NFL Thread

[Nick]

With training camps starting to kick off, the season is only about 6 weeks away and i personally am itching for it.

Ill be doing abit of a run down of the divisions in the coming weeks and assessing how i think all the teams will do. Even if im just talking to myself
Hopefully a few other NFL fans are floating around and can get in here for a bit of a chat

Big news today was T.O going to join his mate Ocho in Cinci. Personally i cant see why on earth the Bengals would do this. At 36 Owens doesnt really have much to offer, the Bengals have Chad, they got Bryant via FA, picked up Gresham who is a match up nightmare to play TE in the draft. They've got Benson in the backfield and Caldwell is a fine 3rd WR. As well as former 1st round pick Matt Jones would could be anything
I dont see a real need for T.O and for mine for what is not even much of an upgrade for the team, the potential for destablising the locker room is too big.
Ocho is #1 there, he wants all the ball, and now he's gonna have TO on the otherside wanting the ball, both in an offense which Coach Marvin Lewis has made no bones about being a running team. It can only lead to bad news i think

[KW]

Baltimore Ravens FTW

[Nick]

Baltimore Ravens FTW

They'll be hard to beat this year. As always, awesome defense. But Ray Rice in the back field and they got Anquan Boldin from the Cards this year, and that guy can make plays. Flacco into his 3rd year, so you'd expect him to step up.
Very good side. Will push the Colts all the way in the AFC this season.

[cliffbag]

Go the Fish!!

Followed Miami since the early 90's.

I think i liked them before Ace Ventura, but honestly, I can barely remember what i had for breakfast, let alone what started me following an NFL team as a small child.

Got no idea if they have a good team this year, but I'll still pick them every time i play Madden against my bro in law

[Nick]

They've made some great moves this season cliffbag
they have a really good young QB in Henne, they had needs at Inside line backer and Wide reciever. So they went out and got Karlos Dansby who's probably top 5 for ILB's in the league and then traded for Brandon Marshall, who when he's not pissing and moaning about money (which we wont be with a 5 year 60 mil contract the Phins gave him) is close to the best WR in the game
They might take another year to come full circle but they are on their way to success.

[cliffbag]

That's great to hear thanks Nick.

Possibly next year i can get the sweep....Raiders, Dolphins, West Coast Eagles, Manchester United, Sydney FC, Chicago Bulls and The Mongrels - my usual Fantasy League team name, lol.

[Shadow Boxer]

I know its lame because everyone goes for them but i've always had a soft spot for the Redskins and saw this guy play in Hawaii in 2008. They made the sugar bowl which was a big deal for Hawaii

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Brennan

How are the Redskins looking this year Nick, should I put money on them ?

[Nick]

I know its lame because everyone goes for them but i've always had a soft spot for the Redskins and saw this guy play in Hawaii in 2008. They made the sugar bowl which was a big deal for Hawaii

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Brennan

How are the Redskins looking this year Nick, should I put money on them ?

Not too shabby actually mate, bit of a mixed bag actually
they've been dog **** for years. Their owner Snyder has a history of making incredibly stupid purchases and drafting ordinarily

pros:
- last season they signed Albert Haynesworth, who is one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the league.
- drafted Brian Orakpo who is a stud pass rushing line backer
- this season they drafted the best Left tackle coming out of college (Offensive lineman rarely bust out of college)
- they traded with my Eagles to get Donavan McNabb who is a clear upgrade on any QB they've had for eions. Has the best deep ball in the league.
- got rid of Jim Zorn their coach and hired Mike Shanaghan. He's a winner, pure and simple he just wins football games
- switching to a 3-4 defense this year
- much improved offensive line. Which is the catalyst for everything in the NFL.
- Good core group of Defensive line man and Line backers
- rumours they might be in the market for Vincent Jackson, who's a stud WR

cons:
- Albert Haynesworth is not a 3-4 Defensive lineman and he knows it, so since finding out about the switch he's created all kinds of distractions. He might not be in DC by the time season kicks off.
- McNabb is a fine QB, but as an Eagles fan im all too aware of his flaws. He cracks under pressure and he's got a nasty habit of throwing worm balls to open receivers.
- No real receivers. Their best option in the pass game is Chris Cooley the TE and he's coming off a bad ankle injury last year. They need to find a way to get V.Jackson there.
- No real run game. They have Larry Johnson, Willie Parker and Clinton Portis, all whom 4 years ago were 3 of the very best in the league, but 4 years on and none of them seem to have that spark anymore to make it happen at the line. They need production out of them to make use of McNabb's play action and deep ball
- Very ordinary in the defensive backs.

