Mega
NFL Preview
With
summer ending and schools across the country taking session, the only shining
light is the start of football season.
From Chris Bermans’s great puns, to Mark Schlereth reminiscing about how
he was once a lineman, to even the release of Madden 13, football is back and
better than ever. The relevance of summer sports such as baseball, golf, and
tennis will dramatically diminish starting Wednesday. Around the clock football
is inevitable. America’s most popular sport had one the most eventful off
seasons in its history; its most popular player, Peyton Manning, was cut from
his team, Tim Tebow was traded to the Jets for a mere fourth round pick, Mario
Williams signed the largest in defensive player history joining the small
market Bills, and finally the NFL Draft featured two of the most highly sought
after prospects in recent history. To say the very least, this offseason has
been exciting. With the plethora of parity in the NFL and my irrational
decision making, my predictions may not be what you’re expecting, but without
further adieu here is my preview.
Projections
AFC North: NFC North:Steelers 12-4 Bears 14-2
Ravens 9-7* Packers 13-3*
Bengals 7-9 Lions 10-6
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers: One of the most consistent
teams of the last decade, the Pittsburgh Steelers are now known for their great
defense and quarterback in Ben
Roethlisberger. Last year the Steelers were defeated in one of
biggest playoff upsets to the Denver Broncos. Despite that, the Steelers were 1st
in points allowed and 7th in Points Differential. The Steelers had
very few takeaways though and ranked a mere 28th turnover
differential despite being ranked 2nd in the same category just a
year earlier. Given the luck that is involved in turnovers, I expect the
Steelers to do much better in that particular category this season. I also
expect Ben Roethlisberger to have his best season yet of his career. The
Steelers drafted in David DeCastro and Mike Adams in the first and second round
respectively to give Big Ben some much needed protection. I expect the
emergence of young receivers Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace to help Big Ben put
up MVP caliber numbers. With having a great quarterback and defense seemingly
being the formula to winning Super Bowls, I expect this year is the last the
Steelers reach the Promised Land. Predicted
Record: 13-3
Baltimore Ravens:
Coming within a heartbeat of making the Super Bowl, the Baltimore Ravens had a
very long offseason. Things only got worse when Defensive Player of the Year,
Terrell Suggs injured his achilles
tendon during the offseason and is expected to be
out for the year. The Ravens, despite a difficult offseason, still boasted the
3rd ranked defense and the 12th ranked offense. They also
had seven Pro Bowlers. Unfortunately I
see the Ravens regressing due to several factors, the first being their aging
defense leaders. With Ray Lewis and Ed Reed having a combined age of 70, regression
will soon be inevitable for both of them. Second, the Ravens will also be
without their top pass rusher in Terrell Suggs. Third, with Joe Flacco panning
out to be an average inefficient quarterback, the Ravens will have their work
cut out for themselves. In this current quarterback driven league, you need a
great quarterback if you want to win championships. I don’t see the Ravens
going far with an average quarterback and a seemingly regressing defense.
Despite those flaws, I still have the Ravens making the playoffs because of their
great running back, in Ray Rice, and their still above defense. Predicted Record 9-7
Cincinnati Bengals: One of the
surprise playoff teams of last year, the Bengals emerged as young team with a
promising quarterback in Andy Dalton. Last year the Bengals boasted the 9th
ranked defense and were 18th in points scored. Despite the success
the Bengals failed to defeat a winning opponent. I feel that the Bengals’
record was oversaturated due to an easy schedule. In a tough division and a
seemingly tougher schedule than last year I expect the Bengals’ record to be
slightly worse. There is hope for the future though Cincy, with a solid young
core and a plethora of high round draft picks due to the Carson Palmer trade,
The Bengals should be a perennial playoff contender in a couple years. Just get
a new owner and you will be all set, Cincinnati. Predicted Record 7-9
Cleveland Browns: Unfortunately
Cleveland, I do not see the near future being bright for you. Despite having the
5th ranked defense led by the great Dick Jauron, their offense
ranked a dismal 30th in points scored. The only apparent bright spot
on the offense was Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas. In the Draft the Browns
addressed their two biggest needs by drafting, Trent Richardson and Brandon
Weedon respectively in the 1st round. This season, as I see it, will
be year of transition for Cleveland. Both Weedon and Richardson are expected to
start for the Browns. I expect the
defense to remain in the top half of the league but the offense to be one of
the worst due the inexperience. Predicted Record 4-12
AFC South
Houston Texans: If it weren’t
for injuries, the Houston Texans’ record would have been much better last year.
