TO Tops Himself Once Again
Terrell Owens needs more attention than a three-day-old puppy. He's proven it time and again, with the latest chapter being this week's supposed "suicide attempt." Did TO mix his painkillers and supplements with the intent to kill himself? Probably not. But you can bet he didn't mind all of the media coverage the loopy cocktail garnered him.
There he was, smiling away at the camera yesterday afternoon, like the whole thing was some big joke. Like it was actually funny, for crying out loud! Clearly, Owens is imbalanced. He's just not all there in the brains department, never has been. Hence, the need for a publicist and entourage to explain and spin his every move. Although TO did a poor job in picking the publicist. Kim Etheridge, or whatever the overmatched lady's name is, not only placed the 911 call that triggered the whole police report, she also showed a complete lack of vocabulary and perspective in her speech to the media. A few of the highlights from Etheridge's ramble:
Statement #1: "A man of TO's statue would never do something like that."
My take: The word you were looking for was "stature." With an 'r'. A statue being an inanimate object, stature being a level of prestige and achievement.
Statement #2: "This whole is being overblown. Nothing happened, and that's the bottom line."
My take: If nothing happened, then why'd you call 911 in hysterics, then tell the police that TO was "swallowing a lot of pills" despite your telling him to stop? Because it was nothing? Ah, now I understand . . . except not.
Statement #3: "Terrell Owens has 25 million reasons not to kill himself."
My take: So money is the source of all happiness then, right? And rich people never get depressed or try to hurt themselves? Uh, yeah. Okay, Ms. Etheridge. The fact of the matter is that you are the most incompetent publicist in the history of publicists. Every thing you said at TO's press conference should be put on DVD and played back in public relations classrooms across the country for aspiring students as an example of everything you don't want to do.
But I digress. This whole story boils down to the fact that nothing Terrell Owens says or does should surprise anyone ever again. He is the poster child for the phrase "cuckoo for cocoa puffs." And the Dallas Cowboys knew this ahead of time and signed him anyway. Have fun reaping what you sow, Big 'D'.
Bye Week for the Hogs
Still basking in the afterglow of Leigh Tiffin's kicking meltdown, the Razorbacks enjoy a much needed bye this weekend. A 24-23 double overtime win over Alabama has Arkansas at 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the SEC for the first time since 1998. Call it luck if you want, but it doesn't change the fact that Arkansas is now on course for a really good season.
There are concerns about this year's team, for sure, but none are overwhelming: Highly touted freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain needs to be way better than his three interception performance against the Tide, but he will be . . . It's just going to take more SEC game experience for him to adjust to the speed of the games.
Tailback Darren McFadden continues his active recovery from a broken left toe. He's not 100% yet, but still leads the SEC in rushing with over 400 yards. As he gets healthier, the offense will undoubtedly improve its time of possession.
Defensively, it'd be nice to see all three units on the same page. Week in, week out, it seems like the defensive line, linebacking corps and secondary are improving, but one group still finds its way to a struggle. Last week it was the secondary (outside of Randy Kelly) and that was against a lackluster passing attack in Alabama. It would be nice to see the defense play with more cohesion against Auburn.
A bye week give the Hogs a great chance to rest up and get well. Auburn looms a week from Saturday and we'll have to wait until then to see just how much better Arkansas has gotten.
Cardinals Gunning for Historic Collapse
No team in baseball history has ever blown a lead of seven games or more with less than two weeks to go in the season. This year's Saint Louis Cardinals may be the first to do just that.
Up by 8 1/2 games over Houston with 12 left to play, the Cardinals' lead had shrunk to a whole 1 1/2 games by this morning. Surely, Albert Pujols' game-winning eighth-inning home run versus the Padres last night was a shot in the arm, but the fact remains that the Cardinals have been fading for the past two months. Whether or not they make the playoffs doesn't change the fact that this year's team is poorly constructed. Mark Mulder's terrible season has exposed Chris Carpenter as the only arm you count on in the starting rotation, and even Carpenter's been unreliable of late. Jason Isringhausen is hurt and likely done for the balance of the year, leaving the bullpen in shambles. And Albert Pujols has next to no help in the Cards' lineup. Chris Duncan is a promising young hitter, but Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds are battling injuries on the wrong side of the age slope.
Clearly, GM Walt Jockety needs to retool his club after the season, or at least change his approach to free agency. We'll know by the end of this weekend whether or not it's a playoff team he's overhauling. My guess is it won't be. The Astros are coming on like a torpedo and I think they'll win out.
Fasten your seat belts, Redbird fans, this weekend's action will have you gnawing your fingernails right till the final out on Sunday.
-JAB
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Razorbacks Aim to Turn Tide Against 'Bama
In a span of just two weeks, the Arkansas Razorbacks have gone from a team with a stagnant offense to that of an improving, potent unit. Unfortunately, the club's defense has made an opposite transition, going from solid and energetic to slow and porous. It truly is amazing how much change and evolution this year's Arkansas football team has gone through in just three games. Let's not forget, even with all of the shuffling within the depth charts, the Razorbacks are still 2-1, regardless of what the Houston Nutt naysayers are hollering.
This weekend brings a challenge and a rival to Fayetteville when the Hogs host Alabama. The Crimson Tide were 10-2 a year ago for Mike Shula, winning the Cotton Bowl against Texas Tech. Of course, that was a a Tide team lead by NFLers Brodie Croyle and Demeco Ryans. Thus far though, Alabama has adjusted nicely to the lost of some key players, even with just 14 starters returning: at 3-0 overall, 1-0 in the conference, a lot of folks still like the Tide to be the surprise of the SEC this year.
I'm not buying it. Alabama hasn't really played anybody yet, with victories over the likes of Hawaii (25-17 at home), Vanderbilt (13-10 at home) and hapless Louisiana-Monroe. Senior running back Kenneth Darby is off to a slow start, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Sophomore QB John Parker Wilson has been steady, if unspectacular, but he's no Croyle. And the defense, the heart and soul of last year's Tide team, is vulnerable up the middle. Alabama will make a bowl game this year, for sure, but in my mind there's no way Shula matches last year's win total.
