Football season is around the corner

[Guest Vitamin X]

Vitamin X, you went to Valencia High? What year did you graduate?

2001, actually. I didn't play football senior year, and I only did off-season conditioning junior year since I figured at that time it'd be pointless to play with Manuel White and Ray Cassaday ahead of me, even though I did get what I thought was the biggest compliment of my entire life when we were doing running back drills and Manuel White actually told me I had "skills bro".

 

And for those of you who don't know, the SCV has believe it or not, a bit of a rich history regardign high school sports, mostly involving Hart High since they've been around the longest. Sting went there, as did Todd Helton (former Dodger, now Rockie, used to be good anyways), and of course now Ravens #1 pick QB Kyle Boller. I used to like the Ravens too, but every now and then school spirit actually flares up and I can't stand em. My lone claim to fame is that I got a hit on the guy in a game a while back. Ah, high school sports... Vitamin X = Al Bundy, sometimes

 

I can't wait for the season to begin. It was a little bit easier to go without football while Hockey & Basketball was going on [i don't care about the NBA finals this year], but now all I have until August is the Brewers [sigh]. Anyways, I'm hoping the Packers don't have nearly as many injuries last year, and that they can somehow solve their postseason problems.

 

Maybe they should find a way to fix their REGULAR season problems. Farve or No Farve this team isnt exactly a top contender anymore.

 

It's spelled F-A-V-R-E. Also, they were the only team to last year to not lose at home (except until the playoffs WHAT THE FUCK?!?!), and had the longest winning streak of any team last year. And I got news for you, no team is really exactly a 'top contender' anymore, anyways. The only sure thing about the NFL these days is that you can't be sure about anything, and I personally love it like that. And of course the team is a contender, the only team that's even a threat in the division is the Viqueens, and I don't even think they'll be enough to beat the Pack for the NFC North crown. The way I see it, the Packers are a B+/A- team that can occasionally play above and beyond what people think they can, and can also disappoint horribly (the Jets game, and the Falcons game last year).

 

Anyways, let's make some picks...

 

NFC North: Packers. The Lions have improved, while the Bears have made some very questionable decisions, but I don't think either of those teams can challenge. The Vikes are almost always a threat, but I can see Green Bay winning the division again..Or maybe that's just the cheese talking.

NFC South: Either Bucs or Falcons, depending on Mike Vick's maturity, and if the Bucs can keep playing the high standard of defense they played last year. Easily the toughest division in the NFC, as the Panthers look to be improving with Stephen Davis, and you can't ALWAYS count the Saints out, no matter how many times they lose to the Bengals.

NFC West: The Rams have GOT to fix what happened last year, but I think it finally goes to show what I knew all the way back in 1999..They're a good team, but far and away from being the BEST. Especially that bitch Kurt Warner. Anyways, I don't see the Niners having a good season, too many off-field problems, and a new head coach, usually leads to a 9-7, 10-6 season. So my dark horse here I actually have as the Seahawks.

NFC East: The NFC Least is back. Man this division is fucking boring. All the teams except for the Eagles in this division are boring as fuck, and the Eagles only have McNabb and the defense to keep them interesting. They probably also realize their window of opportunity for a championship isn't going to last forever, so I see them repeating as champs, while the Cowboys and Parcells learn what "thrashed" means. Eagles, with the improving Redskins behind.

 

AFC North: And we go back in time~! Browns vs. Steelers for this one. I don't see how Cincy or Baltimore have improved ENOUGH to do it, though the Ravens could be a surprise team. Bill Cowher should really let Tommy Maddox have confidence in his job this year, and maybe he can keep up the good work from last year, and I'm wondering if the Browns solve their QB controversy if they made the right decision. They seem evenly matched, but the Ravens are the wild card. This could actually be one of the toughest divisions in football next year.

AFC South: Jags/Titans/Texans/Colts. Ho-ly SHIT. This is an atrocity of a division. Well Tony Dungy's 'eh we'll play alright for most of the season' mantra will hold up, but I can see the Titans coming back to win this division. I don't really see a Super Bowl winner here, however...

AFC West: Even though the Chargers didn't have a spectacular draft and lost Junior Seau, I can see Martyball winning what I'm sure is going to become the weakened AFC West. However, it's really all up to how the Raiders are still playing. I also just can't see Jake Plummer leading the Broncos to the golden light, but you never know, really. I just got a hunch in that I believe in the trio of David Boston/LaDanian Thompson/Drew Brees.

AFC East: Ah, my other favorite division in football. Usually, I've seen that teams that end strong in one year, start out strong the next, so I'm going to go with the J-E-T-S on this one, even with their offseason losses. Miami is close now with Seau leading an already improved defense, and they could even be this season's Bucs/Ravens (team with an average QB and star RB/defense going all the way), but I can't really see them going far until they put Griese to work. Which won't happen until he's got the playbook down. Which means 2004 is Miami's year...probably. Maybe.

