New York Giants
Key Additions: LB Keith Bulluck, S Antrel Rolle, S Deon Grant, DE Jason Pierre-Paul, QB Jim Sorgi, DT Linval Joseph
Key Subtractions: LB Antonio Pierce, P Jeff Feagles, LB Danny Clark, QB David Carr, DT Fred Robbins, CB Kevin Dockery,
The Giants enter this season 2 years removed from a Super Bowl win and one of the worst collapses in franchise history last season. After starting 5-0 thanks in large part to a weak early schedule, the Giants collapsed to finish 8-8 in what owner John Mara felt "was more like 2-14." Tom Coughlin is entering the year before the final year of his contract, and the outcome of this year will likely determine his future with the team. Although I believe he deserves an extension baring anything disastrous, another year without the playoffs might mean his time may be over with the Giants. The Giants fired defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan one year after taking over for Steve Spagnuolo. Sheridan appeared to have not formed a bond with the players, even having one walk out during training camp. His schemes were questionable and down right odd at times. But Perry Fewell takes over who is known for being a hands-on aggressive coach whos system creates a lot of turnovers. The defense gave up 31 TD's through the air last season, second worst in the league. The Giants went out and addressed that problem by making Antrel Rolle the highest paid safety in the league and added depth with Deon Grant. Rolle is expected to start alongside S Kenny Phillips if he is ready. If not, Grant, who is a veteran player with plenty of experience, will slide in no problem. One of the problems last season were too many receivers getting behind safeties and making big plays in the passing game. That was partially due to injuries in the secondary and terrible play by the secondary. The Giants at corner have the personnel. Corey Webster played great the year they went to the Super Bowl. Opposite him will be either Aaron Ross, injured for most of last season, or Terrell Thomas. If Ross is healthy he should have the edge. Regardless the other will play in the nickle package and give the Giants a nice rotation. The Giants lost linebackers Danny Clark and signal caller Antonio Pierce. They signed Keith Bulluck from Tennessee and will look to replace Pierce both on and off the field. Michael Boley played great towards the end of last year, but was injured for some of the year and missed time. Clint Sintim is expected to move in and replace Danny Clark. Gerris Wilkinson is waiting and adds some good depth. The Giants last year struggled on the defensive line and failed to get the the quarterback with some consistency and stop the run. They gave up 21 TDs on the ground last year. Basically, they couldn't get off the field or hold opponents to field goals. Osi Umenyiora was visibly frustrated and was removed from his starting position last year, being replaced by Mathias Kiwanuka. One of Umenyiora's main problems was his inability to stop the run. He was used by Bill Sheridan mainly as a pass rush specialist and was put too many times in pass coverage against TE's and RB's where he, and other DE's, were consistently burned. Justin Tuck was bothered all year by a shoulder injury after he was kneed in a dirty play by Dallas OT Flozell Adams, who is now in Pittsburgh. Tuck and Umenyiora must get back to 2007 form and apply more pressure on the quarterback and get off the line of scrimmage better. Inside the Giants lost long time pro DT Fred Robbins, but still have plenty of depth. Chris Canty should start after converting from a 3-4 DE to a 4-3 DT alongside veteran Barry Cofield. Jay Alford missed all of last season but should be ready to go, they signed Rocky Bernard last season, and the Giants drafted Linval Joseph this year. With the personnel the Giants have this year and a fresh face in Perry Fewell that will not tolerate inconsistent play, the Giants will be a much improved defense this season.
Offensively, Eli Manning is coming off one of the best regular seasons of his career. He threw for over 4,00 yards and 27 Td's. Mannings high numbers are much to do with his much improved decision making and emergence of his wide receivers, but partially due to the fact the the Giants were playing from behind in a lot of games. Manning is a former Super Bowl MVP and will do even better this season. David Carr is gone, but Jim Sorgi is in. The Giants are hoping they don't see him on the field after preseason. The Giants last year however, did not run the ball well. This was due to Brandon Jacobs battling through injuries and the ineffectiveness of the offensive line. Jacobs numbers were way down, 835 yards averaging 3.7 yards per carry and only 5 TD's. The troubling number there is the yards per carry number. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry the previous two seasons. Hes not the home run hitter, hes the bruiser between the tackles runner. He needs to get back to that this year. Expect Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware to see more time as well as the Giants will rotate more. The offensive line is where the Giants aren't really set as they head into camp. C Shaun Ohara and G Chris Snee will start. Rich Suebert should be the other starting guard and Karim Mackenzie should be the starting RT, but William Beatty will challenge David Diehl at LT. Bottom line is the best player out of camp will start, and if they don't play with consistency, they will be replaced. The line has been intact for a lot of years and is a stronghold of the team. They need to return to that this season. Steve Smith was second in the NFL in receptions last year and broke the Giants record for receptions in a season. He is Eli Mannings go to guy. Hackeem Nicks had a decent rookie season who has the explosiveness to be the deep threat the Giants need. Mario Manningham and Ramses Barden need to step up now that Domenik Hixon is out for the year with a torn ACL. Kevin Boss played well last year and is a very reliable tight end.
Schedule:
1 Sun, Sep 12 Carolina
2 Sun, Sep 19 at Indianapolis
3 Sun, Sep 26 Tennessee
4 Sun, Oct 3 Chicago
5 Sun, Oct 10 at Houston
6 Sun, Oct 17 Detroit
7 Mon, Oct 25 at Dallas
8 BYE
9 Sun, Nov 7 at Seattle
10 Sun, Nov 14 Dallas
11 Sun, Nov 21 at Philadelphia
12 Sun, Nov 28 Jacksonville
13 Sun, Dec 5 Washington
14 Sun, Dec 12 at Minnesota
15 Sun, Dec 19 Philadelphia
16 Sun, Dec 26 at Green Bay
17 Sun, Jan 2 at Washington
The Giants have the 7th hardest schedule in the league and opponents were 135-121 lase season. They catch the AFC South and NFC North this year, two divisions with three or more competitive teams. Manning Bowl II takes place Week two in Indianapolis. The Giants finish the season with 3 of their last 4 games on the road. The Giants played well in their division last season but lost both games to Philly by big numbers, and Washington is no longer a pushover. The Giants should contend for the division and a playoff spot this season.
Tennessee Titans
Key Additions: LB Will Witherspoon, CB Tye Hill, DE Jason Babin, DE Derrick Morgan, WR Damian Williams
Key Subtractions: TE Alge Crumpler, DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, C Kevin Mawae, RB LenDale White, LB Keith Bulluck
The Titans resurrected their season last year and saved Jeff Fishers job after starting out 0-6 and finishing 8-2. Chris Johnson and Vince Young had a lot to do with that. Johnson did not rush for under 100 yards in the final 10 games of the season and Vince Young threw 10 TD's. The Titans look forward to seeing what they can do with a full season with this duo. Chris Johnson is Mr. Everything for this offense, everything they do revolved around him. He has a lot of expectations this season and its unrealistic for him to live up to them all. If he can produce 75% of what he did last year, it will be good enough. Johnson no longer has a reliable backup behind him as Lendale White has moved on. Vince Young needs to play for a full season like he played the final 10 games of last season. Kenny Britt had an excellent rookie season last year with 701 receiving yards. He and Justin Gage will look to carry the load for Vince Young.
The Titans lost Pro-Bowler Kyle Vanden Bosh to free agency, but they hope that first round pick Derrick Morgan will replace him. The Titans run defense was in the top 10 in the league last season in total yards, and opponents rushed for 4.3 yards per carry. They lost Keith Bulluck but picked up Will Witherspoon in free agency. The Titans major concern is in their pass defense, which was 31st in the league last year only ahead of the Lions. They allowed 31 TD's through the air and opponents averaged 258.7 passing yards per game. Cortland Finnegan should play alongside Tye Hill, who signed as a free agent this year. Those two need to play a lot better and bring those numbers down and put their offense in a better position.
Schedule:
1 Sun, Sep 12 Oakland
2 Sun, Sep 19 Pittsburgh
3 Sun, Sep 26 at NY Giants
4 Sun, Oct 3 Denver
5 Sun, Oct 10 at Dallas
6 Mon, Oct 18 at Jacksonville
7 Sun, Oct 24 Philadelphia
8 Sun, Oct 31 at San Diego
9 BYE
10 Sun, Nov 14 at Miami
11 Sun, Nov 21 Washington
12 Sun, Nov 28 at Houston
13 Sun, Dec 5 Jacksonville
14 Thu, Dec 9 Indianapolis
15 Sun, Dec 19 Houston
16 Sun, Dec 26 at Kansas City
17 Sun, Jan 2 at Indianapolis
The Titans have 2nd hardest schedule in the league and opponents were 140-116 last season. They catch the NFC East and AFC West and play in the high powered AFC South that has two explosive offenses through the air. The pass defense can not play like they did a year ago or it will be a long season in Nashville. They do catch Pittsburgh before Ben Roesthlisburger will be eligible to return. They do have a lot of home games late and games on the road are in warm weather or indoors.
Comments
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Two-A-Days: San Fransisco 49ers and Denver Broncos Preview
San Fransisco 49ers
Key Additions: OT Anthony Davis, OG Mike Iupati, QB David Carr, WR Ted Ginn, Jr., S Taylor Mays,
Key Subtractions: DB Dre Bly, WR Isaac Bruce
The 49ers enter this season looking to improve on their 8-8 season last year under coach Mike Singletary. QB Alex Smith took over the starting job last year in Week 7 after Sean Hill was benched. Smith led the 49ers to a 5-6 record as a starter. Clearly the problem with the team lies with the lack of productivity from the offense, and it certainly isn't coming from the running game either. Gore ran for 1,120 yards averaging 4.9 yards per carry and caught 52 balls for 406 more yards. The problems with the 49ers offense lies with the quarterback. Alex Smith appears to be the starter heading into training camp, but he will be on a short leash if he can't produce with former starter and number one overall pick David Carr now behind him. He has Michael Crabtree and now Ted Ginn Jr. at the wide receiver position, Vernon Davis at TE, and a more than capable back to catch passes. Smith will have to improve and spread the ball around better for the 49ers to be successful.
The 49ers defense has done very well under Singletary. They had the sixth best rushing defense in the NFL last year thanks to a strong linebacking corps led by Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis. They signed Nate Clements prior to the 2007 season, but he only started 6 games last year due to injury. The secondary will have to stay healthier this year in order for them to improve. They drafted S Taylor Mays to compete for a spot against Dashon Goldson.
