Pardon My Bias

Farmers Field Layout

Does LA deserve professional football and which team (Jacksonville, Oakland, Minnesota, San Diego, St. Louis) should move there? The PMB staff weighed in…

Zayd Sharif: Being a big football fan this is a really hard question to not be biased about.  LA already lost two teams and now people want another one.  But as long as the stadium is made in a great location and things are properly handled then yes we do deserve a football team in this city.  The Raiders have the largest fan base out of those 4 teams in the region so plenty of people would be happy if the Raiders came. Problem is a lot won’t be happy. The Chargers might need a change of scenery to maybe push them over the edge and actually win a title… The Vikings I do not think will move here because there are moves in place to keep them in Minnesota if they get a new stadium. Jacksonville would actually be interesting because they are a team that is rebuilding and trying to find a quarterback but I think a team that is trying to find itself is a good team to move because then a city can bond with that team and although have to deal with growing pains and a few losing seasons I will reveal true fans that will back that team.  Real fans in Los Angeles do exist, but when it comes to Lakers games it just too expensive to go a lot.  So if LA wants to deserve a football team it has to cater to the fans who care and want to go out there and cheer for their team.

Anand Patel: I actually do not believe that Los Angeles deserves a football team. The LA/OC area currently has two baseball teams, two (and maybe three in the future) basketball teams and two hockey teams. Along with the professional teams, LA has two highly competitive collegiate sports programs in USC and UCLA. Although the USC football team has been going through a few down years, I still believe that they are the football team of LA. It sure seemed like it during their good years. When it comes down to it, the LA/OC area already has too many sports teams in my opinions and adding more teams is not going to help some of the already struggling franchises already there.

But they will most likely get a team and they are preparing themselves for it. If I had to pick a team to move to LA, it would be the Raiders. This mainly has to do with the fact that they already have a following in LA seeing that they were previously from there. You know what team it shouldn’t be? The San Diego Chargers! As a Charger fan and San Diego native, I will be extremely pissed off if they move to LA and yes, the constant blackout scares and underachieving seasons do not help, but the Chargers belong in San Diego. The Padres are an average team and we need something to be proud of, even if they never live up to expectations. If the Chargers do end up moving to LA, I sure as hell will only support them for a few more years or until Philip Rivers is done playing for them. Plus, which Oakland Raider fan that lives in LA wants the division rival Chargers moving into town? It’s absurd, so LA should take back the Raiders and leave the Chargers alone.

Ryan Dunn: The question of whether L.A. deserves football is easy. Absolutely. The Raiders left back for Oakland after Satan Al Davis didn’t get a new stadium. The Rams and Georgia Frontiere left because the Rams were in a funk and she wanted more money. While it’s easy to say fans didn’t support the team, it makes it hard to support a team playing bad and with an owner that’s despised. Ask Frank McCourt and the Dodgers. And now there is a new football stadium planned. There may even be two. The city is crazy about USC (corrupt program) and UCLA (awful program) so if there is an honest to god pro team that’s relatively competitive, what’s stopping support of an NFL team?

As for the team, I don’t think L.A. want’s another go around with the Raiders. East L.A. may, but if Al Davis is involved, there is no way anyone wants to deal with him. Especially AEG, who is likely to be calling some shots as they are building a stadium and driving the relocation push. The Bills had their names kicked around, but no way Buffalo lets them go. The Vikings are struggling, need a new stadium, and have a city connected to L.A. already with sports, aka, the Lakers. Hell, even the Vikings’ colors fit the scheme of the Lakers and the Kings from their early years. But I think Minnesota fights tooth and nail to keep them. The Rams were also proposed, and they are a team rid of their past owner and with a relatively large L.A. fan base still. I have to think the chances for the Rams are about the third best to relocate. But the two most likely are either the Jaguars or Chargers.

Jacksonville just cannot fill their stadium. They don’t have much of a franchise history, and common sense based off those logistics alone puts them in position likely to move. And they likely will. If the Chargers and Alex Spanos don’t leave San Diego that is. Now, without sounding like I am some sort of super insider with special knowledge, AEG, from the time I worked for them, has had their sights set on the Chargers for a while. This was spring in 2010, and during their companywide meeting they leaked to their employees the idea of building a stadium next to the Staples Center. Less than a month later the AEG sales groups all began focusing on selling tickets for the Chargers…in Los Angeles. It certainly seemed like AEG was testing the L.A. market with the Chargers, or at least to the idea of a pro football team again.

I’m all for football in L.A. It’s the second biggest market in the country and has had teams prior. I’d prefer if it were the Jaguars because they make the most sense. But it’s most likely going to be the Chargers.

Avi Shah: LA absolutely deserves a football team. A lot of people make the argument that they don’t because both the Rams and the Raiders left LA in 1994, but this is a different era we are talking about. The popularity of football has increased in LA as it has all across the US with the rising popularity of things like fantasy football, DirectTV’s Sunday Ticket, NFL Network, and NFL Red Zone. Just the rise of USC is a clear example of the love of football in this city. They fill the LA Coliseum with 70,000 every time they have a home game, and I think an NFL team could have the same impact with the 63,000 capacity of the proposed Farmers Field. Also just yesterday, Gov. Jerry Brown passed legislation to speed up the process of the objection period. The city is hungry for jobs as well, and having a team play in Farmers Field would definitely help out local businesses and provide jobs. I think the San Diego Chargers are the most likely team to be playing in LA in 2013. The citizens of San Diego want no part in funding for a new stadium downtown. AEG also wants 33% ownership of the team, and the Chargers out of the list are the ones in position to give up that much. There are plenty of Chargers fans in LA already as the team is only 100 miles away, so filling the stadium would be easy.

