Post by Calvin Constantine on Sept 9, 2008 21:54:54 GMT -6
A big week for the NFL, to be sure:
1. Tom Brady goes down with a torn ACL. In the last few seasons, Carson Palmer, Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb, Phillip Rivers, and Brady have had major knee injuries.
Patriots will still have a great shot at making the playoffs. As long as Matt Cassel can manage the game, they're going to score points. The defense still blows. I really don't know what to think of the Jets and the Bills, so I expect a three team race for the division title. Keep in mind the Pats have the easiest schedule in the NFL.
2. The AFC "elite" in trouble. The Chargers lost at home to the Panthers and lose Shawne Merriman for the season. The Colts look awful at home against the Bears. The Pats lose Brady. First of all, it really blows my mind that there are people running multimillion dollar organizations who allowed Merriman to try and play with torn knee ligaments. I expect the Colts to squeak into the playoffs.
Meanwhile, a team to watch is Tennessee. That D is for real, Chris Johnson could be a huge factor, and Kerry Collins is a much better player than Vince Young.
I also fully expect Baltimore to win the AFC North. Pittsburgh is very exploitable despite what you saw week 1. Their offensive line is going to be terrible and you can throw the ball on them all day. Cleveland sucks, just a horrible organization. So you thought it was a good idea to trade an elite corner (Leigh Bodden), your best defensive player, for Shaun Rogers, a player the Lions didn't want. Right. This is also the team that annoited Charlie Frye the starter over Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn last year, then traded him after week 1.
3. The NFC-The NFC East demonstrated that it's the class of the conference. A lot of people are down on the Giants; I'm hearing a lot of 6-10 being bandied about, but they've got an easy schedule, so I would count on 9-7. The Skins are a joke. Eagles and Cowboys this Monday night, I can't really be objective about that so I won't comment.
All the Minnesota Viking love preseason really shows the fundamental lack of understanding of how football games are won. You do not win the NFL just because you can run the ball and stop the run. This isn't 1960.
The Packers are going to win that division handily; the D is still loaded and Aaron Rodgers is surrounded with talented skill players.
NFC South is wide open.
NFC West sucks.
4. How about all of the terrible organizations in the NFL right now? Cleveland, Oakland, Detroit, Washington, San Francisco. Football hasn't entered the "Moneyball" era yet.
1. Tom Brady goes down with a torn ACL. In the last few seasons, Carson Palmer, Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb, Phillip Rivers, and Brady have had major knee injuries.
Patriots will still have a great shot at making the playoffs. As long as Matt Cassel can manage the game, they're going to score points. The defense still blows. I really don't know what to think of the Jets and the Bills, so I expect a three team race for the division title. Keep in mind the Pats have the easiest schedule in the NFL.
2. The AFC "elite" in trouble. The Chargers lost at home to the Panthers and lose Shawne Merriman for the season. The Colts look awful at home against the Bears. The Pats lose Brady. First of all, it really blows my mind that there are people running multimillion dollar organizations who allowed Merriman to try and play with torn knee ligaments. I expect the Colts to squeak into the playoffs.
Meanwhile, a team to watch is Tennessee. That D is for real, Chris Johnson could be a huge factor, and Kerry Collins is a much better player than Vince Young.
I also fully expect Baltimore to win the AFC North. Pittsburgh is very exploitable despite what you saw week 1. Their offensive line is going to be terrible and you can throw the ball on them all day. Cleveland sucks, just a horrible organization. So you thought it was a good idea to trade an elite corner (Leigh Bodden), your best defensive player, for Shaun Rogers, a player the Lions didn't want. Right. This is also the team that annoited Charlie Frye the starter over Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn last year, then traded him after week 1.
3. The NFC-The NFC East demonstrated that it's the class of the conference. A lot of people are down on the Giants; I'm hearing a lot of 6-10 being bandied about, but they've got an easy schedule, so I would count on 9-7. The Skins are a joke. Eagles and Cowboys this Monday night, I can't really be objective about that so I won't comment.
All the Minnesota Viking love preseason really shows the fundamental lack of understanding of how football games are won. You do not win the NFL just because you can run the ball and stop the run. This isn't 1960.
The Packers are going to win that division handily; the D is still loaded and Aaron Rodgers is surrounded with talented skill players.
NFC South is wide open.
NFC West sucks.
4. How about all of the terrible organizations in the NFL right now? Cleveland, Oakland, Detroit, Washington, San Francisco. Football hasn't entered the "Moneyball" era yet.