The NFL Preseason Thread.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Yeah I had high hopes for the Chargers but with Merriman out, the Chargers are going to suck. Hopefully Tomilison can score at least 4 rushing TD's per game.

What the fuck ever. It's impossible for them to not win the AFC West. They're going to be fine.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Yeah I had high hopes for the Chargers but with Merriman out, the Chargers are going to suck. Hopefully Tomilison can score at least 4 rushing TD's per game.

What the fuck ever. It's impossible for them to not win the AFC West. They're going to be fine.

 

I wouldn't say impossible. Unlikely yes, but Denver isn't that bad. But this was a team looking at the Super Bowl, not just making the playoffs. They won't do that without Merriman.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

I think Denver is a good team. The Raiders are lost and Kansas City is rebuilding still.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Yeah I had high hopes for the Chargers but with Merriman out, the Chargers are going to suck. Hopefully Tomilison can score at least 4 rushing TD's per game.

What the fuck ever. It's impossible for them to not win the AFC West. They're going to be fine.

 

I wouldn't say impossible. Unlikely yes, but Denver isn't that bad. But this was a team looking at the Super Bowl, not just making the playoffs. They won't do that without Merriman.

A fair assessment, but they certainly won't suck unless the stadium is put on the PUP list (wildfire).

[RepoMan 0]

I'm pissed I can't see the Colts/Bills game. Rochester can get blacked out for non-sell outs, but dosn't count as a primary market to get NFL Network games on an over the air station.

[Mike wanna be 0]

I guess I'm lucky I get the NFL network then.

 

Lucas Oil Stadium is gorgeous, for the record.

[UZI Suicide 0]

Warner threw 27 TDs last year in 11 starts and parts of three other games and with him the Cardinals could challenge for the division title. I don't care if he's 80, the right move is to start him.

 

He's 37 and isn't getting any better. He throws TD's but he throws a lot of INT's too. You start Warner and you're looking at a 8-8 team that will be lucky to sneak into a wild card spot for a first round ass pounding.

 

Maybe they'll do worse with Leinart, but he's only started 16 games. Hardly enough to judge him. Many QB's suck ass early in their careers, but they're never going to know if they have their future QB on their team or if they need to draft someone else unless they let him develop.

[Kinetic 0]

With the bulk of the preseason games out of the way and the regular season less than two weeks away, let's assess what we anticipate our teams doing this year and what we would be willing to consider a successful season.

 

I feel like the Bucs are poised to be exactly as good as they were last year, which is to say slightly above average. While the defense should be top five, the offense will likely be somewhere in the middle of the pack unless guys like Antonio Bryant, Earnest Graham, and Dexter Jackson set the world on fire, which I don't envision happening. One encouraging thing about the offense has been the play of the starting line this preseason, which should open holes for the backs and provide plenty of time for whatever washed-up reject we have starting at QB. So, yeah, I'd say above average team, good for anywhere between 8 and 10 wins. That might not be good enough in our division this year.

 

It's really difficult to say what I'd consider a successful season, however, because the lack of youth in some fairly key areas suggests that Gruden and the FO think they're fielding a big winner this season. If it seemed like we were building toward something, I'd be totally happy with winning the division and making it to the second round of the playoffs. As it is, I'd have to say that anything short of a conference championship appearance will be a disappointment. As such, I'm prepared to be disappointed.

[naiwf 0]

I expect the Giants to miss the playoffs now that Osi is out for the year. If they can't convince Strahan to make a return I think the best we can hope for is an 8-8 season. With that in mind, a successful year would be one where Eli continues to develop and I see a little more consistency out of Jacobs and the receivers not named Burress or Toomer. Had Osi been healthy I thought we'd be a 10 or 11 win team competing for the 5th seed and a chance to repeat, albeit a very small one.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

New England Patriots

 

I'm confident they'll finish with 10-11 wins but honestly, would not be surprised to see them win only 9 games.

