3181 replies to this topic

[Eric Stromberg]

Super Bowl 45 -- Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys

America's Team makes history by becoming the first team to play in a super bowl in their own stadium--and also win it.

Baltimore 17
Dallas 24

How 'bout them Cowboys!

BACK AWAY FROM THE CRACK PIPE AND TAKE TWO STEPS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF YOUR KEYBOARD

[The Dove]

Well Week 1 of the Pre-season is history.. How did your team do? Here are my thoughts from the Broncos loss vs the Bengals..

Kyle Orton and the first teamers looked very impressive, despite the loss of Elvis Dumervil on defense (that will probably come back to bite us big time later though). Brady Quinn looked TERRIBLE!! ..Ok it was only 1 game but still I don't think he looks like he'll be any better of a back up than Chris Simms last year.. now to Tim Tebow.. He's looking like he definitely deserves to be #2 behind Orton, and most likely he'll subplan the "Not-So-Mighty" Quinn.. Still though not happy with a loss to Cincinnati, but hey it was only the first preseason game so there is time to get things fixed.. This week we have the Detroit Lions AT HOME and if we can't pull off a victory here, I will REALLY be concerened..

Anyways, more injuries occuring, Eli Manning's head gash, Larry Fitzgerald's sprained MCL, Pats lose Ty Warren, etc..ahh the joys of meaningless football eh? LOL..

Oh by the way, incase you didn't hear...Brett Favre is back..(YAWN!!) Happy 2010 NFL Season everyone!

[tdalton]

Oh by the way, incase you didn't hear...Brett Favre is back..(YAWN!!) Happy 2010 NFL Season everyone!

As much as it surprises me to say, I'm glad that Favre continued the drama and came back for another season. I can't wait to see what kind of reception he gets in New Meadowlands Stadium on that Monday night game in October.

Anyway, as for the Jets, the starters looked GREAT. Aside from Mark Sanchez's INT on the first play (on which all 80,000+ in attendance, the defense, and the entire TV audience knew where he was going with the football the moment LT went in motion), the offense showed some potential for being a dominant unit. There's a ways to go before they get to that point, but the potential is there. Sanchez looked in command of the offense, LT showed he still has something left in the tank with a couple of nice runs (including a great TD run called back for holding), and the whole unit clicked pretty well.

The defense looked dominant. The only decent play the Giants offense had against them was the busted screen pass that went for 50 yards. Outside of that, they were absolutely shut down by the Jets defense which (and this is a scary thought) looks like it could be a more physical unit than last year.

With all of that said, the backups on defense were PATHETIC. Hopefully Wilson and Cromartie can make it through the entire season healthy so that none of them have to actually go in the game for anything more than nickel or dime packages. As alluded to on HARD KNOCKS last week, the Jets need to trade for another CB to play the 3rd CB position behind Cromartie and Wilson, because their backups just can't get it done.


Overall, very happy with the 1st team's performance and can't wait for what surely will be a circus atmosphere for the Week 1 Monday Night opener against Rex Ryan's former team, the Ravens.

[Johnboy007]

Minnesota reclaims my top spot of team I look forward to jeering the most.

[Arbogast777]

Minnesota reclaims my top spot of team I look forward to jeering the most.

That's alright, I'm usually jeering them too and I live here

[elizabeth]

Rookie Patriots look terrific! They beat the Saints in the preseason opener.

[The Dove]

Wow!! HIGHLY entertaining game last night between the Packers and Colts...whats even better for me is that Green Bay SMOKED Indy, 59-24! Very satisfying since those pesky Colts ALWAYS put a beat down on my Broncos.. I must say the Green Bay Packers are a team that has flown under my radar and can really be a huge threat to Brett Favre and the Vikings this season.. I'll definitely be catching both Packers vs Vikings games this year.. I also was pleasently surprised at how good Sam Bradford and the Rams looked in their win over the Patriots..yeah,yeah it was only a pre-season game, but Bradford's got potential! Meanwhile, Tim Tebow is still NOT practicing with bruised ribs, definitely raising concerns in Denver..I'm just glad that Kyle Orton has looked GREAT so far in pre-season..just have to hope he doesn't get injured this season!

[tdalton]

Nice job, Jets. Losing to the Redskins behind one of the most putrid offensive performances I've seen in quite a while from a team that has Super Bowl aspirations. Well, at least they did have those aspirations, as this is clearly not a Super Bowl (or even a playoff) team with Mark Sanchez under center. Rex Ryan needs to make a phone call to Jeff Garcia or to the San Diego Chargers to inquire about Billy Volek before this season ends up going down the tubes due to Mark Sanchez's incompetence. He's got a ridiculous amount of weapons around him (Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Jericho Cotchery, LaDainian Tomlinson, Shonn Greene, Dustin Keller, and the list goes on), but he can't manage to lead the team to a TD until the Redskins pull their first team defense. Sit him on the bench behind a veteran, let him mature (because his appearances on HARD KNOCKS have proven that he's not very mature) and learn from a decent veteran, and let this team that is built to win a championship now have a legitimate chance at doing so.

