Remi Gaillard



2010 NFL Preview: New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are much more than just a roster of 53 built on paper. The main reason as to why the Patriots have been successful over the last decade or so is Bill Belichick. He has an unbelievable knack for being able to get the most out of a roster and it must be commended.

Of course, everything starts with Tom Brady at the quarterback spot. We saw what happened to this team when Brady was injured for all but one game in 2008. Belichick was able to get as much as he could out of Matt Cassel (enough to fool the Chiefs into giving him a big contract), but it was clearly not the same team.

Randy Moss will be the primary threat yet again as he looks for yet another 1000 yards season of receiving. At 33, Moss is not showing any signs of slowing down, but he may have a tougher season depending on the health of Wes Welker. After major knee surgery, can Welker get back to the form that’s allowed him to catch over 100 balls each season for the past three years? If not, the Pats will hope that Julian Edelman can step up to catch more balls.

It’s hard to figure out what the running game might look like in New England. Laurence Maroney is just not performing like the Pats would have hoped for when they drafted him a handful of years ago. Fred Taylor provides veteran leadership, but how much does he left at this late stage of his career? While the runners themselves may not be the best on paper, the offensive line is talented enough to make any running back in the NFL look good.

However, even if the run game was only mediocre, the Patriots are still capable of having a Top 5 offence in the NFL since they’ve never really relied on having a run game. They were Top 5 in total yards/total passing yards and the best in the NFL in first downs and time of possession.

If the Patriots are going to have problems, it will most likely be with their defence and more specifically, their secondary. Ever since losing Asante Samuel to the Eagles via free agency, they haven’t been able to fill the cornerback spot with another game-changer. They will be susceptible to giving up big plays against pass-oriented offences. They will have to rely on a good defensive line and linebacking corps to stop the run and to get pressure on the opposing quarterback.

Two players to look out for in camp are Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Both are young tight-ends that have impressed so far in training camp. If they’re able to take their pre-season form and bring it over to the regular season, they will add another dimension to an already impressive offence. The last thing that the rest of the NFL wants is for Tom Brady to have more targets to choose from.

2010 Prediction: 9-7

2010 NFL Preview: Atlanta Falcons

The theme for the Atlanta Falcons in 2010 has to be redemption. There were a ton of expectations put on the Falcons after players like Matt Ryan and Michael Turner were able to breakout and become superstars in the 2008 season. The problem was that everyone that was counted on to have even better years in 2009 ended up having less than stellar numbers.

Despite the numerous letdowns, the Falcons were still able to finish 9-7, but it wasn’t good enough to get them into the playoffs. So, the question has to be asked: Are the Atlanta Falcons closer to being the playoff team that finished 11-5 in 2008 or the 9-7 team that was good, but not good enough to get to the dance?

The redemption has to start with quarterback Matt Ryan. After a breakout rookie campaign, Ryan went through a sophomore slump last season. It wasn’t because of a lack of options for him to throw the ball to. The Falcons are deep at the wide receiver position with Roddy White, Michael Jenkins and Brian Finneran as his top three. Also, Tony Gonzalez isn’t too shabby at the tight end spot. He’s only a sure bet to make the Hall of Fame.

The Falcons were also counting on having one of the best 1-2 rushing combos in the league with Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. Turner by himself ran for 1700 yards in 2008. As a combo in 2009, they barely made it over the 1000 yard mark. They have to be better in order for the offense to be multi-dimensional.

Defensively, the Falcons were not very strong considering their record. Despite talking about the offence needing to step up from a sub-par effort in 2009, the Falcons scored enough points to bail out their defence in a couple of ball games. As a whole, they will need to improve in order for them to compete for a playoff spot.

The defensive end spot played poorly a year ago. John Abraham was another player who saw his sack total plummet. After collecting 26.5 sacks in the previous two years, Abraham only managed to pick up 5.5 sacks last season. Even worse has been former first-round pick Jamaal Anderson. In three seasons in the league, Anderson only has 2.5 sacks. Both will need to be significantly better in order to get pressure on the quarterback and help out their weak secondary.

Last season, the Falcons were in the bottom 5 in passing yards allowed. They’ve added Dunta Robinson at the cornerback spot to help, but other than him, the Falcons have no recognizable names that can help out. Either a bunch of no-names will step up to fill the void or the Falcons will give up a lot of yards via the pass again.

The linebackers are shaky as well with Curtis Lofton and Mike Peterson the only two to have real significant time as starters in the league.

2010 Prediction: 8-8

Only a Week and a Half Left to Wait



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Kinda Car Themed



2010 NFL Preview: Houston Texans

How many times have we gone into the NFL season and said, “Watch out for the Houston Texans ‘cause they’re gonna be good...” and how many times have we been burned by their mediocre play? Whatever the reason, NFL experts all the way down to people to watch every other week have been fooled into buying stock in the Houston Texans. Are they the “it” team again this year?

They certainly have the pass attack that would get people cheering for them on a weekly basis. Matt Schaub has quietly become one of the most prolific passers in the NFL due to having a plethora of receivers to throw to, including one of the best receivers in the game in Andre Johnson. Kevin Walter has turned into a nice option in the slot and Andre Davis is a solid third receiver.

The Texans were able to be the top passing team in the NFL and Top 5 in total yards gained, but the problem is that they rely so much on the pass because they have no running game. They thought they had that problem solved after a great rookie campaign by Steve Slaton a couple of years ago, but he faltered last year and the running game looks as shaky as ever after finishing third-last in rushing yards.

The offensive line has also gone through a major overhaul with several veterans replaced by younger talent. Will Schaub have enough time to get the ball to his receivers down the field like he was able to do a year ago in throwing for almost 5000 yards last season?

Defensively, the Texans have some nice individual pieces, but have never really been able to put everything together to create a fearsome defence. It looks to be the case again this year. They will have to hope that their big names continue to play well and that the lesser-known players step up to become known.

The defensive line is decent only because Mario Williams is there at the end spot, but Amobi Okoye needs to step up now and start playing like a first-round pick. The linebackers are the strength of this group led by Demeco Ryans, but how much will they be hurt by the loss of Brian Cushing for the first four games due to suspension? The secondary will be the group that is exposed the most. Houston will rely on a second-year player and a rookie to be their starting corners. That is never a good thing.

Two players to watch out for in camp are Arian Foster and Xavier Adibi. Foster is pencilled in to be the starting running back after a sub-par year from Steve Slaton. Can he allow the Texans to have a more balanced offensive attack? Adibi is the replacement for Cushing at linebacker for the first four games. Can he step up into a starting role and make the loss of Cushing more manageable?

2010 Prediction: 7-9

2010 NFL Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

Ever since I started writing these previews, I was always looking ahead to see when I would be writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not because I care about what their overall record will be, but because I respect the organization so much in the way they run their operation. It’s as successful a franchise as there is in professional sports and even if you hate them, you have to respect them.

We all know what the biggest question is going to be for this team in 2010. How do they start without Ben Roethlisberger for the first 4-6 games of the season? In order for them to be a playoff team, Dennis Dixon, Byron Leftwich or both will have to be adequate enough to keep them in the hunt for a wild card spot.

But even if the Steelers are able to accomplish that, Pittsburgh fans then have to hope that Roethlisberger can be in mid-season form immediately so that there are no bumps in the road on their way to the playoffs. If the Steelers are able to accomplish this, I would be willing to say already that the Steelers would be the most feared playoff team for any opponent.