Schedule:
1 Sun, Sep 12 @ Seattle
2 Mon, Sep 20 New Orleans
3 Sun, Sep 26 @ Kansas City
4 Sun, Oct 3 @ Atlanta
5 Sun, Oct 10 Philadelphia
6 Sun, Oct 17 Oakland
7 Sun, Oct 24 @ Carolina
8 Sun, Oct 31 Denver
9 BYE
10 Sun, Nov 14 St. Louis
11 Sun, Nov 21 Tampa Bay
12 Mon, Nov 29 @ Arizona
13 Sun, Dec 5 @ Green Bay
14 Sun, Dec 12 Seattle
15 Thu, Dec 16 @ San Diego
16 Sun, Dec 26 @ St. Louis
17 Sun, Jan 2 Arizona
The 49ers play in the weak AFC West and have the 28th toughest schedule in the league and opponents were 117-139 last season. They catch the AFC West and NFC South this season. The schedule does not appear to be that bad to the 49ers, but they do have 4 of their last 6 games on the road. They face the Super Bowl champs at home Week 2, they will be put to the test early to see what they are made of.
Denver Broncos
Key Additions: QB Tim Tebow, NT Jamal Williams, DE Jarvis Green, WR Demaryius Thomas, QB Brady Quinn
Key Loses: WR Brandon Marhsall, TE Tony Scheffler, RB Peyton Hillis,
Josh McDaniels enters his second season as head coach of the Broncos after starting 6-0 last season only to collapse and go 2-8 the remainder of the year. The demise of the Broncos last year is partly due to their inability to stop the run and the inconstancy of QB Kyle Orton. Orton threw only 1 INT in the first 6 games, but threw 11 in the following 10 games. Orton no longer has a safety blanket after the Broncos drafted Tim Tebow and signed Brady Quinn this year. If Orton plays the way he did this year like the final 10 games last season, he will get the hook. Regardless of who is under center for the Broncos, who they will be throwing too will no longer include two Pro Bowlers in Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler. That means Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney, and this year draft pick Demaryius Thomas will have to pick up the slack. It will be difficult to replace Marhall and Schefflers numbers. The backfield consists of second year pro Knowshon Moreno, who rushed for 947 yards averaging 3.8 yards per carry, and Correll Buckhalter who rushed for 642 yards but averaged 5.4 yards per carry. Moreno needs to see his per carry numbers improve to the level of Buckhalter's.
The Broncos were dreadful against the run last season. They surrendered 2,059 yards and opponents averaged 4.5 yards per carry. The Broncos brought some help in DE Jarvis Green to help out the line. But no matter who you bring in, with numbers like that it gives offenses way too many options and leaves the defense off balance and on their heels entirely too much, putting their play makers in situations they do not like. Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins are ball hogs, but both are getting old. The front seven must do a better job and get pressure in order for their play makers to make plays.
Schedule:
1 Sun, Sep 12 at Jacksonville
2 Sun, Sep 19 Seattle
3 Sun, Sep 26 Indianapolis
4 Sun, Oct 3 at Tennessee
5 Sun, Oct 10 at Baltimore
6 Sun, Oct 17 NY Jets
7 Sun, Oct 24 Oakland
8 Sun, Oct 31 at San Francisco
10 Sun, Nov 14 Kansas City
11 Mon, Nov 22 at San Diego
12 Sun, Nov 28 St. Louis
13 Sun, Dec 5 at Kansas City
14 Sun, Dec 12 at Arizona
15 Sun, Dec 19 at Oakland
16 Sun, Dec 26 Houston
17 Sun, Jan 2 San Diego
The Broncos have the 24th hardest schedule and opponents were 124-132 last season. They catch the AFC South and NFC West this year. The NFC West is one of the weaker divisions in the NFL, however the AFC South is loaded with talent and three teams who should be in the playoff hunt. Their schedule does get lighter as the season goes on, so look for them to contend in the division next year.
Key Additions: OT Anthony Davis, OG Mike Iupati, QB David Carr, WR Ted Ginn, Jr., S Taylor Mays,
Key Subtractions: DB Dre Bly, WR Isaac Bruce
The 49ers enter this season looking to improve on their 8-8 season last year under coach Mike Singletary. QB Alex Smith took over the starting job last year in Week 7 after Sean Hill was benched. Smith led the 49ers to a 5-6 record as a starter. Clearly the problem with the team lies with the lack of productivity from the offense, and it certainly isn't coming from the running game either. Gore ran for 1,120 yards averaging 4.9 yards per carry and caught 52 balls for 406 more yards. The problems with the 49ers offense lies with the quarterback. Alex Smith appears to be the starter heading into training camp, but he will be on a short leash if he can't produce with former starter and number one overall pick David Carr now behind him. He has Michael Crabtree and now Ted Ginn Jr. at the wide receiver position, Vernon Davis at TE, and a more than capable back to catch passes. Smith will have to improve and spread the ball around better for the 49ers to be successful.
The 49ers defense has done very well under Singletary. They had the sixth best rushing defense in the NFL last year thanks to a strong linebacking corps led by Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis. They signed Nate Clements prior to the 2007 season, but he only started 6 games last year due to injury. The secondary will have to stay healthier this year in order for them to improve. They drafted S Taylor Mays to compete for a spot against Dashon Goldson.
Schedule:
1 Sun, Sep 12 @ Seattle
2 Mon, Sep 20 New Orleans
3 Sun, Sep 26 @ Kansas City
4 Sun, Oct 3 @ Atlanta
5 Sun, Oct 10 Philadelphia
6 Sun, Oct 17 Oakland
7 Sun, Oct 24 @ Carolina
8 Sun, Oct 31 Denver
9 BYE
10 Sun, Nov 14 St. Louis
11 Sun, Nov 21 Tampa Bay
12 Mon, Nov 29 @ Arizona
13 Sun, Dec 5 @ Green Bay
14 Sun, Dec 12 Seattle
15 Thu, Dec 16 @ San Diego
16 Sun, Dec 26 @ St. Louis
17 Sun, Jan 2 Arizona
The 49ers play in the weak AFC West and have the 28th toughest schedule in the league and opponents were 117-139 last season. They catch the AFC West and NFC South this season. The schedule does not appear to be that bad to the 49ers, but they do have 4 of their last 6 games on the road. They face the Super Bowl champs at home Week 2, they will be put to the test early to see what they are made of.
Denver Broncos
Key Additions: QB Tim Tebow, NT Jamal Williams, DE Jarvis Green, WR Demaryius Thomas, QB Brady Quinn
Key Loses: WR Brandon Marhsall, TE Tony Scheffler, RB Peyton Hillis,
Josh McDaniels enters his second season as head coach of the Broncos after starting 6-0 last season only to collapse and go 2-8 the remainder of the year. The demise of the Broncos last year is partly due to their inability to stop the run and the inconstancy of QB Kyle Orton. Orton threw only 1 INT in the first 6 games, but threw 11 in the following 10 games. Orton no longer has a safety blanket after the Broncos drafted Tim Tebow and signed Brady Quinn this year. If Orton plays the way he did this year like the final 10 games last season, he will get the hook. Regardless of who is under center for the Broncos, who they will be throwing too will no longer include two Pro Bowlers in Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler. That means Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney, and this year draft pick Demaryius Thomas will have to pick up the slack. It will be difficult to replace Marhall and Schefflers numbers. The backfield consists of second year pro Knowshon Moreno, who rushed for 947 yards averaging 3.8 yards per carry, and Correll Buckhalter who rushed for 642 yards but averaged 5.4 yards per carry. Moreno needs to see his per carry numbers improve to the level of Buckhalter's.
The Broncos were dreadful against the run last season. They surrendered 2,059 yards and opponents averaged 4.5 yards per carry. The Broncos brought some help in DE Jarvis Green to help out the line. But no matter who you bring in, with numbers like that it gives offenses way too many options and leaves the defense off balance and on their heels entirely too much, putting their play makers in situations they do not like. Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins are ball hogs, but both are getting old. The front seven must do a better job and get pressure in order for their play makers to make plays.
Schedule:
1 Sun, Sep 12 at Jacksonville
2 Sun, Sep 19 Seattle
3 Sun, Sep 26 Indianapolis
4 Sun, Oct 3 at Tennessee
5 Sun, Oct 10 at Baltimore
6 Sun, Oct 17 NY Jets
7 Sun, Oct 24 Oakland
8 Sun, Oct 31 at San Francisco
10 Sun, Nov 14 Kansas City
11 Mon, Nov 22 at San Diego
12 Sun, Nov 28 St. Louis
13 Sun, Dec 5 at Kansas City
14 Sun, Dec 12 at Arizona
15 Sun, Dec 19 at Oakland
16 Sun, Dec 26 Houston
17 Sun, Jan 2 San Diego
The Broncos have the 24th hardest schedule and opponents were 124-132 last season. They catch the AFC South and NFC West this year. The NFC West is one of the weaker divisions in the NFL, however the AFC South is loaded with talent and three teams who should be in the playoff hunt. Their schedule does get lighter as the season goes on, so look for them to contend in the division next year.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Two-A-Days: Chciago Bears and Miami Dolphins Preview
Chicago Bears
Key Additions: DE Julius Peppers, RB Chester Taylor, FS Major Wright, TE Brandon Manumaleuna, CB Tim Jennings
Key Subtractions: DE Alex Brown, LB Jamar Williams, CB Nathan Vasher
The Bears enter year two with QB Jay Cutler under center trading him for an abundance of drafty picks prior to last season. Cutler struggled last year throwing for 27 TD's, but 26 INT's, only the Lions and Bucs threw for more interceptions. Mike Martz takes over the offense that will do wonders for Cutler. However, Martz loves to throw the ball, and head coach Lovie Smith does not. Lovie went as far as to have Cutler only attempt 17 passes in a game last year against the Rams in which they won 17-9. But the message was clear that what Lovie wanted out of Culter wasnt resonating. Martz now is faced with the challenge of improving Culter and limiting his mistakes. Cutler has the weapons around him to succeed. Chester Taylor joins Matt Forte in the backfield as the Bears struggled to run the ball last year. But the real strength is at wide receiver, where Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Devin Aromashodu-ashodu lead the way, and bringing in Manumaleuna provides a big target in the red zone. With the weapons surrounding Cutler, he should improve big time this season.
The premier free agent this offseason was Peppers, and the Bears landed the big fish. Peppers improves the defense by himself, as there is no better coverage in my mind than an excellent pass rush. Urlacher returns after missing pretty much all of last season. He can still play at a high level and with Lance Briggs still there, the Bears are set at linebacker. They brought in Tim Jennings to compete for one of the starting corner jobsw, but the rest of the secondary is up in the eair with a lot of rookies and vets competing for spots, including FS Major Wright.
Schedule:
1 Sun. Sep. 12 vs. Lions
2 Sun. Sep. 19 at Cowboys
3 Mon. Sep. 27 vs. Packers
4 Sun. Oct. 03 at Giants
5 Sun. Oct. 10 at Panthers
6 Sun. Oct. 17 vs. Seahawks
7 Sun. Oct. 24 vs. Redskins
8 BYE
9 Sun. Nov. 07 at Bills
10 Sun. Nov. 14 vs. Vikings
11 Thu. Nov. 18 at Dolphins
12 Sun. Nov. 28 vs. Eagles
13 Sun. Dec. 05 at Lions
14 Sun. Dec. 12 vs. Patriots
15 Mon. Dec. 20 at Vikings
16 Sun. Dec. 26 vs. Jets
17 Sun. Jan. 02 at Packers
The Bears have the #14th hardest schedule and opponents were 129-127 last season. They catch the AFC East and NFC East, two of the toughest divisions in the NFL. Already having to contend with the Packers and Vikings twice each, this schedule doesnt favor the Bears. But they should contend for a playoff spot.
