I'll be honest, I don't see the Falcons winning the Super Bowl. But I have a hard time seeing them miss the playoffs again. Captain Ron can still win games by himself, the defense will be improved after the addition of DE John Abraham and with the continued development of CB DeAngelo Hall, and Warrick Dunn is due for a career year before he breaks down.
Steve McNair to Derrick Mason was an intimidating combo three years ago. Not intimidating in the "my linebacker might have you stabbed" sense, but they are obviously going to help the Ravens have a real NFL offense. If the Ravens can all stay healthy, this team has Super Bowl talent. Unfortunately, McNair, Ray Lewis, Jamal Lewis, Heap, Ogden, Reed, Rolle, McAlister, Suggs, and Anderson are all injury-prone. So I wouldn't hold my breath.
The trendy pick for the Super Bowl, Carolina looks to be improved on offense, and there is no reason to expect anything other than their usual stellar defense. DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams should form a great DeOne-Two Punch at RB, and as long as Steve Smith is healthy, they have a passing game. Keyshawn Johnson doesn't have much left in the tank, but he's got enough to keep defenses from triple-teaming Smith. But the NFC South is probably the best division in football, and I think they'll be too worn down with injuries to make it to the Super Bowl.
When they are clicking, this offense will be unstoppable. Unfortunately, Terrell Owens, Drew Bledsoe, and Terry Glenn are not known for "clicking". And when Roy Williams is not injuring people, the defense just doesn't have the talent to be a top unit. As long as Owens is healthy and happy, this will be a playoff team, but would you want to wager on him staying healthy and happy all season?
I think the loss of Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak and the drafting of Jay Cutler could hurt Jake Plummer's confidence this season, but he's still one of the top ten QBs in the NFL (Plummer, Palmer, McNabb, Manning, Leftwich, Hasselbeck, Green, Delhomme, Culpepper, Brady). Their schedule just isn't very tough; they could win 11 games and not beat any good teams. Javon Walker's recovery should be huge for them.
Doesn't it feel like Indy has been a very good team for a long time now? The offense is still intact, except for Edge, and the defense should be getting better every year. I say they're following the Steelers' blueprint of dominating all season, choking in the playoffs, then struggling to make the playoffs before a late run takes them all the way to the championship. Ladies and Gentlemen, your Super Bowl XLI Champions, the Indianapolis Colts.
The Jaguars are going to play a lot of close games. Their defense is solid but not spectacular, their running game is excellent until Fred Taylor goes down, and their receivers are young and inconsistent. They have two starting-caliber QBs in Leftwich and Garrard, which will be a great strength if one gets hurt and a major controversy if both stay healthy. With a better coach, I'd pick them to win Super Bowl XLI.
I don't think any team in the league is as dependant on one player as the Dolphins are on Daunte Culpepper. Personally, I believe in him; assuming his knee recovers, I think he's a great QB, top five in the league. If he can be that Daunte, these guys will run away with the AFC East and they have the all-around talent to win it all. Chris Chambers and Randy McMichael are underrated pass-catchers and the defense still has plenty of life in it, but without Culpepper, they're a playoff bubble team.
The main lesson that the Eagles learned last year (other than the one about not signing egomaniacal receivers) is that you need depth at every position. With Jeff Garcia on board, even Donovan McNabb is not irreplaceable. The Eagles have an offense where no receiver is irreplaceable, because they're not all that much better than the guys on the practice squad. The Eagles have ridiculous talent and depth on both lines, though, which all the real football experts say is the most important thing. Watch for Bruce Perry to be a breakout star at RB and returning kicks.
I'm not sure why the Steelers shouldn't be expecting a repeat, but this just doesn't feel like a multiple-championship team to me. Ben Roethlisberger still has a lot to prove (beyond his skull's ability to withstand a windshield at 60mph, of course), and this is still a team that barely squeaked into the playoffs last year. Chris Hope is a big loss, as his solid, consistent play allowed Troy Polamalu's hair to wander all over the field
I don't care how they finished last year, this is not a great football team. Hasselbeck is a good QB, the defense is generally solid, but they don't even need the post-Super Bowl injury bug to bring them down. Their division is still pretty terrible, so it may not matter yet again, but there should at least be some competition in the NFC playoffs this season.
The defense is old, the offense is young, and the coach is crazy. If the defense stays healthy, and the offense continues to mature, they're a top NFC team. If they didn't have two of the worst calls I've ever seen called against them in the playoffs last year, I believe that they would have been the team getting thrashed by the Steelers in Super Bowl XL. I can't imagine Jon Gruden's reaction to that game.
Really, Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart are quarterbacking you to the playoffs? I know the NFC West is bad, and the Cardinals defense is underrated. They also have arguably the best skill position players surrounding the QB of any team in the league, but doesn't someone have to get the ball from the center and throw it to the receivers?
I just have absolutely no idea what's going to happen with this team; that's how much of a wild card offensive coordinator Mike Martz is. I could easily see him turning Jon Kitna or Josh McCown into a Pro Bowl QB, and the Lions have the talent on offense to be a dominating force. They also have the general organizational incompetence to make Isiah Thomas look like a professional. OK, they're not that bad.