Even with all the talk about the quarterbacks, the Steelers have the personnel on offence to be a smash-mouth team yet again. The opposition better prepare for a war inside the trenches with the best offensive line in football and a lot of running with Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore. Even the wide receivers don’t give any breaks as Hines Ward will continue to be one of the most physical receivers to ever play the game.

The one concern I have about the Steelers is whether or not they can build up a passing game to complement the rushing attack. A team cannot afford to be one-dimensional in the NFL, but the Steelers have a lack of depth at the wide receiver spot. Someone will have to step up beside Hines Ward since Santonio Holmes has now departed.

Defensively, this team is stacked with talent from top to bottom. It’s scary to think that some people believe the Steelers had an off-year defensively. All they did was have the most sacks in the NFL and be in the Top 5 in total yards allowed and rushing yards allowed. If they truly did underachieve, look the hell out if they’re playing up to capability.

Two players to look out for in camp are Mendenhall and Mike Wallace. Mendenhall was anointed the number one rusher on this team after rushing for over 1100 yards a year ago. Can he continue this pace now that he’s the feature back? Wallace represents the best option for a second receiver beside Hines Ward. Wallace had a stellar rookie campaign with over 700 yards receiving. Will he build on that year or go through the dreaded sophomore jinx?

2010 Prediction: 12-4

Monday-Friday Plane? LOL



Of Course That Horse Won...



2010 NFL Preview: Baltimore Ravens

These aren’t your typical Baltimore Ravens anymore. Gone are the days in which they would win games by scores of 13-10 or 7-3. The defense is just a little bit less talented than the 2000 defense that single-handedly won them the Super Bowl, but it’s the offence that could get everyone noticing this team in 2010.

Joe Flacco enters his third season as starter for this franchise and he’ll look to be a 4000 yard passer after throwing for 2900 yards in his rookie campaign and 3600 in his sophomore season. He’s quietly matured before our very eyes and could be well-positioned for a breakout year.

He’ll certainly have more options to help him get there with the addition of Anquan Boldin from Arizona. The top 4 receivers on this team are now: Derrick Mason, Boldin, Mark Clayton and Donte’ Stallworth, who joins the team after missing all of 2009 due to suspension.

But the Ravens have always prided themselves on being a run-oriented offence and if they want to go that route again, they can certainly do so with a trio of great running backs to choose from. Ray Rice and Willis McGahee will represent one of the best 1-2 running attacks in the league again and the fullback position will even be a threat with former number one rusher, Leron McClain filling the spot.

The one question mark about this offence will be the offensive line. They have Michael Oher at left tackle and veteran Matt Birk as anchors, but will the other three O-Linemen be able to perform adequately?

Defensively, they will be near the top of the NFL again in every major category and they may have the most complete starting 11 in the league. The one issue that they hope to avoid is injury because there’s a lack of depth on this team.

The defensive line is stacked with the projected starters listed as: Corey Redding, Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata. This could be the best trio in football to stuff the run at the line of scrimmage. Offensive lines will have a tough time handling them.

If a runner can get by the line, they’ll have to run into a talented group of linebackers led by Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. There are question marks as to how much Lewis and Suggs have left in the tank, but their veteran presence will help counter any deficiencies.

The one part of the defence that may be exploited would be the secondary, but even then, that’s a stretch since Chris Carr and Fabian Washington are more than adequate NFL cornerbacks.

Two players to look out for in camp are Donte Stallworth and Ray Lewis. Both have questions as to what they can offer at this point in their careers. How much did Stallworth lose in talent by missing a full season? For Lewis, how much mileage does he have left in the tank since he’s played so many seasons?

2010 Prediction: 11-5

2010 NFL Preview: New York Jets

It’s never easy being a New York team. It’s even more difficult when you have several of your top players unhappy with their contract situations and a lot of talent turnover on your roster because of a need to win immediately. Even add the idea that all of this is being presented to the public through an HBO reality series and you have the makings of the 2010 New York Jets.

The expectations are really high after the Jets became the Cinderella team of the AFC by making it to the championship game. Inevitably, they fell short against the Indianapolis Colts, but the season was looked upon as a stepping stone. However, after back-to-back 9-7 records, are the Jets truly Super Bowl contenders this year like some are suggesting?

I usually start by talking about the offence, but since there are so many questions to be asked, I’ll quickly go over the defense instead. The Jets have a tough hill to climb if they want to duplicate their unbelievable defensive stats from a year ago. First in the NFL in points allowed, total yards allowed and passing yards allowed.

They have the horses to do it though…as long as they get Darrelle Revis playing a significant amount of time this season. I still can’t believe that the Jets have not gotten this contract done. Revis is the best cornerback in the league. With Antonio Cromartie coming over from San Diego, they would represent the best 1-2 tandem in the league. Without him, the pass defence is a shell of itself.

The linebacking group is first-class with Bart Scott, David Harris and Calvin Pace all as starters on this team and the defensive line will create havoc again with Shaun Ellis at the end spot and Kris Jenkins in the middle.

To me, the offence is what could make or break the Jets. There are several individuals on this team that will have to improve in order for them to go from a playoff team to a Super Bowl contender.

It all starts with Mark Sanchez. In his second season with the Jets, can he improve enough that he can get the Jets offence to go from being so run-driven to being multi-dimensional? He’ll have Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards to throw to, but can those two step up to become elite receivers in this league? Dustin Keller represents a decent option at the tight-end spot.

The running game was relied upon so much last season that they were Number 1 in the NFL in rushing yards. Shonn Greene takes over as the starter now. Is he ready to be the lead dog for this team? His backup will be LaDainian Tomlinson as he comes over from San Diego as well. How much gas does he have left in the tank?

It’s truly difficult to tell what the Jets will do this season because there are so many questions. Usually in situations where expectations are unbelievably high combined with roster uncertainty, you have the makings for a season that doesn’t go according to plan. Can the Jets prove to be an exception?

2010 Prediction: 10-6

The "Block and Bridge" Even Applies in Pageants



2010 NFL Preview: San Francisco 49ers

During an already-famous rant, head coach Mike Singletary talked about needing men to play for him in order for his football team to succeed. Well, he may just have the men he was looking for as the San Francisco 49ers head into the 2010 season. It also helps that the Niners will be playing in an incredibly weak NFC West. Making the playoffs is a necessity for this team.

However, all those lofty expectations will not be fulfilled if quarterback Alex Smith doesn’t find the form that allowed him to the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Smith supporters will tell you that he’s never felt comfortable because of the revolving door of coaches that he’s been introduced to in his time with San Fran. That excuse goes away now with Singletary and the rest of the staff on for another year.

Smith supporters will also tell you that he’s never really had any superstar receivers to throw the ball to. That may be true, but he might have his best ever trio of receivers this season with Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn (coming over from Miami) and Josh Morgan. There are question marks as to what these receivers can offer, but they’re all full of potential just like Smith. It also helps to have one of the best tight ends in the game in Vernon Davis.

The running game has always been there with Frank Gore, but because the Niners have never been able to establish a true passing game, defences have been able to stack up against the run and force Gore into tough running situations. If they could ever establish a pass attack, the offensive line for this team certainly has the ability to open up holes since they have talent across the entire line.

With all the positivity surrounding what could be, let’s not forget that this Niners team is coming off a season in which their offence was near the bottom five in a lot of major categories. They still have a lot of work ahead of them before they can be considered a dangerous team to play against.

Defensively, the Niners are stacked with talent across the board. Out of all the previews I’ve done so far, this is by far the best defensive group that I’ve seen. Led by Patrick Willis in the middle, the Niners don’t have too many holes that can be exploited by opposing offences. Teams that score points on San Fran will certainly have earned them.