[hcmv007]

2010 NFL Review




Short, sweet and to the point.


* Denotes playoff teams


AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens*
2. Cincinnati Bengals*
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Cleveland Browns

I like the Ravens improvements w/ Anquan Bolden stretching the field at WR. Cincy should be fun to watch as Ocho Uno tries to out perform Ocho Cinco. Big Ben thinks with his little Ben and the Steelers suffer. Cleveland looks bad.


AFC South

1. Houston Texans*
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

Houton has the best offense in the NFL, and the defense looks good. Indy is showing age, but still competes. The Titans are wondering if Chris Honson can hit 2,000 yds again. The Jags just seem to be languishing.

AFC East

1. New England Patriots*
2. Miami Dolphins*
3. NY Jets
4. Buffalo Bills

The Pats look hungry, but must answer running game issues. The Dolphins might be the biggest surprise of 2010 with their new players. I think tdalton is right, the Jets never do good once there is a lot expected of them. The Bills seem to be stuck in a rebuilding rut.

AFC West

1. San Diego Chargers*
2. Denver Broncos
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland Raiders

Chargers keep gettign things done, but now without Tomlinson they have a lot to prove. Broncos are a year away from being a contender. The Chiefs are in the same boat as Denver. The Raiders? Mediocre at best.


AFC Playoffs

WC-Houston over Cincy; Miami over Baltimore

Divisional-Chargers over Houston; Miami over New England

AFC Championship Game-San Diego vs Miami


San Diego Chargers advance to Super Bowl




NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers*
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions

Packers continue to roll, this time winning division. Favre too old, and Vikes traded away best backup to Giants. Bears QB Jay Cutler needs to stop completing passes to opposite color jerseys. Lions improving and close to breaking out.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons*
2. New Orleans Saints*
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Carolina Panthers

Falcons should be better, coming off back to back winning seasons for 1st time in franchise history. Saints good enough to get back in playoffs, but injuries are racking up. Bucs look to continue upswing they ended season on. No Peppers meand Panthers are back to square one.

NFC East

1. Washington Redskins*
2. NY Giants
3. Dallas Cowboys
4. Philadelphia Eagles

Redskins have Shanahan and McNabb, and despite the struggles should be fine once the season starts, but Haynesworth needs to be dealt with. Giants are going to have to keep Eli safe to win. No host city has ever had a team go to the Super Bowl, sorry Dallas! Philly will find life without McNabb hard to live with.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers*
2. Seattle Seahawks*
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. St Louis Rams

49ers look stable at QB, as Alex Smith has some stability at OC, plus having Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree doesn't hurt. Pete Carroll will give the Seahawks a 180. Cards find that Kurt Warner was a damn good QB, and neither Leinart or Anderson helps much. Rams QB Sam Bradford should invest in a Lloyd's of London policy as the Rams aren't that good.


WC-Redskins over Saints; 49ers over Seahawks

Divisional-Packers over Redskins; Falcons over 49ers

NFC Championship-Green Bay vs Atlanta

Green Bay Packers advance to Super Bowl


Super Bowl XXXXV

Green Bay Packers vs San Diego Chargers


Green Bay 38
San Diego 35 OT

[tdalton]

I agree with your pick of the Packers coming out of the NFC, but I'm not sold on the Chargers. Rivers and Company won't be able to truly get anything done in the postseason until a new coaching regime comes in.

I'll go ahead and make my predictions:

** denotes playoff team


AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots**
2. Miami Dolphins**
3. (tie) Buffalo Bills
4. (tie) New York Jets (NY technically finishes 4th due to a split with Buffalo and a worse division record than Buffalo)

The Jets QB situation is in shambles (Sanchez is terrible, Brunnell ancient, and Clemens also pretty bad), which is a shame since the Jets have arguably the best receiving tandem in the league with Edwards, Holmes, Cotchery, Keller, and the more than likely to be resigned Laveranues Coles. Shonn Greene and Tomlinson will do a fine job of carrying the running game, maybe even making it more dynamic than last year, but Sanchez will make this team stumble to a sub-.500 finish. The Patriots, even though nowhere near as strong, will win the division by default, probably with a 10-6 record or maybe 11-5, as the Dolphins are a strong team, but not quite there yet. Look for the Dolphins next year as the next potential AFC East dynasty, although they will sneak into the postseason this year as a wild card. The Bills are going to be somewhat dangerous as well. Chan Gailey knows how to get the job done, and C.J. Spiller will give the other three teams headaches trying to defend him.

AFC NORTH
1. Baltimore Ravens**
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Cleveland Browns

The Ravens are going to run away with this division. Even with a very banged up defense, the Bengals, Steelers, and Browns are just going to be speed-bumps on the way to a first-round bye in the postseason.


