2008 AFC West Preview
 
Oakland Raiders - Watch out for McFadden to make an impact like Peterson did last season for the Vikings. It won’t be as great because McFadden isn’t running behind the OL that Peterson was given but McFadden will account for a couple extra wins by himself. I didn’t like what I saw from Russell late last season. He has to be much better for the offense to have a chance. Walker and Curry will make a really good unit if Russell gets them the ball consistently. Fargas will be a solid second option to McFadden. The defensive backfield is loaded with talent and should be one of t he best units in the league. DeAngelo Hall though will have to eliminate giving up the big play by getting beat deep. The linebackers are one of the fastest and most versatile units in the NFL.

San Diego Chargers - Is this the year they finally make it to the Super Bowl? Tomlinson is great and he may be the best running back in the league still. They finally have the receiving corps to compliment LT and give some help to Antonio Gates. That means Gates numbers will likely drop slightly but he should still be option number one in the red zone for Phillip Rivers. Rivers has to be better in order for the Chargers to take the next step. He needs to shut up and put up instead. The defense is once again going to be fantastic. Williams and Castillo plug up the middle. Phillips and Merriman contain the outside and put pressure on the quarterback. The defensive backfield will once again make play after play. This is a Super Bowl contender.

Denver Broncos - The Broncos simply haven’t got the job done lately. Giving up on Travis Henry was a big mistake. They signed him last year as a free agent after they proved it wasn’t as easy as just putting someone in the backfield and he becomes a 1,000 yard back. The backfield is thin on talent. Cutler should be better and he has a nice crop of receivers to throw to. Defensively the Broncos DL have to step up and stop the run. If they stuff the run and get a little pressure on the QB, Champ Bailey and Dre Bly could have a field day with errant passes. This is a team that should challenge for the last playoff spot and finish second in the West but they appear to be missing something, again.

Kansas City Chiefs - Wow. What happened to the Chiefs? With the exception of Gonzalez and Bowe, the receivers are awful. Brodie Croyle needs to improve a lot to be a viable starting quarterback option in the NFL. Branden Albert should help improve the OL and open some holes for Larry Johnson. LJ has to be healthy for the Chiefs to have a shot. They can’t possibly get his carries near 400 again though. He needs to be around 320. There is decent quality and depth behind Johnson in Smith and Charles. The defense has a few good playmakers but not enough. The Chiefs simply won’t be a good football team and should be happy if they reach 5 wins. Most likely they will not.
 

2008 AFC East Preview

New England Patriots - Sixteen and zero all season with most of the pieces returning. The easiest schedule imaginable. Looks like another 14 win season, division title and a potential return to the Super Bowl is in store for the Patriots. We all know about the offense. The key to the season will be how quickly the young defensive players improve to spell the aging legs of the veterans. Meriweather, Crable, Mayo, and Wheatley must step up in a hurry. The defensive backfield will get burned more so the offense needs to stay consistent. This is probably still a favorite to return to the Super Bowl in the AFC.

Buffalo Bills - The Bills are an up and coming team with a lot of talented youth everywhere. The key to the season will be the progression of Trent Edwards. If he improves, the rest of the offense should be able to pull its weight. Marshawn Lynch is the real deal and should have a spectacular career. The receiving corps was upgraded with James Hardy. The defense should be a little better with the addition of Stroud, Mitchell and a healthy Posluszny. The pass defense needs to improve for this to be more than a one and done playoff team. That’s a lot of if’s. If the run defense, if the pass defense and if Edwards progresses. Even without all of that, the Bills should challenge for the final playoff spot.

NY Jets - If Alan Faneca doesn’t start his decline this year the Jets running game should be much improved. Thomas Jones should be able to run over the left side of the line all day and he should produce more than his 1 TD from last season. The receivers are solid but not great. Coles is due to have another 90 catch season. The question is going to be who will throw him the ball? The defense has a lot of holes and the Jets are relying on injury riddled talent like Kris Jenkins to make the improvement. The young DBs should only get better. Vernon Gholston better be as good as the Jets think and Calvin Pace better not be a one year wonder. The Jets will likely be better but not playoff better. I wouldn’t expect more than 6-7 wins from them.