Two players to watch out for in camp are Ted Ginn and Brian Westbrook. Ginn is looking for a fresh start after starting his career in Miami. He’s always had the potential for greatness, but can he find himself in San Fran and create a lethal 1-2 combination with Crabtree? Westbrook just wanted a chance to win the Super Bowl when he chose the Niners. We don’t know how much he has left in the tank, but with limited carries, can he find enough form to create a nice 1-2 with Gore to further enhance the running attack?

2010 Prediction: 11-5

More Kenny F'n Powers...



Good Ol Flugtag...



2010 NFL Preview: Carolina Panthers

It’s a changing of the guard in Carolina as a lot of the veteran players for this franchise have been shipped out and replaced by younger bodies. Coming off a season in which the Panthers finished 8-8, the management decided that the rebuild needed to begin immediately.

The biggest change will be at quarterback where Matt Moore takes over as the full-time starter in place of the veteran Jake Delhomme. We had become so used to the Delhomme-Steve Smith combination, but Delhomme’s best days were clearly behind him and the franchise needed a fresh arm that was capable of keeping Smith not only productive, but happy at the same time.

The obvious question is: Can Moore turn this offense multi-dimensional? We know that the Panthers are set at the running back spot with possibly the best tandem in football with Deangelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart, but being one-dimensional is equal to death in the NFL. The stats don’t lie. The Panthers were near the bottom in passing yards and Top 3 in rushing yards. The passing yards have to come up a little more to create balance.

The offensive line for this team has some great talent at the end and centre positions. Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah might represent the best tandem of tackles in the NFL and Ryan Kalil is a big-time centre in this league. The problems could arise with the guards and their relative inexperience.

Defensively, this team put up solid numbers from a year ago, but with a lot of personnel changes and the subtraction of All-Pro defensive end Julius Peppers, can this defence put up the same type of performance that they did last season? On paper, it looks like they'll be hard-pressed to equal their 2009 season.

With the loss of Peppers due to free agency, the Panthers were left with a big hole to fill at the end spot. Unfortunately, they didn’t fill it with someone close to the same talent level as Peppers. They'll have a tough time getting pressure on the quarterback this season unless someone emerges from the group.

The linebackers group looks to be a bit shaky as well. After Jon Beason, the Panthers really don’t have a lot of offer against opposing offences. The secondary is in the same boat as Chris Gamble represents the one true threat at the cornerback spot, but everyone else is going to have to pick up their game if they want to equal their fourth place finish for passing yards allowed.

Two players to watch for in camp are Dwayne Jarrett and Jimmy Clausen. We talked about the need for a pass attack and Jarrett might be the guy to give them a second threat from the wide receiver spot. The USC grad has to start showing off some of that potential though or else the Panthers will be stuck relying solely on the run game again. Clausen is trying to get the backup job at quarterback away from Hunter Cantwell. Odds are that he will do so since he’s the future of the franchise. How well he shows in camp will go a long way into telling us how quickly he can ascend into being the starter for the Panthers.

2010 Prediction: 5-11

2010 NFL Preview: New York Giants

In the NFL, things change so rapidly. Rosters are never the same from one year to the next. Head coaches have more turnover than at a fast food joint and Super Bowl contenders turn into NFL pretenders at the drop of a hat. Two of the three are certainly applicable to the New York Giants. It’s easy to forget that they were the Super Bowl champions for the 2007 season.

Tom Coughlin is still the head coach in New York, but has to be one of the coaches already on the hot seat as we get set to start the season. It’s imperative that the Giants start well or else Tom could be out of a job. And the roster has changed as well after much controversy and scandal over the last couple of years.

Eli Manning is set to control this team for another season and has a pretty good offense around him. His two pencilled-in starters as of right now are Mario Manningham and Steve Smith. The Giants could very well have the most under-rated set of receivers in the NFL and I’m sure Manning is OK with that. Throw in a good, young tight-end in Kevin Boss and your passing game is set.

The one big question mark on offence is the running abilities of Brandon Jacobs. Everyone talks about his size at 270 pounds and his speed/agility to go with that size, but somewhere along the way, Jacobs lost himself and as a result, he had an off-year. He needs to bounce back so that they can set up the thunder/lightning combo again with Ahmad Bradshaw. The offensive line is the most solid unit that I’ve written about so far, so that will help immensely.

Where this team will fall into trouble is on defence and particularly in the middle of the field. They did sign Keith Bulluck away from Tennessee to help out at the linebacker spot, but this group is weak beyond Bulluck and will need to find a way to elevate their games in order to avoid being exploited over and over again.

The defensive line looks solid on the outside with Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka looking for sacks from the end spots, but the middle of the line is suspect. Suspect defensive tackles combined with a weak set of linebackers looks like a recipe for teams to run all day against the Giants.

The saving grace should be that the secondary looks solid with the addition of Antrel Rolle from Arizona to take over at the free safety position. This is a ball club that was third last in the league in points allowed, so they need to tighten things up.

Two players to watch out for in camp are Ahmad Bradshaw and Umenyiora. If Bradshaw wants to be the feature back in this offence, he will get no better chance than to now take the spot away from Brandon Jacobs. He must continue his progression after having a career year. Umenyiora is coming off a sub-par season last year as he recovered from injury that forced him to miss the entire 2008 season. Can he find his form again or will that injury limit what he can do for the rest of his playing days?

2010 Prediction: 9-7

European Tour's Finest Shots



2010 NFL Preview: Denver Broncos

What happened to Denver Broncos football? In the last couple of years, we’ve seen a troubling trend where the Broncs have traded away top players for less than ideal returns. After all, the Broncos are now without quarterback Jay Cutler as he goes to Chicago in exchange for Kyle Orton and others. They also say goodbye to their best wide receiver in Brandon Marshall to Miami for a couple of draft picks and their best tight-end in Tony Scheffler to Detroit for a draft pick.

I understand the optimist that says that these picks can turn out to be great for Denver’s future as they form a core of talent centered around Tim Tebow, but that’s years from now. The Broncos of 2010 look like another mediocre bunch, much like they were a year ago. Just about every major statistical category has the Broncos in the middle of the pack. Good enough to beat the bottom-feeders, but not good enough to beat the elite of the league.

Kyle Orton leads the offense, but runs into a big problem this season with the departure of Brandon Marshall. Say what you will about Marshall’s attitude, but there are few in the NFL that are capable of catching 21 balls in one game like Marshall did in 2009. Eddie Royal is now the number one receiver on this team. He must find his form from his rookie year to give this team a chance to compete.

The saving grace for this offence could be the running game, but not just because of one guy. The offensive line, the tight end and the running backs on this team are pretty solid. Knowshon Moreno could be line for a breakout year. Daniel Graham is a talented and veteran tight end and their offensive line has some good pieces, including left tackle Ryan Clady.

Defensively, the Broncos were top 5 in the league a year ago against the pass. Of course it helps to have Champ Bailey as one of your cornerbacks. He’ll be counted on to lead this secondary yet again. The obvious question has to be: Can they get that same kind of output again from their secondary? And how much does Brian Dawkins have left in the tank at this point in his career?

This defence took a major hit with the loss of Elvis Dumervil for the 2010 season. As a linebacker, he was able to pick up 17 sacks a year ago and terrorize defences with his size, speed and athleticism. His 17 sacks represented over 40 percent of their sack total from a year ago. You just can’t replace that with a backup.