Miami Dolphins
Key Additions: WR Brandon Marshall, LB Karlos Dansby, DT Jared Odrick,
Key Subtractions: WR Ted Ginn Jr., LB Joey Porter, LB Jason Taylor
The Dolphins are now three years into the Parcells era and look to have something brewing down in Miami. Chad Henne is the quarterback the Dolphins feel they can win with. He took over in Week 2 last year and started every game for the remainder of the season. His numbers were decent even in the absence of a true number one receiver. In the offseason, the Dolphins acquired one...Brandon Marshall. Marhsall is the physical go to guy that Hennne can lean on in a big spot. But the strength of the offense has, and will continue to be, the running game. Ronnie Brown struggled until going down for the year in Week 10. Ricky Williams did pick up the slack, rushing for 1,211 yards averaging 4.7 yards per carry. If both of them can stay healthy and Chad Henne improves, the Dolphins will do better on offense.
Defensively, the Dolphins lost a few veterans. However, they did get the best middle linebacker in free agency in Karlos Dansby. Dansby will play alongside Chaning Crowder. However the Dolphins were playing with rookies at corner towards the end of the season and were terrible against the pass. They were worst in the league in giving up plays of 40+ yards through the air, surrendering 17. They must improve heading into year two. Mike Nolan may have his hands full if the defensive personnel currently in place does not do their job.
Schedule:
1 Sun. Sep. 12 at Bills
2 Sun. Sep. 19 at Vikings
3 Sun. Sep. 26 vs. Jets
4 Mon. Oct. 04 vs. Patriots
5 BYE
6 Sun. Oct. 17 at Packers
7 Sun. Oct. 24 vs. Steelers
8 Sun. Oct. 31 at Bengals
9 Sun. Nov. 07 at Ravens
10 Sun. Nov. 14 vs. Titans
11 Thu. Nov. 18 vs. Bears
12 Sun. Nov. 28 at Raiders
13 Sun. Dec. 05 vs. Browns
14 Sun. Dec. 12 at Jets
15 Sun. Dec. 19 vs. Bills
16 Sun. Dec. 26 vs. Lions
17 Sun. Jan. 02 at Patriots
The Dolphins have the 17th hardest schedule in the league and opponents were 128-128 last season. They catch the NFC North and AFC North this season. Both divisions have teams with three or more teams capable of making the playoffs. Three easy games at the end of the schedule at home sure help the Dolphins. If they can remain in the hunt once December rolls around, they'll be in good shape.
Key Additions: DE Julius Peppers, RB Chester Taylor, FS Major Wright, TE Brandon Manumaleuna, CB Tim Jennings
Key Subtractions: DE Alex Brown, LB Jamar Williams, CB Nathan Vasher
The Bears enter year two with QB Jay Cutler under center trading him for an abundance of drafty picks prior to last season. Cutler struggled last year throwing for 27 TD's, but 26 INT's, only the Lions and Bucs threw for more interceptions. Mike Martz takes over the offense that will do wonders for Cutler. However, Martz loves to throw the ball, and head coach Lovie Smith does not. Lovie went as far as to have Cutler only attempt 17 passes in a game last year against the Rams in which they won 17-9. But the message was clear that what Lovie wanted out of Culter wasnt resonating. Martz now is faced with the challenge of improving Culter and limiting his mistakes. Cutler has the weapons around him to succeed. Chester Taylor joins Matt Forte in the backfield as the Bears struggled to run the ball last year. But the real strength is at wide receiver, where Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Devin Aromashodu-ashodu lead the way, and bringing in Manumaleuna provides a big target in the red zone. With the weapons surrounding Cutler, he should improve big time this season.
The premier free agent this offseason was Peppers, and the Bears landed the big fish. Peppers improves the defense by himself, as there is no better coverage in my mind than an excellent pass rush. Urlacher returns after missing pretty much all of last season. He can still play at a high level and with Lance Briggs still there, the Bears are set at linebacker. They brought in Tim Jennings to compete for one of the starting corner jobsw, but the rest of the secondary is up in the eair with a lot of rookies and vets competing for spots, including FS Major Wright.
Schedule:
1 Sun. Sep. 12 vs. Lions
2 Sun. Sep. 19 at Cowboys
3 Mon. Sep. 27 vs. Packers
4 Sun. Oct. 03 at Giants
5 Sun. Oct. 10 at Panthers
6 Sun. Oct. 17 vs. Seahawks
7 Sun. Oct. 24 vs. Redskins
8 BYE
9 Sun. Nov. 07 at Bills
10 Sun. Nov. 14 vs. Vikings
11 Thu. Nov. 18 at Dolphins
12 Sun. Nov. 28 vs. Eagles
13 Sun. Dec. 05 at Lions
14 Sun. Dec. 12 vs. Patriots
15 Mon. Dec. 20 at Vikings
16 Sun. Dec. 26 vs. Jets
17 Sun. Jan. 02 at Packers
The Bears have the #14th hardest schedule and opponents were 129-127 last season. They catch the AFC East and NFC East, two of the toughest divisions in the NFL. Already having to contend with the Packers and Vikings twice each, this schedule doesnt favor the Bears. But they should contend for a playoff spot.
Miami Dolphins
Key Additions: WR Brandon Marshall, LB Karlos Dansby, DT Jared Odrick,
Key Subtractions: WR Ted Ginn Jr., LB Joey Porter, LB Jason Taylor
The Dolphins are now three years into the Parcells era and look to have something brewing down in Miami. Chad Henne is the quarterback the Dolphins feel they can win with. He took over in Week 2 last year and started every game for the remainder of the season. His numbers were decent even in the absence of a true number one receiver. In the offseason, the Dolphins acquired one...Brandon Marshall. Marhsall is the physical go to guy that Hennne can lean on in a big spot. But the strength of the offense has, and will continue to be, the running game. Ronnie Brown struggled until going down for the year in Week 10. Ricky Williams did pick up the slack, rushing for 1,211 yards averaging 4.7 yards per carry. If both of them can stay healthy and Chad Henne improves, the Dolphins will do better on offense.
Defensively, the Dolphins lost a few veterans. However, they did get the best middle linebacker in free agency in Karlos Dansby. Dansby will play alongside Chaning Crowder. However the Dolphins were playing with rookies at corner towards the end of the season and were terrible against the pass. They were worst in the league in giving up plays of 40+ yards through the air, surrendering 17. They must improve heading into year two. Mike Nolan may have his hands full if the defensive personnel currently in place does not do their job.
Schedule:
1 Sun. Sep. 12 at Bills
2 Sun. Sep. 19 at Vikings
3 Sun. Sep. 26 vs. Jets
4 Mon. Oct. 04 vs. Patriots
5 BYE
6 Sun. Oct. 17 at Packers
7 Sun. Oct. 24 vs. Steelers
8 Sun. Oct. 31 at Bengals
9 Sun. Nov. 07 at Ravens
10 Sun. Nov. 14 vs. Titans
11 Thu. Nov. 18 vs. Bears
12 Sun. Nov. 28 at Raiders
13 Sun. Dec. 05 vs. Browns
14 Sun. Dec. 12 at Jets
15 Sun. Dec. 19 vs. Bills
16 Sun. Dec. 26 vs. Lions
17 Sun. Jan. 02 at Patriots
The Dolphins have the 17th hardest schedule in the league and opponents were 128-128 last season. They catch the NFC North and AFC North this season. Both divisions have teams with three or more teams capable of making the playoffs. Three easy games at the end of the schedule at home sure help the Dolphins. If they can remain in the hunt once December rolls around, they'll be in good shape.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Two-A-Days: Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars Preview
Buffalo Bills
Key Additions: RT Cornell Green, DE Dwan Edwards, LB Andra Davis, OLB Reggie Torbor, RB C.J. Spiller,
Key Subtractions: WR Terrell Owens, DE Aaron Schobel
Chan Gailey enters his first season as head coach of a struggling Bills team that can not score points. They drafted RB C.J. Spiller with the ninth pick who is a definite home run hitter and as nice compliment to Marshaun Lynch and Fred Jackson. The running game will be and must be the foundation for the Bills offense if they are to be successful. They lost Terrell Owens who opened up room on the other side for Lee Evans. Now that he is gone, defenses will key on Evans and leave the Bills in a tight spot. The Bills were in the bottom of the league only ahead of Cleveland and Oakland in total offense. The quarterback situation is also in a bad spot. Trent Edwards lost the job last year to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was not any better. He had 21 interceptions last year. One of them will emerge as the starter, but both must play better.
The Bills are a total lopsided defense. They rank second in the league against the pass, but 30th in the league against the run. They racked in 28 INT's last season, second in the league. But they lost their interim head coach and defensive coordinator to the New York Giants. George Edwards takes over and appears to be transitioning the defense to a 3-4 in order to improve the run defense. They added solid linebackers to solidify the unit, but I don't think it will be enough as it will take a long time for the team to transition to the new scheme.
Schedule:
Week 1 vs. Miami
Week 2 @ Green Bay
Week 3 @ New England
Week 4 vs. New York
Week 5 vs. Jacksonville
Week 6 Bye
Week 7 @ Baltimore
Week 8 @ Kansas City
Week 9 vs, Chicago
Week 10 vs. Detroit
Week 11 @ Cincinnati
Week 12 vs. Pittsburgh
Week 13 @ Minnesota
Week 14 vs. Cleveland
Week 15 @ Miami
Week 16 vs. New England
Week 17 @ New York
The Bills have the 16th hardest schedule and opponents were 128-128 last season. They play in the much improved AFC East where the other three teams are expected to contend for a playoff spot. They catch the AFC North and NFC North, two strong divisions as well. Judging by the schedule and the lack of moves in the offseason, I expect the Bills to be one of the worst teams in the league this year.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Key Additions: DE Aaron Kampman, LB Kirk Morrison, LB Freddy Keiaho,
Key Subtractions: WR Torry Holt
Jack Del Rio enters this season after squandering a golden opportunity to make the playoffs last year. They ended the season on a four game losing streak. David Garrard played decent last season, completing 60% of his passes, throwing for over 3,500 yards and managing the game well. The team is carried on the legs of the bowling bowl Maurice Jones-Drew. Drew ran for over 1,300 yards and 15 TD's. Mike Sims-Walker had a breakout year last season, but there isn't another consistent threat on the team. The team dumped Tory Holt and have a lot of WR on the roster with limited experience. A few of them are going to have to step up and form a good chemistry with Garrard for the offense to be successful.