 

The offensive line has been struggling (partly injuries and overall health concerns) while the rest of the offense seems to also be battling injuries here and there. Tom Brady should be healthy for the opener (as should Welker) but both will be overcoming injuries and will be trying to run an offense behind an offensive line that hasn't been impressing greatly. The backup QB job is also questionable and I'm a little worried what'll happen if Brady does go down because Cassell has looked inconsistent and Gutierrez/O'Connell are either a bit raw or guesses at this point in time. I'm pleased with the RB depth with Maroney, Faulk, Morris (and possibly Jordan) and am curious to see how Jordan gets used if he's kept as he's probably the most versatile of the group. Of course, their success all depends on the O-Line's ability to push.

 

The defense should be solid but the secondary is a basically a mish-mash of decent veterans and rookies (Terence Wheatley). Harrison and Lynch will be rotating around at safety (more so Lynch given his age) but this will all place emphasis on the D-Line and LB crew making plays with the recent injury to Tank Williams and the blossoming depth issue now. I do like the LB crew with the slow (but solid) emergence of both Pierre Woods and Jerod Mayo who should help Bruschi and Vrabel in terms of rest. The D-Line is solid and probably the deepest position on that side of the ball but I'm curious if they'll be able to stop the run before the linebackers need to make the tackle 3-4 yards back.

 

Overall Thoughts: Likely 10-6 or 11-5 (maybe 12-4 given their "easier" schedule this year). Could see 9-7 if things break badly.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

I expect the Packers to end up around 8-8. The offense will be okay. Rodgers has been playing well for the most part and he certainly has weapons. I expect some silly mistakes and a handful of bad games, but he will be good enough to silence most critics and will be much improved next year. My big concern is the depth along the defensive line. They'll scare nobody and if Harris or Woodson go down in the secondary the defense is in big trouble. They may push it to 10-6 (which would probably be enough for the NFC North title) with a bit of luck. If the Packers get into the playoffs they will be extremely dangerous, consistency rather than talent is the problem with this team.

 

The NFC North will be a close division. The Packers & Vikings aren't as good as many people think and the Bears & Lions aren't as bad.

[Guest WhackingCockDick]

The Bears are pretty bad, though, unless the defense is really dogging it in the postseason to fool people. The offensive line is scary crappy, which means the offense will suffer, be on the field less, which means the defense will be on more, which means they'll run out of gas and suck by the end of the year again. I'm hoping that they'll be this year's Surprise Team, but traditionally, Surprise Teams are young, like the Saints or Vikings. The Bears are old. If I didn't know any better, I'd wonder if the Bears intentionally trot out dogshit offensive corps just to make their defense overachieve just to compensate and perpetuate the whole BEARS DEFENSE thing instead of spending the necessary money to build a contending team. Just fire Lovie Smith after this year.

 

I hope the Patriots only win 9 or fewer, but they'll probably win at least 12, the cheating bastards.

[devo 0]

I'll go with eight wins for the Jets. Despite the injection of talent in several different areas of the team, I somehow get the sense that the roster isn't exactly gelling. As an example, in preseason action the offensive line has been racking up the false starts at a staggering rate. The chances of Thomas Jones having any sort of year depends on them getting their shit together. There's also the fact that team has about one and a half cornerbacks and the same amount of decent receivers.

 

It just seems to me like they need one more year of development before they can be considered a playoff team. But hey, after last season eight wins will seem like a Super Bowl victory.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I actually think the Packers will rebound from a rough start to finish out the year in the playoffs and on a high note. People are severely overrating the Vikings. They have done practically nothing to upgrade on offense, and so it's still very much Adrian Peterson & co. there, and the defense is aging, with a few exceptions here and there. The big thing they have is a lot of depth, talent, and experience on both the offensive and defensive lines, which as we all know is one of the big key factors in football (especially late in the year) whereas Green Bay has all their talent on offense. It's strange to see that jon Kitna is now the most experienced quarterback in the NFC North, but Detroit still won't be very good (no running game, inconsistent receiving, and a questionable defense) and Czech already outlined why the Bears won't be particularly good this year.