AFC SOUTH
1. Indianapolis Colts**
2. Houston Texans**
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Colts and Texans will battle it out all year for the division title. The Colts will still end up on top, but look for the Texans to make significant progress towards getting to a division title by defeating the Colts at least once this year and getting to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

AFC WEST
1. San Diego Chargers**
2. Oakland Raiders
3. Denver Broncos
4. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chargers have more competition this year, and that will lead to a more narrow division win than in years' past. The Raiders will give the Chargers a decent fight for the title of this very weak division, and will set themselves up for a run at the playoffs next season.

WILD CARD ROUND - Texans over Chargers; Patriots over Dolphins
DIVISION ROUND - Colts over Texans; Ravens over Patriots
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP - Ravens over Colts



NFC EAST
1. Dallas Cowboys**
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. New York Giants
4. Washington Redskins

The Cowboys will win what will be the most improved division. The Giants and Redskins will hang in the race for a while, but the Cowboys will ultimately edge out the Kevin Kolb led Eagles for the division title and a first round bye.

NFC NORTH
1. Green Bay Packers**
2. Minnesota Vikings**
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions

Much like the Ravens in the AFC North, the Packers are going to run away with this. They're head and shoulders better than the other teams in this division, including Favre's Vikings. Favre will come back to earth in a big way this year, especially without his favorite receiver Sidney Rice. The addition of Mike Martz as the Bears' O-coordinator will make them more entertaining to watch and will help their offensive production, but they're not going to be able to stay with the Packers.

NFC SOUTH
1. New Orleans Saints**
2. Atlanta Falcons**
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Saints will have stiff competition this year for the title from the Falcons, who will challenge them right down to the wire. Both teams will make the postseason. The Panthers will make some noise behind a much improved defense but, like the Jets, will be hampered by poor quarterback play. The Buccaneers will once again finish under five wins and will most likely be searching for a new head coach in January.

NFC WEST
1. San Francisco 49ers**
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. St. Louis Rams

The 49ers will win the division simply because they're a mediocre team in a lousy division. They will be bounced from the postseason the first weekend, but will have made it there for the first time in years, which I guess is progress. The Seahawks may make progress towards getting back to respectability, thanks to a nice young receiving tandem and the addition of Leon Washington and the further emergence of Justin Forsett.

WILD CARD ROUND- Saints over Vikings; Falcons over 49ers
DIVISION ROUND - Packers over Saints; Falcons over Cowboys
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP - Packers over Falcons



SUPER BOWL - Packers 42, Ravens 38

[hcmv007]

I heard Mark Sanchez attended a Justin Beiber concert. IMO he has lost all dude priveledges and has been stripped of his man card. WTF? Really?

[tdalton]

I heard Mark Sanchez attended a Justin Beiber concert. IMO he has lost all dude priveledges and has been stripped of his man card. WTF? Really?

It's not that surprising.

Furthermore, HARD KNOCKS has shown him to be quite immature, even for someone as young (relative to the rest of the team, anyway) as he is. We'll see if he can actually get the job done when the games actually count, but so far I'm not confident in any QB currently on the roster to lead this team to where it should be given the talent at every other position.

[Tarl_Cabot]

I agree with your pick of the Packers coming out of the NFC, but I'm not sold on the Chargers. Rivers and Company won't be able to truly get anything done in the postseason until a new coaching regime comes in.

We have a running game, ho ho ho™.

We should have won that game if the kicker did his job. Not Norv's fault. My concern is VJ and LT Mcneil. Damn, that really bugs me that they're hold outs.

I'll go ahead and make my predictions:

** denotes playoff team


AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots**
2. Miami Dolphins**
3. (tie) Buffalo Bills
4. (tie) New York Jets (NY technically finishes 4th due to a split with Buffalo and a worse division record than Buffalo)

The Jets QB situation is in shambles (Sanchez is terrible, Brunnell ancient, and Clemens also pretty bad), which is a shame since the Jets have arguably the best receiving tandem in the league with Edwards, Holmes, Cotchery, Keller, and the more than likely to be resigned Laveranues Coles. Shonn Greene and Tomlinson will do a fine job of carrying the running game, maybe even making it more dynamic than last year, but Sanchez will make this team stumble to a sub-.500 finish. The Patriots, even though nowhere near as strong, will win the division by default, probably with a 10-6 record or maybe 11-5, as the Dolphins are a strong team, but not quite there yet. Look for the Dolphins next year as the next potential AFC East dynasty, although they will sneak into the postseason this year as a wild card. The Bills are going to be somewhat dangerous as well. Chan Gailey knows how to get the job done, and C.J. Spiller will give the other three teams headaches trying to defend him.

AFC NORTH
1. Baltimore Ravens**
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Cleveland Browns

The Ravens are going to run away with this division. Even with a very banged up defense, the Bengals, Steelers, and Browns are just going to be speed-bumps on the way to a first-round bye in the postseason.


AFC SOUTH
1. Indianapolis Colts**
2. Houston Texans**
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Colts and Texans will battle it out all year for the division title. The Colts will still end up on top, but look for the Texans to make significant progress towards getting to a division title by defeating the Colts at least once this year and getting to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

AFC WEST
1. San Diego Chargers**
2. Oakland Raiders
3. Denver Broncos
4. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chargers have more competition this year, and that will lead to a more narrow division win than in years' past. The Raiders will give the Chargers a decent fight for the title of this very weak division, and will set themselves up for a run at the playoffs next season.