The Texans lost their top offensive weapon, in Matt Schaub as he became injured
in week 12 and lost their main defensive
weapon in Mario Williams early in the year. Despite those two significant
loses, the Texans still had the 4th ranked defense and 10th
ranked offense. The AFC South should be very easy for the Texans to win without
any true competition. I expect The Texans to sweep their division and Sweep the
AFC West, another fairly easy division on their schedule. I expect with a
healthy Matt Schaub and a reloaded defense, the Texans will be the best team in
the regular season, for the AFC. Predicted Record 14-2
Tennessee Titans: The Tennessee
Titans exceeded many critics’ expectations by finishing the year 9-7. They
boasted the 8th ranked defense and the 21st ranked
offense. The offense was conservative and efficient but not exceptional. Despite
a decent first year the Titans from Hasselbeck, are starting Jake Locker as their quarterback this season. I expect the
Titans’ defense to remain superior but their record will all depend upon 2nd
year quarterback Jake Locker. In this quarterback driven league, virtually
every playoff team has more than competent quarterback. With weapons such as
Chris Johnson and Kenny Brit, I expect the Titians to be force to be reckoned
in the future but not this year. Predicted Record 7-9
Indianapolis Colts: Having one of their worst
seasons in franchise history, the Colts rest all hope for the future in one
man; Andrew Luck. Fortunately this man is one of the most highly sought after
prospects in NFL history. Last year the Colts suffered severely from having the
star quarterback, Peyton Manning, out for the entire season. The Colts finished
last year a dismal 2-14. The Colts had 28th ranked offense and
defense. In order for the Colts to succeed this year, Andrew Luck has to have
the presence Peyton Manning had on both sides of the ball. This team will live
and die by Andrew Luck, and while I expect him to have a very good rookie
season, I also expect to commit a lot of turnovers, similar to Peyton Manning’s
rookie year. Predicted Record 6-10
Jacksonville Jaguars: Coach
Mike Mularkey will have his work cut out himself, as he inherits one of the
least one of the least talented teams in the NFL. There only bright spot from
last year, MJD, just came back from a holdout that lasted through the
preseason. Rookie quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, finished the season with a
dismal 50% completion percentage. Despite having the top running back in the
league last year, the Jaguars still possessed the 28th lowest
scoring offense in the league. Having their only Pro Bowler from last year
holdout through the offseason, I expect the Jaguars to have one of the worst
years in their history. Predicted Record 2-14
AFC East
New England Patriots: Despite
having the 3rd best scoring offense, the Patriots were 30th
in yards allowed on defense. Granted the Patriots still made the Super Bowl
last year, that is still a scary fact for New England fans. The Patriots
attempted to address their biggest flaw, their defense, by drafting defensive
players with all but one pick in the draft. I feel as though the Patriots
overachieved in the regular season last year. Their expected record was 11.6 on
pro football reference, and they were 2nd in the league in
interceptions, with 23 picks. I predict the Patriots that will get less lucky
this year and will have a much harder time winning their division this year.
Ultimately despite all the defensive flaws, the Patriots still have Tom Brady. Predicted
Record 11-5
Buffalo Bills: The Buffalo
Bills got off to one of their best starts in recent history with a 5-2 record
entering week nine, and then began their collapse. Former Pro Bowler and stud
defensive tackle, Kyle Williams, got injured and the Bills began to crumble.