Amish Doshi: Should LA have a football team? Sure, economically it makes sense and everyone living here knows how badly the city is hurting for a major revenue stream to support its shrinking general fund. Do they deserve one? I don’t believe they do. Los Angeles right now has the Lakers, Dodgers, Angels, UCLA & USC football (Don’t even try to say that the Angels aren’t considered part of Los Angeles…we all know they are considered a part of it when they are WINNING). LA lost two football teams, not one, two. Listening to sports talk radio for the last 3 months about this issue has led me to one conclusion…people want football in Los Angeles BUT so they can see the games. There is no talk about any desire to latch on to a new franchise and embrace it as their own. It’s about GOING TO SEE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL. Does that mean the same thing as supporting your franchise? Hmm this sounds familiar to the 30 dopey fans (who actually knew what was going on) in Orange County who were so excited to not have to DRIVE 1-2 hours to go watch the Lakers play at Staples when there were talks of the Sacramento Kings moving to Anaheim … Does this make a city/region truly deserve a professional sports team?

I would be an idiot if I said sports were only about the FANS. Because they clearly aren’t and its moved more and more away from being about the fans. You can point to a number of factors that have changed over the last 2 or 3 generations. The money has changed everything in my opinion. Being self-serving, tv deals, star teams or players, jumping on the bandwagon and having a “great market” has become the overriding reasons for throwing away 30+ years of history in one city and jumping to another area. When does this s— ever stop? If you want to put a football team in LA…great! I think it will make a lot of money for your league overall but at least let the fans demonstrate they want THEIR OWN TEAM first. I don’t see any evidence of it period. You’ve got Cowboys fans, Steelers fans, Eagles fans, Niners fans, Raiders fans, Giants fans and the list goes on all over this spread out region. No one is going to TRULY support a singular team. I don’t believe it. The only team I see with any consistent following right now are the Lakers because they NEVER STOP winning. Football can succeed in ALL markets, not just big ones. Why should a franchise that has major roots such as the Chargers in San Diego be moved? (Sidenote: SHAME ON THE ENTIRE CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND ITS POLITICIANS FOR NOT DOING ONE DAMN THING TO STOP IT, DESPITE STILL HAVING TIME AND SHAME ON ALL THE LOCAL SPORTSWRITERS/BLOGGERS FOR NOT DOING ONE DAMN THING http://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2010/12/1/1848753/are-the-chargers-moving-to-los-angeles )

All in all, I don’t believe LA deserves a football team because they won’t truly understand how to appreciate it because they have so many options to choose from that if its not winning…who cares? Are they going to get one? Yes and it should be the Jacksonville Jaguars in my opinion. They are in the worst economic situation of any team (see random decision to cut David Garrard and blackouts) and their fans have stopped showing up to the games along with the fact that they have the least amount of franchise history associated with their city. But obviously its not going to happen because San Diego seems to have accepted the loss of their team. No grassroots movements, nothing even in the paper talking about trying to keep the team. Pathetic and I feel bad for Anand Patel because its not fair to the true fans…unfortunately sports is not about them anymore. It’s about money.

So far the 2010 NFL season has not gone well for Brett Favre. His Minnesota Vikings are 1-2 and he has already thrown 6 interceptions to only 2 touchdowns in three games. This week has been huge for the Vikings though, with them making a trade to bring in Randy Moss from the New England Patriots. Favre was missing a deep threat with Sidney Rice, his favorite target from last year, being out until at least week 8 and Moss could of been the missing piece. The Vikings are hoping that Moss can be the answer to their offensive woes and help get this team back in the right direction.

Now all of a sudden, it seems like there may be something else that will distract Brett Favre. Deadspin posted a video which alleged Favre of sending sexual messages and images to Jenn Sterger, a former Jet’s game hostess and current TV personality. The images contain shots of Favre’s manly parts, although it can not be confirmed that it is him. Now take a look at this:

http://sportscasm.com/

Look at her, she is beautiful. If it can happen to Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant and Ben Roethlisberger, then why not Brett Favre as well. Lets be honest, a beautiful woman can be even the best man’s kryptonite. But dirty pictures of him handling his genitals is a little odd. He is Brett Favre, the great NFL quarterback, the guy that can’t seem to stay out of the media and the guy that can’t seem to retire. Does he really need to be sending dirty pictures to win over a girl? Come on Brett, keep it classy.

Either way, she is a beautiful woman and this could happen to any man, but it is Favre’s job to make sure this doesn’t distract him on the field. There was this huge ordeal this past off-season to bring him back so that the Vikings could get to the Super Bowl and things have not started well. With the acquisition of Randy Moss, the pressure has once again been placed on Favre to guide this team to the Super Bowl. So Brett, do not let this get in the way of your overall goal but A+ on your choice buddy, A Plus.