The Jaguars added big boy Erik Kampman to add a presence to the defensive line and get after the quarterback. The Jaguars were last in the league last season with only 14 sacks. They also added Kirk Morrison to add some veteran presence to the linebacking corps. Beyond that, they Jaguars don't look to have anything to rely upon on defense. They rank towards the bottom half in both rushing and passing defensive categories. Reggie Nelson has not provided the big play since his good rookie year in 2007. If they can apply more pressure on the quarterback and limit the big plays, they can be better.
Schedule
1 Sun. Sep. 12 vs. Broncos
2 Sun. Sep. 19 at Chargers
3 Sun. Sep. 26 vs. Eagles
4 Sun. Oct. 03 vs. Colts
5 Sun. Oct. 10 at Bills
6 Mon. Oct. 18 vs. Titans
7 Sun. Oct. 24 at Chiefs
8 Sun. Oct. 31 at Cowboys
9 BYE
10 Sun. Nov. 14 vs. Texans
11 Sun. Nov. 21 vs. Browns
12 Sun. Nov. 28 at Giants
13 Sun. Dec. 05 at Titans
14 Sun. Dec. 12 vs. Raiders
15 Sun. Dec. 19 at Colts
16 Sun. Dec. 26 vs. Redskins
17 Sun. Jan. 02 at Texans
The Jags have the 5th hardest schedule in the league and opponents were 137-119 last season. They catch the AFC West and NFC East. They do play the Raiders, Chiefs, Bills, and Browns who are some of the worst defenses in the league. The beginning of the schedule is brutal though, opening against the Broncos, then on the road to San Diego, then home against the Eagles and Colts. Tough schedule for any good team to face, no less the Jags.
Key Additions: RT Cornell Green, DE Dwan Edwards, LB Andra Davis, OLB Reggie Torbor, RB C.J. Spiller,
Key Subtractions: WR Terrell Owens, DE Aaron Schobel
Chan Gailey enters his first season as head coach of a struggling Bills team that can not score points. They drafted RB C.J. Spiller with the ninth pick who is a definite home run hitter and as nice compliment to Marshaun Lynch and Fred Jackson. The running game will be and must be the foundation for the Bills offense if they are to be successful. They lost Terrell Owens who opened up room on the other side for Lee Evans. Now that he is gone, defenses will key on Evans and leave the Bills in a tight spot. The Bills were in the bottom of the league only ahead of Cleveland and Oakland in total offense. The quarterback situation is also in a bad spot. Trent Edwards lost the job last year to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was not any better. He had 21 interceptions last year. One of them will emerge as the starter, but both must play better.
The Bills are a total lopsided defense. They rank second in the league against the pass, but 30th in the league against the run. They racked in 28 INT's last season, second in the league. But they lost their interim head coach and defensive coordinator to the New York Giants. George Edwards takes over and appears to be transitioning the defense to a 3-4 in order to improve the run defense. They added solid linebackers to solidify the unit, but I don't think it will be enough as it will take a long time for the team to transition to the new scheme.
Schedule:
Week 1 vs. Miami
Week 2 @ Green Bay
Week 3 @ New England
Week 4 vs. New York
Week 5 vs. Jacksonville
Week 6 Bye
Week 7 @ Baltimore
Week 8 @ Kansas City
Week 9 vs, Chicago
Week 10 vs. Detroit
Week 11 @ Cincinnati
Week 12 vs. Pittsburgh
Week 13 @ Minnesota
Week 14 vs. Cleveland
Week 15 @ Miami
Week 16 vs. New England
Week 17 @ New York
The Bills have the 16th hardest schedule and opponents were 128-128 last season. They play in the much improved AFC East where the other three teams are expected to contend for a playoff spot. They catch the AFC North and NFC North, two strong divisions as well. Judging by the schedule and the lack of moves in the offseason, I expect the Bills to be one of the worst teams in the league this year.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Key Additions: DE Aaron Kampman, LB Kirk Morrison, LB Freddy Keiaho,
Key Subtractions: WR Torry Holt
Jack Del Rio enters this season after squandering a golden opportunity to make the playoffs last year. They ended the season on a four game losing streak. David Garrard played decent last season, completing 60% of his passes, throwing for over 3,500 yards and managing the game well. The team is carried on the legs of the bowling bowl Maurice Jones-Drew. Drew ran for over 1,300 yards and 15 TD's. Mike Sims-Walker had a breakout year last season, but there isn't another consistent threat on the team. The team dumped Tory Holt and have a lot of WR on the roster with limited experience. A few of them are going to have to step up and form a good chemistry with Garrard for the offense to be successful.
The Jaguars added big boy Erik Kampman to add a presence to the defensive line and get after the quarterback. The Jaguars were last in the league last season with only 14 sacks. They also added Kirk Morrison to add some veteran presence to the linebacking corps. Beyond that, they Jaguars don't look to have anything to rely upon on defense. They rank towards the bottom half in both rushing and passing defensive categories. Reggie Nelson has not provided the big play since his good rookie year in 2007. If they can apply more pressure on the quarterback and limit the big plays, they can be better.
Schedule
1 Sun. Sep. 12 vs. Broncos
2 Sun. Sep. 19 at Chargers
3 Sun. Sep. 26 vs. Eagles
4 Sun. Oct. 03 vs. Colts
5 Sun. Oct. 10 at Bills
6 Mon. Oct. 18 vs. Titans
7 Sun. Oct. 24 at Chiefs
8 Sun. Oct. 31 at Cowboys
9 BYE
10 Sun. Nov. 14 vs. Texans
11 Sun. Nov. 21 vs. Browns
12 Sun. Nov. 28 at Giants
13 Sun. Dec. 05 at Titans
14 Sun. Dec. 12 vs. Raiders
15 Sun. Dec. 19 at Colts
16 Sun. Dec. 26 vs. Redskins
17 Sun. Jan. 02 at Texans
The Jags have the 5th hardest schedule in the league and opponents were 137-119 last season. They catch the AFC West and NFC East. They do play the Raiders, Chiefs, Bills, and Browns who are some of the worst defenses in the league. The beginning of the schedule is brutal though, opening against the Broncos, then on the road to San Diego, then home against the Eagles and Colts. Tough schedule for any good team to face, no less the Jags.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Two-A-Days: Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders Preview
Cleveland Browns
Key Additions: QB Jake Delhomme, CB Joe Haden, TE Benjamin Watson, LB Chris Gocong, QB Colt McCoy, RB Montario Hardesty, S T.J. Ward
Key Loses: QB Derek Anderson, QB Brady Quinn, WR Donte' Stallworth, S Brodney Pool, LB Kamerion Wimbley
Now that Mike Holmgren has taken a Bill Parcells role in the Browns, the future is in good hands in Cleveland. Holmgren kept Eric Mangini as coach who must improve in order to keep his job. Another performance like last year will certainly leave him unemployed. The Browns were awful on offense last season as Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson both could not get the job done. They are both gone and Jake Delhomme will probably start, allowing Colt McCoy to learn and observe the veteran until he is ready to take over. The Browns averaged 129.8 yards per game through the air last season. The Browns drafted RB Monario Hardesty from Tennessee to add to the backfield that has Jerome Harrison. Wide receiver is still a concern. Masaquoi has done well, but Joshua Bribs is a lot like Devin Hester and has not proven himself to be a reliable receiver. Delhomme is on a short leash. If he plays like he did in 2008 and manages the game and limits his mistakes, he'll keep his job. If not, you will see either Seneca Wallace or Colt McCoy.
Rob Ryan enters his second season as defensive coordinator after drafting a shut down corner in this years draft in Joe Haden from Florida. He is the type of player that he can feel comfortable leaving one on one, although it will take him time to get acclimated to the NFL. The rest of the Browns defense is one big question mark. They were 20th overall last season allowing 389.3 yards per game against. They were 8h in the league with 40 sacks. T.J. Ward comes in to replace Brodney Pool. The Browns are going to have to keep the points to a minimum in order to win more games this year than they did last season.
Schedule:
1 Sunday September 12 at Buccaneers
2 Sunday September 19 Chiefs
3 Sunday September 26 at Ravens
4 Sunday October 03 Bengals
5 Sunday October 10 Falcons
6 Sunday October 17 at Steelers
7 Sunday October 24 at Saints
8 BYE
9 Sunday November 07 Patriots
10 Sunday November 14 Jets
11 Sunday November 21 at Jaguars
12 Sunday November 28 Panthers
13 Sunday December 05 at Dolphins
14 Sunday December 12 at Bills
15 Sunday December 19 at Bengals
16 Sunday December 26 Ravens
17 Sunday January 02 Steelers
The Browns don't really catch a break with their schedule. They have the 10th hardest in the league and opponents were 132-124 last season. They already play in the competitive NFC North where the Steelers, Ravens, and defending champ Bengals can all easily make the playoffs. On top of that they catch the AFC East, where the Jets, Pats, and Dolphins can easily make the playoffs as well. The division I believe will be too tough for the Browns to handle.
Oakland Raiders
Key Additions: LB Rolando McClain, QB Jason Campbell, RB Michael Bennett, DE Quentin Groves, LB Kamerion Wimbley,
Key Subtractions: QB Jamarcus Russell, DE Greg Ellis, RB Justin Fargas, WR Javon Walker, DT Gerard Warren
Da Raidas enter season 2 under Tom Cable and have moved on from JaMarcus Russell. Russell was awful during his time with the Raiders and looked lost at times trying to gather the offense. Jason Campbell will battle Bruce Gradkowski for the starting job in training camp. Campbell played decent last season and needs to continue to improve. Gradkowski played well in relief of Russell as well. Louis Murphy had an excellent rookie season, however Darrius Heyward-Bey was awful. Those two need to improve their games this year for the Raiders to be successful. They were 31st in points per game and yards per game last season. The running game will be squarely on the shoulders of Darren McFadden after Justin Fargas was cut during the offseason.
The defense is one of the few bright spots on this Raider team. They have one of the best shutdown corners in Nnamdi Asomugha and stud safety Michael Huff. They drafted Rolando McClain from Alabama and signed Kamerion Wimbley to sure up the linebacker position. The Raiders traded for Richard Seymour last season to add more to the defensive line. He needs to play at a higher level and force opposing lineman to pay attention to him and free up some of his teammates for some more one on ones. The Raiders success will depend on who the quarterback is and will they not back up the defense into a corner like Russell has. The defense is talented enough to make this a playoff team.
Schedule
1 Sunday September 12 at Titans
2 Sunday September 19 Rams
3 Sunday September 26 at Cardinals
4 Sunday October 03 Texans
5 Sunday October 10 Chargers
6 Sunday October 17 at 49ers
7 Sunday October 24 at Broncos
8 Sunday October 31 Seahawks
9 Sunday November 07 Chiefs
10 BYE
11 Sunday November 21 at Steelers
12 Sunday November 28 Dolphins
13 Sunday December 05 at Chargers
14 Sunday December 12 at Jaguars
15 Sunday December 19 Broncos
16 Sunday December 26 Colts
17 Sunday January 02 at Chiefs
The Raiders catch the weak NFC West and strong AFC South this season. They have the 18th toughest schedule and opponents were 128-128 last season. They have tough end of the season home games against the Broncos and Colts. If they can shut down some high powering offenses and take advantage of some weak defenses, they can win a few more games than some people would expect.