WILD CARD ROUND - Texans over Chargers; Patriots over Dolphins
DIVISION ROUND - Colts over Texans; Ravens over Patriots
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP - Ravens over Colts



NFC EAST
1. Dallas Cowboys**
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. New York Giants
4. Washington Redskins

The Cowboys will win what will be the most improved division. The Giants and Redskins will hang in the race for a while, but the Cowboys will ultimately edge out the Kevin Kolb led Eagles for the division title and a first round bye.

NFC NORTH
1. Green Bay Packers**
2. Minnesota Vikings**
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions

Much like the Ravens in the AFC North, the Packers are going to run away with this. They're head and shoulders better than the other teams in this division, including Favre's Vikings. Favre will come back to earth in a big way this year, especially without his favorite receiver Sidney Rice. The addition of Mike Martz as the Bears' O-coordinator will make them more entertaining to watch and will help their offensive production, but they're not going to be able to stay with the Packers.

NFC SOUTH
1. New Orleans Saints**
2. Atlanta Falcons**
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Saints will have stiff competition this year for the title from the Falcons, who will challenge them right down to the wire. Both teams will make the postseason. The Panthers will make some noise behind a much improved defense but, like the Jets, will be hampered by poor quarterback play. The Buccaneers will once again finish under five wins and will most likely be searching for a new head coach in January.

NFC WEST
1. San Francisco 49ers**
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. St. Louis Rams

The 49ers will win the division simply because they're a mediocre team in a lousy division. They will be bounced from the postseason the first weekend, but will have made it there for the first time in years, which I guess is progress. The Seahawks may make progress towards getting back to respectability, thanks to a nice young receiving tandem and the addition of Leon Washington and the further emergence of Justin Forsett.

WILD CARD ROUND- Saints over Vikings; Falcons over 49ers
DIVISION ROUND - Packers over Saints; Falcons over Cowboys
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP - Packers over Falcons



SUPER BOWL - Packers 42, Ravens 38

2010 NFL Review




Short, sweet and to the point.


* Denotes playoff teams


AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens*
2. Cincinnati Bengals*
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Cleveland Browns

I like the Ravens improvements w/ Anquan Bolden stretching the field at WR. Cincy should be fun to watch as Ocho Uno tries to out perform Ocho Cinco. Big Ben thinks with his little Ben and the Steelers suffer. Cleveland looks bad.


AFC South

1. Houston Texans*
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

Houton has the best offense in the NFL, and the defense looks good. Indy is showing age, but still competes. The Titans are wondering if Chris Honson can hit 2,000 yds again. The Jags just seem to be languishing.

AFC East

1. New England Patriots*
2. Miami Dolphins*
3. NY Jets
4. Buffalo Bills

The Pats look hungry, but must answer running game issues. The Dolphins might be the biggest surprise of 2010 with their new players. I think tdalton is right, the Jets never do good once there is a lot expected of them. The Bills seem to be stuck in a rebuilding rut.

AFC West

1. San Diego Chargers*
2. Denver Broncos
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland Raiders

Chargers keep gettign things done, but now without Tomlinson they have a lot to prove. Broncos are a year away from being a contender. The Chiefs are in the same boat as Denver. The Raiders? Mediocre at best.


AFC Playoffs

WC-Houston over Cincy; Miami over Baltimore

Divisional-Chargers over Houston; Miami over New England

AFC Championship Game-San Diego vs Miami


San Diego Chargers advance to Super Bowl




NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers*
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions

Packers continue to roll, this time winning division. Favre too old, and Vikes traded away best backup to Giants. Bears QB Jay Cutler needs to stop completing passes to opposite color jerseys. Lions improving and close to breaking out.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons*
2. New Orleans Saints*
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Carolina Panthers

Falcons should be better, coming off back to back winning seasons for 1st time in franchise history. Saints good enough to get back in playoffs, but injuries are racking up. Bucs look to continue upswing they ended season on. No Peppers meand Panthers are back to square one.

NFC East

1. Washington Redskins*
2. NY Giants
3. Dallas Cowboys
4. Philadelphia Eagles

Redskins have Shanahan and McNabb, and despite the struggles should be fine once the season starts, but Haynesworth needs to be dealt with. Giants are going to have to keep Eli safe to win. No host city has ever had a team go to the Super Bowl, sorry Dallas! Philly will find life without McNabb hard to live with.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers*
2. Seattle Seahawks*
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. St Louis Rams

49ers look stable at QB, as Alex Smith has some stability at OC, plus having Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree doesn't hurt. Pete Carroll will give the Seahawks a 180. Cards find that Kurt Warner was a damn good QB, and neither Leinart or Anderson helps much. Rams QB Sam Bradford should invest in a Lloyd's of London policy as the Rams aren't that good.