Of course if this whole story is not true, then Favre goes back to being a great husband and this article becomes irrelevant.

This is just an opinion so please…Pardon My Bias

This story brings a huge smile on my face. I used to love the Minnesota Vikings back in the days because of Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss. Now I hear that Moss could once again be wearing the purple, definitely is an exciting feeling, even though I am not a Viking fan now.

Sources report that there may be some discussions between the New England Patriots and the Minnesota Vikings to try and get a deal done to send Moss back to Minnesota. It has been no secret that Moss is very unsure of his future and believes that this will be his last season in New England. He has openly discussed that he loves being in New England but just doesn’t think things can work out between the two parties and that he needs to do what is best for him and his family. I could regurgitate his stats from the past season but all you really need to know is that he is still DAMN GOOD! I honestly do not get what the Patriots are thinking. I understand that Wes Welker is good, but he’s a slot receiver. I am not sure who they plan to plug in for Moss, Brandon Tate? Either way, it is not going to work and Brady will definitely end up missing that huge threat.

http://www.wonderday.ca/

The Vikings on the other hand will gain that huge threat but what are they going to do when Sidney Rice returns? Actually the real question is whether this will really help Brett Favre. I get that he doesn’t have his deep threat in Rice but come on, he’s played awful. He has thrown only two touchdowns and has already tossed 6 interceptions, one less than all of last year. I understand that last year was a miracle season, but he is Brett Favre! Minnesota brought him back to once again be their savior and he can’t use Sidney Rice as an excuse. Maybe it is time for the Vikings to explore the Tarvaris Jackson option.

It will be interesting to see if this deal gets done but if the Patriots want to contend this year, they would be stupid to get rid of their best receiver.

This is just an opinion so please…Pardon My Bias

Kevin Kolb is looking to have a big year

With my fantasy draft coming up this Sunday, I’ve been scurrying to find some hidden gems in the late rounds. After all, “you have to go deep into the draft” as the mother ship ESPN says. As ridiculous as the slogan is, it is right. Getting top name players early in the draft provides you with the pillars for your team, but its picking the studs late that make you a winner. Having a sleeper come through for you whom you got cheap and late in the draft could prove to be the winning ingredient in the fantasy season. If you were able to pick guys like Miles Austin, Ricky Williams, or Mike Sims-Walker late in your drafts last year, you looked like an absolute genius and your team probably did pretty well. So here’s a list of my sleepers for this upcoming season:

• Kenny Britt, WR Tennessee Titans – Britt showed great chemistry with Vince Young last season and I think his role will grow and he will emerge as one of Young’s main targets this season.
• Felix Jones, RB Dallas Cowboys – With Marion Barber’s roll on the decline, and Jones getting more touches, I expect big things from Jones this season. He averaged around 6 yards per carry and expect even more touches.
• Zach Miller, TE Oakland Raiders – Miller has the talent to be one of the best TE in the league, but has never had a good QB to throw to him. Finally this year he will have an upgrade with Jason Campbell. Expect 80+ receptions, 900+ yards, and around 6 TDs this year.
• Kevin Kolb, QB Philadelphia Eagles – Yeah I’m buying it. He’s more accurate than McNabb, has the same receiving weapons with a rising star in DeSean Jackson, and is running the West Coast Offense. All that equals a great second QB that you can get for cheap.
• Chad Henne, QB Miami Dolphins – Henne showed signs of improvement throughout the season, with 300+ yards in 4 of his last 6 games. Oh yeah, he has some guy named Brandon Marshall on his team too now.
• Justin Forsett, RB Seattle Seahawks – I look for Forsett to be the main back in Seattle this year. Whenever given the carries, Forsett has produced averaging around 5.4 per carry. More carries equal more production for this guy which is clear in his stats from last year.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.

Can Brees and the Saints repeat?

With the NFL season right around the corner, I made some picks on who I think will win the division and wildcard spots for the playoffs. I then took the match ups and made my picks all the way up to the Super Bowl. Some of these picks many people will find bold, but this is the NFL where anything can happen.

AFC

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens (10-6)

AFC South: Indianapolis Colts* (13-3)

AFC West: San Diego Chargers (10-6)

AFC East: New England Patriots* (11-5)

Wildcards: Tennessee Titans (9-7), New York Jets (10-6)

NFC

NFC North: Green Bay Packers* (12-4)

NFC South: New Orleans Saints *(12-4)

NFC West San Francisco 49ers (10-6)

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys (11-5)

Wildcards: Minnesota Vikings (11-5), Atlanta Falcons (9-7)

*=1^st round bye

AFC Wild Card Games

Chargers vs. Titans — Titans advance

Ravens vs. Jets – Ravens advance

NFC Wild Card Games

49ers vs. Falcons — Falcons advance

Cowboys vs. Vikings – Cowboys advance

AFC Divisional Games

Colts vs. Titans — Colts advance

Patriots vs. Ravens — Ravens advance

NFC Divisional Games

Packers vs. Falcons — Packers advance

Saints vs. Cowboys – Saints advance

AFC Championship Game

Ravens vs. Colts – Ravens advance

NFC Championship Game

Packers vs. Saints — Packers Advance

Super Bowl

Packers vs. Ravens — Packers win Super Bowl

The Packers are ready for a big year.