Comments
Key Additions: QB Jake Delhomme, CB Joe Haden, TE Benjamin Watson, LB Chris Gocong, QB Colt McCoy, RB Montario Hardesty, S T.J. Ward
Key Loses: QB Derek Anderson, QB Brady Quinn, WR Donte' Stallworth, S Brodney Pool, LB Kamerion Wimbley
Now that Mike Holmgren has taken a Bill Parcells role in the Browns, the future is in good hands in Cleveland. Holmgren kept Eric Mangini as coach who must improve in order to keep his job. Another performance like last year will certainly leave him unemployed. The Browns were awful on offense last season as Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson both could not get the job done. They are both gone and Jake Delhomme will probably start, allowing Colt McCoy to learn and observe the veteran until he is ready to take over. The Browns averaged 129.8 yards per game through the air last season. The Browns drafted RB Monario Hardesty from Tennessee to add to the backfield that has Jerome Harrison. Wide receiver is still a concern. Masaquoi has done well, but Joshua Bribs is a lot like Devin Hester and has not proven himself to be a reliable receiver. Delhomme is on a short leash. If he plays like he did in 2008 and manages the game and limits his mistakes, he'll keep his job. If not, you will see either Seneca Wallace or Colt McCoy.
Rob Ryan enters his second season as defensive coordinator after drafting a shut down corner in this years draft in Joe Haden from Florida. He is the type of player that he can feel comfortable leaving one on one, although it will take him time to get acclimated to the NFL. The rest of the Browns defense is one big question mark. They were 20th overall last season allowing 389.3 yards per game against. They were 8h in the league with 40 sacks. T.J. Ward comes in to replace Brodney Pool. The Browns are going to have to keep the points to a minimum in order to win more games this year than they did last season.
Schedule:
1 Sunday September 12 at Buccaneers
2 Sunday September 19 Chiefs
3 Sunday September 26 at Ravens
4 Sunday October 03 Bengals
5 Sunday October 10 Falcons
6 Sunday October 17 at Steelers
7 Sunday October 24 at Saints
8 BYE
9 Sunday November 07 Patriots
10 Sunday November 14 Jets
11 Sunday November 21 at Jaguars
12 Sunday November 28 Panthers
13 Sunday December 05 at Dolphins
14 Sunday December 12 at Bills
15 Sunday December 19 at Bengals
16 Sunday December 26 Ravens
17 Sunday January 02 Steelers
The Browns don't really catch a break with their schedule. They have the 10th hardest in the league and opponents were 132-124 last season. They already play in the competitive NFC North where the Steelers, Ravens, and defending champ Bengals can all easily make the playoffs. On top of that they catch the AFC East, where the Jets, Pats, and Dolphins can easily make the playoffs as well. The division I believe will be too tough for the Browns to handle.
Oakland Raiders
Key Additions: LB Rolando McClain, QB Jason Campbell, RB Michael Bennett, DE Quentin Groves, LB Kamerion Wimbley,
Key Subtractions: QB Jamarcus Russell, DE Greg Ellis, RB Justin Fargas, WR Javon Walker, DT Gerard Warren
Da Raidas enter season 2 under Tom Cable and have moved on from JaMarcus Russell. Russell was awful during his time with the Raiders and looked lost at times trying to gather the offense. Jason Campbell will battle Bruce Gradkowski for the starting job in training camp. Campbell played decent last season and needs to continue to improve. Gradkowski played well in relief of Russell as well. Louis Murphy had an excellent rookie season, however Darrius Heyward-Bey was awful. Those two need to improve their games this year for the Raiders to be successful. They were 31st in points per game and yards per game last season. The running game will be squarely on the shoulders of Darren McFadden after Justin Fargas was cut during the offseason.
The defense is one of the few bright spots on this Raider team. They have one of the best shutdown corners in Nnamdi Asomugha and stud safety Michael Huff. They drafted Rolando McClain from Alabama and signed Kamerion Wimbley to sure up the linebacker position. The Raiders traded for Richard Seymour last season to add more to the defensive line. He needs to play at a higher level and force opposing lineman to pay attention to him and free up some of his teammates for some more one on ones. The Raiders success will depend on who the quarterback is and will they not back up the defense into a corner like Russell has. The defense is talented enough to make this a playoff team.
Schedule
1 Sunday September 12 at Titans
2 Sunday September 19 Rams
3 Sunday September 26 at Cardinals
4 Sunday October 03 Texans
5 Sunday October 10 Chargers
6 Sunday October 17 at 49ers
7 Sunday October 24 at Broncos
8 Sunday October 31 Seahawks
9 Sunday November 07 Chiefs
10 BYE
11 Sunday November 21 at Steelers
12 Sunday November 28 Dolphins
13 Sunday December 05 at Chargers
14 Sunday December 12 at Jaguars
15 Sunday December 19 Broncos
16 Sunday December 26 Colts
17 Sunday January 02 at Chiefs
The Raiders catch the weak NFC West and strong AFC South this season. They have the 18th toughest schedule and opponents were 128-128 last season. They have tough end of the season home games against the Broncos and Colts. If they can shut down some high powering offenses and take advantage of some weak defenses, they can win a few more games than some people would expect.
Comments
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Two-A-Days: Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks Preview
Kansas City Chiefs
Key Additions: RB Thomas Jones, G Ryan Lilja, S Eric Berry, RB Dexter McCluster, CB/KR Javier Arenas
Key Subtractions: WR Bobby Wade
The Chiefs are looking to improve this year on what was a very inconsistent first year for head coach Todd Haley. He brought in Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel to surround himself with Super Bowl caliber coaches who know what it takes to win. Weis will be trying to make Matt Cassel into the quarterback he was in New England that led them to a playoff appearance two years ago. The running game gets even better with the addition of Thomas Jones to compliment Jamaal Charles, who broke out last year and rushed for 1,120 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. The addition of McCluster will also give the offense options as he is a dynamic player that can catch passes and line up in a variety of places. Dwayne Bowe must stay healthy and play a lot more consistently in order to be more successful. Behind him, their really isn't anyone that can produce numbers like he can. If Bowe plays better and McCluster is the player the Cheifs think he can be, they could be in good shape offensively.
Defensively, Romeo Crennel takes over a defense that ranked in the bottom of the league last season. They allowed over 2,500 yards rushing and opponents averaged 4.7 yards per carry. Their best linebacker is 35 year old Mike Vrabel, and Glen Dorsey and Tyson Jackson have not played well. They get an upgrade with Javier Arenas and Eric Berry that will help the secondary. Berry is great at stepping up in the box and stopping the run and the Chiefs are going to need to see that from him if they want to improve their run defense. However, that could leave the big play vertically vulnerable to the rookie. He has to pick his spots, and pick them well.
Schedule:
1 Monday September 13 Chargers
2 Sunday September 19 at Browns
3 Sunday September 26 49ers
4 BYE
5 Sunday October 10 at Colts
6 Sunday October 17 at Texans
7 Sunday October 24 Jaguars
8 Sunday October 31 Bills
9 Sunday November 07 at Raiders
10 Sunday November 14 at Broncos
11 Sunday November 21 Cardinals
12 Sunday November 28 at Seahawks
13 Sunday December 05 Broncos
14 Sunday December 12 at Chargers
15 Sunday December 19 at Rams
16 Sunday December 26 Titans
17 Sunday January 02 Raiders
The Chiefs catch the AFC South and NFC West this season. They have the 23rd hardest schedule and opponents were 125-131 last season. The schedule is better late than early, and have tough road games at the Colts and Chargers. However if they play well they can take advantage of a favorable schedule and win a couple of more games than they did last year.
Seattle Seahawks
Key Additions: RB Leon Washinton, OT Russel Okung, WR Golden Tate, S Earl Thomas
Key Subtractions: WR Nate Burleson,
The Seahawks are looking to improve on their 5-11 season last year under a new regime. Pete Carrol takes over for Jim Mora Jr. who only lasted one season. It appears that Carrol is going to stick with QB Matt Hasselbeck, who had an O.K. season last year, but must play a lot better. Leon Washington is added the the backfield that includes Julius Jones and Justin Forsett. They ran for only 1,566 yards as a team all of last season. The Seahawks strength will be the passing game. Golden Tate joins T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deon Branch. However the big play is lacking. Seattle had only 39 catches of over 20 yards last season. With a more consistent running game and Golden Tate in the lineup, that number should go up.
The Seahawks were terrible on defense last season due to underachieving players who must play better this year. They ranked 30th last year in pass defense, giving up 3,927 passing yards and opposing quarterbacks enjoyed a 65.8 completion percentage. They drafted S Earl Thomas from Texas to help with the secondary and back-up Marcus Trufant. They recorded only 13 interceptions last year. They have talented linebackers in Lofa Tatupu and Aaron Curry, who need to play consistent. I do not see this defense doing anything spectacular this year, and if they can't get off the field, its going to be a long year.
Schedule:
1 Sunday September 12 49ers
2 Sunday September 19 at Broncos
3 Sunday September 26 Chargers
4 Sunday October 03 at Rams
5 BYE
6 Sunday October 17 at Bears
7 Sunday October 24 Cardinals
8 Sunday October 31 at Raiders
9 Sunday November 07 Giants
10 Sunday November 14 at Cardinals
11 Sunday November 21 at Saints
12 Sunday November 28 Chiefs
13 Sunday December 05 Panthers
14 Sunday December 12 at 49ers
15 Sunday December 19 Falcons
16 Sunday December 26 at Buccaneers
17 Sunday January 02 Rams
The Seahawks have a very favorable schedule this season. They have the 30th hardest schedule and opponents were 116-140 last year. 3 east coast teams make the cross-country trip. They catch the AFC West and NFC South, and a trip to New Orleans to face the defending champs. This division has been dominated by the Cardinals of late, however Kurt Warner has now retired and the Cards lost a lot of players this offseason. If Seattle plays well, they can be knocking on the door late in the year.
Comments
Key Additions: RB Thomas Jones, G Ryan Lilja, S Eric Berry, RB Dexter McCluster, CB/KR Javier Arenas
Key Subtractions: WR Bobby Wade
The Chiefs are looking to improve this year on what was a very inconsistent first year for head coach Todd Haley. He brought in Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel to surround himself with Super Bowl caliber coaches who know what it takes to win. Weis will be trying to make Matt Cassel into the quarterback he was in New England that led them to a playoff appearance two years ago. The running game gets even better with the addition of Thomas Jones to compliment Jamaal Charles, who broke out last year and rushed for 1,120 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. The addition of McCluster will also give the offense options as he is a dynamic player that can catch passes and line up in a variety of places. Dwayne Bowe must stay healthy and play a lot more consistently in order to be more successful. Behind him, their really isn't anyone that can produce numbers like he can. If Bowe plays better and McCluster is the player the Cheifs think he can be, they could be in good shape offensively.