WC-Redskins over Saints; 49ers over Seahawks

Divisional-Packers over Redskins; Falcons over 49ers

NFC Championship-Green Bay vs Atlanta

Green Bay Packers advance to Super Bowl


Super Bowl XXXXV

Green Bay Packers vs San Diego Chargers


Green Bay 38
San Diego 35 OT

You almost made my day.

[tdalton]

We have a running game, ho ho ho™.

We should have won that game if the kicker did his job. Not Norv's fault. My concern is VJ and LT Mcneil. Damn, that really bugs me that they're hold outs.

They should have beaten the Jets, you'll get no argument out of me on that. The Jets were, and continue to be, wannabe pretenders who don't have what it takes to win a championship. They're a second-rate organization that is out to generate off-season headlines and nothing else. They'll always be a second-rate franchise that lucked into a championship back in the 1960s. (NOTE: I could see how this could possibly come across as sarcasm. Trust me when I say that it isn't meant to be sarcastic in the least )

Without Jackson, though, I think the passing game will be hampered somewhat. The question is whether or not Norv will continue to try to force the ball downfield even if it's not working, or if he'll actually try to get this team back to a balanced attack on offense. Ryan Matthews should be a great addition to the team, if he's given an opportunity to succeed.

They'll win the AFC West, probably easily (although I think the Raiders could put up something of a fight in so much as they may not run away with it with a 13-3 record again (aside from the Colts, those types of seasons are pretty rare anyway). If their playoff history holds, though, things could be tough in the postseason, especially with some great up-and-coming teams getting ready to make some noise in the playoffs like the Ravens and Texans. If they can actually get some decent kicking from Kaeding in the playoffs, and if Norv can minimize his coaching mistakes (that onside kick prior to the 2-minute warning against the Jets was a terrible decision), then they would be in a position to make some noise in the postseason, IMO.

[tdalton]

The Revis holdout is finally over. Now the Jets coaching staff and players can finally stop participating in this drama (of course, they shouldn't have been participating in it at all anyway) and actually get to work fixing the woeful offense.

Of course, now thanks to Revis' selfishness, the rookie the Jets drafted, Kyle Wilson, is now playing a position that he hasn't had as much time to prepare for as he should have. Wilson was supposed to be the team's primary nickel back so that he could be on the field with both Revis and Cromartie in passing situations. Since he's been working almost exclusively at corner replacing Cromartie while Cromartie was replacing Revis, he surely hasn't gotten the amount of reps that he could/should have gotten had Revis decided to honor his contract and show up to practice.

[hcmv007]

Good news about Revis. Matt Lenart is a Texan, TJ Houshmanzadeh joins the Ravens and Mark Clayton joins the Rams via the Ravens.

[Double-Oh Agent]

Okay, here's my season's predictions:

AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots*
2. New York Jets*
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills

Tom Brady and Randy Moss motivated by contract year status both have great seasons to help push Patriots to AFC East title. Jets defense is again the backbone of team and a fearsome unit but offense's struggles behind sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez hold the team back, but not enough to keep it from squeaking into the playoffs. Dolphins still in rebuilding mode while Bills are among AFC's worst.


AFC NORTH
1. Baltimore Ravens*
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Cleveland Browns

Ravens' improvements with Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh greatly help Joe Flacco and the offense to make Ravens a formidable team--one which earns a first round bye. Bengals prove that last season was no fluke, but Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco provide just enough distractions to keep team from playoffs. Steelers start out slow thanks to Ben Roethlisberger suspension and are unable to come all the way back from it even though they are among the most dangerous AFC teams at the end. Browns' horrible season exemplified by the team honoring its Ring of Honor members without their all-time greatest player (Jim Brown) in attendance.


AFC SOUTH
1. Indianapolis Colts*
2. Houston Texans*
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

Peyton Manning's Colts again finish with the best record in the AFC but it's far from easy as cracks start to show. Texans, loaded offensively thanks to Matt Schaub to Andre Johnson connection, thrill city with first postseason appearance. Titans competitive all season but fall short of playoffs while the Jaguars remain stuck in rebuilding mode.


AFC WEST
1. San Diego Chargers*
2. Oakland Raiders
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Denver Broncos

Chargers behind Philip Rivers and rookie Ryan Mathews roll to AFC West title but fail to earn a bye. The Raiders learn what a respectable quarterback can do for a team and behind Jason Campbell finish at .500. Chiefs show improvement but not nearly enough while injuries, bad luck, and bad personnel decisions drop the Broncos into the division cellar.


WILD CARD ROUND: New England Patriots over New York Jets, Houston Texans over San Diego Chargers
DIVISIONAL ROUND: Baltimore Ravens over Houston Texans, New England Patriots over Indianapolis Colts
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Baltimore Ravens over New England Patriots



NFC EAST
1. Dallas Cowboys*
2. New York Giants
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Washington Redskins

High-powered Cowboys offense, led by Tony Romo to Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, lead team to finish with best record in NFC. Giants' defense improves from last year but not enough to get team to playoffs. Kevin Kolb endures learning year as Eagles wind up third in division while Redskins remain cellar dwellers.


