The NFC is loaded

Can you think of a NFC team that actually is real bad? Carolina? St.Louis? Philadelphia? Detroit?  All four of those teams had bad records last but had good wins over a quality team last year.  All four teams have quarterbacks who were number picks overall and all four teams are going to be difficult to beat this year. Let's go division by division to prove my point.
The NFC north is probably the weakest division in the conference. Most people feel that Green Bay is the best team. Aaron Rodgers had a good season last year, but far below his standards. He still needs a running game to give them balance and their defense needs a great year from Clay Matthews. They have holes on the o-line due injury and their secondary will be tested. They score a lot, but give up a lot too. The Bears have a new coach who is an offensive genius. Marc Freshman know offense. Jay Cutler would be wise to learn from him. The Bears have the balance the Packers wish for but don't have Aaron Rodgers leading them. The Bears will play solid defense, seem to always get an injury that disrupts their  season. Stay healthy Chicago and you may have something. The Minnesota Vikings have Adrian Peterson. He can keep them in games. They have a great defensive line. This team will go as far as Christian Ponder will take them. No Percy Harvin  will kill them too. The Detroit Lions have added Reggie Bush and if he stays healthy, the lions could be the most dangerous in all of football. The have an unstoppable force on offense in Johnson. They have front four that will knock you senseless. They have a quarterback who can throw the pigskin. Don't sleep on Detroit.
The NFC south also has four teams that will be difficult to beat. Atlanta Falcons last year were the team with the best record in the conference. They added OSI on defense and Steven Jackson on offense. The have balance on offense and should be an offensive juggernaut. Their secondary killed them last year. If they can get pressure on the quarterback they may have what it takes to win it all. The New Orleans Saints get their coach back and must really improve on defense. They gave up the most points in NFL history. They still have Drew Brees  and a loaded offense. They truly believe that Rob Ryan can change their defense. If he can, Bree's can do Magic. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have my attention. They will better on defense with the addition of Revis. Josh Freeman last year was great in the fourth quarter. They have great balance on offense. This team will drive everyone crazy this year. The Carolina Panthers have serious talent too. Cam  Newton can be a superstar. They have solid receiver in Smith. Two good backs when healthy. A superstud linebacker in Luke. If they figure it out between the ears, they be in every game they play.
NFC West has sick speed, youthful zest and mad talent. The Niners added championship pieces and are mad that they are no longer unbeaten in Super Bowls. The have speed in the receiving corp. They have a bruiser in the running attack. Great tight end. Great talent in the front seven. The secondary may be the only question. They will have home field and have the quarterback of the future. Will they lose a game? We shall see. The Seattle Sea hawks have everything the Niners have and when Percy Harvin returns, they will have more. The Seahawks are invincible at home. Their defense is fierce and fast. They can control the ball with a punishing rushing attack. They must hold on to the ball. This team is for real. The Arizona Cardinals added Carson Palmer and the physical defense they have could cause problems for all of its opponents. If Palmer throws the ball to his players more than to the other team, the Cardinals could be formidable. Patrick Peterson is must see television. So is Larry Fitzgerald.  The St. Louis Rams might Bethe only bad team in the NFC. Last year they beat the Niners.  They have a plan that bothers the Niners. They lost Stephen Jackson. Sam Bradford has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had a franchise quarterback salary. He needs to deliver some wins. They had a good draft over the past three seasons. Put up or get out of the way..
My favorite division, the NFC east, I could talk about for hours. The Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins, and Giants all are capable of making a title run. The Redskins won the division last year behind rookie sensations Robert Griffin and Alfred Morris. The 'skins had balance and drove everyone crazy with their diversity in play calling. Griffin is coming off a knee injury and the 'skins vow to keep him safe this year. Can their defense keep up with their offense? If they can maybe this new generation of quarterback is ready to take over league. The Cowboys can score with anyone, but the key to this season is Demarco Murray. When he plays, they usually win. Romo needs a running game to take the pressure off of him. The Cowboys have talent on defense but they have always had talent. They should be better than their 8-8 record. Romo got paid. Jason Garrett is on the hot seat. Playoffs or bust. The Eagles are going to try and wear people down with their tempo and speed. The can run it well. They can stretch the field with Jackson. Mike Vick. Always off to a fast start gets hurt and then the interceptions pile up. The eagles will either be the most exciting team to watch or a train wreck. They have too much talent to be so bad. Defense has to get back to being dominant and opportunistic. Chip Kelly get ready for hell or give em hell.. The Giants... No preview about my team. Its a secret as to where I think they will end up. No one ever talks about the Giants. They talk about Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, the Jets, Ravens, Tebow, concussions. So I will keep them under the radar too....
