A quick snapshot of each and every team. Ok, here we go...
The AFC East
The Buffalo Bills: They have a very interesting backfield situation... one that rivals Eva Longoria. They let T.O. walk and I can't wrap my mind around that one. He wasn't wildly productive, but he was pretty inexpensive... he complimented Evans well... and he was a model citizen while he was there. Their owner has no interest in winning, it's that simple. I have a tiny bit of sympathy for their low life, uneducated, country ass fans because we once had an owner named Leon Hess who was Ralph Wilsons mentor. Keep costs down and collect that cash! Very sad.
The Miami Dolphins: Stories are already starting to spread about Pennington pushing Henne for the starting job. There is zero chance that Penny is the opening day starter, but if the other Chad struggles in the first few weeks of the season, #10 will get a chance to work on his third CPOY award. I feel in my heart that Brandon Marshall will be a complete train wreck in south Florida, but maybe thats just a Jets fan praying that this guy doesn't become an unstoppable force in the AFC East. They are talking about Fasano and how he will be one the offenses main focal points. That dude isn't even a top 20 TE in this league. Why would anyone down there be planning on increasing his role?
The New England Patriots: Damn, Brady got old quick! So did Moss, Holt, Crumpler, Faulk and Taylor. I certainly don't know more about football than Belichick, but this is a young mans game. That no name defense is going to be the real X-factor in 2010. They are not the fastest, youngest or most talented squad, but Billy B is one hell of a defensive coach. We know what we will get from Brady, Moss and Welker. What does the D have in store for us this year?
The New York Jets: Are awesome!!!!
The AFC North
The Baltimore Ravens: On paper they look like they are capable of dominating the AFC. The other three teams in their division suck (and I will be addressing them all shortly). They are a lock for the playoffs. Here's my question about this team. Do they still have the chemistry and swagger? They have lost some key players and coaches over the past few years (including that fat dude who use to coach the defense). Flacco and Boldin are not passionate leaders. Ray Lewis will hit the wall big time in 2010 and his leadership will start to suffer as well. Do they have what it takes to win in the post season with the "NEW" Ravens? I guess we will see what they are all about week 1.
The Cincinnati Bengals: Please referance my last few posts. I have targeted this team (for some unknown reason) and picked them apart piece by piece. To put it in a nutshell, I think an NFL team would have the same chance at success building their offense around Bret Michales and Flava Flav, as the Bengals will have with their two VH1 reality stars.
The Cleveland Browns: Mangini does not have what it takes to be a head coach in the NFL. Players don't play for him, the media and fans hate him, and he is a horrible strategist and game planner. If Holmgren is smart he will dump Man-gi-nah after the first 4 or 5 weeks of the season and appoint Rob Ryan as the interim HC. If Ryan shows he can do the job, then keep em', if not... pull whatever strings you need to land Gruden in 2011. Wow, the season is still a month away and I am already writing off the Browns. There only chance is if Cribbs starts to play defense as well. Then the would have one talented player in all three phases of the game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers: If they make the playoffs this year I will consider Tomlin one of the top coaches in the league and the back to back to back hiring of Noll, Cowher and Tomlin as the most impressive moves by any pro sports franchise in my lifetime. 3 coaches in 43 years and all of them champions??? Wow. The Jets had 3 in 3 years (Parcells, Groh and Edwards 99-01) during one stretch, and none of them won shit!
The AFC South:
The Houston Texans: A decade without a playoff birth? That's disgraceful. They have a ton of talent, but they have to deal with #18 in their division... thats why they are always a dollar short and a day late. What a lame excuse. Step up and make it happen! How many times can you be 7-9 or 8-8 before your team leaders just will the team into the playoffs? Their coach and QB are both happy being average and that's the way they will perform. Rex Ryan is running his mouth endlessly and his team was one win from the Superbowl. If I was the Texans coach I would tell anyone that will listen that anything less than a post season birth is 100% unacceptable in 2010. I hope they all understand how many jobs are on the line in Houston. No playoffs this year and I would completely clean house.
The Indianapolis Colts: I would watch Donald Brown, Austin Collie, Jerry Hughes and Kelvin Hayden. Big seasons from all four of these players almost guarantees a big year for the Colts. This division is as weak as ever. On paper it should be one of the leagues toughest... The Texans and Titans are two pretty talented young teams... but Manning has mind control on these teams like Ceasar Millan has on rich white peoples dogs.