Arkansas should win this game at home. A five game losing streak in Fayetteville came to an end against Utah State, albeit in rather unspectacular fashion. But that doesn't cancel the fact that Arkansas hasn't beaten a good team at Razorback Stadium in over a year. For that to change, the Razorbacks need to use last week's offensive recipe against Vandy as a base. Give Darren McFadden 20 carries, give Felix Jones 10, give Michael Smith 5, and add the passing ingredients from there. Mitch Mustain is getting better in front of our eyes, folks, and make no mistake with a solid ground attack in place behind him, the Golden Child of Springdale is already a forced to be reckoned with when it comes to vertical passing. Expect Mustain to look deep for Marcus Monk, Damian Williams and London Crawford early against the Tide.
If Arkansas can continue to find balance offensively, it's going to be up to the defense to seal the deal on Saturday. After a strong start to the season, the front four of Keith Jackson, Marcus Harrison, Jamaal Anderson and Antowain Robinson has failed to generate much pressure on opposing backfields during the past two weeks. You couple that with a depleted linebacking corps that's already at a lack for speed, and it's no mystery as to why the Razorback defense is struggling so much against the run and in creating turnovers. (A startling stat: as of this weekend, Arkansas is the only Division I defense in the country without a turnover in its favor.) To counter the lack of speed, Houston Nutt and defensive coordinator Reggie Herring need to agree on some sort of a rhythmic blitzing scheme for this weekend. If Arkansas continues to sit back on 'D' and not send a defensive back every now and then to plug some holes up front, Darby will have a huge game for Alabama and the Razorbacks' run of poor performances at Razorback Stadium will continue with a loss against a rival.
-JAB
This weekend brings a challenge and a rival to Fayetteville when the Hogs host Alabama. The Crimson Tide were 10-2 a year ago for Mike Shula, winning the Cotton Bowl against Texas Tech. Of course, that was a a Tide team lead by NFLers Brodie Croyle and Demeco Ryans. Thus far though, Alabama has adjusted nicely to the lost of some key players, even with just 14 starters returning: at 3-0 overall, 1-0 in the conference, a lot of folks still like the Tide to be the surprise of the SEC this year.
I'm not buying it. Alabama hasn't really played anybody yet, with victories over the likes of Hawaii (25-17 at home), Vanderbilt (13-10 at home) and hapless Louisiana-Monroe. Senior running back Kenneth Darby is off to a slow start, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Sophomore QB John Parker Wilson has been steady, if unspectacular, but he's no Croyle. And the defense, the heart and soul of last year's Tide team, is vulnerable up the middle. Alabama will make a bowl game this year, for sure, but in my mind there's no way Shula matches last year's win total.
Arkansas should win this game at home. A five game losing streak in Fayetteville came to an end against Utah State, albeit in rather unspectacular fashion. But that doesn't cancel the fact that Arkansas hasn't beaten a good team at Razorback Stadium in over a year. For that to change, the Razorbacks need to use last week's offensive recipe against Vandy as a base. Give Darren McFadden 20 carries, give Felix Jones 10, give Michael Smith 5, and add the passing ingredients from there. Mitch Mustain is getting better in front of our eyes, folks, and make no mistake with a solid ground attack in place behind him, the Golden Child of Springdale is already a forced to be reckoned with when it comes to vertical passing. Expect Mustain to look deep for Marcus Monk, Damian Williams and London Crawford early against the Tide.
If Arkansas can continue to find balance offensively, it's going to be up to the defense to seal the deal on Saturday. After a strong start to the season, the front four of Keith Jackson, Marcus Harrison, Jamaal Anderson and Antowain Robinson has failed to generate much pressure on opposing backfields during the past two weeks. You couple that with a depleted linebacking corps that's already at a lack for speed, and it's no mystery as to why the Razorback defense is struggling so much against the run and in creating turnovers. (A startling stat: as of this weekend, Arkansas is the only Division I defense in the country without a turnover in its favor.) To counter the lack of speed, Houston Nutt and defensive coordinator Reggie Herring need to agree on some sort of a rhythmic blitzing scheme for this weekend. If Arkansas continues to sit back on 'D' and not send a defensive back every now and then to plug some holes up front, Darby will have a huge game for Alabama and the Razorbacks' run of poor performances at Razorback Stadium will continue with a loss against a rival.
-JAB
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
2006 NFL Predictions, Part Two: The NFC
National Football Conference
NFC East
y-Philadelphia Eagles 12-4
x-Washington Redskins 10-6
New York Giants 9-7
Dallas Cowboys 8-8
NFC North
y-Chicago Bears 10-6
Minnesota Vikings 7-9
Green Bay Packers 5-11
Detroit Lions 4-12
NFC South
y-Carolina Panthers 11-5
x-Atlanta Falcons 10-6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-9
New Orleans Saints 5-11
NFC West
y-Seattle Seahawks 12-4
Arizona Cardinals 7-9
Saint Louis Rams 5-11
San Francisco 49ers 3-13
z=best league record
y=division champ
x=playoff berth
NFC Championship: Carolina over Philadelphia
Super Bowl: Indianapolis over Carolina
League and Super Bowl MVP: Peyton Manning
Best NFC Offensive Player: Steve Smith, Panthers
Best NFC Defensive Player: Brian Urlacher, Bears
Best NFC Offensive Rookie: Vernon Davis, 49ers
Best NFC Defensive Rookie: Broderick Bunkley, Eagles
Best NFC Head Coach: Andy Reid, Eagles
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NFC East Notes: Philadelphia finally rids itself of the cancer that is Terrell Owens . . . The Eagles then fill that void by trading for Dante Stallworth in a savvy move . . . If Donovan McNabb can find his old form, and tailback Bryan Westbrook can find a way to stay healthy, the Eagles’ offense should be good . . . The defense was already strong and added free agent Darren Howard and draft pick Broderick Bunkley to the front four . . . Andy Reid is headed back to the playoffs.