So the NFC will have the following conclusions... Niners, Packers, Falcons, Giants win the divisions. Seattle and Chicago get wild card. Giants and Packers in the championship game. Who do you think wins.
The Super bowl is in my stadium. I am  not a fan of the new style quarterbacks. I saw Peyton Manning throw seven touchdown passes. All of these young guys are one hit away from being out for the season. The Manning bowl will be exciting.

I am tired of..

You know what I am tired of in sports is hyperbole Monday or overreaction Tuesday. I listen to sports radio shows or talking hairdo shows on a daily basis and you would swear that the broadcasters are personally invested in each team and player around the leagues.  This past 10 months in sports we have heard every comment one can make about Tony Romo, Mark Sanchez, Jay Cutler, Albert Pujols, Lebron James,Tim Tebow, just to name a few. I am so tired hear about these men.  I am tired of hearing radio hosts say that they don't buy into the hyperbole Monday or Overreaction syndrome of sports and then they do. Dan Patrick started this kick about Peyton Manning's arm strength is not what it should be.  Manning apparently cannot complete passes over 20 yards and that teams should just jam his receivers and dare the Broncos to beat them deep.  Even though this season Manning is averaging over 280 yards a game passing, something is still wrong with his arm.. Even though last week against the Raiders he was 30-38 for 338 yards something is still wrong with Mannings arm. The two losses against Atlanta and Houston( who are both unbeaten still) Manning played poorly in the first half but rallied his team back to have a chance to win each game and someone says something is still wrong with his arm. 
Then there is Mark Sanchez. Everyone criticized ESPN for all of this extra coverage of the New York Jets. Mark Sanchez is going to need therapy soon if he is not already in therapy.  The Jets have played Pittsburgh, San Fransisco, Miami, and Buffalo.  The first two teams are defensive machines that beat up every quarterback. San Fransisco has wins against Green Bay and Detroit who have two qb's that threw for a combined 9700 yards last year.  The Niners made them look foolish. Sancez is being set up to fail because the most important thing to the Jets is to be "Paper Champions" and get headlines instead of victories.  I can say this because they did nothing to improve their team on either side of the ball.  they brought in no weapons to help Sanchez.  They brought in Tebow to create problems for the team. i am tired of hearing about Tebow and quarterback controversies especially in New York. This is not Denver.  There is a quarterback in the division named Tom Brady who knows how to win games. There is no Carson Palmer, Matt Cassell or Phillip Rivers lurking in this division who all under achieve. The controversy is bad for football because it takes away from the good things that happening around the NFL.  Matt Ryan has been phenomenal.  Arizona is getting a redemptive performance from Kevin Kolb. Rookie quarterbacks are playing at a level that no one has ever seen. Sanchez deserves to be treated with much more respect than he gets.  He has no one to throw too.  Keller is always hurt. Holmes is a overrated diva. He has no running game.  Shon Greene was supposed to inherit the throw and he has disappointed.  I am tired of people blaming the wrong person.  Watch the games and learn something about them before you pinpoint the problems. 
Tony Romo on Monday night was 31-43 which is over 60 percetnt completeion ratio and Joe Theisman and the rest of America blames him for the loss.  Yes he threw 5 picks. How many balls did Dez Bryant drop that would have kept drives alive? I am tired of hearing about Romo did not do this or Romo did not do that.  How about the balls that Austin dropped? Dallas is 2-2 and tied with the Giants and the Redskins.  Mike Vick has 9 turnoversand the Eagles are in first place. The Eagle fans want to get rid of him too. The  Cowboys come back from their bye week with a game against the Ravens.  The Jets play Houston on Monday.   I cant believe that I am defending the Jets and the Cowboys.  I must be really tired..

Romo or Roddick? who gets it worse

I watched the Cowboys defeat the Giants last night with some Cowboy fans and you would not know that the Cowboys were winning.  The one thing I love about having so much useless sports knowledge is that once in a while it becomes useful.  They both were ranting after Romo threw his customary interception that led to the Giants first score.  I quickly told them that Romo over the last 3 starts against the Giants has thrown for over 900 yards, 9 touchdowns, and only 1 interception in those games prior to last night.  He has averaged 30 plus points a game in the losses and has gone toe to toe with Eli Manning.  Yes he threw that horrible pass to Austin that may have led the Cowboys on a run to the Super Bowl and not Eli but,he is not the reason they have failed in recent years.  Maybe this is his year for redemption. They shrugged off the knowledge and continued to complain about his performance.  They even missed his first two touchdown passes afterwards.