Defensively, Romeo Crennel takes over a defense that ranked in the bottom of the league last season. They allowed over 2,500 yards rushing and opponents averaged 4.7 yards per carry. Their best linebacker is 35 year old Mike Vrabel, and Glen Dorsey and Tyson Jackson have not played well. They get an upgrade with Javier Arenas and Eric Berry that will help the secondary. Berry is great at stepping up in the box and stopping the run and the Chiefs are going to need to see that from him if they want to improve their run defense. However, that could leave the big play vertically vulnerable to the rookie. He has to pick his spots, and pick them well.
Schedule:
1 Monday September 13 Chargers
2 Sunday September 19 at Browns
3 Sunday September 26 49ers
4 BYE
5 Sunday October 10 at Colts
6 Sunday October 17 at Texans
7 Sunday October 24 Jaguars
8 Sunday October 31 Bills
9 Sunday November 07 at Raiders
10 Sunday November 14 at Broncos
11 Sunday November 21 Cardinals
12 Sunday November 28 at Seahawks
13 Sunday December 05 Broncos
14 Sunday December 12 at Chargers
15 Sunday December 19 at Rams
16 Sunday December 26 Titans
17 Sunday January 02 Raiders
The Chiefs catch the AFC South and NFC West this season. They have the 23rd hardest schedule and opponents were 125-131 last season. The schedule is better late than early, and have tough road games at the Colts and Chargers. However if they play well they can take advantage of a favorable schedule and win a couple of more games than they did last year.
Seattle Seahawks
Key Additions: RB Leon Washinton, OT Russel Okung, WR Golden Tate, S Earl Thomas
Key Subtractions: WR Nate Burleson,
The Seahawks are looking to improve on their 5-11 season last year under a new regime. Pete Carrol takes over for Jim Mora Jr. who only lasted one season. It appears that Carrol is going to stick with QB Matt Hasselbeck, who had an O.K. season last year, but must play a lot better. Leon Washington is added the the backfield that includes Julius Jones and Justin Forsett. They ran for only 1,566 yards as a team all of last season. The Seahawks strength will be the passing game. Golden Tate joins T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deon Branch. However the big play is lacking. Seattle had only 39 catches of over 20 yards last season. With a more consistent running game and Golden Tate in the lineup, that number should go up.
The Seahawks were terrible on defense last season due to underachieving players who must play better this year. They ranked 30th last year in pass defense, giving up 3,927 passing yards and opposing quarterbacks enjoyed a 65.8 completion percentage. They drafted S Earl Thomas from Texas to help with the secondary and back-up Marcus Trufant. They recorded only 13 interceptions last year. They have talented linebackers in Lofa Tatupu and Aaron Curry, who need to play consistent. I do not see this defense doing anything spectacular this year, and if they can't get off the field, its going to be a long year.
Schedule:
1 Sunday September 12 49ers
2 Sunday September 19 at Broncos
3 Sunday September 26 Chargers
4 Sunday October 03 at Rams
5 BYE
6 Sunday October 17 at Bears
7 Sunday October 24 Cardinals
8 Sunday October 31 at Raiders
9 Sunday November 07 Giants
10 Sunday November 14 at Cardinals
11 Sunday November 21 at Saints
12 Sunday November 28 Chiefs
13 Sunday December 05 Panthers
14 Sunday December 12 at 49ers
15 Sunday December 19 Falcons
16 Sunday December 26 at Buccaneers
17 Sunday January 02 Rams
The Seahawks have a very favorable schedule this season. They have the 30th hardest schedule and opponents were 116-140 last year. 3 east coast teams make the cross-country trip. They catch the AFC West and NFC South, and a trip to New Orleans to face the defending champs. This division has been dominated by the Cardinals of late, however Kurt Warner has now retired and the Cards lost a lot of players this offseason. If Seattle plays well, they can be knocking on the door late in the year.
Comments
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Two-A-Days: Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins Preview
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Key Additions: WR Reggie Brown, WR Arrelious Benn, S Sean Jones, DT Gerald McCoy, DT Brian Price,
Key Subtractions: WR Antonio Bryant, DE Jimmy Wilkerson, DT Chris Hovan
The Bucs are looking to improve this year on their rushing defense that ranked dead last in the NFL last season. They allowed over 2,50 yards and opponents averaged 4.8 yards per carry. They selected 2 premier tackles in the draft, McCoy and Price ,to plug up the holes up front and released veteran Chris Hovan. The Bucs did alright last year against the pass with Talib and Barber at corner, and now with the addition of S Sean Jones, the Bucs are now becoming a more balanced defense. Jones has 16 interceptions in the last 4 years. Look for the Bucs to be more aggressive this year in pursuing the quarterback. Price and McCoy will help with that, but pressure off the edge must be there as well. They only recorded 28 sacks last season.
Josh Freeman begins his second season as the Bucs starter, and he lost his number one receiver Antonio Bryant to free agency. The Bucs drafted two wide receivers in the draft that must get comfortable with Freeman and the offense quickly if they are going to have a balanced attack on offense. Freeman completed 54.5% of his passes in 10 games last season and looked well in spots. The running game was inconsistent last year and free agent addition Derick Ward did not live up to expectations. Cadillac Williams rushed for 823 yards and averaged 3.9 yards per carry vs. Ward who rushed for only 409 yards. Both of those players need to play at a much higher level this year if Freeman and the offense are going to move the ball and put points on the board.
Schedule:
1 Sunday September 12 Browns
2 Sunday September 19 at Panthers
3 Sunday September 26 Steelers
4 BYE
5 Sunday October 10 at Bengals
6 Sunday October 17 Saints
7 Sunday October 24 Rams
8 Sunday October 31 at Cardinals
9 Sunday November 07 at Falcons
10 Sunday November 14 Panthers
11 Sunday November 21 at 49ers
12 Sunday November 28 at Ravens
13 Sunday December 05 Falcons
14 Sunday December 12 at Redskins
15 Sunday December 19 Lions
16 Sunday December 26 Seahawks
17 Sunday January 02 at Saints
Fairly light schedule facing the Bucs this season as they have the 25th hardest schedule and opponents were 123-133 last season. Besides catching the Saints twice, they face the AFC West, not exactly a strong division, but do catch the AFC North, known for tough defenses. Their play in the division must be better as they went 1-5 last year. Don't be surprised if they grab a few more wins this year than expected.
Washington Redskins
Key Additions: QB Donovan McNabb, WR Joey Galloway, WR Bobby Wade, RB Willie Parker, OT Trent Williams, RB Larry Johnson
Key Subtractions: RB Ladell Betts, DT Cornelius Griffin, WR Antwaan Randle El
The Washington Redskins pulled off the trade of the year as they acquired QB Donovan McNabb from the Eagles. Mike Shanahan takes over as head coach and the success will depend on how well Donovan grasps offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's system. Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Houston, who had a prolific passing attack. They must be balanced though, and the addition of Willie Parker and Larry Johnson will make them that, however Johnson must improve on his numbers that have fallen significantly since his days with the Chiefs. Donovan immediately makes the team better, and Santana Moss, Bobby Wade, and Joey Galloway will benefit from his presence. However, the line must keep McNabb off his back. The Skins were fifth worst in the league last season in sacks, allowing 46. Not a whole lot McNabb can do starring at the turf half the game. They drafted Trent Williams this year to solidify the line and moved out three lineman improve on that problem.
Shanahan hired former Saints coach Jim Haslett as the defensive coordinator and will implement the 3-4 scheme. Albert Haynesworth is the key to the teams success up front. If he can play nose, the Skins will do well. If he can't, all bets are off. Brian Orakpo and London Fletcher need to continue to play at a high level and make plays in the running game. The Redskins strength on defense has been in pass defense. They ranked 8th in the NFL last year, however they do not take away the ball enough. They recorded only 11 interceptions last year. The Skins need to take the ball away more and create some better field position for the offense.
Schedule:
1 Sunday September 12 Cowboys
2 Sunday September 19 Texans
3 Sunday September 26 at Rams
4 Sunday October 03 at Eagles
5 Sunday October 10 Packers
6 Sunday October 17 Colts
7 Sunday October 24 at Bears
8 Sunday October 31 at Lions
9 BYE
10 Monday November 15 Eagles
11 Sunday November 21 at Titans
12 Sunday November 28 Vikings
13 Sunday December 05 at Giants
14 Sunday December 12 Buccaneers
15 Sunday December 19 at Cowboys
16 Sunday December 26 at Jaguars
17 Sunday January 02 Giants
The Skins schedule is brutal out of the gate. Besides games against the Lions and Rams, the remaining games leading to the BYE are brutal. They have the 8th toughest schedule and opponents were 134-122 last season. They catch the NFC North and AFC South. The Skins did not win one game in divisional play last season, going 0-6. That is not the recipe for success, and Mike Shanahan is going to have his hands full completing that schedule above .500.
Comments
Key Additions: WR Reggie Brown, WR Arrelious Benn, S Sean Jones, DT Gerald McCoy, DT Brian Price,
Key Subtractions: WR Antonio Bryant, DE Jimmy Wilkerson, DT Chris Hovan
The Bucs are looking to improve this year on their rushing defense that ranked dead last in the NFL last season. They allowed over 2,50 yards and opponents averaged 4.8 yards per carry. They selected 2 premier tackles in the draft, McCoy and Price ,to plug up the holes up front and released veteran Chris Hovan. The Bucs did alright last year against the pass with Talib and Barber at corner, and now with the addition of S Sean Jones, the Bucs are now becoming a more balanced defense. Jones has 16 interceptions in the last 4 years. Look for the Bucs to be more aggressive this year in pursuing the quarterback. Price and McCoy will help with that, but pressure off the edge must be there as well. They only recorded 28 sacks last season.
Josh Freeman begins his second season as the Bucs starter, and he lost his number one receiver Antonio Bryant to free agency. The Bucs drafted two wide receivers in the draft that must get comfortable with Freeman and the offense quickly if they are going to have a balanced attack on offense. Freeman completed 54.5% of his passes in 10 games last season and looked well in spots. The running game was inconsistent last year and free agent addition Derick Ward did not live up to expectations. Cadillac Williams rushed for 823 yards and averaged 3.9 yards per carry vs. Ward who rushed for only 409 yards. Both of those players need to play at a much higher level this year if Freeman and the offense are going to move the ball and put points on the board.
Schedule:
1 Sunday September 12 Browns
2 Sunday September 19 at Panthers
3 Sunday September 26 Steelers
4 BYE
5 Sunday October 10 at Bengals
6 Sunday October 17 Saints
7 Sunday October 24 Rams
8 Sunday October 31 at Cardinals
9 Sunday November 07 at Falcons
10 Sunday November 14 Panthers
11 Sunday November 21 at 49ers
12 Sunday November 28 at Ravens
13 Sunday December 05 Falcons
14 Sunday December 12 at Redskins
15 Sunday December 19 Lions
16 Sunday December 26 Seahawks
17 Sunday January 02 at Saints
Fairly light schedule facing the Bucs this season as they have the 25th hardest schedule and opponents were 123-133 last season. Besides catching the Saints twice, they face the AFC West, not exactly a strong division, but do catch the AFC North, known for tough defenses. Their play in the division must be better as they went 1-5 last year. Don't be surprised if they grab a few more wins this year than expected.