Washington came on strong at the end of last season and had chances to win at Seattle in the playoffs . . . Joe Gibbs has proven he’s still an elite NFL coach, the question now is whether Mark Brunell can still do the job at quarterback . . . If he gets hurt, it’s former first round pick Jason Campbell to the rescue . . . With elite talents Clinton Portis and Santana Moss, and now TJ Duckett and Antwan Randle-El in the mix, it’s hard to imagine the Skins struggling to score points . . . The defense is already tough . . . If healthy, Washington will be a very tough out in the playoffs again.
New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin has himself a lot of expectations in the Big Apple this year . . . Free agents Lavar Arrington and Sam Madison bolster an already talented defensive unit . . . Offensively, it all boils down to Eli Manning . . . We’ll find out a lot about Eli this year: either he’s the real deal and an elite franchise quarterback or just an overrated sibling . . . He’s shown flashes of both ends of the spectrum . . . For Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress to score points, Eli needs to be a field general . . . New York will be good, but maybe not good enough to make the playoffs in the most brutal division in football.
Same goes for Dallas . . . The Cowboys have an up and coming defense and a veteran coach in the Tuna, but offensively, it looks like the same old story with Drew Bledsoe . . . He hasn’t taken a team to the playoffs in a decade, and even with a strong backfield in Julius Jones and Marion Barber, along with a number of receiving weapons---Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Jason Witten---I don’t see it changing . . . Owens will be completely in the Bill Parcells' doghouse by Week 5 . . . Bottom line: Dallas needs to find a new quarterback, and maybe a new coach after what will be a competitive, but disappointing season for Big ‘D’ in '06.
NFC North Notes: Chicago repeats as champion in maybe the worst division in football . . . The Bears' defense is outstanding, anchored by all-world middle linebacker Brian Urlacher . . . Head coach Lovie Smith did a phenomenal job getting as much as he did out of a non-existent offense last year . . . This time around, it should be better, that is, if Rex Grossman can stay on the field . . . If veteran Muhsin Muhammad and youngster Cedric Benson are able to make maximum contributions, the schedule is reasonable enough that the Bears win ten again without trouble.
Minnesota was a hot sleeper pick by the so-called experts after a strong offseason . . . But then, the Vikes hit some hard times: #1 draft pick Chad Greenway, a much needed outside linebacker, tore his knee in camp and is done for the year . . . More troubling was the DUI arrest and subsequent release of top wideout Koren Robinson . . . He was Minnesota’s best big play threat last year . . . With the addition of free agent guard Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota’s lines look great on both sides of the ball . . . But Brad Johnson as the only quarterback? And Chester Taylor as the featured running back? First year coach Brad Childress has his work cut out for him.
It gets worse from there in the North . . . Green Bay added Charles Woodson and AJ Hawk, but the front seven is still suspect . . . And the offense lacks any real big play threats now that Javon Walker is in Denver and Ahman Green is older and slower . . . This will not be a pretty last year for Brett Favre in Cheesehead country . . . Aaron Rodgers, anyone?
The Detroit Lions are a terribly run organization and it stems from the top, where team president Matt Millen somehow still has a job . . . Atrocious drafting has left the cupboard bare at many positions, particularly on the defensive side of the ball . . . New coach Rod Marinelli is expected to resurrect the team with Jon Kitna at quarterback . . . He's a genius if he can get it done . . . Hey, at least it’s not Joey Harrington under center anymore.
NFC South Notes: This should be the year Carolina returns to the Super Bowl . . . John Fox has all the pieces on defense, led by the mighty Julius Peppers, while offensively the team has filled some slots nicely . . . Keyshawn Johnson will alleviate the double team pressure on Steve Smith by giving Jake Delhomme a legitimate second option . . . And Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams was a steal at the end of the first round . . . He could be starting in place of DeShaun Foster halfway through the year . . . If they get hot late---and the schedule shows it very well may happen---watch out for the Panthers in January.
Atlanta is a weird team . . . The Falcons’ unprototypical quarterback is a big reason for that... When he’s on his game, Michael Vick is the most unstoppable weapon in the league . . . When he’s off and missing receivers, you wonder why he’s even playing QB in the first place---he actually looks that out of position of times . . . Regardless, Vick says this is the year when his team finally puts it all together . . . If that’s the case, Warrick Dunn and Ashley Lelie better have monster years offensively and Jim Mora, Jr., needs to coach his guts out . . . Former Jet DE John Abraham was a key pick-up on defense; he should greatly enhance the Falcons' pass rush . . . But a deep playoff run still doesn’t strike me as all that likely for this team.
Tampa Bay overachieved for Jon Gruden last year, largely thanks to the play of rookie horse Cadillac Williams in the backfield . . . The Cadillac should have another strong year, but Chris Simms is far from a proven commodity under center . . . With the lefty Simms at quarterback, the offense may struggle to score touchdowns, but Derrick Brooks and the defense are still strong and will keep the Bucs in most games . . . They’ll be close to .500.
New Orleans will be the most exciting last place team in the league this year. Reggie Bush is the big reason why: he is the most electric tailback I’ve seen since Barry Sanders . . . Free agent pick-up Drew Brees is going to have to earn his big bucks with a limited receiving corps beyond Joe Horn . . . I wonder whether the Saints’ line can even keep Brees healthy . . . The defense still needs a lot of work, but new head coach Shaun Payton will help generate some long-needed optimism for the future of professional football in Louisiana.
NFC West Notes: History says the team that loses the previous year’s Super Bowl rarely makes it back to the playoffs . . . History will change with this year’s Seahawks. . . Sure they lost All-Pro Steve Hutchinson on the 'O' line, and there’s no way Alexander repeats last year’s 28 TD performance, but this club is still real good . . . Matt Hasselbeck is the best quarterback nobody talks about, while the defense added stud linebacker Julian Petersen . . . The late season schedule is pretty soft as well . . . Can Mike Holmgren win it all one year after getting jobbed by the officials in the Super Bowl? Maybe.
Arizona is a hot sleeper pick as well, but probably a year too early . . . The defense is average, but Dennis Green has great offensive weapons in place with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin at the wideouts and now Edgerrin James in the backfield . . . Still, the offensive line is a little suspect and Kurt Warner likely won’t stay healthy for long . . . Matt Leinart better get his chin strip on real quick . . . It’ll be a trial by fire for the Cards’ rookie QB out of USC before long . . .