Andy Roddick has been killed over the last decade because of the dominance of Federer.  He is Patrick Ewing of the tennis world. Yes he has won one major title. Ewing has a college title.  (could easily had 3 titles). Patrick Ewings nemesis was of course Micheal Jordan. Ewing was criticized quite heavily for not winning when Jordan retired and was criticized for several playoff failures.  Even though no one critcized Ewing's heart or hunger or effort, He just never won.  Andy Roddick played with heart, passion, fire, hunger, but no matter what he did, he could beat Federer when it mattered.  He played the greatest match I have ever seen in Wimbeldon a couple of years ago against Federer.  He did everything anyone imagined that he could do in a match.  He played harder than I have ever seen him play. Both he and Ewing were heavily critcized in the media because of the way they answered the same tired questions about why they could not overcome Jordan or Federer.  3 of Roddicks losses in the finals of grand slams were to Federer. He just came out at the wrong time.  Hell even the day he loses his final match, Roddick is upstaged when Federer loses to Berdych. 
The reason he and Romo are easy to compare is both men come across as men who dont take their professions seriuosly.  Micheal Jordan is an adequate golfer but you knew that basketball was his profession.  He practiced hard. He played hard. You never questioned his desire or motivation on the court.  Yes they tried to when he went to the casino after a playoff game. What they dont tell you is the game after the casino, he scored 37 points. He was still Micheal Jordan.  Romo and Roddick are not known for on the field pursuits.  People talk about who they are dating more than their performance on the field. Roddick has had his fair share of Hollywood starlets. Romo too.  Most people feel that Roddick is more interested in being a showman than a winner.  Even though Roddick has 62 titles.  Only Federer has more in his era.  Even though he has won the second most matches in his era.  He was once the Number 1 player in the world.  He cannot do enough to please anyone.  When lead America to the Davis title, most people thought he was on the verge of something special in his career.  His critics will say that he got satisfied and never did enough to be a great like Agassi or Sampras.  What people don't talk enough about is he tried everything to beat Federer and maintain top status.  He lost weight, served and volleyed, tried to hit his serve harder and softer. Even superman has kryptonite right?  Romo gets the same rips because he has no rings and Eli has two.  Romo is blamed for collapses in the regular season and the fact that Dallas has only one playoff win since he became starter.  Romo has been beaten up in football toughest division for years and no one cares what the excuses are.  He didn't play defensive back last year when they collapsed in the fourth quarter 3 times or messed up the Arizona game when the Cowboys made a field goal and iced their own kicker.  I believe Romo's arm was in a sling at that time.  I remember the botched field goal in Seattle.  He dropped the ball.  Cowboy fans seem to have this doom is impending attitude when he has the ball in his hands.  Last year he and Drew Brees were the only quarterbacks to carve up the vaunted 49er defense.  When the Saints were unbeaten in 2009 he proclaimed that they were going to go to New Orleans and beat the Saints ending their unbeaten season. He did.  He has more games of brilliance than most but he has not won.  Lebron James did not win either till this year. Lebron and Tony Romo were probably in the same boat until this year. 
So who is the correct answer?  Roddick had people in tears when he retired. If Romo retired today most Cowboy fans would rejoice.  The answer clearly is Romo.  No Cowboy fan today is proclaiming the Cowboys are the team to beat.  They are all saying the same thing. They are saying we will see what happens in Seattle. Can you imagine if Tebow had gone to the Cowboys? That would be must see tv.  America will miss Andy Roddick.  He carried our flag well for a decade. He has had a good career.  He did not win like Agassi, Courier or Sampras, but he had the same burdens that they had.  The only difference is that they had each other to lean on.  Roddick had no one.  Romo is quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys who had Troy Aikman and the large shadow of Roger Staubach looming over his every performance.  A super ring quiets eveyone.  Ask Trent Dilfer.....

My favorite month of the year is September..