Miami Dolphins - Parcells is going to be Parcells again. He is going to create a bunch of turmoil, bring in a lot of talent, and once it is underachieving he will walk away only to see them explode. Parcells will undoubtedly still get credit as everyone points to the fact that it is “his talent” that is winning. The move to get rid of Taylor was a good move. It was a horrible way to handle it though. Josh McCown will most likely be the starter. But for how long? The receivers are a horrible group that won’t scare anyone. The running game has potential if Ronnie Brown returns to health and Ricky Williams gives them something. The defense will be lucky to hold teams under 24 ppg. There are a couple talents but some of the veterans are getting old in a hurry. They could challenge as the worst team in football.

2008 AFC North Preview

Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers better hope the OL returns to its semi dominating self if the Steelers want to stay on top of the North. They are still the best team but everyone except the Bengals is getting better. Ben is among the top seven quarterbacks in the game. He needs to calm down a bit and take a few less chances in big situations. Parker should return to form but he shouldn’t carry the ball as often any more. Mendenhall isn’t as good as the experts claim but this is the perfect place for him to be. The receivers got a big boost by drafting Sweed. The defense should once again be aggressive and they have playmakers like Woodley, Harrison, Polamalu and Hampton to excel. The Steelers should win at least 10 games and win the division. They probably don’t have enough to make it out of the first round.

Cleveland Browns - The Browns surprised everyone last season and challenged for the playoffs. Derek Anderson won’t surprise anyone this year. He still has a ton of talent to toss the pill to. Edwards, Stallworth and Winslow will be open all day. Lewis has at least one more big year in his legs. The defense has to improve. Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams should improve the run defense. The pass defense may be worse than last year. They will be challenged with a brutal schedule. The only game that is considered easy in their first eight games is at Cincinnati in week 4. They will be in the running for the final playoff spot but making 9 wins should be considered a success this year.

Baltimore Ravens - The offense will be led by the running game because the passing game is not very good. The quarterbacks are inconsistent. The organization isn’t showing any confidence in any of them. The receivers are either getting old or not very talented. The defense still has dominant playmakers but they aren’t dominant as a unit. The Ravens need their top 2 corners to stay healthy because there isn’t much depth. The Ravens will be able to hold the ball with a good running game and they will be able to hold opponents down but this is at best a 7 win team.

Cincinnati Bengals - Oh what happened to the Bengals. What happened to the team that went in to the playoffs a favorite against Pittsburgh in 2006? Too many poor personnel decisions. Too many egos. Rudi Johnson has seen better days and isn’t capable of being a lead back anymore. Kenny Watson isn’t talented enough to be a lead back. Kenny Irons may not be ready to be the man. The offense is going to rest on Palmer and Houshmandzadeh. The defense should be better if they simply are healthy. The linebackers can’t be worse. Even with a healthy season there just isn’t enough talent to be a playoff team. The Bengals should hope to win 5 games.

2008 AFC South Preview

Indianapolis Colts - Could this be the start of the end for the Colts? Peyton finally suffered an injury to his knee and will miss most of the pre-season. Marvin Harrison is aging quickly and he hasn’t recovered completely from a knee injury he suffered last season. Joe Addai will be a nice workhorse but he must stay healthy. If Addai needs a break, Mike Hart will be a very good backup. Wayne and Clark will catch a lot of passes. The defense has suffered a lot of losses the last 2 years but some quality rookies were brought in this year. They should be able to hold off the Jaguars at least one more year but the window is slowly closing for the Colts.

Jacksonville Jaguars - This is their best chance in a long time to overtake the Colts. They have one of the best running games in the league but expect Jones-Drew to take the starting job from Taylor who will slow down this year. If Jerry Porter is healthy he will finally give the Jags a threat on the outside. Garrard isn’t a star but he is solid. The Jags are going to win with their hard hitting defense. They are deep everywhere except in the middle. They could be run on more than in the past. Either Derrick Harvey or Quentin Groves needs to be the real deal and get pressure on the quarterback. The Jags will be a dangerous out in the playoffs.

Houston Texans - Look out, the Texans are no longer an easy win. The offense is dangerous and the defense has several up and coming stars. The key to whether the Texans can play over .500 and challenge for a playoff spot and finishing under .500 again is health. Andre Johnson, Matt Shaub, Ahman Green, and anyone in the defensive backfield must make it thru at least 14 games together. DeMeco Ryans, Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye should be among the best at their positions for a long time. The Texans are building something fun to watch and will be one of the better teams soon. Just not this year.