Saint Louis is in a transitional period after finally ridding itself of the egomaniacal Mike Martz . . . Scott Linehan replaces him as coach, and inherits talented offensive players in Torry Holt, Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger . . . But the defense reeks of ineptitude . . . It's very hard to envision Saint Louis being cohesive either side of the ball given its current corps . . . Give Linehan some time to create the team in his mold.
Time continues to wane on in San Francisco . . . Mike Nolan’s team did add a great weapon in tight end Vernon Davis out of Maryland, but he’s really the only big target QB Alex Smith has . . . Frank Gore will be counted on for the bulk of carries out of the backfield, but he has durability questions himself . . . The 49ers are still wallowing in the darkest period in franchise history . . . It's not going to end just yet.
-JAB
NFC East
y-Philadelphia Eagles 12-4
x-Washington Redskins 10-6
New York Giants 9-7
Dallas Cowboys 8-8
NFC North
y-Chicago Bears 10-6
Minnesota Vikings 7-9
Green Bay Packers 5-11
Detroit Lions 4-12
NFC South
y-Carolina Panthers 11-5
x-Atlanta Falcons 10-6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-9
New Orleans Saints 5-11
NFC West
y-Seattle Seahawks 12-4
Arizona Cardinals 7-9
Saint Louis Rams 5-11
San Francisco 49ers 3-13
z=best league record
y=division champ
x=playoff berth
NFC Championship: Carolina over Philadelphia
Super Bowl: Indianapolis over Carolina
League and Super Bowl MVP: Peyton Manning
Best NFC Offensive Player: Steve Smith, Panthers
Best NFC Defensive Player: Brian Urlacher, Bears
Best NFC Offensive Rookie: Vernon Davis, 49ers
Best NFC Defensive Rookie: Broderick Bunkley, Eagles
Best NFC Head Coach: Andy Reid, Eagles
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NFC East Notes: Philadelphia finally rids itself of the cancer that is Terrell Owens . . . The Eagles then fill that void by trading for Dante Stallworth in a savvy move . . . If Donovan McNabb can find his old form, and tailback Bryan Westbrook can find a way to stay healthy, the Eagles’ offense should be good . . . The defense was already strong and added free agent Darren Howard and draft pick Broderick Bunkley to the front four . . . Andy Reid is headed back to the playoffs.
Washington came on strong at the end of last season and had chances to win at Seattle in the playoffs . . . Joe Gibbs has proven he’s still an elite NFL coach, the question now is whether Mark Brunell can still do the job at quarterback . . . If he gets hurt, it’s former first round pick Jason Campbell to the rescue . . . With elite talents Clinton Portis and Santana Moss, and now TJ Duckett and Antwan Randle-El in the mix, it’s hard to imagine the Skins struggling to score points . . . The defense is already tough . . . If healthy, Washington will be a very tough out in the playoffs again.
New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin has himself a lot of expectations in the Big Apple this year . . . Free agents Lavar Arrington and Sam Madison bolster an already talented defensive unit . . . Offensively, it all boils down to Eli Manning . . . We’ll find out a lot about Eli this year: either he’s the real deal and an elite franchise quarterback or just an overrated sibling . . . He’s shown flashes of both ends of the spectrum . . . For Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress to score points, Eli needs to be a field general . . . New York will be good, but maybe not good enough to make the playoffs in the most brutal division in football.
Same goes for Dallas . . . The Cowboys have an up and coming defense and a veteran coach in the Tuna, but offensively, it looks like the same old story with Drew Bledsoe . . . He hasn’t taken a team to the playoffs in a decade, and even with a strong backfield in Julius Jones and Marion Barber, along with a number of receiving weapons---Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Jason Witten---I don’t see it changing . . . Owens will be completely in the Bill Parcells' doghouse by Week 5 . . . Bottom line: Dallas needs to find a new quarterback, and maybe a new coach after what will be a competitive, but disappointing season for Big ‘D’ in '06.
NFC North Notes: Chicago repeats as champion in maybe the worst division in football . . . The Bears' defense is outstanding, anchored by all-world middle linebacker Brian Urlacher . . . Head coach Lovie Smith did a phenomenal job getting as much as he did out of a non-existent offense last year . . . This time around, it should be better, that is, if Rex Grossman can stay on the field . . . If veteran Muhsin Muhammad and youngster Cedric Benson are able to make maximum contributions, the schedule is reasonable enough that the Bears win ten again without trouble.
Minnesota was a hot sleeper pick by the so-called experts after a strong offseason . . . But then, the Vikes hit some hard times: #1 draft pick Chad Greenway, a much needed outside linebacker, tore his knee in camp and is done for the year . . . More troubling was the DUI arrest and subsequent release of top wideout Koren Robinson . . . He was Minnesota’s best big play threat last year . . . With the addition of free agent guard Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota’s lines look great on both sides of the ball . . . But Brad Johnson as the only quarterback? And Chester Taylor as the featured running back? First year coach Brad Childress has his work cut out for him.
It gets worse from there in the North . . . Green Bay added Charles Woodson and AJ Hawk, but the front seven is still suspect . . . And the offense lacks any real big play threats now that Javon Walker is in Denver and Ahman Green is older and slower . . . This will not be a pretty last year for Brett Favre in Cheesehead country . . . Aaron Rodgers, anyone?
The Detroit Lions are a terribly run organization and it stems from the top, where team president Matt Millen somehow still has a job . . . Atrocious drafting has left the cupboard bare at many positions, particularly on the defensive side of the ball . . . New coach Rod Marinelli is expected to resurrect the team with Jon Kitna at quarterback . . . He's a genius if he can get it done . . . Hey, at least it’s not Joey Harrington under center anymore.