I like the Packers this year to win it all with Aaron Rodgers having an MVP season and putting his stamp on the Packers organization post-Favre era. A lot of hype has been made about Revis and the Jets, but the defensive player of the year was Charles Woodson, and I look for him to lead the Packers to another strong defensive year as well.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.

http://www.silive.com

After 7 months of uncertainty Brett Favre has announced that he will indeed return to play for the Minnesota Vikings this season.  Favre claims this upcoming season will definitely his last hurrah and his cleats will be hung up for good come February 2011. But give Favre’s history, can we really believe this will be his last run? I for one do believe Favre..this time.

Why should we believe Favre this time?  After all, he has been contemplating retirement for the past 5 years but he somehow magically feels ready to play each year near the end of training camp.  In 2006 he actually stated that season would be his last and he would hang up the cleats for good.  But he came back to play not only 2007, but he will continue to play through the 2010 season.  Why should we believe anything Favre says anymore about retirement? The man flip flops more than a pair of Rainbows. Even Favre himself said  he was surprised by how well he played last year.  So if you can’t perform better than last season, then why come back at all?

Only Favre can lead the Vikings to the Super Bowl.

Just like Favre said in his press conference, he owes it to the Vikings to come back for at least one more season. The Vikings did nothing to improve the quarterback position pinning all hopes on Favre returning to lead them.  The Vikings had multiple opportunities to select a quarterback for the future, but they passed on both Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy.  I for one thought the Vikings should have drafted Clausen  early in the 2nd round and was kinda stunned when they choose CB Chris Cook.  Even if the Vikings were sure Favre was coming back for another season, wouldn’t it have been nice for their QB of the future to sit behind an NFL legend and gain experience?  But now I’m getting sidetracked, back to the point of Favre coming back.  Without Favre, I doubt the Vikings could even make the playoffs with either Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson leading the huddles.  They stood pat in the draft and during free agency making them desperate to bring Favre back (why else would the Vikings send Ryan Longwell, Jared Allen, and Steve Hutchinson to Favre’s doorstep in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?).  With Favre in the mix, the Vikings easily return to being Super Bowl contenders. I’m sure Favre saw the situation unfold, and despite his ankle injury, and felt that he couldn’t just walk away form a team that would be left in disarray without him (especially a title contender).

http://www.zimbio.com/

With Adrian Peterson still in his backfield and Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, and Visanthe Shiancoe as his top receiving targets; Favre should find no trouble in helping this team reach the next level.  Not to mention their strong defense led by Jared Allen giving the opposition’s offense fits, and the Vikings have a great team to contend with in the NFC.  The Vikings may in fact be one of the better teams Favre has been a part of and with so many offensive weapons I expect Favre to be an extremely efficient quarterback.  Favre has been known to spread the ball around to his receivers and especially to his tight end (Mark Chmura, Bubba Franks, Dustin Keller, and Visanthe Shiancoe have all had great seasons with Favre at the helm).  As I stated in my article “Top 10 QBs for the 2010 Season,” Favre is one of the top 5 QBs in the NFL and should lead this Viking team deep into the playoffs.

Expect this to be Favre’s last farewell tour across the NFL.  After all his flirtations with retirment in the past, I feel that Favre’s body can only take one more rigorous NFL season.  His elbow is still not 100% and his ankle seems to be giving quite a bit of trouble, his battered 40 year old body is on its last leg and is one more injury away from calling it quits. Despite what he is able to provide the Vikings this season Favre has had a great NFL career.  He is one of the greatest to ever step on the gridiron and he should be given a proper send-off (even though many are extremely tired of his antics). I have been a long-time fan of Favre and I hope he has a great season with the Vikings.  It would be great to see this legend end his career with a Super Bowl ring.  In fact, that may be what it takes to finally get him to retire.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.

The San Diego Chargers were able to sign one of their holdouts when inking Shawne Merriman to his $3,269,000 one-year tender. The Chargers now have to find a way to take care of Marcus McNeill and Vincent Jackson, which, by the looks of it, is not happening anytime soon. Merriman has obviously dropped in production since his injury in 2008, and it seems as if the Chargers, along with many other people, have written him off. In his first three seasons, Merriman was a beast. He racked up 39.5 sacks and became one of the most feared defenders in the league. Everyone saw him as being the Chargers’ defensive leader for many years to come, in a way they saw him as the new Junior Seau. Then all of a sudden he was hit with a four game suspension for substance abuse and came back the following season and was injured in the first game. Then everything changed.

http://atthebox.files.wordpress.com/

Many started to doubt whether Merriman could fully recover from the injury and how being caught for substance abuse would affect him. The San Diego Chargers went ahead and drafted Larry English, making it seem as if they were ready to replace Merriman. It seemed as if Merriman’s future was unknown. His return in the 2009-10 season was far from extraordinary, achieving only 4 sacks through 14 games. While many think that Merriman had lost his touch, I disagree. It is obviously going to take time for him to recover from his injury, but more than that, teams are ready for him. Although he did not put up huge numbers, just imaging all the attention that he demands. This helps create more opportunity for other defenders such as Shaun Phillips.