Two players to watch out for in camp are Jabar Gaffney and Brady Quinn. Gaffney had a good year last season with over 700 yards receiving. If he can do that again or up the total, he’ll allow this team to have a better chance to create a passing dimension to their offence. Quinn has struggled so far in camp. With poster-boy Tim Tebow behind him on the depth chart, his days in Denver are looking grim. Could this be the end of the road for Quinn already?

2010 Prediction: 7-9

Success for a Change



2010 NFL Preview: Tennessee Titans

We’re just about at the halfway point because now we start to preview a stretch of teams that finished 8-8 last season. Finishing .500 always creates debate for fans of that certain team. The optimist will tell you that the team is set to make the leap to become a playoff-calibre team. Meanwhile, the pessimist will tell you that the mediocrity can only lead to bad things down the road.

Well, lots to debate about when it comes to the Tennessee Titans. After starting the season 0-6, the Titans won 8 of their last 10 games to finish with a respectable record, but a record that fell just short of the playoffs. Easy question here: What team are we more likely to see in 2010? Will it be the fall 2009 team or the winter 2009 team?

Well, unlike some other teams that require tons of explanation as to how they’re going to win football games, it’s very simple with the Titans. They’re going to come at opponents with smash-mouth football led by Chris Johnson and hope to be in a position to win the game and be the fresher of the two teams in the later stages of the game.

Johnson has promised a 2500 yard season this year from the backfield and I’m thinking that he may just need it if the Titans want to be a playoff team. I just don’t think he gets there because it’s just such an unrealistic number, they don’t have a stacked offensive line to create consistent holes and with a lack of passing offence, teams can just stack up against the run.

Vince Young had a great finish last season, but the question still has to be answered: Does he have the maturity and the ability to be a great quarterback in this league? I still don’t see it myself and his passing options are a further hindrance. The Titans receivers are all competent NFL players, but none of them possess enough ability to take over a game. Bo Scaife is a nice option at tight end, but not nearly enough.

Despite a lot of negativity, the big problem with this team will be with their defence. There’s just not enough talent with this group, particularly on the defensive line. If you can’t get pressure on the quarterback, that creates all sorts of problems. The Titans have a pretty good secondary, but they’ll be tested every single time they face a team with any sort of pass attack.

Two players to look out for in camp are Eugene Amano and Nate Washington. Most have never heard of Amano, but he will be an important member of the team this year with the subtraction of All-Pro center Kevin Mawae. Can Amano fill the shoes of someone who was such a great leader for the offence and the team in general? Washington has to finally prove that he can be a number one receiver in this league. It would be such a big help to this team if they could add a semblance of a pass attack.

2010 Prediction: 7-9

A Couple More Fails



Ron Burgundy or Homer Simpson?



Who's worse? Tyreke Evans or Charles Barkley?



2010 NFL Preview: Chicago Bears

Do you ever notice the guy or girl in the office that continues to make the same mistake? Most of you will allow the poor person to just continue on with their ineptitude as you just worry about how YOU get through your day. But some of you will offer a suggestion to that person to try and make their life easier. What do you usually hear? Something like, “Thanks for the suggestion” and that’s it, but there are a few that will add something to the end like, “Thanks for the suggestion, but I prefer to do it this way.”

The Chicago Bears remind me of this because they’ve never been willing to invest into building a pass-oriented offence and it usually kicks them in the rear once we get into the season. Sure, they’ve had division-winning seasons and even made it to the Super Bowl in 2006, but they’ve always relied on strong defence to get them there. They’ve always won in spite of their offence and 2010 will be no different if they are successful.

The statistics don’t lie. The Bears were bottom five in rushing yards per game and in time of possession. Teams would stack up against the run to make sure that Matt Forte would not beat them single-handedly, so it forced Jay Cutler and the passing offence to make the big plays. With no big-time players at the wide-receiver spot, that was just simply asking too much.

The Bears could very well have a quarterback that plays for them for the next 10 years in Cutler, but the problem yet again is that he has no receivers to throw to. You would have thought the Bears would have invested some time, effort and money to alleviate their problem at this position, but the listed starters right now are Devin Hester and Johnny Knox. The question arises again: Can Hester play like a number one receiver in the NFL? Greg Olsen might represent the most consistent option from the tight-end spot.

The running game should be solid with Forte as the starter and Chester Taylor has the new third-down back as he comes over from Minnesota. The offensive line is stacked with talent down the left side and at the centre position, but with two relative rookies on the right side, there could be problems.

As I said before, defence is what’s going to allow this team to be successful. The addition of Julius Peppers from Carolina is huge for a defensive line that is already talented. At the linebacker spot, they have to hope that guys like Brian Urlacher and Pisa Tinoisamoa can stay healthy. They played a combined 3 games last year due to injury. On paper, the Bears are stacked with depth at the linebacker spot. The secondary is strong as well.

Two players to look out for in camp are Cutler and Devin Aromashodu. Cutler has a ton of pressure on his shoulders to lift this team back to playoff contention. However, he has no pressure behind him when it comes to quarterbacks trying to take his job. Is it a nice relief since it’s one less thing to worry about or a curse in disguise because he won’t be in the proper competitive mindframe? Aromashodu emerged in the last four games of the year for the Bears when there was nothing to play for. Can he build off of that season-end performance?

2010 Prediction: 8-8

I think the CFL has the rights to that celebration...



2010 NFL Preview: Miami Dolphins

I don’t really want to write about the Miami Dolphins. First of all, as a Bills fan, the Dolphins are the most-hated rival and the thought of Fish fan always bringing up an undefeated season from 38 years ago makes me sick every time. Second of all, trying to figure what this team is going to do is easier than trying to dodge drops of rain during a downpour like we had here in Ottawa on Sunday. Their record going back to 2005 has been like this: 9-7, 6-10, 1-15, 11-5 and 7-9. Where’s the freakin’ pattern?

Coming off a 1-15 season in 2007, new head coach Tony Sparano was able to achieve instant success in 2008 by going 11-5. That all changed in 2009 in a 7-9 season when they couldn’t sneak up on anybody and would get the best from their opponents every week. So, are the Dolphins closer to being an 11 win team or a 7 win team? My guess is somewhere in the middle.

Chad Henne has shown promise that he can be the long-term quarterback for the Dolphins. However, it didn’t help when owner Stephen Ross proclaimed that he could be the next Dan Marino. He’ll get some help with the addition of Brandon Marshall from Denver. Marshall has already put himself into the diva category in his short time in the NFL, but there’s no doubt that he’s one of the Top 10 receivers in the league. The problem for me is figuring out where the second option will be for Henne, especially after the loss of Ted Ginn via trade to San Francisco. My guess is that tight end Anthony Fasano will be very busy this season.

The running game is set with the 1-2 punch of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. I also love what fullback Lousaka Polite offers as a short-down and goal-line back. If you need a yard, this guy is money in the bank. The run game is so vital to them. It allows them to make 3rd downs easier to convert since they’re shorter, dominate time of possession and keep defences on the field.

The offensive line will be strong as well with Jake Long anchoring at left tackle. I like the addition of Richie Incognito at left guard. There’s no doubt that he’s a nut-case and a risk for unnecessary penalties, but he’s too talented to pass on.

Defensively, they made a lot of changes and unfortunately, it might be their downfall. A lot of veteran players that produced for them were let go to allow for young guys to step up. But can they really replace the loss of Joey Porter and Jason Taylor with what they have now and still be as good? The old guys allowed Miami to be second in the league in sacks a year ago.

Two players to look out for in camp are Chad Pennington and Ronnie Brown. Pennington is pencilled as the fourth-stringer at the quarterback spot, but all reports indicate that he’s having a great off-season and could be the backup sooner rather than later. What does he have left after numerous shoulder injuries? Ronnie Brown is pencilled in as the starter right now, but can he stay healthy long enough to make the impact that’s always expected of him?