Major injuries from Fred Jackson, Eric Wood and Ryan Fitzpatrick dramatically
affected the Bills. The Bills finished the year at 6-10 and had the 30th
ranked defense. The Bills addressed their glaring need of pass rushers by
signing both Mark Anderson and Mario Williams and drafted cornerback Stephon
Gilmore in the 1st round. With a healthy offense and a reinvented defense
the Bills should finally end their playoff drought and once again be a playoff
contender. Predicted Record 11-5
Miami Dolphins: Despite
starting the year off at a dismal 0-7, the Dolphins prevailed and won six of
their last nine games finishing 6-10. The Dolphins boasted 6th best
defense and the 20th ranked offense. I would expect the Dolphins to
be a playoff contender if they weren’t starting rookie quarterback Ryan
Tannehill. Starting Tannehill will prevent the Dolphins from further
progressing, I believe. Their season would be better if they would have started
Matt Moore. Projected Record 6-10
New York Jets: Unfortunately
for Jets fans, I have disaster written all over for this 2012 season. The tragic flaw the Jets made was acquiring
backup quarterback Tim Tebow. Despite having the 13th ranked
offense, last year, I predict the Jets offense will dramatically regress due to
the lack competence at the quarterback position. I believe Mark Sanchez will
falter under the shadow of Tim Tebow, and all the attention he brings. I
predict Mark Sanchez will be benched at some point this year and Tim Tebow will
come in and only play worse. The trade that Rex Ryan was hoping would save
the Jets will ultimately cost him his job. With a terrible offense and a
seemingly below average defense, the Jets will suffer the worst and final
season of the Ryan era. Predicted Record 5-11
AFC West
San Diego Chargers: The San
Diego Chargers were one fumbled snap away from making the playoff last year,
and this year I predict they will be atop their division again. The Chargers
had the 5th ranked offense and 22nd ranked defense last
year. They were 24th ranked in turnover differential and Phillip
Rivers threw a career high, 20 interceptions. I feel this year the Chargers
will catch more breaks as far as turnovers go and Phillip Rivers will throw far
less interceptions. The Chargers have the benefit of being in one of the
easiest divisions in football. With a very talented team, I feel as though the
Chargers will have a very productive year despite their head coach. Predicted
Record 12-4
Denver Broncos: To say the
least, it seemed as though the Denver Broncos were one of the luckiest teams in
NFL history last year. It seemed like every week the Broncos were catching some
enormous break and Tim Tebow miraculously lead them to victory at the end of
every game. This year will be
dramatically different fort the Broncos. For starters they don’t have their
beloved Tim Tebow. Instead they have the great Peyton Manning, coming off neck
surgery. I believe the Broncos will get off to a slow start, with Manning still
recovering and learning a new system. I believe their young defense will
continue to improve and will continue to put presser on opposing quarterbacks.
Ultimately, I see the Broncos missing the playoffs but having an improved
season from last year. Predicted
Record 9-7
Oakland Raiders: With Carson
Palmer having a full offseason, I see the Oakland Raiders, improving this
season. The Raiders finished last year at 8-8 and had the 29th
ranked defense and 16th offense. Last year their starting
quarterback, Jason Campbell got hurt early in the year. The Raiders, in
desperate need of competent quarterback, traded for Bengals quarterback Carson
Palmer. Palmer suffered the worst season of his career with Oakland, being
rushed into situation. This year, the AFC West is as open as ever and if Carson
Palmer returns to his former self, the Raiders have a strong chance of winning
the division. Predicted Record 7-9
Kansas City Chiefs: Having the 31st
ranked offense, the Chiefs need to improve their offense if they want to
compete for the AFC West title. Losing Jamaal Charles the first game was a
serious detriment to Chiefs’’ season. The lacks of stardom on the offensive
side of the ball lead to the eventual firing of head coach Todd Haley. This season is a make or break year for
veteran quarterback Matt Cassel. The Chiefs may decide to move on if they see
they production they need out of Matt Cassel. Like all other quarterbacks in
this division, Matt Cassel’s production will decide how well the Chiefs do this
season. Predicted Record 6-10
NFC North
Chicago Bears: If it wasn’t for
losing their two offensive best weapons, in Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, The
Chicago Bears would have been one of the best teams in the NFC. Bears was finally starting to somewhat