Washington Redskins
Key Additions: QB Donovan McNabb, WR Joey Galloway, WR Bobby Wade, RB Willie Parker, OT Trent Williams, RB Larry Johnson
Key Subtractions: RB Ladell Betts, DT Cornelius Griffin, WR Antwaan Randle El
The Washington Redskins pulled off the trade of the year as they acquired QB Donovan McNabb from the Eagles. Mike Shanahan takes over as head coach and the success will depend on how well Donovan grasps offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's system. Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Houston, who had a prolific passing attack. They must be balanced though, and the addition of Willie Parker and Larry Johnson will make them that, however Johnson must improve on his numbers that have fallen significantly since his days with the Chiefs. Donovan immediately makes the team better, and Santana Moss, Bobby Wade, and Joey Galloway will benefit from his presence. However, the line must keep McNabb off his back. The Skins were fifth worst in the league last season in sacks, allowing 46. Not a whole lot McNabb can do starring at the turf half the game. They drafted Trent Williams this year to solidify the line and moved out three lineman improve on that problem.
Shanahan hired former Saints coach Jim Haslett as the defensive coordinator and will implement the 3-4 scheme. Albert Haynesworth is the key to the teams success up front. If he can play nose, the Skins will do well. If he can't, all bets are off. Brian Orakpo and London Fletcher need to continue to play at a high level and make plays in the running game. The Redskins strength on defense has been in pass defense. They ranked 8th in the NFL last year, however they do not take away the ball enough. They recorded only 11 interceptions last year. The Skins need to take the ball away more and create some better field position for the offense.
Schedule:
1 Sunday September 12 Cowboys
2 Sunday September 19 Texans
3 Sunday September 26 at Rams
4 Sunday October 03 at Eagles
5 Sunday October 10 Packers
6 Sunday October 17 Colts
7 Sunday October 24 at Bears
8 Sunday October 31 at Lions
9 BYE
10 Monday November 15 Eagles
11 Sunday November 21 at Titans
12 Sunday November 28 Vikings
13 Sunday December 05 at Giants
14 Sunday December 12 Buccaneers
15 Sunday December 19 at Cowboys
16 Sunday December 26 at Jaguars
17 Sunday January 02 Giants
The Skins schedule is brutal out of the gate. Besides games against the Lions and Rams, the remaining games leading to the BYE are brutal. They have the 8th toughest schedule and opponents were 134-122 last season. They catch the NFC North and AFC South. The Skins did not win one game in divisional play last season, going 0-6. That is not the recipe for success, and Mike Shanahan is going to have his hands full completing that schedule above .500.
Comments
Monday, July 19, 2010
Two-A-Days: St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions Preview
St. Louis Rams
Key Additions: QB Sam Bradford, DT Fred Robbins, LB Na'il Diggs, WR Mardy Gillyard
Key Subtractions: QB Marc Bulger
The Rams are coming off a dismal one win 2009 season under first year coach Steve Spagnuolo. He inherited a team that was dreadful on defense and is still looking for the right pieces to get the Rams back on track. The Rams last year under Spagnuolo, known for the aggressive style he initiated on the Giants defense when he was there, were near the bottom of the league in sacks, interceptions, points allowed per game, and yards allowed per game. The Rams are young on defense, especially at linebacker. It is going to take probably another year or two for the Rams to get all the personnel on defense for them to be consistent. Fred Robbins has come over from the Giants and knows Spagnuolo's system, but he is on the back end of his career.
On offense, they are hoping that Sam Bradford can become what everyone in St. Louis hopes will be a quarterback as good as Kurt Warner once was. Bradford is going to get paid a lot of money for a rookie who wont even have taken the field before he sees millions. He has to convince the other 10 guys in the huddle that he is a leader. But the other 10 guys around him certainly lack the talent necessary to win. Steven Jackson, the running back, led the team in receptions last season. Anytime a RB leads a team in receptions, you know you are lacking at the wide receiver and tight end position. Donnie Avery is the only receiver remotely close to league averages among wide receivers. They are hoping 4th round pick Mardy Gilyard steps in and plays a big role in the offense. But the Rams just simply lack the personnel on the field in order to be successful. Steven Jackson was the only bright spot of the Rams offense totaling 1,416 yards rushing, but only 4 TD's. With the addition of Bradford, look for the Rams to become a little more balanced on offense if he can stay upright and avoid sacks.
Schedule:
1 Sunday, September 12 Arizona
2 Sunday, September 19 at Oakland
3 Sunday, September 26 Washington
4 Sunday, October 3 Seattle
5 Sunday, October 10 at Detroit
6 Sunday, October 17 San Diego
7 Sunday, October 24 at Tampa Bay
8 Sunday, October 31 Carolina
9 Sunday, November 7 BYE
10 Sunday, November 14 at San Francisco
11 Sunday, November 21 Atlanta
12 Sunday, November 28 at Denver
13 Sunday, December 5 at Arizona
14 Sunday, December 12 at New Orleans
15 Sunday, December 19 Kansas City
16 Sunday, December 26 San Francisco
17 Sunday, January 2 at Seattle
Not exactly a tough schedule, in fact they have the 31st hardest schedule in the NFL. Opposing teams were 115-141 last season. Winnable games before the Bye include the Raiders, Lions, and Bucs. After the Bye, the schedule gets difficult as the go to New Orleans and Denver and catch Atlanta at home. Look for the Rams to maybe peel off an unexpected home win or two, but I see them wining no more than 5 games this year.
Detroit Lions
Key Additions: WR Nate Burlesson, TE Tony Scheffler, DT Ndamukong Suh, RB Jahvid Best, DE Kyle Vanden Bosh, CB Dre Bly, DT
Key Subtractions: LB Larry Foote, LB Ernie Sims,
The Lions improved last season after the miserable 0-16 2008 season. O.K. then won two games, still an improvement none the less as they are still trying to pick up the pieces that former GM Matt Millen left. Mathew Stafford played unbelievably in his rookie year and they are looking to continue to build the team around him. They added WR Nate Burlesson to compliment Calvin Johnson and also a great TE in Tony Scheffler which gives the Lions options in the red zone. The Lions had only 16 TD's through the air last season. The Lions drafted RB Jahvid Best from California to add to a backfield that already has Kevin Smith, however he only averaged 3.4 yards per carry last season. The Lions offense must execute better and protect Mathew Stafford a lot better than they did last season.
The Lions have a void on defense with the departure of Larry Foote. Foote led the team in tackles and was a veteran presence on a young Lions defense that was last in the league last season. They were the only team in the NFL to average over 30 points allowed per game. The Lions were especially vulnerable through the air as opposing quarterbacks threw for over 4,200 yards and had a 68.1 completion percentage. They allowed 35 passing TD's to only 9 interceptions. Rookie Ndamukong Suh is going to have to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks and get in their face in order to improve the Lions passing defense. Suh, Corey Williams, and Kyle Vanden Bosh will be giving opposing offensive lines headaches next season. The Lions basically are a mess in the secondary and did not make the necessary additions in the offseason to improve. CC Brown and Dre Bly are not the answer the Lions are looking for. But putting pressure on the quarterback will hide that a little bit. The Lions offense is much farther along than the defense is right now, and for them to be any better than they were last year, the offense will have to carry the team.
Schedule:
1 Sunday September 12 at Bears
2 Sunday September 19 Eagles
3 Sunday September 26 at Vikings
4 Sunday October 03 at Packers
5 Sunday October 10 Rams
6 Sunday October 17 at Giants
7 BYE
8 Sunday October 31 Redskins
9 Sunday November 07 Jets
10 Sunday November 14 at Bills
11 Sunday November 21 at Cowboys
12 Thursday November 25 Patriots
13 Sunday December 05 Bears
14 Sunday December 12 Packers
15 Sunday December 19 at Buccaneers
16 Sunday December 26 at Dolphins
17 Sunday January 02 Vikings
The schedule does not look favorable as the Lions catch the AFC and NFC east, two of the toughest divisions in the NFL. The Lions have the 13th toughest schedule and opponents last year were 130-126. The Bills, Lions, Rams, and Bucs are the only games I see the Lions potentially winning. Given injuries and upsets they could possibly take one or two more, but 6 wins is looking like what the number would be for the Lions this season.
Comments
Key Additions: QB Sam Bradford, DT Fred Robbins, LB Na'il Diggs, WR Mardy Gillyard
Key Subtractions: QB Marc Bulger
The Rams are coming off a dismal one win 2009 season under first year coach Steve Spagnuolo. He inherited a team that was dreadful on defense and is still looking for the right pieces to get the Rams back on track. The Rams last year under Spagnuolo, known for the aggressive style he initiated on the Giants defense when he was there, were near the bottom of the league in sacks, interceptions, points allowed per game, and yards allowed per game. The Rams are young on defense, especially at linebacker. It is going to take probably another year or two for the Rams to get all the personnel on defense for them to be consistent. Fred Robbins has come over from the Giants and knows Spagnuolo's system, but he is on the back end of his career.
On offense, they are hoping that Sam Bradford can become what everyone in St. Louis hopes will be a quarterback as good as Kurt Warner once was. Bradford is going to get paid a lot of money for a rookie who wont even have taken the field before he sees millions. He has to convince the other 10 guys in the huddle that he is a leader. But the other 10 guys around him certainly lack the talent necessary to win. Steven Jackson, the running back, led the team in receptions last season. Anytime a RB leads a team in receptions, you know you are lacking at the wide receiver and tight end position. Donnie Avery is the only receiver remotely close to league averages among wide receivers. They are hoping 4th round pick Mardy Gilyard steps in and plays a big role in the offense. But the Rams just simply lack the personnel on the field in order to be successful. Steven Jackson was the only bright spot of the Rams offense totaling 1,416 yards rushing, but only 4 TD's. With the addition of Bradford, look for the Rams to become a little more balanced on offense if he can stay upright and avoid sacks.
Schedule:
1 Sunday, September 12 Arizona
2 Sunday, September 19 at Oakland
3 Sunday, September 26 Washington
4 Sunday, October 3 Seattle
5 Sunday, October 10 at Detroit
6 Sunday, October 17 San Diego
7 Sunday, October 24 at Tampa Bay
8 Sunday, October 31 Carolina
9 Sunday, November 7 BYE
10 Sunday, November 14 at San Francisco
11 Sunday, November 21 Atlanta
12 Sunday, November 28 at Denver
13 Sunday, December 5 at Arizona
14 Sunday, December 12 at New Orleans
15 Sunday, December 19 Kansas City
16 Sunday, December 26 San Francisco
17 Sunday, January 2 at Seattle
Not exactly a tough schedule, in fact they have the 31st hardest schedule in the NFL. Opposing teams were 115-141 last season. Winnable games before the Bye include the Raiders, Lions, and Bucs. After the Bye, the schedule gets difficult as the go to New Orleans and Denver and catch Atlanta at home. Look for the Rams to maybe peel off an unexpected home win or two, but I see them wining no more than 5 games this year.