NFC NORTH
1. Green Bay Packers*
2. Minnesota Vikings*
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions

Aaron Rodgers leads explosive Packers to exact revenge on Favre-led Vikings and earn a division title and first round bye. Favre unable to match last season's greatness but still manages to keep Vikings formidable and earn a playoff berth. Bears have too many holes to threaten either of the division's big two while the Lions show promise of better things to come.


NFC SOUTH
1. New Orleans Saints*
2. Atlanta Falcons*
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Drew Brees and the Saints avoid Super Bowl hangover but fail to earn a bye. Falcons give Saints run for their money behind Matt Ryan and Michael Turner but fall just short, however they still make the playoffs. Panthers hover around .500 while Buccaneers suffer through another mediocre season.


NFC WEST
1. San Francisco 49ers*
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. St. Louis Rams

In a weak division, Alex Smith does enough to lead the 49ers to the division title. Meanwhile, too many personnel losses (Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle, Bertrand Berry, Anquan Boldin, and Kurt Warner) are too much for Cardinals to overcome. Seahawks show improvement but still have a ways to go while the Rams look forward to 2011 after another horrible season.


WILD CARD ROUND: New Orleans Saints over Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings over San Francisco 49ers
DIVISIONAL ROUND: Dallas Cowboys over Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers over New Orleans Saints
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Dallas Cowboys over Green Bay Packers


SUPER BOWL XLV:
Dallas Cowboys 24
Baltimore Ravens 17

[tdalton]

AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots**
2. Miami Dolphins**
3. (tie) Buffalo Bills
4. (tie) New York Jets (NY technically finishes 4th due to a split with Buffalo and a worse division record than Buffalo)

The Jets QB situation is in shambles (Sanchez is terrible, Brunnell ancient, and Clemens also pretty bad), which is a shame since the Jets have arguably the best receiving tandem in the league with Edwards, Holmes, Cotchery, Keller, and the more than likely to be resigned Laveranues Coles. Shonn Greene and Tomlinson will do a fine job of carrying the running game, maybe even making it more dynamic than last year, but Sanchez will make this team stumble to a sub-.500 finish. The Patriots, even though nowhere near as strong, will win the division by default, probably with a 10-6 record or maybe 11-5, as the Dolphins are a strong team, but not quite there yet. Look for the Dolphins next year as the next potential AFC East dynasty, although they will sneak into the postseason this year as a wild card. The Bills are going to be somewhat dangerous as well. Chan Gailey knows how to get the job done, and C.J. Spiller will give the other three teams headaches trying to defend him.

At least I'm virtually assured of getting this prediction right this season. The Jets are a joke, and showed up to open their new stadium with what amounts to the WORST offensive performance I've ever seen, at any level of football. The Jets are frauds and are in for a 6-10 season at the absolute best (but probably something like 4-12 or 3-13 is more likely).

The Ravens should also be concerned by the game tonight. If they could only beat that sorry team by one point they have some serious work to do as well.

[Eric Stromberg]

AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots**
2. Miami Dolphins**
3. (tie) Buffalo Bills
4. (tie) New York Jets (NY technically finishes 4th due to a split with Buffalo and a worse division record than Buffalo)

The Jets QB situation is in shambles (Sanchez is terrible, Brunnell ancient, and Clemens also pretty bad), which is a shame since the Jets have arguably the best receiving tandem in the league with Edwards, Holmes, Cotchery, Keller, and the more than likely to be resigned Laveranues Coles. Shonn Greene and Tomlinson will do a fine job of carrying the running game, maybe even making it more dynamic than last year, but Sanchez will make this team stumble to a sub-.500 finish. The Patriots, even though nowhere near as strong, will win the division by default, probably with a 10-6 record or maybe 11-5, as the Dolphins are a strong team, but not quite there yet. Look for the Dolphins next year as the next potential AFC East dynasty, although they will sneak into the postseason this year as a wild card. The Bills are going to be somewhat dangerous as well. Chan Gailey knows how to get the job done, and C.J. Spiller will give the other three teams headaches trying to defend him.

At least I'm virtually assured of getting this prediction right this season. The Jets are a joke, and showed up to open their new stadium with what amounts to the WORST offensive performance I've ever seen, at any level of football. The Jets are frauds and are in for a 6-10 season at the absolute best (but probably something like 4-12 or 3-13 is more likely).

The Ravens should also be concerned by the game tonight. If they could only beat that sorry team by one point they have some serious work to do as well.

I have never seen anyone who beats up their own team like you, tdalton. I don't know what to think of the Jets. They're definitely not boring. I'll give them that! And fans deride Sanchez, but everytime I tune in to the Jets games he looks like he's kicking some butt. Maybe I just don't watch enough of the games.

So are the Jets going to be the Jekyll and Hyde of the NFL this year? Sticking it to the Patriots one week while rolling over for the Bills in a couple of weeks? Should be fun to watch, sports fans.