NFC South Notes: This should be the year Carolina returns to the Super Bowl . . . John Fox has all the pieces on defense, led by the mighty Julius Peppers, while offensively the team has filled some slots nicely . . . Keyshawn Johnson will alleviate the double team pressure on Steve Smith by giving Jake Delhomme a legitimate second option . . . And Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams was a steal at the end of the first round . . . He could be starting in place of DeShaun Foster halfway through the year . . . If they get hot late---and the schedule shows it very well may happen---watch out for the Panthers in January.
Atlanta is a weird team . . . The Falcons’ unprototypical quarterback is a big reason for that... When he’s on his game, Michael Vick is the most unstoppable weapon in the league . . . When he’s off and missing receivers, you wonder why he’s even playing QB in the first place---he actually looks that out of position of times . . . Regardless, Vick says this is the year when his team finally puts it all together . . . If that’s the case, Warrick Dunn and Ashley Lelie better have monster years offensively and Jim Mora, Jr., needs to coach his guts out . . . Former Jet DE John Abraham was a key pick-up on defense; he should greatly enhance the Falcons' pass rush . . . But a deep playoff run still doesn’t strike me as all that likely for this team.
Tampa Bay overachieved for Jon Gruden last year, largely thanks to the play of rookie horse Cadillac Williams in the backfield . . . The Cadillac should have another strong year, but Chris Simms is far from a proven commodity under center . . . With the lefty Simms at quarterback, the offense may struggle to score touchdowns, but Derrick Brooks and the defense are still strong and will keep the Bucs in most games . . . They’ll be close to .500.
New Orleans will be the most exciting last place team in the league this year. Reggie Bush is the big reason why: he is the most electric tailback I’ve seen since Barry Sanders . . . Free agent pick-up Drew Brees is going to have to earn his big bucks with a limited receiving corps beyond Joe Horn . . . I wonder whether the Saints’ line can even keep Brees healthy . . . The defense still needs a lot of work, but new head coach Shaun Payton will help generate some long-needed optimism for the future of professional football in Louisiana.
NFC West Notes: History says the team that loses the previous year’s Super Bowl rarely makes it back to the playoffs . . . History will change with this year’s Seahawks. . . Sure they lost All-Pro Steve Hutchinson on the 'O' line, and there’s no way Alexander repeats last year’s 28 TD performance, but this club is still real good . . . Matt Hasselbeck is the best quarterback nobody talks about, while the defense added stud linebacker Julian Petersen . . . The late season schedule is pretty soft as well . . . Can Mike Holmgren win it all one year after getting jobbed by the officials in the Super Bowl? Maybe.
Arizona is a hot sleeper pick as well, but probably a year too early . . . The defense is average, but Dennis Green has great offensive weapons in place with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin at the wideouts and now Edgerrin James in the backfield . . . Still, the offensive line is a little suspect and Kurt Warner likely won’t stay healthy for long . . . Matt Leinart better get his chin strip on real quick . . . It’ll be a trial by fire for the Cards’ rookie QB out of USC before long . . .
Saint Louis is in a transitional period after finally ridding itself of the egomaniacal Mike Martz . . . Scott Linehan replaces him as coach, and inherits talented offensive players in Torry Holt, Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger . . . But the defense reeks of ineptitude . . . It's very hard to envision Saint Louis being cohesive either side of the ball given its current corps . . . Give Linehan some time to create the team in his mold.
Time continues to wane on in San Francisco . . . Mike Nolan’s team did add a great weapon in tight end Vernon Davis out of Maryland, but he’s really the only big target QB Alex Smith has . . . Frank Gore will be counted on for the bulk of carries out of the backfield, but he has durability questions himself . . . The 49ers are still wallowing in the darkest period in franchise history . . . It's not going to end just yet.
-JAB
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
2006 NFL Predictions, Part One: The AFC
American Football Conference
AFC East
y-New England Patriots 12-4
New York Jets 7-9
Miami Dolphins 6-10
Buffalo Bills 5-11
AFC North
y-Pittsburgh Steelers 11-5
x-Cincinnati Bengals 10-6
Baltimore Ravens 8-8
Cleveland Browns 6-10
AFC South
z-Indianapolis Colts 13-3
Jacksonville Jaguars 9-7
Tennessee Titans 5-11
Houston Texans 2-14
AFC West
y-Denver Broncos 11-5
x-San Diego Chargers 10-6
Kansas City Chiefs 9-7
Oakland Raiders 6-10
z=best league record
y=division champ
x=playoff berth
AFC Championship: Indianapolis over New England
Super Bowl: Indianapolis over Carolina
League and Super Bowl MVP: Peyton Manning
Best AFC Offensive Player: LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers
Best AFC Defensive Player: Dwight Freeney, Colts
Best AFC Offensive Rookie: Joseph Addai, Colts
Best AFC Defensive Rookie: Haloti Ngata, Ravens
Best AFC Head Coach: Bill Belichik, Patriots
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AFC East Notes: New England loses David Givens, Deion Branch, Willie McGinest, Eric Mangini, and perhaps most importantly, Adam Vinatieri . . . But Bill Belichik and Tom Brady are the best in the league at what they do, which is win football games . . . First round pick Laurence Maroney will help Corey Dillon greatly at the tailback position . . . The schedule is kind of soft as well, with games against the NFC North out of conference . . . These Pats will undoubtedly roll through an easy division with their balance on both sides of the ball . . . In all honesty, the rest of the AFC East stinks this year . . . Yet if this team is going to be a legitimate Super Bowl threat, some of the unknown wide receivers will need to step up quickly.
The New York Jets ended the Herm Edwards’ era after last year’s 4-12 disaster and start over with Eric Mangini, a Belichik protege . . . There are no big play offensive threats on this team for quarterback Chad Pennington, and now RB Curtis Martin’s Hall of Fame career is likely over . . . The offensive line will be better, but Gang Green starts two rookies up front in D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold . . . Can Pennington stay healthy for a full year? He hasn’t done it yet . . . Stud rusher John Abraham is gone on the 'D' side, which hurts the team's transition to the 3-4 alignment . . . Eric Mangini will make this team more competitive right away, but how much so remains to be seen . . . The Jets are rebuilding.