They have pieces there on both sides of the ball but they are also missing quite a few. They have addressed the lines, which is the start of any building of a team. They've got a QB they can keep for a few years whilst addressing other areas.
They desperately need a Running Back, Wide Receiver, Corner Back and Free Safety.
They are still going to run last in the NFC East, so no, not worth putting money on, but under the new coach, they're on their way back to being considered relevant in the toughest Division in NFL football. They are 2-3 years away from SB contention though imo.

[Shadow Boxer]

Thanks Nick, thats heaps of info, I'm not even sure I understand all that but any team without a good running back and wide receiver is probably going to struggle.

You've got me interested though, i'll definately have a few bets and try and watch a few more games this year.

When does the season start ?

[Nick]

haha yea sorry, you can pretty much ignore some of the technical terms and just stick with the fact they've got no running game or vertical threat, which means they'll definitely struggle again this year. If they can get that Vincent Jackson guy i was talking about, then next year they can draft a RB early, and they'll be half a chance in 2011/12

Season kicks off Sept 9

Thats half the reason i love it. The season kicks off around finals time for the NRL. And it ends early feb when the NRL trials begin. So there's like 3 weeks over lap.
Sport all year round

[Mhartew]

Cardinals baby WOOOO!!!

[Nick]

Cardinals baby WOOOO!!!

they are in trouble this year mate

No Boldin, no Dansby, no Rolle and no Warner.
Unless Lienart steps up to the plate massively, they are in for a ordinary year by their recent standards

[-GD-]

Ive always been a Raiders fan ever since i started going for our Raiders. One of the highlights of my life is seeing them play a few years ago when i went over there, just brilliant.

Anyway we got rid of JaMarcus Russell so the only way is up from here. We improved slighlty last year but failed to close out some matches. Hoping for a better season this year.

[Nick]

Anyway we got rid of JaMarcus Russell so the only way is up from here. We improved slighlty last year but failed to close out some matches. Hoping for a better season this year.

They look good this year imo
i wouldnt be shocked to see them get to the play offs

JaBustus is gone and for once in Crazy Al's life he actually drafted well. Campbell's a very servicable QB, and all reports ive read have Darius Heyward-Bay and Chaz Shillins are catching anything that moves in OTA's.
They need Darren McFadden to play to potential
Their D is under-rated, its very very solid. They beat some very good teams last year and they are much better this year imo.
8 win season for them i think.

[Mhartew]

Cardinals baby WOOOO!!!

they are in trouble this year mate

No Boldin, no Dansby, no Rolle and no Warner.
Unless Lienart steps up to the plate massively, they are in for a ordinary year by their recent standards

You know I don't think they'll be that bad this year. Now I may be a bit one eyed here, but short of getting a new QB they have recruited and drafted well this year. They have recruited big time on defense which was a big concern last year. Their front 3 of Dockett, Campbell and Williams are monsters and they have signed and recruited well at linebacker. I think Kerry Rhodes is a good replacement for Rolle as well. The main concern for the Defense is at CB, with Rodgers-Cromartie as the "Senior" CB and the rest pretty much rookies, we have good potential to get burnt in coverage.

On attack, I think Boldin was on the way out and with Breaston and the emergence of Early Doucet during the playoffs last year I think we should be fine at WR. Beanie Wells is set to have a break out year and the Cards will probably revert to a more run based offense. On Leinart, I'm definately not his biggest fan, but I am willing to see how he plays out. During the one game he started last year against the Titans he did a decent job without being outstanding or a liability. I think if he plays consistently at a minimum or greater than that performance this year, we should be alright.

Now obviously I'm not expecting a Superbowl win this year, but I'm expecting to top the division. But once again this is from an optimistic Cardinals fans' perspective.

[Nick]

haha, im the same with the eagles. All banter aside, I think both will have 7-8 win seasons. And given the cards are in a weak division imo, good chance they still go to the play offs. I actually agree with most of that. They've drafted and recruited well on the defense and i don't think they'll lose too much there. And i think Breaston is more than capable of being a quaility #2.
With Lienart, its again like the eagles, ken and andy are both shrewd operators, they wouldn't put their faith in their young quarter backs unless they were sure they are up to it. Both have capable back ups too if the rooks fall on their face. The cards will run more too and why wouldn't you with Beanie? Kid is a stud imo and going to be a top 10 running back this year. I think the cards will still probably win their division but won't last long in the play offs. The eagles might just snake a wild card spot and go straight out the back door but more than likely they'll just miss out. Provided both quarter backs are up to it, both will be back in super bowl contention in 11/12

[beetlejuice]

I dont feel too good about the packers this year. for many years now, they promise so much, but fall over.

but hey, they'll do better then the sox so you'll never know.