2010 Prediction: 9-7

The Best of DJ Steve Porter



I Could Probably Do That on Tiger Woods '11



Maybe Pre-Season is Entertaining After All



2010 NFL Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars

They say finding the starting point when writing something is the hardest part. It certainly holds true for trying to write about the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now I can see why people in Jacksonville aren’t so quick to snatch up tickets to see this team. It’s a team with only 1 real superstar and a 7-9 record last season.

I guess the best place to start would be with the quarterback, but it’s the same story for David Garrard before every single season. Will he emerge to become a big-play quarterback and a leader for the football team? Well, every single year that goes by is more evidence that Garrard may not be able to positively answer that question. Unfortunately for Jags fans, Luke McCown isn’t going to push Garrard for the spot, so it’s either sink or swim with the number one.

Maurice Jones-Drew represents the one superstar on the team, but he just can’t be counted on to do it himself every single game. Opposing defences would stack up against the run and force the Jags to either beat them through the air or rely on Jones-Drew and the offensive line to do some stellar work. With that in mind, it’s amazing the kind of numbers Jones-Drew was able to put up. Just imagine what he could do in a talented offence. Based on the offensive line that they have heading into this year, it’s even more imperative that Garrard step up.

The problem for Garrard or even Byron Leftwich, the starter before him, was that the Jags haven’t been able to find replacements at the wide receiver spot ever since the departures of Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell from a few years ago. They haven’t found them this year either, although Mike Sims-Walker might be a nice piece by himself. Marcedes Lewis needs to live up to his pre-draft expectations so that Garrard can have a good outlet at the tight end spot.

Defensively, the Jags have some talent spread around the field thanks to a couple of off-seasons acquisitions and the 2010 draft. The defensive line needed some much needed boosting considering they were at the bottom of the league in sacks last season with only 14. Less than a sack per game isn’t going to cut it. The second-worst team was Kansas City at 22.

Aaron Kampmann comes over from Green Bay to take over one of the end spots and the Jags also drafted Tyson Alualu with the 10th overall pick to take over at the defensive tackle spot. Kirk Morrison now patrols the middle of the field after being picked up from Oakland in the off-season and Rashean Mathis is one of the more under-rated corners in the league.

Two players to watch out for in camp are Mike Thomas and Derrick Harvey. Thomas has a good rookie campaign a year ago and is now expected to be a starter at the wide receiver spot. He needs to find a way to elevate his game for himself and the team. Having a second threat at wide receiver could go a long way to helping this team reach the playoffs. Harvey was the 8th overall pick in 2008 out of Florida and was expected to terrorize quarterbacks with his athleticism. So far, he’s only picked up 5.5 sacks in two years. The defensive line needs to be better and so does he. It’s time to live up to those expectations.

2010 Prediction: 8-8

Real or Fake?



Just Dance!



FAIL



The Good and the Bad



2010 NFL Preview: Buffalo Bills

I’ve dreaded having to write this one ever since I started with these previews, but the time has come to (sigh) talk about the Buffalo Bills. Going into this year, the talk surrounding the Bills is whether new head coach Chan Gailey can avoid lift them past the expectations of being the worst team in football.

Gailey was brought in for his expertise with quarterbacks and his first order of business will be to figure out who the starting quarterback is. Will it be Trent Edwards like it has been the last couple of seasons, Ryan Fitzpatrick or Brian Brohm? Either way, all three represent talent levels that are closer to backups than starters. How does Gailey elevate one of these guys to become consistent starters?

Even if he finds a guy to emerge as a competent starter, Gailey has to know that he’s thin for options at the wide receiver and tight end positions. Terrell Owens is now in Cincinnati and the Bills are left to put all their eggs in the basket of Lee Evans. Evans is a talented receiver, but it seems hardly fair that he might have to do all the work every single week.

The saving grace for this team might be at the running back spot where they have a good amount of depth. Fred Jackson is pencilled in as the starter right now, but first-round pick CJ Spiller should take the spot away. Whatever the order is, they make a good 1-2 combo and if either one of them get hurt, Marshawn Lynch might be the best third-stringer in the NFL. However, all the talent in the world might not do them any good as they need to rely on an inexperienced and under-talented offensive line to open up holes for them.

The strength of this team lies in the defense, especially with the cornerbacks and safeties. People will be shocked to find out that the Bills were 2nd in the league in passing yards against per game last year because of great depth in the secondary. They were also top 5 in the league in takeaways. Their safety tandem of Donte Whitner and Jairus Byrd might be the most under-rated tandem in the league.

Where they ran into trouble was with the run defence. They were third worst in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. Injuries had a lot to do with that, but it’s something that I’m sure that has been addressed time and time again. The loss of Aaron Schobel will be tough to swallow on the defensive line, but that means guys like Marcus Stroud and Kyle Williams have to step up.

Two guys to watch out for in camp are Marshawn Lynch and Jairus Byrd. Lynch finds himself third on the depth chart mainly because of repeated troubles with authorities. But we’re still talking about someone who gained over 1000 yards in his first two years of the league. Can he find that form and possibly make the Bills running game a three-headed monster? As for Byrd, all the 2nd year man did last season for his rookie year was pick the ball off 9 times. What does he do for an encore?

2010 Prediction: 4-12

2010 NFL Preview: Cleveland Browns

As a Buffalo Bills fan, I probably shouldn’t feel bad about other teams’ ineptitude since we’ve had to deal with it ourselves, but I can’t help but feel sorry for the fans of the Cleveland Browns. Since their return for the 1999 season, the Browns have only finished above .500 twice in 11 years and are coming off seasons of 4-12 and 5-11 records in 2008 and 2009 respectively. The Browns are hoping that a new “battery” in the offense can propel this team back to respectability, but from the look of things, it might just be more of the same.

Jake Delhomme takes over as the starting quarterback after a long tenure in Carolina with Seattle castaway Seneca Wallace as his backup. The obvious question is: How much does Jake Delhomme have left in the tank at 35? From what I saw last year, not much, so I expect to see a lot of Seneca Wallace this season.

However, it’s not all bad offensively for the Browns. Jerome Harrison emerged in the second half of the year to be a big threat at the running back spot. You combine that with a pretty good offensive line and you have the makings of a team that’s going to look to pound the rock and grind teams out by dominating time of possession.

Even in cases where Delhomme or Wallace has to throw the football, they have credible options. The Browns have a lot of young, talented receivers, including Josh Cribbs and Mohammed Massaquoi that could break out this season. I also like the pick-up of veteran tight-end Ben Watson as a nice safety outlet.

The big problem for this team though will continue with their defence. Other than Shaun Rogers in the middle of the defensive line, they just don’t have the horses to get them to the pay window. Defensively, the Browns were the worst team in takeaways, 2nd worst in total yards allowed per game and in the bottom 5 in passing and rushing yards allowed per game.

For the Browns to win, they will have to rely on drives that take up a lot of time and convert into touchdowns at the same time. They can’t afford to try and get into a defensive battle against an opponent or they will lose. They can’t get into a boat race with an opponent either. Their personnel won’t allow for that.

Two players to look out for in camp are Seneca Wallace and Josh Cribbs. Wallace has a chance to supplant Delhomme in training camp if he can have a good camp and Delhomme struggles. Wallace was always behind Matt Hasselbeck in Seattle, but now that he finally goes into a training camp knowing that the spot is up for grabs, can he elevate his game? Same question for Cribbs. Everyone knows him as an amazing kick/punt returner, but with a chance to be a starting wide receiver now, can he step up and show that he’s not one-dimensional?

