Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals are the definition of overachievers. Somehow with subpar quarterback play and generally sloppy play last year they went 8-8. This is a team that won't blow you away with talent, but they are smart and know to how play close, tight games and often times they come out on top. They are making the right choice going with John Skelton at quarterback. He's not an incredible quarterback by any means, but he's a good game-manager and can make some plays here and there opposed to Kevin Kolb who looked awful just about every time he was on the field last year. Skelton also has the luxury of throwing to Larry Fitzgerald, who is the epitome of a game-changing receiver. They also have a solid running back option in Beanie Wells and a decent defense anchored by pass-rushing defensive end Darnell Dockett and a beyond respectable and underrated secondary led by Adrian Wilson and Patrick Peterson. The brunt of the Cardinals problems come in the receiving game. Besides Fitzgerald, They have an unproven bunch of wideouts including unspectacular veteran Early Doucet and unproven rookies Michael Floyd and LaRon Byrd. The lack of second receiver is preventing from contending for the division title. The Cardinals are an alright team, but the lack of a strong quarterback and a second receiving threat takes them out of the hunt of being playoff contenders.
St.Louis Rams: The Rams are definitely a team in rebuilding mode. This year will probably be another rough one for Rams fans, but there is hope on the horizon. New coach Jeff Fisher is one of the best coaches of the past 20 years. He's got a great track record and his attitude and coaching will no doubt turn this team around in the future. Fisher's expertise will probably help the growth of young quarterback Sam Bradford. Bradford had a pretty solid rookie year (He won Offensive Rookie of the Year), but he followed that up with one of the worst sophomore slumps in recent memory. The presence of Fisher and pretty much all new coordinators should help improve Bradford as a decision maker, game manager, and as a quarterback overall. The Rams also had a great, deep draft class. Fisher tends to be great at finding value in the draft. Clearly it's too early to tell for this year, but I'd be willing to wager that he found some gems in this draft. The Rams, of course, still have All-Pro running back Steven Jackson who has and will continue to help stop the bleeding in St.Louis. That being, the Rams are pretty much screwed at the moment at every other position. Sam Bradford has next to no one to throw too (His top wideout is Danny Amendola has a whopping 4 career touchdowns in three seasons) and their defense (minus Chris Long, James Laurnauntis, and newly acquired cornerback Cortland Finnegan) is woefully inexperienced and pretty damn bad. The Rams should be good in a couple year, but for now they are stuck in the NFL's basement.
San Fransisco 49ers: The 49ers surprisingly great 2011 year that ended in a heartbreaking NFC Championship game defeat at the hands of the Giants pro might not be topped this year, but this is still a great team that should coast to the NFC West title. Of course, the 49ers are a defensive-based team. They have one of the best defenses in the league and their play on defense are the main reason they were so successful last year. They should have no trouble being dominant again this year. Patrick Willis, Donte Whitner, Ahmad Brooks, and Carlos Rodgers are all in the prime of their careers and Justin Smith is still a scary pass rusher deep into this career. Their offense was not particularly great last season, but they made some moves in free agency that should help them improve as an offensive unit this year. Randy Moss and Mario Manningham give them depth and the potential for some big plays at wide receiver. More importantly the addition of Moss and Mannigham are going to at the very least give elite tight end Vernon Davis and productive, but overworked wide receiver Michael Crabtree a bit of a break and they should see their respective stats improve due to Moss and Manningham's presence.The addition of Brandon Jacobs gives them a power back who should be extremely productive as a 3rd down back. I expect him to get his fair share of carries and I really like how he fits into the running back mix with Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. If Alex Smith can come out and improve on his career-best year at quarterback last season and the new offensive pieces fall into place, then the 49ers could potentially make a repeat appearance in the NFC title game.