Tennessee Titans - The Titans passing game should be slightly better this year with t he addition of Alge Crumpler. That is if he can stay healthy. Vince Young needs to bounce back and show he is better than he showed last year. He needs to understand that his running ability is a major threat and he needs to run when appropriate. I expect LenDale White to be even better than he was last year now that he has a year under his belt and he understands what it takes to sustain for a whole season. The defense should once again be really good but they have to keep Haynesworth on the field. With their defense they could move up the standings but only if the offense pulls its weight. The best guess is the Titans will finish with 7 or 8 wins.

 

2008 NFC East Preview

Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys are good. Almost the entire roster returns from last year when the Cowboys were a heavy favorite to make the Super Bowl when the playoffs started. There is just something about this team that I don’t like when it comes to actually winning the Super Bowl. I just think there is a main ingredient missing from the unit on both sides of the ball. TO will be once again an animal. Romo will put up great regular season stats. Barber and Jones will be an electrifying backfield. The defense has added Zach Thomas and Mike Jenkins. Expect another East title but also another playoff fizzle.

NY Giants – Who actually thought that Eli Manning and the Giants had what it took to win a Super Bowl? The offense remains intact and has added a major piece with Manningham. The running game will again be injury prone but very effective because they are deep. The defense took a blow with the retirement of Strahan but we will get a chance to see Tuck as an every down DE. They have the next big thing in safety Kenny Phillips. Terrell Thomas is going to be a fixture in the defensive backfield. They will challenge the Cowboys for an East title but will most likely fall short. They will most likely make it a little farther than the Boys in the playoffs though.

Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles are in a bind. The young quarterbacks are not ready to lead an NFL franchise and McNabb isn’t the player he was five years ago not to mention too injury prone to make it through an entire season healthy. The offense will be led by Westbrook again. There isn’t a top flight wide out but the depth at the position is better than it has been in years. The defense should be good everywhere but they may struggle up the middle against the run. This is a solid team but not a Super Bowl contender. They should be happy if they just get in to the playoffs.

Washington Redskins - Washington should have one of the best rushing attacks in the game and the receivers should get a big boost from the 2 rookies Kelly and Thomas. Kelly should end up being the better of the 2. Santana Moss and Chris Cooley give Campbell two top notch targets that he can depend on. The defense is concerning. There is a lot of age at critical positions. Fletcher, Washington, Springs, Carter, and Griffin have all seen better days. They must hold up or this team will struggle to stay out of the cellar.

 

2008 NFC North Preview

Minnesota Vikings - The rushing attack and defense will lead this team to a division title this year. Shame on the organization though for wasting an opportunity to get to the Super Bowl. The Vikings are resting the season on the shoulder of Tarvaris Jackson. He could have a bright future and become a pretty good NFL quarterback but it isn’t smart to hope that he becomes that quarterback this season. It isn’t often an organization is able to field such a potentially dominant defense and rushing attack in the same season. The team is talented and deep at every position on the defensive side of the ball. Jared Allen should bring the pass rush they have lacked recently. Minnesota is going to be good. Very good. I can see this team making it deep into the playoffs and losing because Jackson can’t live up to the quality of play of the rest of the team.

Green Bay Packers - Favre is a tough loss for any franchise. His retirement/unretirement is tough for any fan to stomach. But Green Bay put themselves in a good position by drafting Rodgers a couple years ago and letting him learn the system. Rodgers has a lot of weapons to get the ball to so he shouldn’t have the pressure of winning games on his own. Ryan Grant became an animal last season but the OL still has to run block better. The linebackers are talented and very good but the depth is thin. An injury for a prolonged period could be crippling. The DL may have trouble stopping the run this year without Williams. This is still a team that can challenge the Vikings for the title and should be a playoff team.

Detroit Lions - The offense should be decent but Kitna simply isn’t the answer. Hopefully Stanton is ready sooner than later. The receivers should be some of the best in the league. The OL should be much better with the addition of Cherilus. Expect Tatum Bell to see more carries than rookie Kevin Smith. Bell has weaknesses in his game but he has a career 4.8 ypc average and he is a threat to go the distance every play. It’s amazing he hasn’t been worked harder throughout his career. The defense has some talent in Sims, Kelly, Bullocks and Redding but there isn’t enough to make the Lions more than an 8 win team.