2010 Prediction: 3-13

Who is More Ridiculous?



Wonder if the Jazz Has a Methane Model?



2010 NFL Preview: Seattle Seahawks

The landscape of professional sports in North America has changed so much with the introduction of the salary cap to most leagues. We always talk about how much a specific player is making or how much room a team has left under the cap. Fans know more about the business side of the game than maybe ever before.

Another aspect that people like to talk about is “the window of opportunity”. In the salary cap world, the time in which a team can be strong enough to win a championship is very small. If they don’t capitalize within the timeframe, the ramifications may be severe. This has held true for the Seattle Seahawks.

After five straight seasons from 2003-2007 in which they won at least 9 games each season, the last two years have been miserable with records of 4-12 in 2008 and 5-11 last year. And judging by the talent they put out onto the field for this go-around, it should be no better for 2010.

The complete unknown is how new head coach Pete Carroll is going to do in his second big-league stint. Everyone knows how successful he was in moulding USC into a college power-house, but after failing in his first attempt at the NFL level, will that winning experience make him any different this time around?

Matt Hasselbeck is back to lead the Seahawks offense, but he may be in for a long season if the rest of his offense plays to expectations. Julius Jones is slated to be the starting running back. On most teams, he would be a back-up or an after-thought, but he gets the spot by default (for now). The wide receiver position is thin also. Nate Burleson moved on to Detroit making TJ Houshmandzadeh the number one receiver. John Carlson is a good, young tight-end who will be a nice outlet. The biggest issue will be the offensive line, despite the drafting of Russell Okung at the 6 spot. It’s inexperienced and will be exposed throughout the season.

Defensively, the Seahawks could be in trouble as well. Except for Marcus Trufant and Lofa Tatupu, Seattle just doesn’t have big-time players that will make opposing offences worry too much. They will certainly need young guys like last-year’s first-rounder Aaron Curry and another first-rounder from this season in Josh Wilson to step up in the hopes of sending this defence to the next level.

Two players to watch out for in camp are Leon Washington and Golden Tate. Washington comes over from the New York Jets full of baggage as he insists to everyone that he was a starter, but was being held down by the Jets. Well, Julius Jones may be the starting running back with the least amount of job security in the NFL. If you’re truly that good, take the spot. As for Tate, he was taken 60th overall in this year’s draft and was considered a steal. With the WR spot as weak as it is, he may be in line to be a starter sooner rather than later.

2010 Prediction: 4-12

2010 NFL Preview: Oakland Raiders

I envy the patience it takes to be a Raiders fan that doesn’t jump on and off the bandwagon. Some of the moves that Al Davis has made over the last handful of years have turned this once-proud franchise into a complete joke. This is a team that made it to the Super Bowl only 8 years ago. However, the few moves that this team did make this off-season have made Raiders fans believe that may have turned the franchise finally back into the direction of winning. Just don’t expect the winning to happen right away.

The biggest positive is that the Jamarcus Russell experiment has finally been abandoned. At the hefty cost of 39 million in guaranteed money, Russell might supplant Ryan Leaf as the biggest bust in NFL history. His play was so bad that it set this franchise back for about a decade. But with Russell out, in comes Jason Campbell. Campbell was no longer needed in Washington when the Redskins picked up Donovan McNabb, so Campbell will get to experience the Black Hole as a host and not a guest.

The problem for me is that I view Campbell as an NFL bust and I don’t see the Raiders being so much better with Campbell over any of the other fringe QB’s that the Raiders have used over the last few years. The difference with Campbell over everyone else is that people always seem to look for excuses as to why he doesn’t play well. After a while, it’s hard to overlook the overwhelming evidence.

Couple that with the fact that he doesn’t really have any weapons around him and you have a recipe for bad football. His running game may have name recognition with Darren McFadden as the starter, but with only 856 yards in two seasons, he may not offer much. His wide receiver options are slim at best, so he’ll be relying a lot on Zach Miller at the tight end spot. I like the offensive line for this team though. They will really need to play well to give this team any sort of chance.

Defensively, they’ve got some names and some talent, but other than Nnamdi Asomugha and Richard Seymour, they don’t really have the game-breakers that can change the course of a game or create opportunities for turnovers or points. The biggest change is at middle linebacker where Raider-favourite Kirk Morrison was allowed to walk in favour of first-round pick Rolando McClain. That’s a lot of pressure for a young guy, but Al Davis is banking on him being able to handle the spot.

Two players to look out for in camp are Derrius Heyward-Bey and Michael Bush. The Raiders passed on picking Michael Crabtree and Percy Harvin in order to pick Heyward-Bey and for their troubles, he caught 9 passes for 124 yards. Saying they need more from him would be a huge understatement, but he’s pencilled as a starter right now. Bush is in a great position to supplant McFadden as the number one running back. Can he make the step up in training camp to take the spot away?

2010 Prediction: 4-12

2010 NFL Preview: Kansas City Chiefs

What do you make of a team that finished 4-12 a year ago and often looked embarrassingly bad in doing so? Some believe this could be a slightly improved season for the Kansas City Chiefs and others believe that this team could be a sleeper for the playoffs. The reason for the high amount of variance between opinions is because of questions surrounding their most valuable players have yet to be answered.

The biggest question for this team is: What do they really have in Matt Cassel? A guy that has All-Pro talent that was stuck behind Hall of Fame talent in Tom Brady or a guy that was propped up in his time on the field in New England because of great talent around him? Nobody knows for sure what KC really has in Cassel, but he better show improvement from a sub-par first season in order for the Chiefs to make a step up.

The other big question is: How good can Jamaal Charles really be? In only 190 carries last season, he gained 1120 yards rushing. Even more impressive was his last four games as the starter as he rushed 94 times for 658 yards. This includes the final game of the year against Denver when he ran 25 times for 259. Is he the next big thing?

I like the depth of this offense. Dwayne Bowe has emerged as a credible number one threat at the wide receiver spot. Also, Cassel and Chris Chambers had instant chemistry at the end of the year when Chambers was brought in via trade with San Diego. Thomas Jones creates a good 1-2 in the backfield. However, for all of this to come together, the offensive line has to be much better than a year ago. With Brian Waters and Ryan Lilja as the guards, they provide veteran experience, but the youngsters on that line have to elevate their game.

The defence of the Chiefs really did themselves no favours as they were near the bottom in most major categories last year. The only aspect they were decent at was stopping the run. The biggest problem is that it looks good on paper, especially with as many as five first round picks on the field at the same time. But 4 out of the 5 first round picks (Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson) are closer to being busts than superstars. For the Chiefs’ sake, let’s hope this year’s first-rounder, Eric Berry, doesn’t follow the same path.

Two players I’ll be looking for in camp will be Glenn Dorsey and Javier Arenas. It’s put up or shut up time for Dorsey. Being a first-rounder and only have 2 sacks in 2 years isn’t going to cut it. Arenas is a guy that has a lot to prove after he felt undervalued at being picked in the second round instead of the first. Considering how weak the corners are on this team, the Alabama standout may be a starter sooner rather than later.

2010 Prediction: 6-10

2010 NFL Preview: Washington Redskins

A once-proud franchise has now become one of the laughing-stocks of the NFL, but a new quarterback, a couple of new running backs and a Super-Bowl winning head coach may help things turn around in the U.S. capital. The Washington Redskins finished 4-12 a year ago and unlike the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the management team and owner Dan Snyder made wholesale changes to try and find the winning formula again. However, all those changes are being overshadowed by one guy.