protect when ironically, Jay Cutler got hurt injured for the rest of the year
in week 11. The Bears finally addressed their glaring need at the receiver
position in the offseason and traded for Brandon Marshall. Jay Cutler will
finally have a true weapon to throw to 2012. I feel as though Jay Cutler is
entering his prime and this season will be his best year yet. With consistently
top ranked defense, the Bears will finally have the offense they need to win
the division and make the Super Bowl. Predicted Record 14-2
Green Bay Packers:
It is hard for your team to lose when your quarterback has a passing rating of
122.5. The Green Bay Packers are certainly fortunate to have the league’s best
quarterback. The glorified 15-1 Packers were shocked to lose to the 9-7 Giants
in the playoffs. Having one of the highest scoring offenses in NFL history, the
Packers knew that had to address their flaws on defense first and foremost
going into the offseason. The Packers ended the 2011 season with the 19th
ranked defense. In the draft the Packers selected all but one defesive player. I
expect the Green Bay Packers to be a superior in a very challenging division. Predicted Record 13-3
Detroit Lions: In
2011, the Detroit lions finally ended their belonged 12 year playoff drought
and ended the season with 10-6. The Lions finished with the 4th
ranked offense and the 23rd ranked defense. Lions’ have the comfort of knowing that their
team is the youngest in the league with young players and rookies starting all
across the field. Two of the Lions’ strongest assets are their young
quarterback, Matthew Stafford and their destructive young defensive line. The
Lions though, have had quite a few off the field distractions and criminal
offenses. The Lions have to start maturing fast if they want to compete in the
toughest division in football. Predicted Record 10-6
Minnesota Vikings:
If was Jared Allen, I would be depending a trade from the disaster that is the
Minnesota Vikings. The 2012 Minnesota Vikings season will collapse similarly to
roof of its stadium. Jared Allen was one of the few bright spots of a team that
allowed the 31st most points in the league. If the Vikings have any
chance of competing this year, they need the full recovery of Adrian Peterson
to happen quickly. They also need the development of Christian Ponder to happen
very quickly. Maybe in a couple years
the Vikings will be a contender but this season, Minnesota should be prepared
to be in the cellar. Predicted Record
3-13
NFC South
Carolina Panthers: Coming
of a great rookie year, Cam Newton looks to lead the Panthers to the playoffs
once again. The Panthers were 5th in the scoring and ranked 27th
in points allowed. The NFC South is as wide open as ever and is Carolina’s for
the taking as long as Cam Newton continues his development. With linebacker
Luke Kuechly taken in the first round, the Panthers look to improve their
poorly ranked defense. Ultimately the Panthers fate comes down to the
development of their defense and the further improvement of Cam Newton. Predicted
Record 9-7
New Orleans Saints:
Damaged by the scandal that is “Bountygate”, the Saints
look to overcome the loss of their head coach and defensive players to
suspension, including Jonathon Vilma and Will Smith. The Saints also
permanently lost their defensive coordinator Greg Williams. Despite all the
drama in the 2012 offseason, the Saints still had a great 2011 season. They had
the 2nd ranked offense, the 13th ranked defense and
finished the year 13-3. When unsuspended, the Saints roster is definitely
talented. The question is how much adversity can the Saints overcome? They
already have lost not only many players but also the culture of the defense.
Can Drew Brees carry his shattered team in to the playoffs? Close but they lose
the final game to Carolina, knocking them out. Predicted record 8-8
Atlanta: Unfortunately
for Atlanta fans, I do not see the near future bright for them. Despite having four
consecutive winning seasons, I feel Atlanta’s luck will finally run out. For
the past four years Atlanta’s record has been significantly better than its
expected record, according to pro football reference. This season I expect Matt
Ryan will permanently distinguish himself as an above average quarterback, not
a great quarterback. I expect the Falcons to be competitive but not a playoff
contender Predicted Record 6-10
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers: Possessing the last ranked defense and 27th ranked
offense is not something to be proud, that is probably why head coach Raheem
Morris got fired. Tampa Bay entered the 2012 offseason willing to spend; they
acquired free agents such as Dallas Clark and Vincent Jackson. This 2012 season
is a big season for quarterback, Josh Freeman.