Chicago Bears - The defense should once again be one of the better defenses in the NFL and will once again keep the Bears in games but it will no longer win games for them. Once again the organization chose to enter the season without a quarterback they are confident in. To make matters worse, they have no clear cut running game and no one to catch the ball. Hester is a big time threat but they shouldn’t count on him leading the receiving corp. The Bears need a lot to happen to move to the top of the division. It most likely won’t happen so the Bears will miss the playoffs again.

 

2008 NFC South Preview

New Orleans Saints – The Saints are much better than they played last season. Brees is one of the best at his position. McAlister has to stay healthy though for the running attack to be top notch. Reggie Bush is a threat and can break plays but most of the time he goes down too easily and the speed he showed in college doesn’t dominate at this level. To this point Bush has to be considered a bust as a running back. Colston is a top notch option but the rest of the unit is mediocre. Henderson or Moore need to break out. Jeremy Shockey will give the offense a down the field threat from the TE position. The D-Line is solid and there is nice depth there. The linebackers and defensive backs were significantly upgraded and should be able to hold their own this year. This is a Super Bowl contender.

Carolina Panthers - Healthy or not, Delhomme isn’t the answer. Yes he is better than what they had last year but he simply won’t win a Super Bowl. Too bad for the Panthers. The receivers are better with Hackett and Muhammad. I’m not sure why Williams isn’t used more. He is explosive. Way to waste a draft pick on someone you never give a full chance to. The combo of Stewart and Williams should be dynamite though. The defense is good and should be better than they were last year. Carolina is a legitimate playoff contender, but nothing more.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Garcia won’t repeat his season this year and there isn’t anything behind him to turn to. The wide receivers are getting old and will slow down sometime soon. The running game is decent because the OL is good and Graham has more talent than he is given credit for. Even if Williams returns, do you trust him to stay healthy and lead your team? There is some talent defensively but they are getting old in critical spots and the youth they have is unproven. They desperately need to step up and show they will carry the defense for the next 8 years. The Bucs simply don’t look like they can repeat last year’s performance. Expect them to miss the playoffs.

Atlanta Falcons - I like Matt Ryan but he doesn’t strike me as a franchise changing quarterback. He will be good but not great. The running game will be better but the OL has to open holes for Turner. White and Jenkins will be decent and I expect Harry Douglas to see action. The defense will be better but not great yet. Anderson should improve. Abraham needs to stay healthy. Expect to see Chevis Jackson, Curtis Lofton and Stephen Nicholas in the starting lineup sooner than later. The Falcons will be better but not a playoff team. Another top 10 pick is likely.

 

2008 NFC West Preview

Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck will again be good but not great. The talent at receiver seems to get worse every year. How often can they live by hoping someone like Engram has a career year? The running game will be better this year with Jones than with Alexander last year. The OL needs to get better however. The defense should win some games for the Seahawks. Tatupu, Hill, Kerney, Atkins, Trufant and Tapp are a solid core. Expect Seattle to challenge for the West title again but the gap is definitely narrowing.

Arizona Cardinals - A lot of the success of the Cardinals will rest on the improvement of Matt Leinart. If he struggles, so will the team. Warner doesn’t have it in him again. The OL should be better than it has been in the last decade. Smith should pound holes for Edge but Edge doesn’t have many years left. It was surprising they didn’t draft his replacement. The receivers aren’t deep but they are explosive at the top. The defense has to be more disciplined. They get beat too often but they are extremely talented and athletic. Their success will rest with the DL. If the front four get pressure on the quarterback and contain the run, the Cardinals will be enjoying the playoffs for the first time since the Plummer years.

St Louis Rams - Health is the key to the Rams improvement. Bulger, Jackson, Holt, and Pace need to stay on the field. If they do the Rams have one of the better offenses in the league. Without them they are below average. The defense has a few talented pieces but they all must play better. Chris Long should improve the pass rush and move into the starting lineup quickly. The defensive backfield should be good if they are healthy. I would expect the Rams to challenge the Cardinals for second place just below the Seahawks and be in the playoff picture all year.

San Francisco 49ers - I get it. A Mike Martz offense is fun. Fun to play and fun to watch. But unless he remembers that Marshall Faulk was the main weapon on his Rams teams, Martz teams will flounder for years. Alex Smith needs to put up now or his career will be as a backup. The receivers are decent but no one stands out as a number one. Frank Gore needs to be the focal point of the team. That means the OL needs to improve. Defensively Patrick Willis is a stud. The defensive backfield is really good too but they get very little from everyone else. They will be better but probably not playoff better. Eight wins is most likely the max for this team.