September 1st is New Years day to me.  I feel like the fall months of the calendar year is a time for rejuvenation and rebirth.  Enough of that nonsense, the reason why I love September is that College football and pro football commence, MLB pennant races heat up, U.S. Open tennis, and usually there is a great fight to watch.  The Nascar season winds down as the NHL gets started.  I cannot get enough of sports as you all know and if I had multiple televisons where i stay I would have a game on every channel. This September is no exception.  The college football season got off to a crazy start with blowouts, shocking results and Alabama showing us what a defending champ is supposed to do ona neutral field.  USC won as well and they really need to get to the title game and save college football.  We cannot have a seventh year in a row with a champion coming from the same conference..  It hurts college football because there is no growth in the game.  USC plays a completely different style of football than most of the SEC teams and their style of football translates better at the professional level.  Every year we keep hearing about pro teams wanting quarterbacks who can run and throw but at the end of each season, the Super bowl champ has quarterback that is pocket passer who can read coverages and pick defenses apart.  In fact only Steve Young and Aaron Rodgers who could also pocket pass well, have won super bowls.  Both of those qb's run well and could move out of the pocket.  Big Ben moves well in the pocket but he is not considered a running quarterback.  If you look at SEC football most of the teams run a a form of the Florida Gator offense from the shotgun and depend on their quarterbacks to either run or pass.  Geogia and Alabama this year have gone back to a little more traditional offense so they may be the exception.  Most of the nation runs that Florida offense.  The big difference between the SEC and the rest of the nation is the physical play on the defensive line.  When you dont have a fullback to help you block because you are in the shotgun single back set, your plays get blown up in the backfield.  Michigan could not get out of the backfield. Alabama and LSU make you play physical football and most schools do not have the schemes to handle these behemoths one on one.  So I am rooting harder than i ever to try to get a USC vs. SEC champ title game. Oklahoma showed me nothing on Saturday against UTEP.
The NFL starts with the Cowboys and Giants on Wedsnesday and the Cowboys are banged up and really don't know what to expect.  This season will either be a coming out party for new eleite teams or the same stuff different day.  I like Houston alot.  They have a soft schedule and a team that has a lot build on.  Foster, Johnson, Schaub,Daniels have to stay healthy on offense.  Wade Phillips has a fast defense who are hungry for a title.  The Patriots have the easiest schedule and would crave another shot at the Giants to give Brady his 4th ring.  The NFC is loaded.  At least 6 teams have the ability to win the title.  Packers, Giants, Niners, Saints, Eagles, Falcons, Bears, Lions, Cowboys can win in anyone's stadiums at any time if healthy. Should a wacky season.
The pennant chase in baseball has just gotten interesting. The Yankees are bailing water off of their ship.  They are so beat up and hope that returning star players like Arod and Andy Pettite will give them the boost to rejuvenate their season.  The Orioles are for real and the Rays have the best pitching. The Angels spent alot of money to get to the post season and succeed.  This series with Oakland will is important because they must take care of head to head games in order to gain ground.  The Tigers and White Sox just played an epic series where the Tigers earned a sweep.  Detroit has the veteran players to get this done based on pitching.  The White sox can hit homeruns but can they play to outscore their opponents or out pitch them?  The National League the intrigue is just as high.  The Dodgers created a Yankee style payroll  to win now.  They lose to too many bad teams though and I dont think they can get it done.  Billingsley was their hottest pitcher and he may be shelved for the season if shot in the arm does not work. Kemp needs to find April's magic and lead this team to the promise land.  Nationals are shutting down Strasburg and seemed poised to stay at top of N.L. east.  Chipper Jones final month as a Brave will make it interesting as the Braves don't want him to go out a loser.  After what happened last year, the Braves are going to make every team earn 27 outs.  The Reds are the real deal and if the game goes to bullpen, the game is over. Chapman is a beast.  Can you imagine facing a guy who throws 105 miles an hour in cold weather? Ouch babe..
U.S. open tennis is in its final week and Serena and Maria are on a collision course. So are Federer and Djokovic. Andy Roddicks surprise retirement announcement has buoyed ratings but tonight could be his demise.  DelPotro hits a big ball and can overpower most opponents.  Andy must serve well and steal a few concentration lapse games from Del Potro in order to advance.  I will blog about Roddick later this week.  Tennis lost Kim Clijsters last week as the young Brit robson showed some flashes of brilliance.  Robson also defeated Li Na.  Also there are two italian women playing in the quarters for the first time at the U.S. open.  Serena is lurking in their quarter if she beat Ivanovic and after winnin 6-0 6-0, in her last match she is driven to reclaim America's prize.