Miami figures to be improved via the ground game with Ronnie Brown’s added experience and the departure of the disinterested Ricky Williams . . . Is Dante Culpepper an upper echelon quarterback? Nick Saban thinks so, we’ll find out . . . I can’t shake the visions of Culpepper’s turnover plagued start without Randy Moss for Minnesota last year . . . Miami’s defense loses Sam Madison but still has immense talents in Jason Taylor and Zack Thomas . . . Bottom line: I am not a big believer in Dante.
Buffalo could be really bad . . . New head coach Dick Jauron really doesn’t have much to work with . . . JP Losman as your quarterback? Gimme a break . . . That was a questionable pick two years ago and it smells worse now . . . RB Willis McGahee is decent, but can the line open up some holes for him please? . . . LB Takeo Spikes coming back helps the defense immeasurably . . . #7 overall pick Donte Whitner has a lot of work to do to justify his high selection slot on draft day . . . Sometimes, the fans tell you everything: the overall vibe from Upstate New York is that this team will be brutal again.
AFC North Notes: Pittsburgh tries to repeat as champion without Jerome Bettis or Antwan Randle-El . . . No Big Ben for the first game or two either as he recovers from an appendectomy (unrelated to his near-fatal motorcycle accident in June) . . . But you have to figure Roethlisberger will be tough as always when he returns . . . Running back Willie Parker should make additional strides and stud receiver Hines Ward is a horse for this team . . . The ‘D’ will be very good again as well, with elite safety Troy Polamalu’s flappy hair leading the way . . . Bill Cowher is a great coach and the schedule is favorable late . . . The Steelers have a real shot at a repeat.
Cincinnati hinges almost entirely on the strength Carson Palmer’s left knee . . . Can he really be fully healthy just seven months after an ACL tear? It’s unprecedented in sports history . . . If not, it’s Anthony Wright to the rescue . . . Yuck . . . But if Palmer can get it done, the offense will be ferocious again with Chad Johnson, TJ Houshmanzadeh and Rudi Johnson leading the way... The emerging best trio of linebackers in the league---Odell Thurman, Brian Simmons, David Pollack---should make Marvin Lewis’ defense tough again as well . . . The schedule is rough, but the Bengals have the swagger to get back to the playoffs.
Baltimore gets a little more stability at QB with Steve McNair, but he’s more than getting up there in years . . . How long will he stay healthy? Probably not long, and then it falls on the up-and-down Kyle Boller . . . Will Jamaal Lewis be better? He can’t possibly be worse than he was last year . . . The defense is still strong and scary with Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Chris McAlister . . . First round pick Haloti Ngata helps at the nose tackle as well, but it’s going to take a lot of pixie dust for Brian Billick to conjure up 2000’s since-dormant magic.
Cleveland will be competitive again under Romeo Crennel . . . He clearly knows how to motivate, but is Charlie Frye an NFL quarterback? I’m not sure anyone can honestly answer that question just yet . . . Braylon Edwards looked great late last year before tearing his ACL: can he still be a gamebreaker so soon after the injury? The defense gains the ageless Willie McGinest but needs more pieces . . . The Browns just aren’t there yet.
AFC South Notes: Indianapolis should have won it all last year, but folded up in its first playoff game against the Steelers . . . Clearly, the extended undefeated string to start the year meant nothing: it’s all about getting hot late in the season like the Steelers . . . This year the Colts have an average-looking strength of schedule . . . The big loss in free agency was obviously Edgerrin James, but to me, that’s not a huge hole . . . James is great, for sure, but he’s getting up there in mileage . . . LSU RB Joseph Addai was a steal at the end of the first round . . . I believe he and Dominic Rhodes can carry the load left by the departed Edge . . . And really, with the Colts, doesn’t it always boil down to Peyton Manning? He still has tremendous wide receiver targets in Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley . . . Meanwhile Dwight Freeney, Corey Simon and a great secondary are the heart of a solid and improving ‘D’ for Tony Dungy . . . If Peyton doesn’t break through and win it all this year, I just don’t think it’s ever going to happen for him.
Jacksonville won a lot of close games last year, so logically that should flip on them this year . . . Make no doubt, this team is young and talented in a number of key spots, but nobody survives week in, week out tight games for long . . . Can the RBs---Fred Taylor in particular---stay healthy? Based on the past, probably not . . . Can Matt Jones be a number one wideout with the retirement of Jimmy Smith? We will see . . . Byron Leftwich is a warrior and the defense will be good, but a playoff spot may be just out of reach this time around for Jack Del Rio’s crew.
Tennessee is at least a year away, but the fun in Titans land will be watching how Texas QB Vince Young adapts to the NFL . . . Head coach Jeff Fisher says he plans to play Young at least a little in every game . . . Drew Bennett and Tyrone Calico are a good tandem at wide receiver, but will they mesh with veteran QBs Kerry Collins or Billy Volek at all? The running game---with Chris Brown and Travis Henry---could be a pleasant surprise . . . The defense has speedy young talents in LB Keith Bulluck and CB Pac-Man Jones . . . But putting it all together for a winning season is nowhere near in the cards . . . Jeff Fisher’s run could be nearing an end.
Houston is just horrible . . . The 'O' line still stinks, David Carr has next to nothing to work with, and now they’ve lost versatile RB Domanick Davis for the year with a knee injury . . . Hmmm, Houston sure could use a running back right about now . . . Like Reggie Bush . . . Wouldn’t the Texans love the chance to draft him? Oh that’s right, they had it and they passed . . . Not that Mario Williams won’t be a good DE in time, but I feel no sympathy for this inept franchise whatsoever . . . That booing sound you hear is the Texans’ crowd directing its venom towards owner Bob McNair at every home game this year.
AFC West Notes: Mike Shanahan and the Broncos had a great season last year . . . QB Jake Plummer finally took care of the football, the defense was outstanding and the Broncos cruised to the AFC title game with home field advantage . . . A year later, question marks arise around Mike Bell as the starting tailback and Javon Walker, the big offseason addition at wide receiver . . . Walker’s coming off a bad knee injury while Bell has no NFL experience and wasn’t even highly touted at the draft, falling to the sixth round . . . Denver will be good again, but a slight step back from last year is to be expected . . . Just wait till rookie quarterback Jay Cutler gets a chance to play, Bronco fans . . . The future looks exciting in the Mile High city.