Brett Favre said this is the most talented team he's ever played on. And he said it days before Reggie White was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Are there any seven players on this team who combine to have The Minister's talent? On the plus side, they have to be better than they were last season. And the media is starting to turn on Favre, which means by the end of the season, he might even be likeable again.
I would not take Larry Johnson in the top 12 picks of a fantasy draft. There are busts, there are epic busts, there was Ryan Leaf, and then there's Larry Johnson's 2006 season. That's obviously an exaggeration, but I feel very strongly that Johnson will not break 1200 yards and 10 touchdowns. Dick Vermeil (and Al Saunders) is gone, Herm Edwards is in, Willie Roaf already retired, Priest Holmes is retiring, Trent Green is 36, and the starting receivers are Eddie Kennison and Samie Parker. Also, the defense is ... um ... embarrassing. And Larry Johnson has never dealt with the pressure of being a starter, much less a superstar. How does this add up to a good season, much less a great one?
In the NFC, having a game-managing offense and a solid defense gets you a playoff spot. But it doesn't make me want to hang out with you.
Speaking of closed windows, is it getting warm in here? Apparently the Brilliant Mastermind has decreed that the Chosen One no longer needs NFL-quality receivers, and will instead install an offense that involves only tight ends. Either that, or they really do think that Deion Branch is worth about 2/3 what Reggie Wayne is worth. What are the Patriots saving their money for??? And I want this in writing: Neither Tom Brady nor Bill Belichick (as head coach) has ever won a Super Bowl without Adam Vinatieri. In 20 years, I will be able to make the same statement.
You know what always works out well? When 30 year old running backs set career highs in every possible stat. That never comes back to haunt them, right, Curtis? And if you think Elisha is taking this team anywhere other than the cellar once Tiki goes down, then I don't really have anything else to say to you.
I like the direction this team is going, and I have a good feeling about them, but they really don't have very much experience or talent on the roster. Call it a gut feeling, or take some of these reasons: the AFC East features the worst team in the NFL, the most overrated team in professional sports, and Daunte Culpepper's knee. The Jets have a young, energetic defense, and a young, brilliant defensive coach. And Herm Edwards isn't around any more, which is worth at least two wins.
If you're looking for textbook on how to make a young QB succeed, I would think that having the top RB (who is a GREAT receiver) and the top TE in the league would be chapters 3 and 4. The problem is, chapters 1 and 2 involve having an offensive line that can occasionally stop a pass rush and a coach who is not incompetent, and the Chargers skipped those two. Fortunately, Philip Rivers throws like a girl, which means even if he IS successful, we can still make fun of him.
I really like new coach Scott Linehan's push towards a conservative offense. The problem is that to win games with a conservative offense, you need to keep your opponent under thirty points, which the Rams defense often struggles to do. Still, in that division, with those skill players... this team is one Lofa Tatupu from being as good as the 2005 Seahawks.
I really like Jeff Fisher; he's a great coach and seems like a great guy. So it's a real shame that management is pushing him out the door by cutting all their veterans, drafting overrated players (I'm talking to YOU, LenDale), and demanding that he keep winning. Still, Fisher's working with basically the same group of young guys he had last season, and he might just coach them into the playoffs.
Mark Brunell. That is all. The only reason these guys aren't in the bottom group is the coaching staff, and the possibility that Jason Campbell might turn out alright.
The whole point of NFL parity is that every year, fans of 32 teams can believe this is the year for their team. Well, this year, fans of 31 teams can believe that this is their year. I will give you a No-Bills-Super Bowl-Guarantee. Whatever the Vegas odds are against the Bills winning the Super Bowl, they are not good enough; the only way the Bills will win the Super Bowl is if the other 31 teams go on strike.
Basically everything went right for the Bears last season; their entire division went in the tank, every defensive player had a career year… they even became the first team in NFL history to host a playoff game without a starting offense. Wait, that WAS their starting offense?
Don't the Bengals feel like they are one Carson Palmer knee injury away from being a complete disaster?
Mommy taught me that when you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Even if Reggie Bush turns out to be the next Ryan Leaf, and Mario Williams the next Reggie White, the Texans still made the wrong decision at the time. Dominick Davis' injury does not bode well. Poor David Carr.
I don't think Drew Brees is a very good QB. I don't think the Saints have a very good defense. I don't think Joe Horn has many seasons left in him, or Donte Stallworth will ever reach his potential. I don't think Deuce McAllister is healthy. I do think Reggie Bush will be a star, but I don't think he's THAT good.
Notice how many teams in this bottom section have settled QB situations? Or good defenses (ok, besides Chicago)? What a waste of Randy Moss, LaMont Jordan, and... oh yea, there's no one else good on this team.
They have to be better than last year, right? right?? guys???
Phil Katz Last modified: Wed Aug 10 12:12:47 Eastern Daylight Time 2005