I expect Merriman to have a tremendous season. He will pick up his play and once again be a dominant defender but more importantly, he will be a defensive leader. The Chargers’ defense has always been the team’s weakness and Merriman is the perfect personality for it. He knows how to rile up the troops and create momentum for his team. I truly do believe he will become a double digit sack threat again but the Chargers need him long term for his leadership and his charisma.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.

The NFC East is what I like to call the “ESPN division.” The mothership has hyped this division for years due to its huge markets: New York, Washington D.C., Dallas, and Philadelphia. All the hype hasn’t translated into Super Bowl wins though. The NFC East has been represented in the Super Bowl three times in the last 10 years, but has only had one winner with the Giants in 2008. Much of this can be blamed that the division has beat itself up over the years.  All the teams have made some big moves but will any of them translate to a Super Bowl championship?

www.zimbio.com

Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles now begin the post-Donovan McNabb and post-Brian Westbrook era in Philly. The Eagles finished with an 11-5 record last year which was good for a wildcard spot in the playoffs where they lost to division rival Dallas Cowboys. I don’t see the Eagles finishing with a great record this year, but they should be competitive. They have just lost the two faces of the franchise in McNabb and Westbrook (Dawkins the season before). A lot of pressure will be put on Kevin Kolb, and not having Westbrook in his backfield will make it even tougher. Many Eagles fans feel that Kolb will be able to pick up the reins without a problem and will fit into Marty Mornhinweg’s West Coast offense. I think Kolb will have a hard time when the road gets rough at some point in the season playing for a rowdy Philadelphia crowd. The fans had quite a love-hate relationship with McNabb in his 10-year tenure and were always quick to criticize on every bad play. I’m interested to see how Kolb deals with that kind of pressure. RB LeSean McCoy has a great deal of pressure as well. Some fans are wishing for a breakout sophomore season similar to that of Ray Rice. I like Philadelphia’s receiving core led by stud DeSean Jackson. Other receivers like Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, and Jeremy Maclin can make the transition for Kolb much easier. TE Brent Celek had a breakout year last year and has developed well for the Eagles and can be a huge weapon this upcoming season. The Eagles will also rely on their stellar defense this year highlighted by Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Quintin Demps amongst others. They are a top 3 defense and will be relied on highly this year. The Eagles have a challenging schedule, ranked 9^th by ESPN in strength of schedule, but I believe the they will raise a lot of eyebrows this year and can make another wild card appearance.

Laham/Getty

New York Giants – The New York Football Giants had a disappointing season last year to say the least, with an 8-8 finish which was good for 3^rd in the NFC East. They started hot with a 5-0 record but finished the season with a 3-8 record. The biggest move for the Giants this offseason was releasing captain Antonio Pierce. Even without Pierce, the Giants defense is still strong. The key will be health; they have been hurt by big time injuries to Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka in the last couple of years. The Giants didn’t make any major pickups and will roll with their roster to see if they are able to have a better result than last season. Expectations are always high in New York, and especially after their 2008 Super Bowl win. With the Cowboys and Redskins getting better, and the Eagles still remaining very competitive, I feel that it will be extremely hard for the Giants to make it back to the playoffs. Eli Manning will need to have a big season and the Giants really need Manninghanm, Moss, or Smith to become an elite receiver. The running game is mediocre with Jacobs and Bradshaw. Brandon Jacobs who was known as a goal line beast with 15 TDs in 2008, only finished with 5 in 2009 and dropped about 200 yards off his season total. Some of that was picked up by Bradshaw last season, but it’s important for Jacobs to have a big year and not be hampered by injuries if they G-men want to have a good season. I feel that Tom Coughlin is on the hot seat this year in a pressure cooker like New York. If the Giants finish with another .500 record and don’t finish in the top two of the division, Coughlin will be given the boot. The Giants have a lot to prove this season if they want to be considered a threat in the NFL once again.

smartasssports.com

Washington Redskins – The Redskins have a lot to look forward to this season. They are coming off an ugly 4-12 season last year and have had an extreme makeover with a new head coach, new general manager, new starting quarterback, and a new system on both sides of the ball. Redskins fans have the right to be excited, but setting high expectations may not be the right thing to do. Mike Shanahan is known as a disciplinarian coach (Albert Haynesworth comes to mind) and is looking to change the landscape out in D.C. Donovan McNabb comes from a talented group of recievers in Philadelphia to a rough situation with fewer options in D.C. Santana Moss is the leader of the receiving crew, but had a  tough season last year not being able to cross the 1000 yard mark and only finishing with 3 receiving TDs. Moss will have a better season this year with McNabb throwing to him, I’m anxious  to see if it gets anywhere close to his 2005 career numbers. McNabb has the ability to make mediocre receivers into good players. There is an opportunity that veteran Joey Galloway can resurrect his career, but he has a lot of mileage. Age also can be seen in the rushing game. The Redskins have a 3-man backfield with Willie Parker, Larry Johnson, and Clinton Portis. All are on the decline of their careers, and I wouldn’t expect much production from them. McNabb has the ability to improve Malcolm Kelly, Bobby Wade, and Devin Thomas, but I don’t think it will happen in one season. The defense is weak but it is headlined by Albert Haynesworth. He signed his record $100 million contract last year and has a lot of pressure to perform well. His conflict with Mike Shanahan and not showing up to OTAs has been well documented. He struggled to complete Shanahan’s conditioning test, and currently has a sore knee. Shanahan will have to mend his relationship with Haynesworth if he expects him to play hard for him this season. The Redskins have a tough schedule, and I see some big struggles for this team. Even with all the saber-rattling this offseason, the Skins are going to have a tough time to come out of the NFC East hole.

sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys have high expectations this season…again. Last year the Cowboys finished with an 11-5 record to win the NFC East, and won their first playoff game since 1996. They could not keep it rolling though and were destroyed by the Vikings in an embarrassing 34-3 loss in second round. The boys have a Super Bowl or bust attitude this season, especially with the Super Bowl site being at the new Cowboys billion dollar stadium. Larger-than-life owner Jerry Jones has been building up for a few years now and this year is set up to reach the summit. Romo had an excellent season with career numbers in yardage, and was one of the best QBs in the league last year. I think he can get his touchdown numbers close to his career high 36 in 2007 this season. Romo has a big time target in Miles Austin who had a 1000+ yard season and 11 TDs in only 9 starts last season. I look for Austin to bump both numbers up and be one of the elite receivers in the league. Romo also has one of the best tight ends in the league in Jason Witten who also had a 1000+ yard season. Dallas has an excellent backfield with Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice who averaged 131 yards/game which ranked 7^th in the league. I also like rookie Dez Bryant who has high potential and can really be a great receiver for Romo. His dispute with Roy Williams over the traditional rookie hazing of carrying pads showed me that Bryant was not here to mess around or be pushed around. I like his attitude and commitment to winning, and it’s a good sign for the Cowboys. The Cowboys also come into the season with one of the best defenses in the league and only three teams allowed fewer rushing yards last year. The Cowboys are easily the favorites to win the NFC East again this season, but the goal is much higher. The weakness for the Cowboys has been the playoffs, but I think this is the year that it finally changes. Last season was the year that had people yelling “Who Dat?!” This year might very well be the year ending with people saying “How ‘bout them Cowboys?”

Predicted Standings

1.       Dallas Cowboys (12-4)

2.       Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)

3.       Washington Redskins (7-9)

4.       New York Giants (6-10)

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias

Also check out my previews of the AFC West, NFC West, and AFC East

The AFC East is a division with a lot of intrigue at the top. The Jets are the favorite by many, and are the flashy pick to win the Super Bowl, but the Patriots have run the division for years (except 2008). It’s not going to be easy for Rex Ryan’s club to overtake the powerhouse but should certainly play out to be an exciting division. The Dolphins had made strides in 2008, but took two steps back in 2009. A lot of inconsistency and unpredictability remain in Miami, and the fish have something to prove. As for the Bills, well, they’re still the Bills.

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Buffalo Bills –In 2009, the Bills came into the season with high expectations. The team led by head coach Dick Jauron, had high hopes coming into the season, picking up controversial receiver Terrell Owens. The season did not go the way they expected and the Bills finished with a 6-10 record which put them last in the AFC East. The Bills haven’t made the playoffs since 1999 and this upcoming season doesn’t look like it will be the year that they get back into either. They hired Chan Gailey as head coach this offseason who is expected to run a 3-4 defense and an offense that emphasizes the run game. The Bills entered camp with a three-way battle for quarterback with Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm, although I think the veteran Edwards will be the starter at the beginning of the season. Marshawn Lynch had a disappointing season as he was suspended the first three games of the season and then he lost his starting job to Fred Jackson. Lynch finished the season with a disappointing 450 yards on 120 carries with only two rushing touchdowns and was anything but “beast mode.” Lynch wasn’t able to break 100 rushing yards in a single game. Jackson filled in with a 1000+ yard season. I think both backs can be used effectively in a split-back situation and can pile up a bulk of the offense. The touchdown numbers have to go up for both backs for the Bills to be competitive. The Bills didn’t re-sign Terrell Owens in the offseason and this year’s receiving core is highlighted by Lee Evans. The Bills will look to Evans to put up numbers like he did in his 2008 breakout season with a 1000+ yard season, which took a huge drop with only 612 yards. The defense gave up 30+ points 4 times last season and an average of 21 points per game. The new 3-4 scheme will have to bring that total down to give the offense a chance to win. Overall the Bills will have a tough season, and will continue to need to build.

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Miami Dolphins – Last season the Dolphins finished with a 7-9 record, a big disappointment after their 11-5 record from 2008. Ronnie Brown only started 9 games due to injury and piled up 648 yards with 8 TDs. He was replaced by Ricky Williams who had a year of resurrection. Ricky started 7 games and finished the year with 1,121 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs. I look for another strong running campaign from the Dolphins this season. During the offseason, the fish released linebackers Joey Porter, Akin Ayodele, and safety Gibril Wilson. The big news coming into camp this season is Brandon Marshall. Marshall is expected to have a big season like he did last year in Denver, and will be the number one target for the Dolphins down the field. Quarterback Chad Pennington has been thrown into a lot of trade talk lately. Pennington, to many, is considered expendable after he injured the same shoulder from the past last year and is on the decline in his career. Rookie Pat White was brought in to run Tony Sparano’s wildcat offense but also was injured. Third-string QB Chad Henne was given the role as starter. He had a tough season but gained much needed experience. He started 13 games and finished with 2,878 yards, but had 12-14 TD-INT ratio. If Pennington is indeed traded, Henne will be named the starter with Pat White struggling in camp. This year’s schedule is a tough one for the Dolphins. The Dolphins did well against the division last year in the division with a 4-2 record, but will have a more difficult time this season. The Jets and Patriots are both stronger and I only see the fish winning one game in the four matchups. The Dolphins will have a better team this season, but their record might not show it because of the strength of schedule.