The Jacksonville Jaguars: Why? Why go down this road again? Same lame coach, same ultra impotent QB. Has no one in Jaguar-land realized that drafting every DT over 350lbs and every WR over 6'5" is not a good formula to win championships? I can assure you that Jack Del-Rio is still a believer. They have no identity and they always come up short on free agents. No one is interested in this team because they are a total non-story. Gerrards' wife (who is smokin BTW) and mother probably watch bowling on Sunday afternoons at this point. MJD is turning into the Barry Sanders of his generation, stuck in career prison.
The Tennessee Titans: I am a Vince Young fan and I have been ever since he crushed Leinhart, Bush and the rest of USC in the Rosebowl. I learned something that night. This dude can win games by pure strength of spirit. I don't know how smart he is, or how well he can dissect game film and read defenses. All I know is that he is a leader and a winner. I was confident that the Titans would make the playoffs as a wildcard behind the amazing playmaking ability of their QB and RB. But, because I was also sure Young was going to be suspended after he got into a drunken brawl in a strip club, I changed my mind. Now it is looking like he will not be disciplined by the league (which I am befuddled by) and that makes the Titans a real threat once again. A nasty blue collar defense and a dynamic offense with players who cause match up problems like Young, Johnson and Britt can be a very dangerous unit. I don't want to face them in the playoffs.
The AFC West
The Denver Broncos: Their best offensive lineman and league leading sack master are out for the season... before the first pre-season game is played. Even though they are in the weakest, most pathetic division in all of football... I still think they have no chance. They just simply don't have enough talent especially considering how their coach has run Cutler, Scheffler and Marshall out of town. He may have a full squad of obedient players around him now, but can any of them win games? Be careful what you wish for Josh...
The Kansas City Chiefs: They have been a non-factor in this league since they TRADED away a draft pick for Herm Edwards... who was coming off a 4-12 season as the Jets coach. Some mistakes can actually be so big in life that it takes YEARS to recover from them. That would be one of them. That being said, I really like some of the talent on this team. Charles will do an amazing job as the starting RB and hopefully Cassel will start to show some signs of life in 2010. Todd Haley seems like an over emotional cry baby from a distance. He was highly recommended to the Chiefs from their own general managers father-in-law... Bill Parcells. I guess he must be worth something. If the afore mentioned players start to play dominate football this team could shock some people. This division is certainly up for grabs.
The Oakland Raiders: Joe Montana in his prime couldn't help this team right now. So, obviously Jason Campbell is not the solution. Too many busts Mr. Davis... just too many. Lets list them for fun.... Robert Gallery 2004 #2 overall, Fabian Washington 2005 , Michael Huff 2006 #7 overall, JaMarcus Russell 2007 #1 overall, Darren McFadden #4 overall, and lets throw Darrius Heyward-Bey in there after his 11 starts... 9 receptions and 124 yards during his rookie champaign in 2009. Those are just the first rounders.
The San Diego Chargers: A.J. Smith has lost his mind. He drove out Schottenheimer after a 14 win season. He let Brees walk (something else I would leave off my resume) and now he is going to let his starting LT and dynamic young WR sit out indefinitely because of an ego contest. He has an amazing eye in the draft. Tomlinson and Brees in 2001, Jammer in 2002, he had a bad year in 2003 and followed it up with an amazing 2004 draft... The Manning/Rivers trade that scored him one of the best QB's in the league today, Olshansky, Kaeding, Hardwick, LB Phillips, Michael Turner, and even Shane Olivea in the 7th round who went on to start 57 games in four years. 2005 was another amazing year, Merriman, Castillo, Vincent Jackson, and Spoles. In 2006 he picked Marcus McNiell who has started every game at tackle since his rookie year except for two. His most recent drafts remain to be judged. I think if he would have had the guts to hold on to Brees, and considering how amazing he has become... they would have probably won at least one title.
The NFC East
The Dallas Cowboys: Dude, this division has always been fascinating... ever since I started watching football in 1982. Dallas is perennially an overrated team. They are not the Yankees or the Celtics... they aren't even the most dominate team in their own sport. This year I expect them to deliver. They have an outstanding group of skilled players on offense and a very solid defense. The question is weather or not they will crumble under the pressure of their 2010 expectations. Everything their owner has done for the past 5 years is all about his team playing and winning the Superbowl in his new stadium. Romo and the boys don't exactly have a good track record when the pressure is on.