[Nick]

not sure why mate, the nfc is tough. Lots of good teams but i rate the packers as the best team in the nfl. If they remain injury free and continue their improvement, i'd be shocked if they don't make the super bowl.

[Fuifui Bradbrad]

Been a casual watcher, now that I have my own place and getting Fox I'm looking to get more into it.

How about those Texans Nick? They became my team after having a good run with them on Madden 07. Plus I know some guys who are involved with the Texas Longhorns, so I figure I'd keep the Texas theme going haha.

[Nick]

Been a casual watcher, now that I have my own place and getting Fox I'm looking to get more into it.

How about those Texans Nick? They became my team after having a good run with them on Madden 07. Plus I know some guys who are involved with the Texas Longhorns, so I figure I'd keep the Texas theme going haha.

They are a good side
not SB contenders but a good side

They play in the same division as the Colts, which is their major issue right now. P.Manning is probably one of the greatest QB's of all time. And he slays the Texans year in and year out, they need to find a way to stop him. They picked up a really good young CB in the draft. They've got a young but aggressive and under-rated Defense.
Their attack is pretty good, very good quarterback, the best WR in the game but their running backs whilst talented have their own problems

Slaton is a stud but he cant hang on to the football and coach Kubiack wont tollerate fumbled football. He's also coming off the back of a serious neck injury. But when he hangs on to the football he's a quality guy.
Foster, got the gig when Slaton kept fumbling, eventually they put Slaton on IR and Foster took the reigns completely at the back end of last year. He did well and has potential as a feature back, will open the season in that role but might not hold it for long as more talented guys are on the roster
Ben Tate, young guy they drafted in round 2 this year. He's a great one cut runner who fits what they want to do perfectly. Long term i think he's their guy, but it may take him a season to get into it, much like Beanie Wells for the cards last year. He's also a rookie and like all rookies there is a chance he'll be a bust

I think they are a good shot to make the play offs this year, but they wont be SB contenders, and probably not divisional winners until P.Manning retires. They are a really exciting team to watch though, one of my favourite teams

[Vanilla Bear]

I'm not so sure about the Titans chances this year.

Last year, they had a horrible start with 0-6. Once Vince Young took over at QB, the Titans rolled back to finish 8-8. Can he do it again with the pressure on him to make the playoffs? I'm not so sure.

Young still has to get focused off the field and has a lot to prove this season if he wants to stay in Tennessee. All of that pressure might take it's toll on him as the season goes on.

A lot depends on Chris Johnson. But the odds of him duplicating his 2009 season are not good. He has the talent, but I don't see him having as much of an impact this year as teams are now aware of him.

[Nick]

I'm not so sure about the Titans chances this year.

Last year, they had a horrible start with 0-6. Once Vince Young took over at QB, the Titans rolled back to finish 8-8. Can he do it again with the pressure on him to make the playoffs? I'm not so sure.

Young still has to get focused off the field and has a lot to prove this season if he wants to stay in Tennessee. All of that pressure might take it's toll on him as the season goes on.

A lot depends on Chris Johnson. But the odds of him duplicating his 2009 season are not good. He has the talent, but I don't see him having as much of an impact this year as teams are now aware of him.

Its hard to imagine CJ2K going for another 2000 yards, but if anyone is going to do it, its him imo, they will again lean very heavily on the run, i dont know if he'll quite reach his 09/10 season totals but he'll go damn close imo. And as long as they've got CJ, they can be a threat to anyone on their day.

VY has had his ups and downs but its now time for him to start to take command of that team. He's got a ton of ability and unlike JaBustus, he seems willing to put the hard work in to get to where his side needs them to be. They will be one of the most interesting sides to watch this year, if for nothing else than to see if CJ can duplicate his record breaking season and weather VY is ready to be the guy he can be.