Chad Dawson wants to be a star in boxing, but his fights leave you not wanting to see him fight anymore.  He beat Hopkins in an unspired performance but Hopkins is like 50.  Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. are about to get it on soon as well and we shall see who is the pound for pound best middleweight is.  Martinez is the gold standard but Chavez, Jr. is unbeaten and has grown up right in front of out eyes.  Also Jones and Machida will be explosive in MMA. I know everyone wanted Jones to fight Sonnen but this fight will have some great moments.
Denny Hamlins win last week gave him four for the season and he wants this title real bad.  The story is whether or not Jeff Gordon or Kyle Busch qualify for the playoffs.  This weekend in Texas will be exciting.  Gordon had the car last week to win but could not catch Hamlin on the last lap after the restart. Busch has had a quiet season. Normally right now he has had a few wins and has ticked off some other drivers.
Did I mention Golf?  The Ryder Cup is in America this time around and Hunter Nahan wants revenge.  Mcilroy is number 1 in the world but Tiger is starting to re discover his form on the weekends.  Yesterdays perfomance on the final will give him a ton to build on as the season ends.  Both are now vying for player of the year honors.  Two events left for the Fedex cup.
I COULD TALK ABOUT MORE..
HOCKEY WILL DIE if THEY LOCKOUT THE PLAYERS...
NOW YOU KNOW WHY I lOVE September?

My final football post of the pre season..

So lets finish the discussion about football before thegames begin in both College and the NFL.  They stories in College are extremely intriguing.  What kind of season will Penn St. have?  They will be the most scrutinized team this year and now the story wont go away.  I blogged how disappointed I was that the school did not fight for their rights, and now the members of the trustees are finally stepping up and in.  It is bad for the school because everyone just wants to sweep the situation under the "football rug". The school is uniting in  all sports  to show that Penn St. has moved forward and cannot control what happens off the field.  The students make the University and hopefull this fall they will represent their families, friends, and themselves with class and dignity.  I feel for the victims, but no one can fix what happened.  Good Luck Penn St.
Another story is several college athletes came back to college for one more year for a chance at a title.  Matt Barkeley would have been a first round pick.  Montee Ball and Landry Jones too. They have the world on their shoulders this season and relish the opportunity to get it done this fall.  Expectations are extremely high at those Universities this fall.   Tyrann Matthieu came back as well but addiction has ruined his college career.  It is tragic and hopefully he will get the help he needs. 
Speaking of the SEC will they win another BCS title?  Georgia, is joining the fray this year as they have the quarterback in Murray to compete with the big boys. If South Carolina can control their turnover problems of years past they will be their as well.  USC, Clemson, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon feel like they have enough to end the run of the SEC.  Florida St. and Virginia Tech always possess potent defenses and good enough players to play with the SEC schools.  I think the reign comes to an end this year.
I think the title game will be USC and Oklahoma. Bama and LSU have a lot of unanswered questions on both sides of the ball.  They are both giving way too many new players an opportunity to be great this year.  Look out next year though..
Denard Robinson will win the Heisman.  He will combine for more than 50 touchdowns this year.  Geno Smith in West Virginia may as well. West Virginia is a sleep team to win the title as well.  they have a sick offense coming back.  They scored 70 points in a bowl game last year and were just in year 1 of learning the offense of the new coaching staff.  I cannot wait to see how it unfolds..
How about teams changing leagues just to make more money and a chance toplay for a title.  Texas A&M in the SEC. Boise St. to the Big East.  Missouri in the SEC. Just to name a few.  Doesn't Pittsburgh, Syracuse move to the ACC soon? How about new coaches at schools?  Charlie Weiss in Kansas? Kevin Sumlin in Texas A&M.  Mike Leach at WSU? Bill Obrien at Penn St.? Urban Meyer at Ohio St.? Who will win more games?  Ohio St. has sanctions coming.  Can Texas rebound from last years meltdown?  Notre Dame is playing the most brutal schedule I have ever seen.  No cupcakes anywhere.  They start the year in Ireland against Navy and then all breaks loose with their schedule. 
In the NFL.. I gave you my predictions of who will win the divisions.  I think New England, Baltimore, Houston, and Denver should prevail in AFC with Pittsburgh and San Diego making the playoffs.  I think that Houston and New England will play for AFC title and Houston will emerge as champion.  Houston has the defense and schedule to be really good this year.  Home field advantage will be their launching pad to the Super Bowl. 