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks are kind of a rough team to call at the moment. They went out and signed quarterback Matt Flynn in the offseason, but he got overshadowed by rookie Russell Wilson. I will say that Wilson has looked damn good so far in the preseason and absolutely deserves a chance to start the year at quarterback. Save for Andrew Luck, I think Wilson has the best chance of having a breakout rookie year. Wilson could benefit from having the potential resurgence of top wideout Sidney Rice this year. Rice has the injury bug hit him pretty hard the past two years, but if he remains healthy he could be poised for a excellent year like his last healthy season with the Vikings in 2009. It also helps the Seahawks have an explosive running threat that is Marshawn Lynch. Lynch is another guy who gets a hurt a lot, but when he is on the field is a huge playmaker. He will burn you when gets the oppurtunity and should easily have another 1,000 year barring injury. The Seahawks potential strengths, are also their potential weaknesses. Sidney Rice could have another subpar year and the Seahawks have a collection of respectable, but not particularly dangerous wide recievers besides him, they could be in trouble in the passing game. Their defense is alright, but they aren't good enough to win games for the Seahawks if the offense struggles. The Seahawks are one of the biggest crapshoot teams in the league and their health and how well Russell Wilson performs this year are going to determine their fate.
My Predictions for the NFC West Standings
1.San Fransisco 49ers (11-5)
2.Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
3.Seattle Seahawks (7-9)
4.St.Louis Rams (4-12)
Showing posts with label 2012 NFL predictions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012 NFL predictions. Show all posts
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
NFL Preview: AFC West
The AFC West is probably the messiest and most confusing division to predict this year. None of the teams are dominant and all have major question marks clouding around them. Here are my thoughts on each of the AFC West teams going into the season.
Denver Broncos: Denver is coming off a division victory last year and they had a wild offseason that saw a lot of changes coming to the Mile High City. Clearly the most notable was the signing of Peyton Manning which also resulted in the end of Tebow Mania in Denver. Manning's signing is the definition of high risk/high reward. On the plus side, It is Peyton Manning. He is a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer and the type of special talent that can turn your franchise around. The downside is that he is 36 and is coming off a major neck injury that sidelined him for all of last season. This fact alone makes Denver's season a complete crapshoot. It could work out great for them or it could be an absolute nightmare. Manning wasn't the notable signing Denver made this year, They also brought in cornerback Tracy Porter from New Orleans (who ironically got a game-changing pick-six on Manning in the Super Bowl two years ago). The combination of Porter with the old, but still great Champ Bailey gives Denver an elite cornerback pair. Denver is pretty squared away on defense as a whole, but their offense is where problems may arise. Willis McGahee had a great year last year, but he has had durability issues throughout his career and those could rear their ugly head again this year. The bigger problem for Denver though lies in their mediocre and unproven receiving core. Even if Manning is on his game, guys like Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas are not particularly dangerous receivers. The bottom line is that the key to their season lies on how well Peyton Manning plays. Definitely going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch the progress of this season.
Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs are a team that I feel is getting no love in 2012 and it's not really justified. There was no team in the league that suffered from more injuries than the Chiefs last year and all things considering they didn't do too bad last year (they finished 7-9). I honestly think they are the strongest team in the division this year if all their players come back at full strength. I mean welcoming back key players like Jammal Charles, Tony Moeaki, Eric Berry, and Matt Cassel certainly isn't going to hurt. They won the division two years ago and I can't see why they couldn't do it again if they play at their full potential. Dwayne Bowe is probably the most underrated receiver in the league and if Peyton Hillis steps up after his horrible year with the Browns last year, that gives you a potent power back for 3rd down and goal line situations. They also have a pretty decent and underrated defense that could help that much more in their quest to win the division. Jammal Charles is the X-factor on this team though. If he is back to the level of explosiveness he was at two years ago prior to his injury, he will be back at elite status and will cause a tough matchup for opposing defenses. Again though their success boils down to how well their players coming off injury can play. The Chiefs are a risky, but underrated team that I feel can win this division this year.