 

I think Green Bay repeats the division win with at least 10 or 11 wins, especially because their schedule is so favorable this year. They only have 5 games against playoff teams from 2007, and that includes Dallas and Indy at home, and Tampa Bay, Seattle, and Tennessee on the road. I forgot the Titans were even in the playoffs last year, and Tampa Bay and Seattle aren't particularly improved from what I saw, so it's still a pretty good schedule. They do have Jacksonville as well on the schedule, so that could be rough, but again even if they lost all six of those games, and split against Minnesota, that's a winning record and a chance to get in the playoffs, possibly win the division if the NFC North sucks enough.

[Guest]

Um, Jacksonville should win 10 to 11 games and make the playoffs. However, once they get there, I worry about a few things, namely Jerry Porter deciding to shit on the team and do nothing whatsoever. If he could stay healthy, I'd say the offense is a strength for once. Odd for this team with Del Rio as coach. Garrard will shine.

 

Defensively, I'm not too happy that Stroud is gone. OLB (and maybe SS) are two possible weaknesses. Not too happy about it. That NFC North schedule sure looks nice.

[MFer 0]

The Lions have greatly improved in some areas. The pass blocking appears to be way better than the previous couple years where 50 sacks were the norm. The secondary has been revamped with Leigh Bodden, Brian Kelly, and Dwight Smith as new starters. The passing game could be very formidable with a healthy Calvin Johnson (who's primed to become a breakout star this season), a more consistent Jon Kitna, and more balanced play-calling. The Lions could start as many as 3 rookies (Kevin Smith, Jerome Felton, and Gosder Cherilus) and have 4 others seeing time in the playing rotation (Jordan Dizon, who eventually may start later this season, Andre Fluellen, Cliff Avril, and maybe Landon Cohen).

 

The main negatives on the Lions are running the ball and stopping the run. The run blocking has been horrid this preseason with that new zone blocking scheme. The RB's other than Smith are iffy at best. The D-line is very light with no players at or above 300 pounds. The LB's other than Ernie Sims (who should make the Pro Bowl this year) are suspect. They're also fairly small as a unit. Detroit doesn't have a return man that can be a game breaker. The pass rush is still a work in progress.

 

With a pretty tough schedule and some talent issues, I'd say that at least matching last year's win total (7) would be a successful year. They should be much better at competing in every game as well (the Lions lost an obscene 4 games by 30 or more points last season). If they get out to a fast start again, they could challenge for a playoff spot with some luck. Right now, I'm gonna be optimistic and say that the Lions finish 8-8 behind the Packers and Vikings and ahead of the Bears.

[KingPK 0]

I think 9-7 is a bit pessimistic for the Patriots. The division still isn't very good and they have the NFC West to beat up, so they should break 10 wins fairly easily. The o-line and secondary are definitely areas of concern, but I like to think that when they get a healthy unit back together, things should be fine.

[MFer 0]

Honestly, I think the Patriots will win 12 games minimum. This speculation all offseason about the "demise of the Patriots" has been greatly exaggerated IMO. They have the easiest (on paper) schedule in the league and they still have a very dynamic offense. The O-line was great for most of last year; they'll regroup from that Super Bowl performance and be fine. Using the run game more will help. The Bills and Jets aren't ready to overtake the Pats in the AFC East. Even the Chargers and Colts (presumably the other main contenders as well as two opponents on this year's schedule) have their injury issues to deal with as well so I don't really believe all that talk about New England being on their way down.

[Kinetic 0]

No, I don't see any reason why New England would win fewer than 12 games this season. Easy schedule, dynamic offense, comprehensive library of opponent's defensive signals, enthusiastic fanbase...this team is built to win, baby.

 

I hope they don't, though, I hate them.