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New York Jets – Although the Jets finished with the same 9-7 record they had from 2008, they were able to sneak into the playoffs with a wildcard spot under new head coach Rex Ryan. The Jets performed well in the playoffs being able to win their wildcard game with the Bengals and won divisional playoff game against the Chargers. A lot of hype has been built around the Jets as Super Bowl hopefuls, with some Vegas casinos giving them 12 to 1 odds. I don’t buy the hype. I agree that the Jets are a good team, but they got lucky just to make it into the playoffs last year. Their last two games came against the Colts and Bengals, and they were easily able to win both because both opponents were resting starters due to an already secured playoff spot. The Jets were a 7-7 team coming into Week 16 and a long shot to get a wild card berth.  I agree that the Jets played exceptionally well in the playoffs, but the regular season does count for something and they can’t afford to take losses to the Dolphins (twice), the Bills, and Jaguars if they plan on making the playoffs this season. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez had a good season with 2,444 passing yards. His 12 TDs though were outweighed by his 20 INT in 15 starts. The Jets had two big roster losses come to them this offseason losing both Thomas Jones and Alan Faneca.  They also made key pickups this offseason to make up for the losses with LaDaninan Tomlinson, Antonio Cromartie, and Santonio Holmes who should all be huge impacts on the team. A lot of questions remain for the Jets coming into the season. Will Tomlinson be able to step up from a disappointing season last year? Can Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards play together? Will Darrel Revis re-sign and be happy? There is arguably more pressure on Rex Ryan this season than any other coach. The Jets unarguable strength is their defense. They have the best defense in the league but will have to re-sign Revis ASAP, who wants Nnamdi Asomugha money. The Jets are certainly the team that can challenge the New England Patriots in the AFC East, but it will take the perfect storm for the Jets. I can see the Jets making another wildcard appearance this season.

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New England Patriots – The New England made it back into the playoffs in 2009 where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the wildcard matchup. The Patriots finished the 2009 season with a 10-6 record atop the AFC East. They have dominated the division lately with the exception of 2008 which saw star QB Tom Brady fall to injury in the season opener. The Pats finished 2008 with an 11-5 record but missed the playoffs. Last year Brady came back, but was still not the same dominant Tom Brady we were used to seeing in the 4^th quarter in years pass. Five of the Patriots losses last season came by a touchdown or less and it can be argued that they were a better team than their record showed. Brady had a monster season throwing for 4,398 yards with 28 TDs and 13 INTs. I look for Brady to go 4500+ yards this season with 35+ TDs. Brady and Moss have proven that they can be the most dangerous QB-WR tandem in the league, with Moss catching 23 TDs from Brady in 2007. Wes Welker has also entered camp off the PUP (physically unable to perform) list and will make for a great second option. The Patriots had some key departures this offseason in Jarvis Green, Benjamin Watson, Adalius Thomas, and Shawn Springs but were able to pick up veterans Alge Crumpler and Tory Holt. The running game will be split amongst backs as it was last year with Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, and Fred Taylor. The Patriots still have the solid nucleus that has been the key to their success in the past years and I think it will again help them win their division. The Patriots play a tough schedule which includes eight matchups against teams in the playoffs last year, which is ranked 6^th amongst the league in strength of schedule. I think the tough schedule will help prepare the team possibly make another deep run into the playoffs. I don’t consider the Patriots a Super Bowl team anymore, but if Brady plays like he did in 2007, he will be a nightmare for NFL defenses. I have high expectation for the Pats this season and I think will be one of the NFL’s top teams once again.

Season Predictions

1. 1. New England Patriots (12-4)
2. 2. New York Jets (10-6)
3. 3. Miami Dolphins (7-9)
4. 4. Buffalo Bills (6-10)

Also check out my preview of the AFC West and NFC West. Check back for my next preview of the NFC East.

This is just an opinion…so please, Pardon My Bias.

The NFC West has been the shame of the league, and possibly the weakest division in any sport. Optimism has been high for many teams, but there has been a lot of disappointment. This division has a lot to prove this season to lose the reputation of the weakest link.