Oakland Raiders: The forever subpar Raiders made another stupid choice in firing their coach of one season in Hue Jackson after an 8-8 year last year. That makes two unjustifed coach firings in two years and they will probably make it three after this year if they don't get a winning record. On the bright side, this is their first full year with Carson Palmer. Palmer definitely isn't a franchise quarterback, but he is solid enough to win you games and lead you in the right direction as a team. Darren McFadden is also a great running back (when healthy). He has looked great in training camp so far and this could end up being his breakout year in the league. The Raiders, like their divisional foes the Chiefs, also have a solid, underrated, young defense that can keep them in games even when their offense isn't playing well. That being said, The Raiders are still kind of a mess. The aforementioned injury problems with McFadden are a big issue (He hasn't played a whole season in his career so far) and now with Michael Bush in Chicago they have no proven number 2 back which could be costly. Then you have the inconsistent play of the rest of the offense. You never know to know what to expect from Carson Palmer and the receivers are also wildly inconsistent (though Denarius Moore was decent last year and Darius Hayward-Bay is starting to come around). Oakland seems like they are smack dab in the middle of another average season and I can't see them breaking out of that mold anytime soon.
San Diego Chargers: The Chargers are probably the biggest question mark in a division full of question marks. It's kind of bad that I think the Raiders might be more dangerous than them. Phillip Rivers can still play well, but he has kind of an Island of Misfits toys group of receivers at the moment and he is coming off the worst year of his career. The departure of Vincent Jackson is going to sting hard and I don't think free agent pickups Eddie Royal or Robert Meachem or longtime Charger Malcolm Floyd have the talent to be a number 1 wideout. It also doesn't help that tight end Antonio Gates's numbers have been in decline for the past few years. Then comes the good, but not great play of Ryan Matthews. He has proven to be pretty productive, but he's not the game changer the Chargers had hoped for. He's also frequently hurt which is a big obstacle that is preventing him from reaching that next level (He is already hurt this year and looking to miss the first few weeks of the season). The Chargers defense is looking pretty good though. They got a steal in the first round with Melvin Ingram, who has impressed the hell of scouts early on and should be a dual threat in the run-stop and pass-rush. Second-round pickup Kendall Reyes looks to have bolstered the Chargers veteran d-line as well. The Chargers do have some signs of life, but I think they are a team in the decline after last season. Their glory years of 4-5 years ago appear to be over and they could be in store for a last-place finish in the division.
My Predictions for the AFC West Standings:
1.Kansas City Chiefs (9-7)
2.Denver Broncos (8-8)
3.Oakland Raiders (7-9)
4.San Diego Chargers (7-9)
Denver Broncos: Denver is coming off a division victory last year and they had a wild offseason that saw a lot of changes coming to the Mile High City. Clearly the most notable was the signing of Peyton Manning which also resulted in the end of Tebow Mania in Denver. Manning's signing is the definition of high risk/high reward. On the plus side, It is Peyton Manning. He is a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer and the type of special talent that can turn your franchise around. The downside is that he is 36 and is coming off a major neck injury that sidelined him for all of last season. This fact alone makes Denver's season a complete crapshoot. It could work out great for them or it could be an absolute nightmare. Manning wasn't the notable signing Denver made this year, They also brought in cornerback Tracy Porter from New Orleans (who ironically got a game-changing pick-six on Manning in the Super Bowl two years ago). The combination of Porter with the old, but still great Champ Bailey gives Denver an elite cornerback pair. Denver is pretty squared away on defense as a whole, but their offense is where problems may arise. Willis McGahee had a great year last year, but he has had durability issues throughout his career and those could rear their ugly head again this year. The bigger problem for Denver though lies in their mediocre and unproven receiving core. Even if Manning is on his game, guys like Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas are not particularly dangerous receivers. The bottom line is that the key to their season lies on how well Peyton Manning plays. Definitely going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch the progress of this season.
Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs are a team that I feel is getting no love in 2012 and it's not really justified. There was no team in the league that suffered from more injuries than the Chiefs last year and all things considering they didn't do too bad last year (they finished 7-9). I honestly think they are the strongest team in the division this year if all their players come back at full strength. I mean welcoming back key players like Jammal Charles, Tony Moeaki, Eric Berry, and Matt Cassel certainly isn't going to hurt. They won the division two years ago and I can't see why they couldn't do it again if they play at their full potential. Dwayne Bowe is probably the most underrated receiver in the league and if Peyton Hillis steps up after his horrible year with the Browns last year, that gives you a potent power back for 3rd down and goal line situations. They also have a pretty decent and underrated defense that could help that much more in their quest to win the division. Jammal Charles is the X-factor on this team though. If he is back to the level of explosiveness he was at two years ago prior to his injury, he will be back at elite status and will cause a tough matchup for opposing defenses. Again though their success boils down to how well their players coming off injury can play. The Chiefs are a risky, but underrated team that I feel can win this division this year.
Oakland Raiders: The forever subpar Raiders made another stupid choice in firing their coach of one season in Hue Jackson after an 8-8 year last year. That makes two unjustifed coach firings in two years and they will probably make it three after this year if they don't get a winning record. On the bright side, this is their first full year with Carson Palmer. Palmer definitely isn't a franchise quarterback, but he is solid enough to win you games and lead you in the right direction as a team. Darren McFadden is also a great running back (when healthy). He has looked great in training camp so far and this could end up being his breakout year in the league. The Raiders, like their divisional foes the Chiefs, also have a solid, underrated, young defense that can keep them in games even when their offense isn't playing well. That being said, The Raiders are still kind of a mess. The aforementioned injury problems with McFadden are a big issue (He hasn't played a whole season in his career so far) and now with Michael Bush in Chicago they have no proven number 2 back which could be costly. Then you have the inconsistent play of the rest of the offense. You never know to know what to expect from Carson Palmer and the receivers are also wildly inconsistent (though Denarius Moore was decent last year and Darius Hayward-Bay is starting to come around). Oakland seems like they are smack dab in the middle of another average season and I can't see them breaking out of that mold anytime soon.
San Diego Chargers: The Chargers are probably the biggest question mark in a division full of question marks. It's kind of bad that I think the Raiders might be more dangerous than them. Phillip Rivers can still play well, but he has kind of an Island of Misfits toys group of receivers at the moment and he is coming off the worst year of his career. The departure of Vincent Jackson is going to sting hard and I don't think free agent pickups Eddie Royal or Robert Meachem or longtime Charger Malcolm Floyd have the talent to be a number 1 wideout. It also doesn't help that tight end Antonio Gates's numbers have been in decline for the past few years. Then comes the good, but not great play of Ryan Matthews. He has proven to be pretty productive, but he's not the game changer the Chargers had hoped for. He's also frequently hurt which is a big obstacle that is preventing him from reaching that next level (He is already hurt this year and looking to miss the first few weeks of the season). The Chargers defense is looking pretty good though. They got a steal in the first round with Melvin Ingram, who has impressed the hell of scouts early on and should be a dual threat in the run-stop and pass-rush. Second-round pickup Kendall Reyes looks to have bolstered the Chargers veteran d-line as well. The Chargers do have some signs of life, but I think they are a team in the decline after last season. Their glory years of 4-5 years ago appear to be over and they could be in store for a last-place finish in the division.