 

I'm not going to bother with playoff picks, since making division picks is hard enough as is. Consider also that in the past few years, it hasn't been often that we've had repeat division champs, and since I picked a lot repeats, I am probably wrong. Thus why I explain why the other teams might be champs, really to save my own ass.

[Guest MrRant]

If Ray Rhodes can fire up the D then I do see Seattle in the wildcard.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

Why's everyone on Griese's jock? I mean, I like him as the back-up, but Fiedler's got a better record as a starter (Griese is what, .500 as a starter?), and is undeniably 1 of the leaders of the Dolphins. Griese won't be starting this year unless Fiedler gets hurt, or goes in the tank.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Griese is a good quarterback who's got football smarts since he was a kid, and has guts. What's the game he played and brought the Broncos from behind with a dislocated shoulder or whatever that he missed the rest or most of the rest of the season for? I like that in a quarterback.

 

Fielder is the most average, joe-schmoe quarterback I've seen. He's a typical generic robot of a backup. Griese has won big games, and although I followed the NFL closely last season, I never heard or understood why Brian fell out of favor with Mike Shanahan...FOR JAKE PLUMMER?!?!?!?!?!

[Guest The Voices In Your Head]

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Maybe they should find a way to fix their REGULAR season problems. Farve or No Farve this team isnt exactly a top contender anymore.

 

OK, I know they've took some hits and made some questionable moves [cutting Nate Wayne and signing Hannibal Navies and Akilli Smith come to mind] this offseason, but I don't think Detroit, Chicago, or Minnesota will be able to seriously challenge them for the NFC North this year.

[Guest phoenixrising]

Vitamin X, to answer your earlier post, White will probably be the starting fullback. He's certainly big enough at 240.

 

Griese was unpopular in Denver cause, well, he wasn't John Elway. Also I think that whole explanation for him getting hurt last year or the year before didn't impress a lot of people (the one where he said he got hurt tripping over his dog). That said, I still can't understand why the Dolphins would get him only to have him behind Fiedler, who's a decent QB at best.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

Fiedler is something like 28-13 as a starter for the Dolphins in the regular season, so he's doing something right.

[Guest Dillon Likes Bossman]

Every year, "It's gunna be the Eagles"....and it always seems to me that the G-men give em' a hard time. The Giants have done nothing but improve this offseason. With an easier schedule this year, They'll win the division. Plus, the Eagels have done nothing but get worse this offseason.

[Guest Vitamin X]

How have the Giants improved enough to take over the division?

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

Shannahan has hated Griese ever since he mentioned that he had nobody to throw to after Smith & McCaffrey both got hurt that one year. Shannahan thought it implied that the backups weren't good enough (which they weren't) and blamed their poor play and the Broncs missing the playoffs on Griese. He also thinks Griese gets hurt too much.

[Guest slabinskia]

here are my picks

 

afc east:buffalo,nyj get a wildcard spot

afc west:kansas city,oakland gets a wildcard spot

afc north:steelers

afc south:titans

 

nfc east:giants,eagles (my team) get wildcard

nfc west:rams

nfc north:green bay

nfc south:tampa bay,atlanta gets wildcard

[Guest razazteca]

Did the Giants get another Runningback or Fullback that can give Tiki some back up?

 

Did the Eagles find replacements for the FA that they lost on the defense? I know they drafted some defensive players but will they be as good as the guys they lost?

[Guest slabinskia]

the eagles are my team but i think they are really going to miss hugh douglas.im worried that the giants will win the division.

[Guest razazteca]

Cowboys and Redskins suck and would be lucky to go .500 for the season. All the Eagles would have to do is beat the Giants for the tie breaker rule to win the NFC East.

[Guest the pinjockey]

I don't see where the Eagles are going to be hurting that much compared to last year.

 

I don't think Wayne will be that much of a downgrade from the seriously overrated Barber. I loved Barber last year but don't think he was an irreplacable cog in the D, Emmons is their important LB anyway. And Simoneau (sp?) is a slight upgrade over Kirkland because lets face it except for that one pass to Marshall Faulk he deflected against the Rams he didn't move for shit all year.

 

And while Hugh was a big loss, if Derrick Burgess is healthy he could be a force over the course of a whole season. And with McDougle, Kalu, and Jamaal Green (who apparently has been impressing the staff in workouts) I think they will be able to almost make up for Hugh.

 

But the big improvement comes on offense where we get Buckhalter back. Buckhalter can be a legitimate running back that they sorely need. If there was a 3rd and 2 situation last year, everyone and their mother knew it was a pass because Staley blows as a runner. Plus Jon Ritchie is a vast improvement over Cecil Martin. Also throw in the fact that L.J. Smith provides McNabb with an actual TE weapon as opposed to Chad "I fall where I catch it" Lewis and I am confident in the improved offense.

 

Edit: And throw in Michael Lewis who is going to be awesome this year and their secondary may be even better than last year. Especially with Taylor and Vincent in contract years.

Contract year = Production