Detroit Lions
Key Additions: WR Nate Burlesson, TE Tony Scheffler, DT Ndamukong Suh, RB Jahvid Best, DE Kyle Vanden Bosh, CB Dre Bly, DT
Key Subtractions: LB Larry Foote, LB Ernie Sims,
The Lions improved last season after the miserable 0-16 2008 season. O.K. then won two games, still an improvement none the less as they are still trying to pick up the pieces that former GM Matt Millen left. Mathew Stafford played unbelievably in his rookie year and they are looking to continue to build the team around him. They added WR Nate Burlesson to compliment Calvin Johnson and also a great TE in Tony Scheffler which gives the Lions options in the red zone. The Lions had only 16 TD's through the air last season. The Lions drafted RB Jahvid Best from California to add to a backfield that already has Kevin Smith, however he only averaged 3.4 yards per carry last season. The Lions offense must execute better and protect Mathew Stafford a lot better than they did last season.
The Lions have a void on defense with the departure of Larry Foote. Foote led the team in tackles and was a veteran presence on a young Lions defense that was last in the league last season. They were the only team in the NFL to average over 30 points allowed per game. The Lions were especially vulnerable through the air as opposing quarterbacks threw for over 4,200 yards and had a 68.1 completion percentage. They allowed 35 passing TD's to only 9 interceptions. Rookie Ndamukong Suh is going to have to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks and get in their face in order to improve the Lions passing defense. Suh, Corey Williams, and Kyle Vanden Bosh will be giving opposing offensive lines headaches next season. The Lions basically are a mess in the secondary and did not make the necessary additions in the offseason to improve. CC Brown and Dre Bly are not the answer the Lions are looking for. But putting pressure on the quarterback will hide that a little bit. The Lions offense is much farther along than the defense is right now, and for them to be any better than they were last year, the offense will have to carry the team.
Schedule:
1 Sunday September 12 at Bears
2 Sunday September 19 Eagles
3 Sunday September 26 at Vikings
4 Sunday October 03 at Packers
5 Sunday October 10 Rams
6 Sunday October 17 at Giants
7 BYE
8 Sunday October 31 Redskins
9 Sunday November 07 Jets
10 Sunday November 14 at Bills
11 Sunday November 21 at Cowboys
12 Thursday November 25 Patriots
13 Sunday December 05 Bears
14 Sunday December 12 Packers
15 Sunday December 19 at Buccaneers
16 Sunday December 26 at Dolphins
17 Sunday January 02 Vikings
The schedule does not look favorable as the Lions catch the AFC and NFC east, two of the toughest divisions in the NFL. The Lions have the 13th toughest schedule and opponents last year were 130-126. The Bills, Lions, Rams, and Bucs are the only games I see the Lions potentially winning. Given injuries and upsets they could possibly take one or two more, but 6 wins is looking like what the number would be for the Lions this season.
Comments
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Two-A-Days: 2010 NFL Team Previews Starting Tomorrow
We are less than 2 months away from kicking off another season of the National Football League. So starting tomorrow, The Tuna Sports Blog will be giving in depth previews of all 32 teams during our NFL 2010 season preview. Two teams will be previewed each day. Previews will start based on the original 2010 draft order as shown below.
1.St. Louis (1-15)
2.Detroit (2-14)
3.Tampa Bay (3-13)
4.Washington (4-12)
5.Kansas City (4-12)
6.Seattle (5-11)
7.Cleveland (5-11)
8.Oakland (5-11)
9.Buffalo (6-10)
10.Jacksonville (7-9)
11.Chicago (7-9)
12.Miami (7-9)
13.San Francisco (8-8)
14.Denver (8-8)
15.New York Giants (8-8)
16.Tennessee (8-8)
17.Carolina (8-8)
18.Pittsburgh (9-7)
19.Atlanta (9-7)
20.Houston (9-7)
21.Cincinnati (10-6)
22.New England (10-6)
23.Green Bay (11-5)
24.Philadelphia (11-5)
25.Baltimore (9-7)
26.Arizona (10-6)
27. Dallas (11-5)
28. San Diego (13-3)
29. New York Jets (9-7)
30. Minnesota (12-4)
31. Indianapolis (14-2)
32. New Orleans (13-3)
Comments. St. Louis and Detroit coming tomorrow
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27. Dallas (11-5)
28. San Diego (13-3)
29. New York Jets (9-7)
30. Minnesota (12-4)
31. Indianapolis (14-2)
32. New Orleans (13-3)
Comments. St. Louis and Detroit coming tomorrow
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
RIP George M. Steinbenner III (1930-2010)
Two days after the Yankees mourned the death of their longtime PA announcer Bob Sheppard, the Yankees said goodbye to their beloved owner, Geroge M. Steinbrenner III. Mr. Steinbrenner died of a massive heart attack at the age of 80 in Tampa, FL. Under his ownership, the Yankees won 7 World Series and 11 American League Pennants.
There is no doubt that some of the behaviors displayed through the years by Mr. Steinbrenner were controversial to say the least. But he bought the team for a little over $8 million in 1973 and turned it into an empire worth billions, and didn't do it for the money. He did it because of one thing....winning.
The world lost a great man today.
Comments
There is no doubt that some of the behaviors displayed through the years by Mr. Steinbrenner were controversial to say the least. But he bought the team for a little over $8 million in 1973 and turned it into an empire worth billions, and didn't do it for the money. He did it because of one thing....winning.
The world lost a great man today.
Comments
Monday, July 12, 2010
RIP Bob Sheppard (1910-2010)
Bob Sheppard, the voice of Yankee Stadium and Giants Stadium for over 50 years, died this morning at the age of 99. He will always be in the hearts and memories of all the Yankees and Giants players and fans who had the privileged to hear him call the names of so many great players through the years. He will be greatly missed.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Ilya Kovalchuk to the ...Islanders?
UPDATED: 7/5 11:00 P.M. We all bought it...hook, line, and sinker. I just want to be wrong.
According to the Islanders beat writer Katie Strang, the Islanders never got passed the preliminary stages of negotiation with Ilya Kovalchuk regarding a contract. According to the report, the Islanders were only interested in a short term deal, while Kovalchuk is seeking a long term one. No offer was ever extended.
We all get a little too hyped up over the fact that Garth made a phone call, then told people about it. The fact of the matter is, hes supposed to make a phone call. We shouldn't be shocked when he does. Its like when your shopping for a new item, you call/go the store or go online to find out what the price is. When its out of your range, you move on. Granted this situation did not happen that quickly, but that is it in a nutshell.
The bottom line still remains, as long as the arena situation is still in question, don't expect anyone prominent, much less Ilya Kovalchuk, to sign with the New York Islanders. The biggest news that will come out of Islander land in the coming days/week will be the Town of Heampsteads' counteroffer to Charles Wang regarding the Lighthouse Project. If you thought Fourth of July fireworks were something, you aint seen nothing yet.
Oh, the pain!
*
According to multiple credible sources in the hockey world (Chris Botta and Katie Strang, among others), the New York Islanders have a serious stake in the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Kovalchuk is considered the best available free agent in a weak pool of them this year. It is also being reported that the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils, whom Kovalchuk joined at the deadline last year, are also in the mix to sign the Russian sniper. The Islanders have already signed Zenon Kanopka, Milan Jurchina, PA Parenteau, and Mark Eaton.
Kovalchuk would bolster a weak Islanders unit offensively and be a prominent player to mentor the young Islanders squad. An interesting statistic brought up is that Kovalchuk's goal totals the past 8 years would have led the Islanders in all but 1 season. The Islanders have not had a 40 goal scorrer since Jason Blake in 2006-2007. Kovalchuk has scored more than 40 in 6 of his 8 seasons.
As I stated in a post earlier this year, my opinion on the Islanders personnel situation was that as long as the uncertainty around the Lighthouse project continued, the Islanders would not sign any prominent free agents. With the circumstances surrounding this situation, it appears that my assumptions are incorrect. In this case, I am glad I am wrong. Charles Wang appears to be willing to give Kovalchuk a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract.
We'll see how this plays out, but even if Kovalchuk does not sign with the Islanders, it is good to see the Islanders being mentioned about something this big other than the uncertainty surrounding the arena situation and possible relocation. All Islander fans hope one day that the situation will be settled, and all we have to think about are the team and the players.
But in the meantime, GO GET EM!
Comments
According to the Islanders beat writer Katie Strang, the Islanders never got passed the preliminary stages of negotiation with Ilya Kovalchuk regarding a contract. According to the report, the Islanders were only interested in a short term deal, while Kovalchuk is seeking a long term one. No offer was ever extended.
We all get a little too hyped up over the fact that Garth made a phone call, then told people about it. The fact of the matter is, hes supposed to make a phone call. We shouldn't be shocked when he does. Its like when your shopping for a new item, you call/go the store or go online to find out what the price is. When its out of your range, you move on. Granted this situation did not happen that quickly, but that is it in a nutshell.
The bottom line still remains, as long as the arena situation is still in question, don't expect anyone prominent, much less Ilya Kovalchuk, to sign with the New York Islanders. The biggest news that will come out of Islander land in the coming days/week will be the Town of Heampsteads' counteroffer to Charles Wang regarding the Lighthouse Project. If you thought Fourth of July fireworks were something, you aint seen nothing yet.
Oh, the pain!
*
According to multiple credible sources in the hockey world (Chris Botta and Katie Strang, among others), the New York Islanders have a serious stake in the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Kovalchuk is considered the best available free agent in a weak pool of them this year. It is also being reported that the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils, whom Kovalchuk joined at the deadline last year, are also in the mix to sign the Russian sniper. The Islanders have already signed Zenon Kanopka, Milan Jurchina, PA Parenteau, and Mark Eaton.
Kovalchuk would bolster a weak Islanders unit offensively and be a prominent player to mentor the young Islanders squad. An interesting statistic brought up is that Kovalchuk's goal totals the past 8 years would have led the Islanders in all but 1 season. The Islanders have not had a 40 goal scorrer since Jason Blake in 2006-2007. Kovalchuk has scored more than 40 in 6 of his 8 seasons.
As I stated in a post earlier this year, my opinion on the Islanders personnel situation was that as long as the uncertainty around the Lighthouse project continued, the Islanders would not sign any prominent free agents. With the circumstances surrounding this situation, it appears that my assumptions are incorrect. In this case, I am glad I am wrong. Charles Wang appears to be willing to give Kovalchuk a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract.
We'll see how this plays out, but even if Kovalchuk does not sign with the Islanders, it is good to see the Islanders being mentioned about something this big other than the uncertainty surrounding the arena situation and possible relocation. All Islander fans hope one day that the situation will be settled, and all we have to think about are the team and the players.
But in the meantime, GO GET EM!
Comments
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)