[Just John 0]

I think the Steelers will have a solid 10-win season and make the playoffs. The defense is still among the league's best, and there are plenty of weapons on the offense. The biggest concern is the O-line with Faneca gone, which hasn't looked the best in preseason. Still, with Big Ben, Parker, Hines, Holmes, and Miller on the field, you can't sell the offense too short. Under most circumstances, I'd have the Steelers pegged to win more games, but the schedule this year is brutal (8 playoff teams, 11 total games against teams .500 or better last year). However, it now appears they'll get a slight reprieve with the Giants and Chargers games looking a little easier, and I'm not sold on the Browns being as good as last year (when the Steelers owned 'em anyway).

[HarleyQuinn 0]

In regards to the 9 win statement that's largely because as "easy" as their schedule is, there are a lot of tough games for them too (especially midway through the year). Granted, it was more in reference to injuries piling up, etc. but they play the following tough teams...

 

New York Jets (twice. Should be more of a challenge with Favre at QB. Second game is a Thursday after a Bills game)

San Diego Chargers on the road

Denver Broncos at home

Indianapolis Colts on the road (This and the prior 2 opponents are all in a 4 week span)

Buffalo Bills (twice including final regular season game away. Won 7 games last year with a piss poor offense which should be somewhat improved)

Pittsburgh Steelers at home in week 13 which should be the start of playoff implications

Seattle Seahawks (On the road a week after Pittsburgh at home)

Oakland Raiders on the road (Tough defense and if the offense can improve at all, they could be a surprise). Think the Baltimore game last year.

 

I wouldn't exactly call their schedule a push over or anything nor would I say they have an easy 12+ wins there. The AFC East is always a dog fight and I can see the Pats losing 2-3 to out of conference teams and get surprised by 1-2 in conference games. That'd give them a record of 11-5 or 12-4.

 

Keep in mind that last year they could've gone 13-3 (If they had lost to Baltimore, Philly, and the Giants in week 17). I think the AFC East teams have improved for the most part and won't be the cake walk they were last year, outside of maybe Miami and they have Pennington in at QB as well along with the return of Ricky Williams at RB.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Oh, fuck a bunch of that. When's the last time the Patriots were in any danger of losing the AFC East title? And to whom? Please. The AFC East is the new NFC West of the 90's- One great dynasty and a bunch of other scrubs that desperately try to put together a winning squad.

[Matt Young 0]

Whoa to HarleyQuinn and Kahran Rasmus. The Patriots, like 'em or not (and I don't) are the best team in football and it would take a catastrophe for them to finish with less than 12 wins.

 

The Packers at 8-8? Are you kidding me? They were 13-3 last year and remain mostly unchanged, aside from the Favre debacle. Unless Aaron Rodgers has a Ryan Leaf-like year, they're good for a 10-6 record which will likely win them the division or if the Vikings exceed expectations, the wild card. Bunch of pessimists around here.

 

I'm not willing to gamble on my Packers since Aaron Rodgers is an unproven commodity over a full season, but quote me on this: If the Patriots win fewer than 10 games without Tom Brady being injured, I'll quit the board forever.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Matt, unless you're willing to really take that bet, I wouldn't say that if I were you. Remember this is the NFL and any kind of weird shit could happen in a season.

[Cartman 0]

I can't see the Pats winning less than 12 games myself. It's friggin pre-season right now...which means NOTHING. Relax pats fans

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

The Colts will finish 12-4 and limping over the finish line, because their schedule is murder.

 

They have to play @MIN, @PIT, @SD, plus they have the goddamn bastard Patriots again, the toughest division to play in, and trips to Cleveland and Green Bay aren't going to be easy. New England is a Sunday night game after a Monday night game @TEN. That's pretty salty, but I think they'll win that one because the Patriots are fags.

 

Manning's knee isn't going to be an issue because of what's going to quietly be the best running attack in the AFC. Yes, better than San Diego. I said earlier in this thread somewhere that Mike Hart plays like a three year pro already, and I'll stand by that. Addai is excellent, and Rhodes is a better than decent backup. They're also deeper at WR this season. Their defense will be decent as usual, barring injury. That's what killed them in the playoffs.