My Predictions for the AFC West Standings:
1.Kansas City Chiefs (9-7)
2.Denver Broncos (8-8)
3.Oakland Raiders (7-9)
4.San Diego Chargers (7-9)
Sunday, August 19, 2012
NFL Preview: AFC South
Houston Texans: The Texans are coming off the first ever division title and playoff appearance last season. Unless something radically awful happens, I can't imagine they don't repeat this year. The teams around them are all pretty weak (save for maybe Tennessee) and they have far too much offensive firepower to be contained within this division. I mean they won a playoff game with unproven rookie backup quarterback T.J Yates at the helm of their offense last year. Matt Schaub being back at quarterback is great news for Houston. He is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league and it looks like the season-ending foot injury isn't bothering him, so expect a productive year from him. Surrounding him Houston has the best 1-2 running back combo in the league with Arian Foster and Ben Tate and a top 5 wideout in Andre Johnson. The only reason for concern is the big loss of Mario Williams on defense. He was their number 1 pass rusher and someone is going to have step up to fill the void. They drafted Whitney Merclius out of Illinois in the first round to hopefully stop some of the holes created once Williams exited. Their defense has some question marks, but their elite offense should get them by no problem especially with weak competition in the rest of the division.
Indianapolis Colts: The Colts are going into their first season in 15 years with Peyton Manning on the roster. Last season was pure torture for them when Manning missed the whole season and this year officially marks the start of the Colts rebuilding process. The future does indeed looks bright for the Colts, but this season probably won't be. Andrew Luck, in my opinion, is the finest quarterback prospect since Aaron Rodgers. He is mobile, intelligent, has experience in a pro-style offense during his college career at Stanford, and he has an absolute cannon. His play should help the Colts improve from last year, but I think with the players around him, they won't achieve immediate success. Outside of all-pro wideout Reggie Wayne and promising rookie tight end Coby Fleener (who played with Luck at Stanford), They have no one that really can do any damage offensively. Donald Brown hasn't done much in his career so far at running back and Austin Collie and Donnie Avery are inconsistent and oft-injured receivers who are capable of decent number at times, but they frequently miss the mark. The Colts also have a shaky and unproven defense outside of veterans Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, and Antoine Bethea. The Colts have brighter days on the horizon, but they are going to have to make it through another couple years of suffering to get there.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Now here's a team that the exact opposite of the Colts. They never reached the heights the Colts did in the past decade and now they are pretty much instantly a basement-dwelling team after playing awful all of last season. The root of their problems is at quarterback. Blane Gabbert didn't really prove himself last season and if he repeats that play this season, They are screwed. They do have the incredibly average Chad Henne to backup Gabbert, but he probably won't improve the Jaguars too much if he is called upon to play. The even bigger problem that came out of the blue is the holdout of star running back Maurice Jones-Drew. If Jones-Drew holds out for the season, The Jaguars have a huge problem. He IS their offense and they have no one to take his place at the running back position. Losing the leading rusher in the NFL from a year ago and one of the most explosive players in the league for the entire season would be devastating for them. On the plus side, Jacksonville did make some solid pick-ups in the offseason. They drafted wide receiver Justin Blackmon in the first round of the draft. Blackmon is a huge target and has a ton of potential to be a difference maker at wide receiver. They also signed veteran wide receiver Laurent Robinson and defensive back Aaron Ross. Both players give them depth at their respective positions and add talented, veteran presences that will bolster Jacksonville's production on both sides of the ball. There are some bright spots and they shouldn't be too bad if Maurice Jones-Drew shows up and plays all season, but Jacksonville is still a pretty weak team that is going to need to overachieve immensely if they want to have a half-decent season.
Tennessee Titans: The Titans turned out a solid season last year and I expect more of the same this season. They are the only team besides Houston that I can see possibly winning this division. How Tennessee fairs is really going to depend on how their star players preform. Chris Johnson is coming off of a down year and they still went 9-7. If Johnson goes back to his peak years production this season then watch out. Same with top wideout Kenny Britt. Britt is currently injured and missed most of last season with a torn MCL. When Britt is healthy, he has played incredible and whenever he comes this back this year he could be a huge asset to their offense. The Titans do have an interesting battle at quarterback right now that might end up hurting them during the season. Second-year prospect Jake Locker has showed some promise, but veteran Matt Hasselbeck played well last year and looks to have a couple years left in the tank. Personally if I was the Titans, I would keep Hasselbeck in there and let Locker continue to develop before handing him the reigns. The Titans are a pretty good, but not great team that could contend for a playoff spot.
