE Vernon Davis (#1 draft pick in 2006) will give 2nd year QB Alex Smith a nice target to throw to when he’s not laying on his back, and 2nd year RB Frank Gore will be getting much more playing time. Unfortunately, the 49ers are in a tough division with much better teams than they are. San Francisco will once again be fighting for the #1 overall draft pick in 2007 and will be lucky to win more than 3 games.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Lumpy
OK…I know I said I would keep you updated on my doctor’s appointments that I had recently. To be honest, though, there really wasn’t that much to tell you. The results from my stress test were fine, other than the fact that I’m out of shape. I knew that already. No news there.
From there, I had a series of appointments stemming from a different issue that I had. Let’s go back to the beginning. A few years ago I happened to find a “lump”. Now, I know what you are thinking, but you’re wrong. My lump wasn’t where you would expect a guy to find one. Nope…this one was in my chest…my left breast to be more exact. OK…stop laughing now. Although not very common, men do get breast cancer. According to The American Cancer Society, there are about 1,450 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in men each year, and 470 men die from breast cancer annually. Anyway, the lump I found was about the size of a small pea or a BB. It was so small that when I informed my doctor, he couldn’t even feel it. So, I wasn’t worried about it. Fast-forward to the present and the lump is now almost the size of a dime. So, I again mention this to my doctor and this time he says he can definitely feel it and he wants to have it checked out more thoroughly. So…he schedules me for 2 separate appointments. First appointment…I have to have a mammogram…OK…you can stop laughing now. Second appointment…I have to have an ultrasound. Seriously…stop laughing! Both of those tests confirm that there is definitely a “mass”, and they want me to come back a third time to have a biopsy done. I went with their advice and had the biopsy. That was fun. They shoot some Novocain into my chest and then take a few samples with a larger needle that makes a sound like a staple gun for every sample they take. It didn’t hurt at all, just kind of freaked me out because I wasn’t ready for it. So…I had to wait a couple days for the results, but I wasn’t too worried because my doctor told me that he didn’t think it was going to turn out to be anything. Maybe he said that so I wouldn’t worry, but it turned out he was right. It wasn’t anything. I just have to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t grow up to make something of itself. Well, at least now I can be like Shane and instead of saying “Wanna feel my bolt?” I can say “Wanna feel my lump?”
Seriously though, the moral of this story is that if you have any suspicious lumps, moles or anything else, please have them checked by your doctor. Even if there isn’t a history of cancer in your family, it doesn’t hurt to get confirmation from a physician, and it certainly takes away the stress of worrying about it. That’s why we have health insurance. Thanks!
“Wanna feel my lump?”
From there, I had a series of appointments stemming from a different issue that I had. Let’s go back to the beginning. A few years ago I happened to find a “lump”. Now, I know what you are thinking, but you’re wrong. My lump wasn’t where you would expect a guy to find one. Nope…this one was in my chest…my left breast to be more exact. OK…stop laughing now. Although not very common, men do get breast cancer. According to The American Cancer Society, there are about 1,450 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in men each year, and 470 men die from breast cancer annually. Anyway, the lump I found was about the size of a small pea or a BB. It was so small that when I informed my doctor, he couldn’t even feel it. So, I wasn’t worried about it. Fast-forward to the present and the lump is now almost the size of a dime. So, I again mention this to my doctor and this time he says he can definitely feel it and he wants to have it checked out more thoroughly. So…he schedules me for 2 separate appointments. First appointment…I have to have a mammogram…OK…you can stop laughing now. Second appointment…I have to have an ultrasound. Seriously…stop laughing! Both of those tests confirm that there is definitely a “mass”, and they want me to come back a third time to have a biopsy done. I went with their advice and had the biopsy. That was fun. They shoot some Novocain into my chest and then take a few samples with a larger needle that makes a sound like a staple gun for every sample they take. It didn’t hurt at all, just kind of freaked me out because I wasn’t ready for it. So…I had to wait a couple days for the results, but I wasn’t too worried because my doctor told me that he didn’t think it was going to turn out to be anything. Maybe he said that so I wouldn’t worry, but it turned out he was right. It wasn’t anything. I just have to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t grow up to make something of itself. Well, at least now I can be like Shane and instead of saying “Wanna feel my bolt?” I can say “Wanna feel my lump?”
Seriously though, the moral of this story is that if you have any suspicious lumps, moles or anything else, please have them checked by your doctor. Even if there isn’t a history of cancer in your family, it doesn’t hurt to get confirmation from a physician, and it certainly takes away the stress of worrying about it. That’s why we have health insurance. Thanks!
“Wanna feel my lump?”
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