Freeman had a great 2010 season before regressing in 2011. If Josh
Freeman doesn’t play well, he and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization will
suffer. Predicted Record 4-12
NFC East
New York Giants: The
defending champion Giants experienced one of their random Super Bowl runs last
year. Yet again the Giants players “gave up on Tom Coughlin”. Sources were
saying the Giants would fire Coughlin at end of the season until suddenly;
somehow, they won their division the last game of the year. Every playoff game
following, the Giants were the underdogs, expected to lose. Every game the
Giants shocked their opponents and defeated them until eventually winning the
Super Bowl. The Giants may very well be
the worst team to ever win a Super Bowl; they had the 9th ranked
offense, 25th ranked defense, a negative point’s differential, and
an expected record of 7.9. However, the Giants have do have an elite
quarterback in Eli Manning, a great front-four on defense, and a common unity
in the fact everyone expects them to lose. Even this offseason, nobody is
giving the Giants the credit they deserve and the other New York team gets more
media coverage. The hatred and ignorance only adds fuel to the Giants’ fire. Predicted Record 12-4
Philadelphia
Eagles: The Eagles missed the playoffs last year despite having the 8th
ranked offense, the 10th ranked defense and the having the 9th
best point’s differential; to say the very least, the Eagles were unlucky to
miss the playoffs. The Eagles had a
projected win total of 9.8, almost two wins higher than their actual
total. The Eagles, having been labeled
the “Dream Team”, certainly didn’t live up to their expectations but they had a
good year. I expect this team; with all the free agents they signed finally
having a full offseason, to be a dominant team in the NFC. There
is too much talent on this roster to miss the playoffs. Predicted Record 11-5
Dallas Cowboys: A
team with a 15th ranked offense and the 16th ranked
defense should not be a perennial Super Bowl favorite. The Cowboys are like the
Notre Dame, of professional football; annually having exceptionally high
expectations and never living up to them. I expect the Cowboys to be competitive
but not a playoff contender in a tough division and conference. The Cowboys will go as far as Tony Romo, who
is entering his prime, will take them. I expect the above average Tony Romo to
lead the Cowboys to a slightly below average season. Predicted Record 7-9
Washington
Redskins: Whenever Rex Grossman is your starting quarterback, you team is in
need of help. Luckily the highly sought after prospect Robert Griffin III, is
now on the Redskins, to turn things around. RG3 takes over a team, that ranked 26th
in offense and 21st in defense. This is a big year for Coach Mike
Shanahan, who has had two consecutive losing seasons. If the Redskins do not progress, Shanahan will
likely be fired. Ultimately, I see RG3 having a rookie season similar to Cam Newton’s,
I also expect RG3 to have the same record as Newton’s rookie season. Predicted Record 6-10
NFC West
San Francisco: Of
all the playoff teams last year, the 49ers seem to be the one most destined to
regress, mostly because they randomly had the highest turnover differential. A
team was 6-10 in 2010 and had the 16th ranked defense; in
2011 they 49ers progressed to the 2nd ranked defense. In 2011, the 49ers had the 11th
ranked offense and finished 13-3. While I think the 49ers are still a very good
team, they still are going to slightly regress due to the fewer turnovers they
will get. The 49ers will probably win their easy division, but in order to win
a Super Bowl, they need improvement from Alex Smith. Predicted Record 10-6
Seattle: The often
overlooked team, Seattle quietly made their way to consecutive 7-9 seasons
under head coach Pete Carroll. The Seahawks quietly boasted the 7th
ranked defense in 2011. Seattle this season will depend upon their rookie
starter Russell Wilson. If Wilson plays well, and the defense holds their own, Seattle
could compete with 49ers for the division title. I predict Russell Wilson playing
well, but not well enough to give Seattle a playoff berth. Predicted Record 6-10
St Louis Rams: Rams
have suffered relentlessly in recent history; over the past five years the Rams
have had one season where they won more than three games. There is light at the
end of the tunnel for St Louis, they have a good quarterback in Sam Bradford
and they have good hour high round draft pick for the next two years for
trading the second pick. The Rams won’t contend for the division title but they
will be competitive as long as they protect Sam Bradford. Predicted Record 6-10
Arizona Cardinals:
Last year Arizona quietly, like Seattle, went on to an 8-8 season. Unlike
Seattle however they were slightly lucky and had a negative point’s
differential. The Cardinals added Michael Floyd in the draft, to go a long side
Larry Fitzgerald. The main thing preventing the Cardinals from winning the
division is their lack of competitiveness at the quarterback position. The Cardinals
had a guy with the last name Skeleton start half of their season. Since the
Cardinals failed to address their glaring I need, I see them regressing. Predicted Record 5-11
Playoffs
Wildcard Round AFC: (4) Patriots over (5) Bills, (6) Ravens over (3)
Chargers NFC: (5) Packers over (4) Panthers,
(6) Eagles over (3) 49ers
Divisional Round AFC: (1) Texans over (6) Ravens, (2) Steelers over (4) Patriots
NFC: (1) Bears over (6) Eagles, (5) Packers over (2) Giants
NFC: (1) Bears over (6) Eagles, (5) Packers over (2) Giants
Conference Championship AFC: (2) Steelers over (1) Texans NFC: (1) Bears over (5) Packers
Super Bowl: (2) Steelers over (1) Bears
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