[The Dove]

Broncos got a sweet victory over the Seahawks 31-14... Still some major concerns on the defensive and special teams sides of the ball and I would like to see the running game get better.. However on the plus side, Kyle Orton is sharp as ever and I've been pleasently surprised they McDaniels is allowing him to chuck it down the field more often this year.. Anyways, next week we play the Indianapolis Colts at home and I'm going to that game.. should be exciting!! I hope that this is the year we FINALY beat down Peyton and the Colts..

What an interresting weekend in the NFL:

Teams that should definitely be pushing the panic button: The Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings...(hmmm thought they were picked to be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl?? One more loss like the loss to the Dolphins and Brett Favre is gonna wish he was back in Hattiesburg mowing the lawn..lol

Teams that were a pleasent surprise: Kansas City (2-0??) nobody saw that, The Buccaneers off to a good start, Chicago and Jay Cutler has only like 1 INT so far??? LOL

Teams with serious QB issues: Eagles (yeah hows that McNabb trade working out so far), Bills (umm ok Trent Edwards benched again in favor of Fitzpatrick..same old story), Panthers (Jimmy Clausen gets the nod to start this week after a HORRIBLE first two weeks of Matt Moore), Titans ( deja vu.. Vince Young pulled in favor of Kerry Collins) and jeez how short of a leash are the Raiders giving Jason Campbell?? oh and way to go Steelers..one day after you cut Byron Leftwich (AGAIN!) Dennis Dixon gets hurt..so it's up to Charlie Batch until Big Ben comes back..

[tdalton]

AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots**
2. Miami Dolphins**
3. (tie) Buffalo Bills
4. (tie) New York Jets (NY technically finishes 4th due to a split with Buffalo and a worse division record than Buffalo)

The Jets QB situation is in shambles (Sanchez is terrible, Brunnell ancient, and Clemens also pretty bad), which is a shame since the Jets have arguably the best receiving tandem in the league with Edwards, Holmes, Cotchery, Keller, and the more than likely to be resigned Laveranues Coles. Shonn Greene and Tomlinson will do a fine job of carrying the running game, maybe even making it more dynamic than last year, but Sanchez will make this team stumble to a sub-.500 finish. The Patriots, even though nowhere near as strong, will win the division by default, probably with a 10-6 record or maybe 11-5, as the Dolphins are a strong team, but not quite there yet. Look for the Dolphins next year as the next potential AFC East dynasty, although they will sneak into the postseason this year as a wild card. The Bills are going to be somewhat dangerous as well. Chan Gailey knows how to get the job done, and C.J. Spiller will give the other three teams headaches trying to defend him.

At least I'm virtually assured of getting this prediction right this season. The Jets are a joke, and showed up to open their new stadium with what amounts to the WORST offensive performance I've ever seen, at any level of football. The Jets are frauds and are in for a 6-10 season at the absolute best (but probably something like 4-12 or 3-13 is more likely).

The Ravens should also be concerned by the game tonight. If they could only beat that sorry team by one point they have some serious work to do as well.

I have never seen anyone who beats up their own team like you, tdalton. I don't know what to think of the Jets. They're definitely not boring. I'll give them that! And fans deride Sanchez, but everytime I tune in to the Jets games he looks like he's kicking some butt. Maybe I just don't watch enough of the games.

So are the Jets going to be the Jekyll and Hyde of the NFL this year? Sticking it to the Patriots one week while rolling over for the Bills in a couple of weeks? Should be fun to watch, sports fans.

There's really never any reason to be excited about the Jets, to be honest. They're a constant tease that never actually delivers anything. They knock on the door of respectability every few years and then either have something horrible happen (i.e. injuries) to derail things or they, as an organization, do something so incredibly stupid that they set themselves back by several years.

The Jets will be more Hyde than Jekyll this year. They will drop at least one game to the Bills. They do it every year, no matter how bad the Bills are and no matter how good the Jets are. The organization doesn't have the mentality necessary to be a winning organization, as they constantly play up and down to their competition. They can play great at times against great teams, but then they'll turn right around and stumble to a mind-numbing loss to a cellar-dwelling team like Buffalo.

Sanchez could be a great QB, but it won't happen for him in New York, and the reason for that is that he's saddled with a truly awful offensive coordinator. Until he's given an offensive coordinator that actually can call an offense and develop the talent around him, Sanchez will be nothing more than a mediocre QB who is erratic and inconsistent.

[Tarl_Cabot]

Bah Humbug. Nice win against the Pats.

[tdalton]

Braylon Edwards to dress despite arrest

Well, good job Jets. You finally had a chance to clamp down on the frat house environment that the coaching staff has created with this team, and you blew it. Braylon Edwards should have been suspended for this game and the next (at Miami and at Buffalo), and perhaps even a few more games, but instead they decide that there are no consequences for stupidity on this team.