San Diego just has to be better . . . The Chargers were one of the most frustrating teams in the league last year, losing a lot of close games early and never recovering . . . RB LaDainian Tomlinson and TE Antonio Gates are monsters, but QB Drew Brees is gone . . . We’ll finally find out if Philip Rivers is the real deal, and I think he is, even without a bevy of good wideouts . . . The defense’s 3-4 scheme is heaped in talent in the front seven with the likes of Shawn Merriman, Jamaal Williams and Luis Castillo . . . If Marty Schottenheimer doesn’t get the Bolts back to the playoffs this year, he’ll be shown the door.
Kansas City will struggle in Herm Edwards’s first year . . . Expect 1,500 yards from Larry Johnson, but the rest of the Chiefs’ offense is only getting older . . . Hall of Fame Tackle Willie Roaf retired . . . And the rest of the vets: Trent Green? Eddie Kennison? Tony Gonzalez? These guys are clearly on the wrong side of the slope . . . With Herm in place of Dick Vermeil, Kansas City will be better defensively for sure, but playoff bound, I think not.
Oakland brings back former coach Art Shell, which once again shows you that Al Davis is senile and has no idea what he’s doing . . . The Raiders really haven’t been relevant in three years and I don’t see that changing this season . . . Aaron Brooks is a slight improvement over Kerry Collins, but can he help Randy Moss be freaknasty again? Consistency will be the key for Lamont Jordan and the rest of an offense coming off a disappointing year . . . The defense still isn’t very good and they lost CB Charles Woodson to the Packers . . . Silver and Black in last again.
-JAB
(Tomorrow, "Part Two: The NFC")
AFC East
y-New England Patriots 12-4
New York Jets 7-9
Miami Dolphins 6-10
Buffalo Bills 5-11
AFC North
y-Pittsburgh Steelers 11-5
x-Cincinnati Bengals 10-6
Baltimore Ravens 8-8
Cleveland Browns 6-10
AFC South
z-Indianapolis Colts 13-3
Jacksonville Jaguars 9-7
Tennessee Titans 5-11
Houston Texans 2-14
AFC West
y-Denver Broncos 11-5
x-San Diego Chargers 10-6
Kansas City Chiefs 9-7
Oakland Raiders 6-10
z=best league record
y=division champ
x=playoff berth
AFC Championship: Indianapolis over New England
Super Bowl: Indianapolis over Carolina
League and Super Bowl MVP: Peyton Manning
Best AFC Offensive Player: LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers
Best AFC Defensive Player: Dwight Freeney, Colts
Best AFC Offensive Rookie: Joseph Addai, Colts
Best AFC Defensive Rookie: Haloti Ngata, Ravens
Best AFC Head Coach: Bill Belichik, Patriots
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AFC East Notes: New England loses David Givens, Deion Branch, Willie McGinest, Eric Mangini, and perhaps most importantly, Adam Vinatieri . . . But Bill Belichik and Tom Brady are the best in the league at what they do, which is win football games . . . First round pick Laurence Maroney will help Corey Dillon greatly at the tailback position . . . The schedule is kind of soft as well, with games against the NFC North out of conference . . . These Pats will undoubtedly roll through an easy division with their balance on both sides of the ball . . . In all honesty, the rest of the AFC East stinks this year . . . Yet if this team is going to be a legitimate Super Bowl threat, some of the unknown wide receivers will need to step up quickly.
The New York Jets ended the Herm Edwards’ era after last year’s 4-12 disaster and start over with Eric Mangini, a Belichik protege . . . There are no big play offensive threats on this team for quarterback Chad Pennington, and now RB Curtis Martin’s Hall of Fame career is likely over . . . The offensive line will be better, but Gang Green starts two rookies up front in D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold . . . Can Pennington stay healthy for a full year? He hasn’t done it yet . . . Stud rusher John Abraham is gone on the 'D' side, which hurts the team's transition to the 3-4 alignment . . . Eric Mangini will make this team more competitive right away, but how much so remains to be seen . . . The Jets are rebuilding.
Miami figures to be improved via the ground game with Ronnie Brown’s added experience and the departure of the disinterested Ricky Williams . . . Is Dante Culpepper an upper echelon quarterback? Nick Saban thinks so, we’ll find out . . . I can’t shake the visions of Culpepper’s turnover plagued start without Randy Moss for Minnesota last year . . . Miami’s defense loses Sam Madison but still has immense talents in Jason Taylor and Zack Thomas . . . Bottom line: I am not a big believer in Dante.
Buffalo could be really bad . . . New head coach Dick Jauron really doesn’t have much to work with . . . JP Losman as your quarterback? Gimme a break . . . That was a questionable pick two years ago and it smells worse now . . . RB Willis McGahee is decent, but can the line open up some holes for him please? . . . LB Takeo Spikes coming back helps the defense immeasurably . . . #7 overall pick Donte Whitner has a lot of work to do to justify his high selection slot on draft day . . . Sometimes, the fans tell you everything: the overall vibe from Upstate New York is that this team will be brutal again.
AFC North Notes: Pittsburgh tries to repeat as champion without Jerome Bettis or Antwan Randle-El . . . No Big Ben for the first game or two either as he recovers from an appendectomy (unrelated to his near-fatal motorcycle accident in June) . . . But you have to figure Roethlisberger will be tough as always when he returns . . . Running back Willie Parker should make additional strides and stud receiver Hines Ward is a horse for this team . . . The ‘D’ will be very good again as well, with elite safety Troy Polamalu’s flappy hair leading the way . . . Bill Cowher is a great coach and the schedule is favorable late . . . The Steelers have a real shot at a repeat.