My predictions for the AFC South
1.Houston Texans (11-5)
2.Tennessee Titans (9-7)
3.Indianapolis Colts (5-11)
4.Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
Indianapolis Colts: The Colts are going into their first season in 15 years with Peyton Manning on the roster. Last season was pure torture for them when Manning missed the whole season and this year officially marks the start of the Colts rebuilding process. The future does indeed looks bright for the Colts, but this season probably won't be. Andrew Luck, in my opinion, is the finest quarterback prospect since Aaron Rodgers. He is mobile, intelligent, has experience in a pro-style offense during his college career at Stanford, and he has an absolute cannon. His play should help the Colts improve from last year, but I think with the players around him, they won't achieve immediate success. Outside of all-pro wideout Reggie Wayne and promising rookie tight end Coby Fleener (who played with Luck at Stanford), They have no one that really can do any damage offensively. Donald Brown hasn't done much in his career so far at running back and Austin Collie and Donnie Avery are inconsistent and oft-injured receivers who are capable of decent number at times, but they frequently miss the mark. The Colts also have a shaky and unproven defense outside of veterans Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, and Antoine Bethea. The Colts have brighter days on the horizon, but they are going to have to make it through another couple years of suffering to get there.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Now here's a team that the exact opposite of the Colts. They never reached the heights the Colts did in the past decade and now they are pretty much instantly a basement-dwelling team after playing awful all of last season. The root of their problems is at quarterback. Blane Gabbert didn't really prove himself last season and if he repeats that play this season, They are screwed. They do have the incredibly average Chad Henne to backup Gabbert, but he probably won't improve the Jaguars too much if he is called upon to play. The even bigger problem that came out of the blue is the holdout of star running back Maurice Jones-Drew. If Jones-Drew holds out for the season, The Jaguars have a huge problem. He IS their offense and they have no one to take his place at the running back position. Losing the leading rusher in the NFL from a year ago and one of the most explosive players in the league for the entire season would be devastating for them. On the plus side, Jacksonville did make some solid pick-ups in the offseason. They drafted wide receiver Justin Blackmon in the first round of the draft. Blackmon is a huge target and has a ton of potential to be a difference maker at wide receiver. They also signed veteran wide receiver Laurent Robinson and defensive back Aaron Ross. Both players give them depth at their respective positions and add talented, veteran presences that will bolster Jacksonville's production on both sides of the ball. There are some bright spots and they shouldn't be too bad if Maurice Jones-Drew shows up and plays all season, but Jacksonville is still a pretty weak team that is going to need to overachieve immensely if they want to have a half-decent season.
Tennessee Titans: The Titans turned out a solid season last year and I expect more of the same this season. They are the only team besides Houston that I can see possibly winning this division. How Tennessee fairs is really going to depend on how their star players preform. Chris Johnson is coming off of a down year and they still went 9-7. If Johnson goes back to his peak years production this season then watch out. Same with top wideout Kenny Britt. Britt is currently injured and missed most of last season with a torn MCL. When Britt is healthy, he has played incredible and whenever he comes this back this year he could be a huge asset to their offense. The Titans do have an interesting battle at quarterback right now that might end up hurting them during the season. Second-year prospect Jake Locker has showed some promise, but veteran Matt Hasselbeck played well last year and looks to have a couple years left in the tank. Personally if I was the Titans, I would keep Hasselbeck in there and let Locker continue to develop before handing him the reigns. The Titans are a pretty good, but not great team that could contend for a playoff spot.
My predictions for the AFC South
1.Houston Texans (11-5)
2.Tennessee Titans (9-7)
3.Indianapolis Colts (5-11)
4.Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
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