All the talk surrounding the Redskins has revolved around new head coach Mike Shanahan vs. disgruntled 100-million dollar man Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth wanted out because Shanahan was switching the defence to a 3-4, but eventually stayed after collecting a 21 million dollar bonus.

The saga continued after Shanahan ordered Haynesworth to pass a conditioning test before practicing. Problem being that Haynesworth failed twice, skipped the test for a week citing a knee problem, but promptly passed after an MRI revealed no major problems with said knee. The Redskins are going to have to put this behind them quickly so that it doesn’t affect their play in the regular season.

The new quarterback for this club is Donovan McNabb as he replaces Jason Campbell, who went to Oakland. McNabb has a lot to prove to critics who say he’s too old to get the job done. The good thing for him is that he has a pretty good offensive line in front of him and has a trio of savvy veterans to get the ball to in: Santana Moss, Joey Galloway and tight end Chris Cooley.

Where this team might run into problems is with the run game. Clinton Portis remains pencilled in as the starter, but with his yearly injury problems, the Redskins decided to bolster their backups by signing Larry Johnson, Willie Parker and Ryan Torain. The question is simply: How much do all four guys have left in the tank at this point? Some people will suggest that Shanahan will be able to help them find form since he’s turned no-name running backs into superstars before. Problem with that theory is that he did it with young and fresh running backs, not old and tired backs. He has his hands full here.

The defense looks solid from top to bottom and will be responsible for keeping the Redskins in a lot of ball games. There are name players all over the field. The problem they ran into last year was that their offence was so horrendous, they could never stay on the field and the defense would tire by the end of ball games.

Two players I’ll be looking out for will be Trent Williams and of course, Albert Haynesworth. Williams was the fourth-overall pick in this year’s draft and will be asked to cover the blindside of Donovan McNabb. With the retirement of Chris Samuels, Williams will have to learn one of the toughest positions in the NFL and fast. For Haynesworth, the question is simple: Does he find the form that allowed him to sign for 100 million dollars in the first place? If he does, the Redskins will be much better off for it.

2010 Prediction: 7-9

2010 NFL Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Usually when a team finishes a season 3-13, they do as much as possible to change the culture within the organization. Whether players come and go or coaches are given their walking papers, something is usually done to let the fans know that they are committed to winning, but given the lack of progress made by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this off-season, it looks like it’s going to be another long season for the retirees in South Florida.

The dynamic duo of Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson come back to battle for the starting quarterback job, but at this point, does it really matter who the quarterback is for this offense? Things don’t look good when the number one option is the tight end. Granted Kellen Winslow is a great tight end in this league, but teams that don’t have options at the wide receiver position will get burned.

If the Bucs have any chance of being successful, they are going to have to pray that Cadillac Williams finds his rookie form again. After busting out in his first season, Williams has had nothing but problems staying healthy, but after only playing a combined 10 games in 2007-2008, he suited up all 16 games last season. However, his numbers were sub-par and simply not good enough to warrant having a starting spot in the NFL.

The game-plan for the Bucs will be to rely on their defence to do a lot of the work and hope that their offense can put just enough points on the board to secure victory. A lot of hype surrounds Gerald McCoy as he was selected third overall in this year’s draft. However, the Bucs are relying on one veteran and three rookies on the D-line to try and get pressure on the quarterback. They also have to find a way to improve on their run defence as they were last in the league in rushing yards allowed per game at 158.

The starting linebackers should be a competent group led by Barrett Ruud and Geno Hayes, but don’t expect them to be game-changers. The retirement of Derrick Brooks really hurts this group and the Bucs didn’t really have time to go out and replace him, so they’re stuck with what they have.

The biggest strength this team offers is an ability to shut down passing offenses with their secondary. Aqib Talib and Ronde Barber offer a good 1-2 combination at the cornerback spot. Sean Jones and Tanard Jackson offer good skill and veteran experience at the safety positions. If Tampa Bay can ever force an opposing offense to be one-dimensional because of their secondary, they have a much better chance of winning.

The two players I’ll be looking out for in the early part of the year will be Cadillac Williams and Ronde Barber. Both have something to prove but for different reasons. Williams has to show the form that he had in his rookie year and Barber has to show that at 35 years old, he can still be a playmaker in this league.

2010 Prediction: 3-13 yet again...

2010 NFL Preview: Detroit Lions

It’s not too often that you can look upon a 2-14 season and talk about a large improvement, but after going 0-16 the year before, the Detroit Lions will be happy with a +2 in the win column. Led by the first overall pick from the 2009 NFL Draft, Matthew Stafford, and the addition of the second overall pick and 30th pick from this year’s draft in Ndamukong Suh and Jahvid Best, the Lions faithful have a renewed sense of optimism.

This is going to be a dynamic offense for years to come. You have to think that Stafford will be even better than what he was in his rookie season. He’ll have a couple of good weapons to throw to with Calvin Johnson on one side and veteran receiver Nate Burleson on the other. He’ll also have a good 1-2 punch at the running back position with Kevin Smith and rookie Jahvid Best. I really like their offensive line as well as it has a good mix of veterans and youngsters and is full of talent.

The problem with this team in the last couple of years was that they could not defend to save their lives. The stats say it all. Last in the NFL in points allowed per game at a staggering 30.9. Last in total yards given up per game at 392. And last in pass yards allowed per game at 265. But a couple of additions should allow for these numbers to get better.

With Ndamukong Suh and Kyle VanDenBosch, the defensive line should be able to get to the quarterback more often or at least pressure the quarterback into less than ideal situations. They also have good depth on the line as well that will allow them to give quick breathers to these two when needed.

However, the linebackers and secondary for the Lions will ultimately lead to them being a less than 500 team as the talent just isn’t there yet for this organization. Julian Peterson brings name recognition to a soft line-backing unit, but he doesn’t offer the same skill-set as he once did in his tenures with the San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Seahawks.

The secondary will be asked to pick up their games after a dismal performance from a year ago, but they just don’t have the horses to stop high-powered pass offences.

A couple of players to watch out for will be Brandon Pettigrew and Kevin Smith. I made sure not to talk about the tight end position because I wanted to save it for here. Pettigrew is the forgotten first round pick of the Lions from 2009 since Stafford overshadowed him, but if he can emerge to become the big tight end option that every great team has, this offense could be scary-good.

Smith will be battling hard to keep his starting spot at running back, but can he hold off Best after a sub-par year? If he can’t, the Lions still need to make sure that he’s willing to give it his all as the back-up so they can have a good 1-2 punch.

2010 Prediction: 6-10

2010 NFL Preview: St. Louis Rams

When you finish a season 1-15, there’s not much room for you to be any worse. Only the 2008 Detroit Lions were capable of being a worse football team over the stretch of 16 games. So, what better time than now to start the rebuilding process in St. Louis where this year’s first overall pick will be expected to show the fans that he’s the one that can lead the franchise back to respectability.

Well, judging by what he has to work with on offense, Sam Bradford is going to be in for a long season. The Rams offense looks set to rely on Steven Jackson’s running ability once again since there are no real weapons at the wide receiver or tight end position that Bradford can work with. However, the question remains: By working Jackson so much year after year, how much are they hurting his long-term future as a premier running-back? A running back only has so many carries in him before he hits the wall and become a shell of his former self.

But looking at the starting wide receivers and tight end, the trio of Laurent Robinson, Donnie Avery and Daniel Fells is not going to worry too many NFL defences. The offensive line has a lot of no-name and journeyman guys as well, so you have to wonder if they’ll even be able to create enough holes for Steven Jackson to have big carries.