Cincinnati hinges almost entirely on the strength Carson Palmer’s left knee . . . Can he really be fully healthy just seven months after an ACL tear? It’s unprecedented in sports history . . . If not, it’s Anthony Wright to the rescue . . . Yuck . . . But if Palmer can get it done, the offense will be ferocious again with Chad Johnson, TJ Houshmanzadeh and Rudi Johnson leading the way... The emerging best trio of linebackers in the league---Odell Thurman, Brian Simmons, David Pollack---should make Marvin Lewis’ defense tough again as well . . . The schedule is rough, but the Bengals have the swagger to get back to the playoffs.
Baltimore gets a little more stability at QB with Steve McNair, but he’s more than getting up there in years . . . How long will he stay healthy? Probably not long, and then it falls on the up-and-down Kyle Boller . . . Will Jamaal Lewis be better? He can’t possibly be worse than he was last year . . . The defense is still strong and scary with Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Chris McAlister . . . First round pick Haloti Ngata helps at the nose tackle as well, but it’s going to take a lot of pixie dust for Brian Billick to conjure up 2000’s since-dormant magic.
Cleveland will be competitive again under Romeo Crennel . . . He clearly knows how to motivate, but is Charlie Frye an NFL quarterback? I’m not sure anyone can honestly answer that question just yet . . . Braylon Edwards looked great late last year before tearing his ACL: can he still be a gamebreaker so soon after the injury? The defense gains the ageless Willie McGinest but needs more pieces . . . The Browns just aren’t there yet.
AFC South Notes: Indianapolis should have won it all last year, but folded up in its first playoff game against the Steelers . . . Clearly, the extended undefeated string to start the year meant nothing: it’s all about getting hot late in the season like the Steelers . . . This year the Colts have an average-looking strength of schedule . . . The big loss in free agency was obviously Edgerrin James, but to me, that’s not a huge hole . . . James is great, for sure, but he’s getting up there in mileage . . . LSU RB Joseph Addai was a steal at the end of the first round . . . I believe he and Dominic Rhodes can carry the load left by the departed Edge . . . And really, with the Colts, doesn’t it always boil down to Peyton Manning? He still has tremendous wide receiver targets in Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley . . . Meanwhile Dwight Freeney, Corey Simon and a great secondary are the heart of a solid and improving ‘D’ for Tony Dungy . . . If Peyton doesn’t break through and win it all this year, I just don’t think it’s ever going to happen for him.
Jacksonville won a lot of close games last year, so logically that should flip on them this year . . . Make no doubt, this team is young and talented in a number of key spots, but nobody survives week in, week out tight games for long . . . Can the RBs---Fred Taylor in particular---stay healthy? Based on the past, probably not . . . Can Matt Jones be a number one wideout with the retirement of Jimmy Smith? We will see . . . Byron Leftwich is a warrior and the defense will be good, but a playoff spot may be just out of reach this time around for Jack Del Rio’s crew.
Tennessee is at least a year away, but the fun in Titans land will be watching how Texas QB Vince Young adapts to the NFL . . . Head coach Jeff Fisher says he plans to play Young at least a little in every game . . . Drew Bennett and Tyrone Calico are a good tandem at wide receiver, but will they mesh with veteran QBs Kerry Collins or Billy Volek at all? The running game---with Chris Brown and Travis Henry---could be a pleasant surprise . . . The defense has speedy young talents in LB Keith Bulluck and CB Pac-Man Jones . . . But putting it all together for a winning season is nowhere near in the cards . . . Jeff Fisher’s run could be nearing an end.
Houston is just horrible . . . The 'O' line still stinks, David Carr has next to nothing to work with, and now they’ve lost versatile RB Domanick Davis for the year with a knee injury . . . Hmmm, Houston sure could use a running back right about now . . . Like Reggie Bush . . . Wouldn’t the Texans love the chance to draft him? Oh that’s right, they had it and they passed . . . Not that Mario Williams won’t be a good DE in time, but I feel no sympathy for this inept franchise whatsoever . . . That booing sound you hear is the Texans’ crowd directing its venom towards owner Bob McNair at every home game this year.
AFC West Notes: Mike Shanahan and the Broncos had a great season last year . . . QB Jake Plummer finally took care of the football, the defense was outstanding and the Broncos cruised to the AFC title game with home field advantage . . . A year later, question marks arise around Mike Bell as the starting tailback and Javon Walker, the big offseason addition at wide receiver . . . Walker’s coming off a bad knee injury while Bell has no NFL experience and wasn’t even highly touted at the draft, falling to the sixth round . . . Denver will be good again, but a slight step back from last year is to be expected . . . Just wait till rookie quarterback Jay Cutler gets a chance to play, Bronco fans . . . The future looks exciting in the Mile High city.
San Diego just has to be better . . . The Chargers were one of the most frustrating teams in the league last year, losing a lot of close games early and never recovering . . . RB LaDainian Tomlinson and TE Antonio Gates are monsters, but QB Drew Brees is gone . . . We’ll finally find out if Philip Rivers is the real deal, and I think he is, even without a bevy of good wideouts . . . The defense’s 3-4 scheme is heaped in talent in the front seven with the likes of Shawn Merriman, Jamaal Williams and Luis Castillo . . . If Marty Schottenheimer doesn’t get the Bolts back to the playoffs this year, he’ll be shown the door.
Kansas City will struggle in Herm Edwards’s first year . . . Expect 1,500 yards from Larry Johnson, but the rest of the Chiefs’ offense is only getting older . . . Hall of Fame Tackle Willie Roaf retired . . . And the rest of the vets: Trent Green? Eddie Kennison? Tony Gonzalez? These guys are clearly on the wrong side of the slope . . . With Herm in place of Dick Vermeil, Kansas City will be better defensively for sure, but playoff bound, I think not.
Oakland brings back former coach Art Shell, which once again shows you that Al Davis is senile and has no idea what he’s doing . . . The Raiders really haven’t been relevant in three years and I don’t see that changing this season . . . Aaron Brooks is a slight improvement over Kerry Collins, but can he help Randy Moss be freaknasty again? Consistency will be the key for Lamont Jordan and the rest of an offense coming off a disappointing year . . . The defense still isn’t very good and they lost CB Charles Woodson to the Packers . . . Silver and Black in last again.
-JAB
(Tomorrow, "Part Two: The NFC")
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