Some random NFL thoughts
Posted: Sat Sep 6, 2008 8:50 am
This was inspired after reading the JS power rankings
- New England at #3? Somehow, I think they're being slept on this season. Find me a team in the NFL that could outscore them. I certainly can't think of one. They still have Brady, Moss, Welker and BB. Say what you want about that offensive line, but they didn't lose anyone. Were they exposed? I don't think they were. They just happened to play against a ridiculous defensive line and there isn't a team in the NFL that's trotting out something like Osi, Strahan and Tuck this season. As for the defense, yes, they're getting a little older and they lost Samuel. But all they have to do is hold the opposition to under 27 every game. I HATE the Pats but they're the best team in the NFL.
- I'm not buying San Diego. I think the loss of Turner and Meriman's knee is going to be their downfall. Oh yea, and they're coached by Norv Turner.
- I think Minnesota's going to be one of those teams where the whole isn't as great as the sum of its parts. Terrible WRs, shoddy QB, bad secondary. McKinnie being out the first four games is HUGE. Their front seven is spectacular, but they can easily be passed on. I think this is going to be a team that consistently finds itself down in the second half because they won't be able to hit the home run and they won't be able to prevent it.
- The Saints could be very, very good. Like 13-3 good. Shockey is going to be a monstrous difference maker if he can stay healthy. All of the sudden the opposition has to use a linebacker on either he or Bush. Who do you chose? They're going to be killing teams up the middle all season.
- Cleveland and Washington are going to be sitting at the bottom of their conferences come December.
- The next team to flop after blowing their load in free agency, ladies and gentlemen, is the NY Jets. I really like Calvin Pace as a person. He's easy to root for. But he was massively overpaid. Favre's in over his head. Faneca was bitching about money for years and I don't think he'll be the same player now that he's gotten it. Kris Jenkins hasn't been a good player in almost four years. I get a hearty chuckle when people think that Thomas Jones can anchor a running game. If Jon Vilma doesn't fit your defense, you're running the wrong D. Favre's heading towards a 6-10/7-9 season and I won't lie, I'll probably get some satisfaction out of that. I know as a Packer fan I should cheer for them to make the Super Bowl, but I'm not going to forgive the crap he put the organization through.
• Tampa Bay makes the playoffs last season because of Jeff Garcia. He had a very modest, incentive based deal. He could have earned an extra $1 million had he started down the stretch, but they sat him in December to get him ready for January once the division was in the bag. Now he wants to redo his deal, they won't accommodate and he's pissed. He should be. That's bush-league.
• I think I would have dealt Steven Jackson. That team isn't good and I think they're going to spend the next two-three seasons running him into the ground, winning 4-8 games, and dropping almost $40 million on one guy in the process.
• Next to SD, Jacksonville is my other flop team. They're a sexy Superbowl pick but I'm not buying it. I think they're this year's version of the Saints. They don't have that two headed monster in the middle anymore, Groves and Harvey aren't ready yet, and I have no idea who DG is supposed to pass to all season. I could see the Texans overtake them as the second best team in that division.
- New England at #3? Somehow, I think they're being slept on this season. Find me a team in the NFL that could outscore them. I certainly can't think of one. They still have Brady, Moss, Welker and BB. Say what you want about that offensive line, but they didn't lose anyone. Were they exposed? I don't think they were. They just happened to play against a ridiculous defensive line and there isn't a team in the NFL that's trotting out something like Osi, Strahan and Tuck this season. As for the defense, yes, they're getting a little older and they lost Samuel. But all they have to do is hold the opposition to under 27 every game. I HATE the Pats but they're the best team in the NFL.
- I'm not buying San Diego. I think the loss of Turner and Meriman's knee is going to be their downfall. Oh yea, and they're coached by Norv Turner.
- I think Minnesota's going to be one of those teams where the whole isn't as great as the sum of its parts. Terrible WRs, shoddy QB, bad secondary. McKinnie being out the first four games is HUGE. Their front seven is spectacular, but they can easily be passed on. I think this is going to be a team that consistently finds itself down in the second half because they won't be able to hit the home run and they won't be able to prevent it.
- The Saints could be very, very good. Like 13-3 good. Shockey is going to be a monstrous difference maker if he can stay healthy. All of the sudden the opposition has to use a linebacker on either he or Bush. Who do you chose? They're going to be killing teams up the middle all season.
- Cleveland and Washington are going to be sitting at the bottom of their conferences come December.
- The next team to flop after blowing their load in free agency, ladies and gentlemen, is the NY Jets. I really like Calvin Pace as a person. He's easy to root for. But he was massively overpaid. Favre's in over his head. Faneca was bitching about money for years and I don't think he'll be the same player now that he's gotten it. Kris Jenkins hasn't been a good player in almost four years. I get a hearty chuckle when people think that Thomas Jones can anchor a running game. If Jon Vilma doesn't fit your defense, you're running the wrong D. Favre's heading towards a 6-10/7-9 season and I won't lie, I'll probably get some satisfaction out of that. I know as a Packer fan I should cheer for them to make the Super Bowl, but I'm not going to forgive the crap he put the organization through.
• Tampa Bay makes the playoffs last season because of Jeff Garcia. He had a very modest, incentive based deal. He could have earned an extra $1 million had he started down the stretch, but they sat him in December to get him ready for January once the division was in the bag. Now he wants to redo his deal, they won't accommodate and he's pissed. He should be. That's bush-league.
• I think I would have dealt Steven Jackson. That team isn't good and I think they're going to spend the next two-three seasons running him into the ground, winning 4-8 games, and dropping almost $40 million on one guy in the process.
• Next to SD, Jacksonville is my other flop team. They're a sexy Superbowl pick but I'm not buying it. I think they're this year's version of the Saints. They don't have that two headed monster in the middle anymore, Groves and Harvey aren't ready yet, and I have no idea who DG is supposed to pass to all season. I could see the Texans overtake them as the second best team in that division.