I think Andrew Luck will be AFC rookie of the year and will not disappoint.
The NFC I think that the Niners, Giants, Packers, Saints win divisions.  I think Philly and Chicago get wild cards.  I am wavering on the wild card picks because Atlanta is very good.  Detroit is as well.  I just think Atlanta has the wrong success model.  They keep bringing in the wrong veteran players.  Asante Samuel has been on three teams now in the last five years because he cannot cover like he believes he can.  The Falcons can score with anyone. can they stop anyone? Detroit needs a running game to gurantee that Stafford will be on the field this year for 16 games.  He showed last year that if healthy he can put up huge numbers and be a superstar.  I think that their defense is one year away from greatness but off the field matters will haunt this team.  This team will be great in 2013 mark my word.  Maturity wins titles.  They will be forced to grow up pretty quickly.  The NFC is much better than the AFC this year.  There are more teams that have playoff ability in that conference.  Dallas is better than most AFC teams and will be at home watching the post season.  I already mentioned Atlanta and Detroit.  Carolina is up and coming and Seattle will be a pleasant surprise.  The final two in the NFC will be Green Bay v New Orleans.  New Orleans will become the first team to host the super bowl. 
The referee lockout is a disgrace to the league.  The NFL make 9 billion dollars a year and they do not want give a raise to the men who give the games its integrity? The replacement refs will do a good enough job that wont cause a calamity, but why risk it?  Yes every week we hear the pundits criticzie the refs for blown calls and it repercussions for teams, coaches and players.  I understand that noone is perfect but at least we kindof understand when a ref misses a call. We dont understand when a ref misses a basic rule.  the replacement refs had a game this preseason where they thought the 4 yard line was the end zone line.  They marked a penalty 11 yards that was to be 15 or cannot explain why a call was made to the audience.  They have even faced the wrong way talking to the camera.  I wonder what is going to happen if in week 1 the Niners play Green Bay and blown call gives the game to one team and they lose out on homefield advantage 15 weeks down the road.  A hefty price to pay when the refs are only asking to be compensated because everyone else involved in football is getting raises.  We hope the best even though we know this is going to be ugly..
My super bowl of Houston and New Orleans will be fun to bet on and attend.  The Saints will win and tell the league to kiss their *** when they are praising Sean Payton for organizing such a fine team.  Brees is your M.V.P. .. Let the games begin

The final two divisions are..Afc North and NFC East

I am sorry that is has been a while since my last post.  Life truly is a blessing, but extremely difficult to maintain. I realize that most people will disagree that the two best divisions in football are the NFC East and the AFC north.  I think that the NFC north is quite good. The Packers, Bears, and Lions have a shot to go to the big game and really make noise in the NFC. The AFC West could be good as well, but we don't know what we are going to get from those teams.  The Chiefs have a lot of people coming back, the Chargers are trying to build new chemistry, the Raiders have a new coach and Carson Palmer throws way too many interceptions, and then there is Peyton Manning.  He looked brilliant in his last pre- season game. Too many questions and not enough answers.  The NFC east is loaded (when healthy).   The Giants are the defending Super Bowl Champs and they look to prove that last year was not a case of catching lightning in a bottle.  The Eagles have stars everywhere.  So do the Cowboys. The Redskins are looking forward to a fresh start.  The AFC north is solid with the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals who all played in the post season last year.  The Browns. like the Redskins are starting a new quarterback, and have high hopes for an improved season. lets analyze shall we.
The AFC North could have had the SuperBowl representative last year if it had not been for a dropped pass and a missed chip shot field goal.  Joe Flacco says he is an elite qb, and it is hard to to disagree since he has been in the post season every year of his career.  He may not be flashy as Brady or Brees and yes he has had brain cramps with horrid performances( see Jacksonville game last year). He does not have to do much. He has a quality running game with Ray Rice. He has quality receivers to throw to.  Anquan Boldin is a matchup nightmare.  The defense is getting a bit older and that may be the liability this season.  Terrell Suggs is out for a while with an injury and he is not someone easily to replace.  Ed Reed is unhappy with contract situation but he will perform.  This teams' only weakness may be covering receivers in this new pass happy league.  Could be a big year for this team if Flacco lives up to his own hype.  Eli said the same thing last year and won his second ring..