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St. Louis Rams – The St. Louis Rams finished with the worst record in the league with a 1-15 record. This landed them the first pick in the NFL Draft in which they selected former Oklahoma Sooner Heisman QB Sam Bradford. The Rams have not had much success with only had 4 winning season in their 15 seasons in St. Louis, and this upcoming season can be written in as another losing effort. Their only win last year came against the worst NFL franchise, the Detroit Lions. Bradford has a huge task in front of him. The Rams were rumored to sign Terrell Owens but decided to skip out on him, which may have been the best move since Bradford already has enough pressure being thrown into the league with the worst team. The problem with not signing TO is that Bradford has virtually no targets. The Rams are a long way from the “greatest show on turf” as they were known as under the Mike Martz campaign. Second year coach Steve Spagnuolo is on the hot seat; I expect him to lose his job by their Week 9 bye-week if they aren’t able to win 2 games by then (Week 5 vs. Lions, Week 7 vs. Buccaneers respectively). The only shining star left in St. Louis is RB Steven “Action” Jackson. Jackson had a good year in 2009, compiling his career high 1,416 rushing yards, but only had 4 rushing touchdowns. The TDs will have to increase this season and Jackson will have to push the team to earn wins. The young offensive line has potential but a lot of pressure on them this year to protect #1 pick Bradford and Jackson. The Rams will be swept by their division and will have to aim pick up 3 wins this in order to consider it a successful season.

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Seattle Seahawks – The big news in Seattle is the hiring of new head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll brought in his own coaching staff but will need to bring in more players if he wants to be successful in Seattle. The Seahawks finished last season with a 5-11 record putting them at 3^rd in the division. QB Matt Hasselbeck appears to have one last ride this season in attempt to resurrect his career and get back to his 2007 season stats in which he threw a career high 28 TDs. Hasselbeck was plagued with injury in 2008 and only started seven games. Last season, he started 14 games, but threw 17 interceptions with his 17 touchdowns. Hasselbeck will lose one target this season after trading Nate Burleson to the Lions. The two receivers suffered injuries in the offseason, T.J. Houshmandzadeh (sports hernia surgery) and Deion Branch (knee scope) have both resumed practicing at the start of training camp and have a lot to prove. Houshmandzadeh has to live up to his $40 million contract to prove that he is capable of being a number one receiver. To do so, he will have to bump up his TD total of four from last year. The Seahawks have a slew of RBs with Justin Forsett, Julius Jones, and Leon Washington (LenDale White was cut in May), who will all have the potential to create a real ground threat in Seattle. They had 3 picks in the first round with Russell Okung, Earl Thomas, and Golden Tate. Seattle will need them to be impact players this season. This will be a building season for the Seahawks under a new coaching staff, but I think will be able to build on some positives to become a playoff contending team in the next three seasons.

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Arizona Cardinals – The Arizona Cardinals made it back into the playoffs after their Super Bowl appearance in 2008. The Cards entered the 2009 season with expectations but were barely able to get a spot with a 10-6 season record. They were able to beat the favorite Packers in a 51-45 thriller in OT in the wildcard playoff game and went on to lose to the future Super Bowl champ Saints. This brought an end to future Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner’s illustrious career. This set up the scene for a passing of the torch to 2006 #10 draft pick Matt Leinart, who still will have to battle in camp with veteran Derek Anderson for the starting job. Assuming that Leinart gets the start with the money investment the Cardinals have made in him, he will have a lot of pressure to perform up to his potential this season. The Cardinals took a big loss when trading number two receiver Anquan Boldin to the Ravens. Leinart will still have good targets with Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, and Early Doucet who all just need a good ball thrown to them to make big plays. The running game is below average with Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells, so a lot of the offense will have to come from the air. The defensive line is still solid with DE Darnel Dockett (who’s ready for the season judging from this) and Joey Porter at LB, and a secondary highlighted by Dominque Rogers-Cromartie and Adrian Wilson. The Cardinals playoff hopes will be decided by the two head to head match-ups with the up and coming 49ers, which is their only real competition in the division.

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San Francisco 49ers – The 49ers have been building up the last two seasons with a 7-9 record in 2008 and 8-8 record in 2009. This year expectations are high, and the missing the playoffs is not an option for Mike Singletary’s team. Alex Smith was benched the first five and half games but came in and threw for a career-best 2,350 yards, 18 TDs, and 12 INTs. There is no doubt, all the pressure falls on Alex Smith’s shoulders this year. He will get the full season to start barring any injury and he has a lot to prove in what could be his last chance. The Niners picked up receiver Ted Ginn Jr. from the Miami Dolphins who is a speedy receiver and good punt returner. Michael Crabtree has also had one more season to develop and will have to be ready for the number one option role this season. This athletic receiving crew has been put together to challenge the divisional rival Arizona Cardinal’s strong secondary. The stable of the offense will still be RB Frank Gore who will have to continue running downhill to pick up the tough yards and keep the offense moving. Gore ran for 1,120 yards for 10 TDs in 14 games last season and received help from back up Glenn Coffee as well. Gore will have to have stay healthy this season and rush for more yards this season to secure a spot in the playoffs. The Niners have not made any drastic moves but have allowed their players to develop nicely, and this year they will be put to the test. Bay Area fans are hungry for the playoffs, and their hopes rest in the arm of Alex Smith. I think the Niners have what it takes this year to make it on top of a very weak division.

Predicted Standings

1. 1. San Francisco 49ers (11-5)
2. 2. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
3. 3. Seattle Seahawks (6-10)
4. 4. St. Louis Rams (2-14)

Check out my preview of the AFC West and AFC East.

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