 

Oh, and they're going to win the Superbowl this year.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Matt, unless you're willing to really take that bet, I wouldn't say that if I were you. Remember this is the NFL and any kind of weird shit could happen in a season.

 

Tom Brady's foot is still not 100% healed and we don't know what's wrong with it. All he has to do is take one bad sack and it's over.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Not to mention they went 10-6 way back in... 2005. Miami went 9-7, Buffalo went 5-11, and Jets went 4-12.

 

In 2006, they went 12-4 and lost games to Miami (6-10) and the Jets (10-6).

 

I just don't see the offense being as insanely good as it was last year (A large reason they went 18-1).

 

Again, I'm expecting them to win 11-12 games but I'm not ignoring the fact that with bad breaks, they could get down to 10-6 or 9-7 (If teams like the Jets and Bills explode to 8-8+ records).

 

Also: Buffalo went 7-9 (252 vs. 354) and the Jets went 4-12 (268 vs. 355). With a few breaks, the Jets could have been at 6-10 or 7-9 as well. I think the Pats will be surprised by a team or two in the AFC East and lose those games. Also people are forgetting that teams like Indianapolis (missing Marvin Harrison), Philadelphia (Starting AJ Feeley), and the Giants (Gimpy Plaxico Burress) put the Patriots to the test anyway.

[Guest Vitamin X]

The year they went 10-6, the rest of the division was so awful they still won! And they had a 5-1 (Dolphins) record in their division. In 2006, they went 4-2 (Jets, Dolphins) in their division and had 3-game winning streaks after each one of those two divisional losses.

 

The point is, the AFC East isn't a dogfight, it's a slaughterhouse. They went 5-1 in 2004 (Dolphins) and 5-1 in 2003 (Bills) as well. The last year they had any competition for the division was in 2002, which was a notoriously bad year for the Brady And Co. era of the Patriots- and yet they still ended up in a three-way tie for first with the Jets and Dolphins, everyone at 9-7. Maybe the Jets can give em a run for their money with Favre at the helm (and since it helps out the Packers, I hope they do) but I don't think the winner of the division has been put in doubt much at all over the past few years.

[Art Sandusky 0]

The Packers at 8-8? Are you kidding me? They were 13-3 last year and remain mostly unchanged, aside from the Favre debacle. Unless Aaron Rodgers has a Ryan Leaf-like year, they're good for a 10-6 record which will likely win them the division or if the Vikings exceed expectations, the wild card. Bunch of pessimists around here.

We'll win the division, but it'll be 10-6 at best. We've gotta play the fuckin' AFC South this year ferchrissakes. Game by game:

 

Minnesota: Win (Vikings won't be shit out of the gate)

@ Detroit: Win (Lions never will be)

Dallas: Loss (I want to say that Favre leaving means we can beat Dallas again, but I'm doubtful)

@ Tampa Bay: Win (Aaron Kampman will eat Jeff Garcia)

Atlanta: Win (poor, poor Falcons)

@ Seattle: Loss (I'm iffy on this one)

Indianapolis: Win (yeah I said it)

@ Tennessee: Loss (goddamn Vince Young will have one of his one out of four good games)

@ Vikings: Loss (we've gotta drop at least one in the division, and this looks like it)

Chicago: Win (lol, Bears)

@ New Orleans: Win (I have the Saints taking their division, but that won't be saying much)

Carolina: Win (Atari Bigby will break Steve Smith's jaw when Smith takes a swing at him)

Houston: Win (Ahman Green wants his old job back)

@ Jacksonville: Win (the Jags'll be fighting for a playoff spot until this game)

@ Chicago: Win (lol, Bears)

Detroit: Win (we'll be in the mix for a first-round bye, so starters play all game and Detroit gets raped)

 

Well shit, Matt's got a point. That loss at Tennessee is based on little besides gut, and Dallas is certainly beatable. Beating the Colts seems optimistic but I think it can be done if the score is kept low. Either way, I've got 12-4 based on my weak prognosticating powers. There are bound to be a couple of sneaky losses in there though so I stand by my 10-6 prediction.