I like their 1st round pick too. I think Derrick Morgan is going to be an absolute beast. Jevon Kearse style (early Jevon, in his first stint with the titans, rather than his ill fated Eagles adventure)

[Nick]

AFC East:

Buffalo Bills: Dreadful team. Absolutely no hope of doing anything this year. They have major concerns on the offensive line. Their defense is ok but with no QB and no passing threat, they are really relying on their running game... which is fine given they have Lynch, Jackson and Spiller who was the best Rb in college last year, but if you dont have an offensive line to create space for them and you dont have a QB and wide outs good enough to stop a team stacking 8 in the box, what good is a run game? dreadful team who will be lucky to win 4-5 games this year

Miami Dolphins: the inovaters of the wild cat... Ronnie Brown is a concern at Rb, he's injury prone but no one can doubt his talent or production when on the paddock. They made some great signings in the off season. Karlos Dansby is going to take their D to another level and Brandon Marshall is one of the best wide outs in the game. Henne's a good young Qb, and i like him a lot. They are in an incredible tough division so probably wont make the play offs. But a good team none the less.

New England Patriots: Can never rule out a team that has T.Brady at QB. Reports have Wes Welker being ready to start the season, which would be a tremendous boost to their side. But they got out and drafted a quality pass catching TE from college to replace him as a target over the middle. I dont rate them without Welker moving the chains for them but they'll still win the division or wildcard spot

New York Jets: Wow, what a team... the best offensive line in football, a great young RB in Shonn Greene who i think will go over 1500 yards for the season. They have a really good young QB in Sanchez and offensively they got a legit WR in Santonio Holmes, who was MVP for the Steelers in their SB game 2 years ago. They have the best D in the league... all the pieces are there and they are arrogant enough to win SB. I think they are the best team in the division.

[Nick]

NFC East: AKA the toughest division in football

Dallas Cowboys: Hard to argue against their credentials this year. They have a really good defensive unit. Led by DeMarcus Ware who is the best pass rusher in the game. But they have a really good d line and offensively, any team with Miles Austin and the best Wide out college has seen in years in Dez Bryant is a threat. In the back field they have a 3 headed monster that can eat you any way it likes. Add to that they have the added motivation of the SB being played in their Home stadium this year... they are going to be tough to beat and i hate to say it because i **** hate the cowboys

New York Giants: They made some interesting calls this off season. Firstly they drafted Jason Peire-Paul who was outstanding as a DE in college last year but was unheard of before... big risk, especially considering despite last years results they still have a very good DL. They lost A. Rolle and replaced him with Chad Jones, a 3rd round Pick... not sure they have the D to make it happen this year, or the running game for that matter but they could shock some people this year. But this is a side that put the Pats at 18-1. They have the talent in the right areas.

Philadelphia Eagles: Im biased. But i dont think we're as bad off as people make. We've got some great offensive weapons. Jackson, Maclin, McCoy, Celek and a young Qb who can play the west coast system better than McNabb could. On d we got some genuine pass rush to take some pressure off Trent Cole, and we finally replaced Dawkins at safety. All reports suggest Graham and Allen have been stand outs in TC so far this year. I expect we'll do ok with a real chance at a SB in a year or two.

Washington Redskins: They made some great moves... they drafted well, they are trying to rebuild a football side and i think a good start to that is improving the line with Trent Williams. He knows the zone blocking scheme that new coach Shanahan wants to implement. And they got a legit QB in Phlli's donavan mcnabb... sure he throws worm balls and misses open receivers but he's still an upgrade and he's a leader. He'll help them a lot. Their D is solid, much better than most given them credit for. They are on the up. It may take a few years to come full circle but they are on the up. Still they'll come last in the division.

[Schifty]

Just for you Nick:

[Nick]

OMFG.
thats **** amazing

Farve is such a **** too

[Nick]

So the season kick off is only 6 days away and i am pumped!!

This is my post from LU on divisional winner
My tips are as follows:

AFC- North: Ravens. I think they can be a SB team this year. Strong D as always (secondary is a concern) but this year they've got the weapons. Steelers will have too far to climb when Ben gets back. Bengals will go close but not close enough and the Browns are still the Browns.

NFC- North: Packers. Good all over the park, they'll be in the NFC championship game. The Vikings are going to come crashing back to earth this year, Farve one year too many. Bears, im not as sold on as most re: Martz, he'll improve them but not enough to be a contender. Lions are on the rise but a few years away yet.