The New York Giants: This team is the most underrated team in the entire league. They have a former Superbowl MVP behind center, two exciting young WR's, a ground and pound O-line, and a stable of dynamic pass rushers. If Rolle and Phillips can stay healthy in the secondary they could do serious damage. This may be the year Kenny Phillips becomes a household name. He and WR Nicks are poised to have breakout years. As goes Eli goes big blue.
The Philadelphia Eagles: Nothing but question marks. No Westbrook, no McNabb and I have no idea what to think. Kevin Kolb is totally unproven. How exciting would it be if at some point Vick takes over and has success? Jackson has quietly become one of the top receivers in the league. Will he be a flash in the pan like Santana Moss, or will he take it to the next level? If nothing else they will be an interesting team to follow in 2010.
The Washington Redskins: I think Mike Shanahan has turned this Hanesworth business into more of a distraction then it needs to be. Let the guy practice already! The Skins need to cut him or get him ready for the season. It may hurt that you gave him all that $$$$ only to find out he is a cancer in the locker room, but he is still a game changer... when he wants to be. Go for broke and try to salvage something from him. There is a bunch of talent on this team, but their has never been an identity or a focus. Their entire roster looks like a 15 year old boys Madden video game line up, and for good reason. Their owner is about as savvy as a teenager with a playstation controller. Every team in this division has a chance to be playing in February or losing double digit games. Like I said, fascinating.
The NFC North
The Chicago Bears: If Favre plays, the Vikings and Packers are in the playoffs. I see no way the Bears have a shot with leaders like Jay Cutler and Julius Peppers. They both have huge salaries, bigger ego's and horrible attitudes. After mortgaging their franchise's future on Cutler the Bears have failed to land him an elite target at WR. It shocks me how WR needy teams somehow missed out on the amazing Santonio Holmes bargain deal. We didn't even really need him and Mr. T made it happen. Homes, Bennett, Hester and Olsen would have been an excellent arsenal for #6 and Mike Martz to work with. Hopefully with Urlacher back the monsters of the midway will regain their lost mojo on defense.
The Detroit Lions: For the first time in over a decade I am actually interested in seeing what the Lions can do. They have been showing some amazing improvement since their 0-16 season 2 short years ago. I really like the squad they have assembled. It's not complete, but it shows some signs of being competitive. What would be considered a successful season for the Lions in 2010? Should every team have the minimum goal of at least making the post season, or is that unrealistic for teams that are in the early stages of rebuilding? Thats hard to say. If anyone took over a 0-16 team with no QB, no quality leaders on either side of the ball and one elite skill player, making the playoffs in the first two years would be unrealistic in the NFL. I would say that considering what a rough division they are in, a 6-10 record would be a logical goal for them.
The Green Bay Packers: I see the Packers at the 3rd best team in the NFL, but I think they will find a way to make a run in the playoffs and represent the NFC in the Superbowl. The Vikings are also an elite team, and on paper they are better, but Green Bay has a better coaching staff and I think they will make a deep run this year. Ryan Grant is my player to watch. If he can start 16 games and their defense finally makes a solid adjustment to Capers 3-4 defense, I think they have what it takes.
The Minnesota Vikings: If the Vikings win the Superbowl this year... even if they defeat the NY Jets in the process, I will still thank the lord everyday that Bret Favre is not wearing the green and white anymore. What he has put those fans through this offseason is nothing short of disgusting. Camp has started and he is still waffling. I am 100% convinced he did send out a bunch of texts saying that he was retiring, and I am also sure he has no intentions of doing so. Everything he does revolves around attention and money. My point is... I am glad he is not our problem. He had an amazing 2010 season and my hat is off to him. That being said, he is still a scumb bag. If he decides to tell this team in August that he is really retiring and follows through with it, I will have lost any shred of respect I may have had left for him. If he doesn't play I don't think either of the QB's on their current roster are capable of leading the team. If he flakes I would do whatever I could to trade for Pennington. I have a feeling that behind an amazing O-line like that, with an elite running back, Chad could really have a big impact there.
The NFC South
The Atlanta Falcons: I see them as a top 10 team this year. I think Ryan, Turner and White could be exactly the kind of trio every team desires on offense. I love their coach Mike Smith and their GM. Imagine for a moment the Falcons playing the Eagles... in ATL... with Mike Vick behind center for Philly.... in the playoffs. Talk about setting the stage. Turner should return to form and the dirty birds defense is very safe. The Tampa -2 is a simple scheme that is easy to place players in. The Panthers and Bucs won't make any noise this year, and the the Saints may suffer from the post Superbowl/ Madden curse (yes Brees is on the cover). Will ATL get what they so desperately desire... a Lombardi trophy? Probably not. But they will raise some eyebrows.