This team has turned into a disgrace and it's getting to be a bit embarrassing to be a fan of the team at this point. I love the way that Rex Ryan has turned this defense into one of the league's top units, but I don't think that he's head coach material at this point. It's embarrassing to see what has happened to this organization, and how they're willing to put this type of public image out there. It would be one thing if they had the bad boy image because of the way they played on the field (kind of like what the Ravens have going for them at the moment), and that's something that I would actually like to see from the team. This team, however, has a bad boy image simply because they act like fools off of the field, from eating cheeseburgers at practice to harassing reporters in the locker room, to putting the public (that pays their ridiculous salaries) in grave danger due to their own stupidity and non-willingness to take advantage of the luxury car service the Jets provide their players free-of-charge for just such situations.

[Tarl_Cabot]

Braylon Edwards was in the car when WR Donte Stallworth killed a pedestrian(!) while DUI...amazing he didn't learn from that experience...and who wants to drive in NYC anyway? Maybe that's why the Bolts can't seam to unload Vincent Jackson...

[tdalton]

Braylon Edwards was in the car when WR Donte Stallworth killed a pedestrian(!) while DUI...amazing he didn't learn from that experience...and who wants to drive in NYC anyway? Maybe that's why the Bolts can't seam to unload Vincent Jackson...

I had heard about that for the first time today, and that made me even more disappointed/ashamed/whatever about the whole situation. I really hope that the NFL suspends this guy for multiple games if not the entire season. He's already proven to the Jets that he can't be counted on, so I doubt they'll miss him much once Santonio Holmes returns.

Santonio Holmes, on the other hand, is the big "winner" (to use the term loosely here, as there are no "winners" in this situation) in all of this. Unless he screws things up, he's already won the contract that he and Braylon were going to be battling for this season without even stepping foot on the field.

[The Dove]

Man I'm stoked for this weekend.. I'm going to the Broncos vs Colts game at Invesco Field... Should be AWESOME!! and I have a good feeling that this will FINALLY be the year we get a win against Peyton Manning..*crossing fingers*.. It's gonna be an emotion filled day though.. Moment of silence before the game in memory of the tragic loss of WR Kenny McKinnley (the 3rd Broncos player to pass away within the last 4 years.. ) but then at half-time we honor the recently elected to the Hall of Fame, RB Floyd Little..

[The Dove]

59-14...59 TO ING 14!! My Broncos suffered one of their WORST losses in franchise history to the Oakland Raiders AT HOME!! What the ??!! Allright that is it for me.. Josh McDaniels, GM Brian Xanders and the entire coaching staff need to be FIRED...That wasn't a game..it was a...umm..*trying to think of a good word* ASSWHOOPING?? BEAT DOWN?? I don't know..but Jeez... To see the Broncos play as badly as that has removed any last remaining doubt that Pat Bowlen made a GIGANTIC mistake in firing Mike Shanahan and hiring Josh McDoofus...he single handidly sent away all our best players and created a mish-mash of New England rejects and banged up has-beens (i.e. Laurence Maroney).. Anyways..had to get this off my chest...At least San Diego is struggling with the same record at 2-5, but hey their game against New England was at least competitive!! LOL.. Wow.. who would have thought that the Kansas City Chiefs would be the AFC West leaders.. Anyways, next up for Denver...the London game against San Francisco.. I do hope they spend the long plane ride pondering the error of their ways!! But if we lose to the 49ers, as they might have said in the Tower of London, Josh McDaniels..."OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!" lol..

[tdalton]

At least they've got the game with the 49ers coming up. With the Bills actually showing some life yesterday against one of the supposed Super Bowl favorites, the 49ers are without question the worst team in the league and have rather suspect leadership at this point in time. That's a franchise that's truly reeling, so the Broncos and their passing attack should make easy work of them. The good news is that they get that game where they should blow-out the 49ers and then get to head into the bye week on a winning note while also having a chance to fix quite a few issues.

[The Dove]

At least they've got the game with the 49ers coming up. With the Bills actually showing some life yesterday against one of the supposed Super Bowl favorites, the 49ers are without question the worst team in the league and have rather suspect leadership at this point in time. That's a franchise that's truly reeling, so the Broncos and their passing attack should make easy work of them. The good news is that they get that game where they should blow-out the 49ers and then get to head into the bye week on a winning note while also having a chance to fix quite a few issues.

True tdalton...thats the best case scenario..lol.. But Denver has always had a disturbing trend of beating the teams they weren't supposed to beat and then losing to some of the lowliest teams in the league..so I'm VERY worried about them going up against a desperate 49ers team who must be licking their chops!!

[hcmv007]

The Saints could be marching again-Bush and Thomas could be back, offense looks on track, and Pete Carroll will get a fine Louisiana welcome from the LSU fans in attendance for the Saints next home game on the 21st!


Rex Ryan dressing like his brother-awesome! Wonder if Cleveland can knock down another team more talented then them yet again.


Shanahan-WTF are you thinking/drinking/smoking? McNabb is in good shape, knows the offense and is your best shot to win. Grossman is not an NFL quality QB.


Super Bowl predictions I made look rough, but lets see how it plays out.