Defensively, they have three players that really need to stand out game in and game out since the rest of the defence looks to be weak. James Laurinaitis has to play up to the expectations that he set for himself by being so dominant at Ohio State. Chris Long has to prove that he’s closer to being a stud than being a bust after the Rams used a first-round pick to get his defensive end services. And OJ Atogwe has to be a rock at the corner spot.

A couple of players to look for in camp are AJ Feeley and Mardy Gilyard. Feeley is listed as the starter right now, but we all know that Bradford will be the starter once we get to Week 1. But the Rams have to hope that Feeley just doesn’t concede the spot to Bradford in training camp or that he pouts about losing his spot to an unproven rookie. You have to think that Feeley will be called upon at some point during the season because of either injury or poor play, so he has to be on top of his game at all times.

Gilyard was a fourth-round selection for the Rams in this year’s draft, but most experts believe he was a steal at that spot. He was a stand-out wide receiver in his university years with Cincinnati and was a big reason why they became a BCS program. Can he translate his success in the college ranks to success in the pros?

2010 Prediction: 1-15 again...

Just a Bit Short and a Bit Wide



It May Be Rock-Bottom

I thought about writing about this on Friday, but I decided to wait one more day. We had seen so many spectacular and awe-inspiring rounds on a Saturday from this guy that I had to give him one more chance to prove himself. He had won 7 times on the Firestone Course, so if he was going to turn it around in one day, this had to be the day. And alas, it was anything but spectacular as Tiger Woods stumbled to yet another over-par round of 75. This may actually be rock bottom...

I mentioned it in the last couple of days on the afternoon show, but I’ll make the point again. We’re used to seeing Tiger Woods go through a PGA Tour season by dominating any regular event he enters and being in contention when it comes to the majors. He would be good for at least one major, 10-12 tournament wins worldwide and in the process, destroying the competition as he solidifies his #1 player in the world status and his place in golf history.

We’re not used to seeing Tiger Woods reduced to being a middle-of-the-pack player that fights just to shoot under par. Tiger making the cut used to be a slam-dunk, but it’s not anymore. Tiger Woods being shown on TV since he’s in contention used to be a given, but it’s not anymore. It’s a stunning example of how fortunes can turn at the drop of a hat.

A lot of people will look at his fall from grace and say to themselves, “He got what was coming to him...” or “That’s karma coming back to kick you in the rear...”. How can you disagree with those people? The way in which he acted off the course caused his marriage to be left in shambles, his children to be now raised in a broken home and his family and friends to be ridiculed and embarrassed because of his selfish choices.

When it first happened, I was like everyone else and just so negative about Tiger. I was such a big fan and felt so encouraged to cheer for him because he was someone that seemed so pure of natural ability and work ethic that he deserved all the trophies, money and fame that he earned through winning.

But in the last few weeks, I’ve gone at looking at him with disdain as a villain to looking at him with sadness as someone who has lost so much in life, not just the golf course. It’s so clear to everyone that the laser-like focus that he once had has been lost. The drive to the best is still there, but the golf game isn’t around to let him follow the path that he has in his mind.

Everyone may be debating whether he’s hit rock bottom as of yet, but I can assure you that Tiger isn’t thinking about that. At this point, he just looking for a big enough pile of rocks to try and hide under.

Couple More Fails



The Highs and The Lows...



Favre-Less Vikings Offense: Part 2

Alright, so we’ve looked at how the Vikings running back, wide receivers and tight ends will all be affected if Brett Favre were to actually retire and move on from the NFL. We haven’t looked at it from the most important point of view and that’s from the quarterback position. Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels would be thrilled if Favre retired today since they would be the ones fighting for his spot in what would be a very good battle in camp.

Before we break down each individual candidate, we need to point out that either option would be a serious downgrade from Favre. Hate him all you like, but the man threw for 4,200 yards, 33 touchdowns with only 7 interceptions and had the best completion percentage of his entire career. It’s highly unlikely that two guys that have been career back-ups could ever come close to producing these numbers.

But as I pointed out in the first blog, it wouldn’t be up to the next quarterback to put the offense on his shoulders and come up with those numbers. All he would really have to do is be a baby-sitter to the rest of the talented players on the field and make sure that they have the chances to be fed the ball in the best situations.

If I had to choose one of the two that would win out in that battle, I would go with Sage Rosenfels over Tavaris Jackson because he just has the better handle on how to run an offense. He doesn’t have the god-given talent that Jackson does, but he has the intelligence and awareness to make everything work pretty well around him.

The Vikings always hoped that Jackson would find a way to get his football sense on a level playing field with his natural athletic ability, but time has passed and Jackson is still the same “project” that he was three years ago when he was pegged to be the future starter for the franchise. It’s a perfect example of how the quarterback position is not about what you bring physically.

On the other side, Rosenfels is the complete opposite of Jackson. Doesn’t really offer a lot in an athletic sense, but he knows how to read the field, find the best option and get the most out of his offense. His problem has always been consistency and emotion. He’s the kind of quarterback that can make you love him for a 70-year bomb in the first quarterback and then have you hating him by the fourth because his accuracy goes out the window as the game goes into crunch time.

The Vikings need to find someone that can help them win now. They're in the window in which they can win a Super Bowl. In the salary-cap world, the window is open for very little time, so you have to take advantage of it while you can. For the Vikings’ sake, they better hope Favre comes back for another year. If not, that window must have been just been closed before they even had a chance to breathe in the fresh air.

Favre-Less Vikings Offense: Part 1

Everyone has been giving their two cents about how much they hate Brett Favre and his yearly waffling of playing vs. retiring. I hate it just as much as anyone else, but as I’ve been saying on the Scratches for the last couple of days, I think the media can be blamed just as much for allowing Favre to constantly be in the spotlight over the past couple of off-seasons.

However, since I’ll only be one of a million others to write about that, I decided to use the next couple of blogs to break down how the loss of Favre would affect the Vikings offense. Remember, this is a team coming off an NFC championship appearance and is looking to make the next step by being in the Super Bowl this season.

I think it's easy to say that without Brett Favre, you can count on the Vikes being much more of a running team around Adrian Peterson. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the wide receivers in place like Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian are now “wasted talent” since I’m sure Brad Childress would find another way to use them.

Both of them can still be threats in a short-passing game and Harvin has an extra-added dimension of speed that can be useful in end-arounds and wide-receiver screens. I’ve always thought of Berrian as more of a possession-type receiver anyways, so short slants and quick routes over the middle could still make him a viable target.
Don’t forget as well that Visante Shiancoe has matured enough to become a Top 10 tight end in the NFL and can be a great third option if the quarterback finds himself in trouble and needs to dump it off quickly.

But really, this would become Adrian Peterson’s team again. Last season, he was in the shadows of Brett Favre and because of that, the offense passed much more and Peterson was used less. To me, Peterson seems to be the kind of guy that needs constant touches in order to be at his very best. I wonder if the lack of touches had anything to do with the “fumblitis” that he suffered towards the end of the year.

Something tells me that his fumbling could be blamed more due to the mental side of the game than the physical one. Let’s not forget that Peterson has always been the No. 1 player on the field, even from his time when he was playing football as a child. He’s used to having everything revolve around him and not used to playing on a team that is looking to appease someone else first. That’s what the Vikings did with Favre a year ago and I think it affected Peterson.

Of course, all of this is for not if Favre comes back, but let’s take it one step further and talk about the quarterbacks looking to take over if Favre retires...

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