The Carolina Panthers: John Fox will be coaching somewhere else in 2011. He had a special group of players a few years back and slowly but surely they have all left him. Without talent you can't win games. Steve Smith is a failed experiment... he is simply injured more often than not. Their backfield should be scary, but with a mediocre O-line and no real experience at the QB spot, how far can they go? I see a slow start with a boring middle and a disappointing end. Oh, and for the record... those uniforms are the worst ever. They look like something out of the USFL or the movie Any Given Sunday.
The New Orleans Saints: I guess I kind of prematurely revealed my feeling on this subject, and I have been doing so for weeks. I think they will struggle a bit this year. They have no idea what it's like to be the defending champs. Every week they will be their opposing teams biggest game of the year. Thats why so many teams struggle after winning it all. Still love the defense and Vilma, but I think I can answer that annoying question they have been asking since February... ME DAT!!!!
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers: What a stupid name for a team. Rasheed Morris is their young, exciting, player friendly, hip coach. He is super motivational and the Bucs dumped Gruden because they saw so much potential in this guy. They knew if they didn't promote him when they did, they would have lost him to another team. So, if you have such high expectations for your coach, why not give the guy a couple of talented players? I mean just a handful. When I brake down their team needs it pretty much boils down to everything. Below average skill players, a young QB with no experience, and a defense with Ronde Barber as a key starter. Stinky stinky! At least the fans have beautiful weather to hang their hat on.
The NFC West
The Arizona Cardinals: Warner was given a two year contract that paid him 10 million for 2009 and 12 million for 2010, with an upfront signing bonus of 9 million. So, essentially he was paid 19 million for one season. He decided to retire and still got the whole signing bonus. Brilliant. Who will replace him? I don't think Leinhart has what it takes to be a starter in this league and I also think his coach hates him. Derrick Anderson has a monster arm and he could make it work in the desert. I hope he gets a fair shot at showing his stuff. My eye will be on two players... obviously Kerry Rhodes and also Beanie Wells. Can the former buckeye live up to his first round expectations? They picked up a big DT and LB in the draft and also snagged an interesting QB prospect from Fordham. John Skelton could be a part of the Cardinals long term plans. This is a division without one solid starting QB. Even Hasselbeck isn't a safe bet at this stage of his career. Anything could happen.
The St. Louis Rams: They drafted an injury prone QB with a glass shoulder #1 overall, and then gave him 50 million guaranteed. Well thought out. There are no absolutes in the NFL, but if this guy turns out to be even an average NFL QB, I will get the Dolphins logo tattooed on my forehead. They simply don't know how to draft and they have no shot at any quality free agents. How can they get out of this sad cycle of drafting in the top 3 every year? The only way I see it is if they trade away the pick. Dark days ahead for the Rams.
The San Fransico 49ers: Now thats a cool name and uniform. I grew up watching the 49ers dominate in the 1980's and I also watched Mike Singletary terrorize QB's with his piercing stare. It's no wonder I am so drawn to this team in 2010. If you read a few of my most recent posts I go into great detail about this team. I think they will play in the post season, and maybe even make a deep run. It's all about Smith's development, Gore's health and Crabtrees attitude.
The Seattle Seahawks: Can Carroll make it happen at the NFL level? What a dramatic story line. A guy starts out as an innovative player friendly coach in the NFL. He struggles and seems a bit out of place. He takes over the USC program and makes it even more legendary... if thats possible. He establishes himself as the #1 coach and recruiter in all of college football. He rides the gravy train until the hammer is about to drop and dives back into the pros. He abandoned the ship in souther California very much like a rat. Can he fix things in the great northwest? I was very surprised he didn't pursue players from his program like Leinhart and Bush. They both have been disappointments in the pros. John David Booty is out there and McNight was available in the draft. Instead he traded with the Jets for damaged goods... what was that guys name again... Leon something or other? He also brought in Charlie Whitehurst, and gave up a 3rd round pick for him. Very interesting acquisition. This is a very non-competitive division, maybe the Seahawks can make something happen.
J.Wagner
No comments:
Post a Comment