The Pittsburgh Steelers too are dealing with injuries and angry players.  Mike Wallace returned to the team finally.  The Steelers have a new offensive coordnator so Wallace is going to need some time to get in to football shape and learn the new plays. The Steelers like the Ravens are smarting from a post season loss that no one still can believe happen.  The Steelers always seem to find a new defensive stud and discover a running back to replace one from the previous year who is hurt or traded away.  This team will start the year without a couple of key cogs in Harrison and Mendenhall.  What I love about the Steelers is that they make no excuses and just play.  I expect no less this season. I don't see glory this year but they will be heard from from every corner of the planet.
The Bengals shocked the world last year and made the post season with a rookie qb.  They can really play some defense and coach Zimmer can really inspire.  Adding Terrence Newman may not be wise but maybe he can reinvent Newman he could be the piece that pushes them ahead of the Steelers. NOT!!!! They let Cedric Benson go.  Why? He was an off field catastrophe we all no that but on the field he was a security blanket for Dalton.  Who does he turn to now?  A.J. Green is quite good but still raw. This team will be in every game they play this year.  You are going to have to play 4 physical quarters of football to beat them.  Without a running game though, they may take a step backwards.They do every other year.  Check out their recent history..
The Browns have a lot to look forward to.  They have two young quarterbacks who can play and are tough.  They drafted Richardson who is really tough. They need help everywhere else.  They have young raw players all over the field.  They have no receivers worth a darn. They have a rugged tough linebacking core but their secondary couldnt cover me. They have a new owner.  thats a bout it.. Cleveland Brown football this year will be a year of wait and see. Josh Cribbs may be enough for me to watch.
The NFC East will be scrutinzed and watch as ever.  The Philadelphia Eagles seem to be the trendy pick. Why? Yes on offense they have a dynamic duo at receiver, a running game that gashes you at least once a game.  They have a tight end who can it all.  The defense is out to prove that last year was a fluke and that the last four games last year are who they really are. They had a guy almost break the sack record and I am sure NNamdi wants to prove he is worth all of the money spent on him.  The key for the Eagles this and every year is the quarterback.  Mike Vick has to stay healthy for 16 games.  If he does the Eagles go to the big game.  If he doesn't Andy Reid will be fired..
The Dallas Cowboys are another trendy pick.  They have a solid running game. A game breaking receiver and tight end. A super stud defensive end who wreaks havoc everywhere. They backup players who are as talented as most starters.  The word that has to describe the Cowboys is Soft.  They are the most injured talent laden team I have ever seen.  Felix Jones always hurt, Miles Austin always hurt, Tony Romo always hurt, Dez Bryant hurt or in trouble with the law. They have no secondary whatsoever.  They got torched by every team in the league last year.  This year, the drafted Claiborne to replace Newman and he is raw.  Mike Jenkins is too small.  I don't know why we talk about this team so much.  They really are all fluff no substance..
The Redskins drafted Robert Griffin III and veryone is all excited that they may have found their qb of the future.  He had a prolific college career but never really won any significant games. Yes he can run and he is wicked fast.  He is truly going to have to be because he is going ot be running for his life in this league and division.  The Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys are licking their chops at the opportunity to smash mr. Griffin. The Redskins have a good line but need a running game to help Griffin.  They 4 backs but none of them are anything special.  Helu and Hightower can go the distance against anyone, Torrain is tough.  When you have 4 backs that means you have none right? Defensively they will be great one week, but can't stop anyone the next.  The swept the Giants last year quite easily. No one know what to expect.  The redskins hope for improvement.
The Giants are my team and I am disgusted with how the world has thrown them under a bridge as a lucky team.  I have never heard of a team that gets no credit for winning a title.  they literlly had to win 6 games in a row against playoff quality teams and palyoff teams to get the big prize and they did.  Eli Manning is crafting a Hall of Fame career and the Giants are out to prove that last year was no fluke.  Defensively they will be better.  They have several d-linemen who fill the roles needed to make them a title contender again.  Yes they lost Manningham and Jacobs on offense but they believe in Barden and Ware to replace those pieces,  The Giants are hungry to knock the Jets off the back page.  I expect great things this year.
AFC North: Ravens 12-4, Steelers 10-6, Bengals 7-9, Browns 4-12
NFC East: Giants: 11-5, Eagles 10-6, Cowboys 9-7, Redskins 6-10
Player To watch AFC North: Joe Flacco.. It is your time to shine
Player to watch NFC East: Mike VIck: If you are Haelthy for regular season, could be special year.