AFC- South: Colts. Slam dunk with that one. Texans will finally beat the Colts and they will get a wildcard spot, good year from this i think. Jags are still to inconsistent and its a 2 man band there with MJD and MSW. Titans will go well, but its a tough division and VY will under pressure. They could easily surprise

NFC- South: Saints. Still too strong across the board. Falcons will keep them honest and maybe even snag a wildcard spot. The Panthers arent potent enough to do anything. Bucs are on the improve but like the lions, years away yet.

AFC- East: Patriots. With Welker likely to be right for the seasons start i like them to win the East again. The jets are over-rated imo, D wont be as good without Revis, Sanchez still struggling to move the chains in the air and opposing D's will stack the box to stop the run. Dolphins, love them this year, wildcarders for sure imo. Under-rated D, good young passer and plenty of options on O. With the 1st over all pick in the 2011 draft the Bills select.... (CJ Spiller is freaking awesome though!)

NFC- East: Dallas. They arent going to do it easy but they will do it. Eagles will get a wildcard spot and i think Kolb despite being a mixed bag in pre season will do a very nice job. The Giants as explained i think are missing something, im just not sure what it is. Washington will improve but not enough to be a threat

AFC- West: Chargers. Every other team still isnt near their quality. Raiders will come 2nd hear and an outside chance for a wildcard, they'll be decent this year. KC are going to surprise a few imo too. Denver? Long year imo, very long year.

NFC- West: 49ners. They'll be good enough in a weak division to win. The Cards are in all kinds of trouble, cant see them being much of a factor. Seahawks will be big improvers i think and be in the hunt for a wildcard spot. The Rams still suck and will be picking inside the top 3... again.

I think the Eagles and Falcons will get the wildcards in the NFC and Texans and Bengals will take the wildcards in the AFC

[-GD-]

Did the Raiders win all their trial matches?

Edit: just checked we won 3 and lost 1 to the 49ers.

[gergreg]

Thanks for the write up Nick, as a casual fan it was an interesting read. I've followed the Raiders for years for obvious reasons, never really been overly interested but I did watch quite a few games last year thanks to OneHD. It keeps my mind occupied in the off-season. I've been enjoying the shows on OneHD where they focus on the superbowl champs and their seasons. There was a good one on the 74 (I think?) steelers last week.

[PrimetimeRaider]

Im a Chargers fan for the last 5 years. Big fan of Ladainian Tomlinson (who has since been released ) Their main rival is the Raiders, love the irony

[KW]

My ESPN fantasy team had a monster victory, I dont know most of the players so maybe you could scrutinise?

POS PLAYER PTS
QB Peyton Manning 29
RB Rashard Mendenhall19
RB LeSean McCoy 13
RB/WR Ricky Williams 6
WR Anquan Boldin 11
WR Hakeem Nicks 25
TE Owen Daniels 0
D/ST Jets D/ST 12
K Nate Kaeding 2
TOTAL 117

[Nick]

Thats a nice team KW
P.Manning is the best QB in the game today... some would argue close to the best of all time.
Mendenhall is a 2nd year player for the Steelers, he's in a featured back role which means he'll be a consistant high scorer
LeSean McCoy is my teams RB, the Eagles are a throwing team but he's the starter so any running plays will involve him, i dont rate him as a fantasy option
Ricky Williams is one of few RB's in backfield committee's who has fantasy relevence.
Hakeem Nicks had a monster game, hauling in 3 TD's and about 100 yards. He's become Eli Manning's go to guy in NY. Stud pick.
Anquan Boldin is stud pick playing in a side that will throw more this season than ever before
Owen Daniels is going to take a hit this year on the back of Arian Foster's running game, Houston are committing more to the run, which means Dre Johnson and Owen Daniels take a hit in rec and yards, he's still a solid TE though
Jets and Keading are both the top Defenses and kickers in the NFL, IMO

[Raiders Lime Milk]

Im a Chargers fan for the last 5 years. Big fan of Ladainian Tomlinson (who has since been released ) Their main rival is the Raiders, love the irony

Good to see another Chargers fan on here. I'm a Chargers man, too. Not happy with Monday's loss to the Chiefs of all teams.

[-GD-]

Anyone else watching this Jets-Dolphins cracker? What a game

[LP Raider]

Results for week 6
MIA 23 GB 20
SD 17 STL 20
BAL 20 NE 23
CLE 10 PIT 28
KC 31 HOU 35
DET 20 NYG 28
ATL 17 PHI 31
SEA 23 CHI 20
NO 31 TB 6
NYJ 24DEN 20
OAK 9 SF 17
DAL 21 MIN 24
IND 27WAS 24
TEN 30 JAC 3