25. Houston - I still don't buy that they suck as bad as they did last year. They were killed with injuries. If their oline ever upgrades, they finally see the true Dominick Davis. Not saying he is great, but honestly, how can you tell how good he is behind that oline? You're also wasting Andre Johnson's potential top 5 receiver talent. Improved on both ends, puts them as the best of the worse tier.
24. Cleveland - Sorry guys. I swear I want to get a black lab, and name him LeCharles. Its the greatest name ever. Upgraded the oline a bit, and Frye has some experience now. Edwards is healthy, as is Winslow. They should improve to a slightly below average offense, with a whippty doo defense. Not great, but better than those behind them.
23. Baltimore - Someone get Darling some playing time. Very impressive player, though hes a 3rd stringer on that roster right now. McNair should add to the equation, but Mason will eventually notice hes old, and McNair will eventually go down and need hip replacement surgery. The defense is sexy, but half of those guys have injury issues to worry about. (well lately). They have a horrible RB situation, where Musa Smith outplayed Jamal Lewis by a mile, and neither one of them are scary. Their oline sucks. the defense should keep them in games, but McNair is in for it. He had a better oline with the Titans, and he still got beat around and injured. Ravens also have to play Pittsburgh and Cincy twice. Quoth the Seahawk, not this year.
22. Minnesota - Wow, what a rubix cube. Rbs everywhere. Receivers everywhhere. Last year was the Flight of the Seahawk. This year is the Seahawk's Revenge. You're going to get whats coming to you, and it includes a beating at the hands of your ultra superior. No defense, suspect offense...if you're oline wasn't good, you'd be below Cleveland. Have fun in mediocrity, Hagar the Hutch.
21. Tennessee - Young team, that will be tough to play again. You're not going to recognize half of their roster, but im sure opponents will quickly learn. They need a QB though. Collins is a good start, and really their best option out there. Vince Young is and will be overrated. You cant run 20 times a game in the NFL as a QB. Otherwise, you're getting hurt. Michael Vick is a pretty average QB without his run game, so Vince, id suggest you start taking a different route.
20. St. Louis - Offense will be explosive. Defense will be exploitive. They do have the advantage of intimidating opponents with their home field. The smell of stink and the #1 city in america in STDs running through the air. Phil Collins wrote a song about it once...and his 'oh nos' were futile. Oh yeah, their oline. Forgot they had one. Ah, good ole Curly. Nyuck Nyuck Nyuck.
19. Arizona - Finally, Larry. Will, fitting with Larry Fitzgerald on their roster. They have one of the best starting duos in football, but nothing more. James will find...a new team after this season with that oline. Warner will find a new cot after Brenda gets done with him. They have 3 bright spots, one for each section of their defense. Berry, Dansby, and the very underrated Adrian Wilson. Anquan Boldin should start modeling a new uniform, as he might want one if this team ends up nowhere. They have a chance though, as does anyone in my top 20. But no oline, means no playoffs.
18. Washington - Pretty deep team at every position except the skill position on offense. Duckett is a nice pickup, but really, can Portis stay healthy? Duckett might not be very effective without a committee partner. Their defense isn't too bad, though they will miss Arrington. Really, they are heading downward. Typical of Washington DC.
17. Philadelphia - The definition of average. Everything is average. They have overrated CBs. 1 good, and 1 decent receiver. A good QB. A very good RB. Good dline. And great safeties. Eagles are always covered in bugs, and this one is no different. Problem is, its the injury bug.
16. Atlanta - Good at everything, but not great at anything. Hall is a monster. My problem with them is, Vick doesn't ever trust his offense, and always tries to do everything himself. If he would relax, this would be a good playoff team. I have no confidence that he will settle down, and that, coupled with their division, means I feel they will be left out of the playoffs. Their chances look beak. (ok that was bad).
15. Chicago - WOW...OHHHH MYYYY. Talk about overrated. What a pathetic team with a pathetic fanbase. They had the real crappiest division in football. At least our division had 3 competitive teams. They have no offense at all, really. Their oline is about average, and their QB situation has more men involved as Mariah Carey's legs on a daily basis. They do have a defense. Problem is, Mike Green's loss crushes them. And Vasher is apparently out for the year. Bada bing, bada boom...they'll make the playoffs with an inflated record, and get another reality check. Great Offenses, Great Defenses, Bare Headed QBs, OH MY!
14. Kansas City - Hardest team to figure out. I am one of two people who don't buy into Larry Johnson yet. Play a whole season, do your thing, take the hits, and run behind a now above average oline. Green is too old, and Gonzalez has to drop a bit this year. Not the greatest receivers, and a below average defense. Oh, and if Johnson drills 2000 yards, dont suck his peepee just yet. Remember two things...hes gotta do it consistently to be considered one of the greats. Hes also young right now.
13. Tampa Bay - Defense will be there, as always. The question is, how big of a step can Simms take? Clayton and Cadillac Williams make for a nice one-two punch, but do they have much depth behind them? Their offense is not a deep team, and they are below average across the oline. They are capable of making the playoff ship, but they can forget the booty. They'll be walking the plank pretty quickly.
12. New England - Well coached, with some good character, and quality hard workers. Problem is, Deion Branch. With him, they are a playoff calibur team. Without him, they plummet to a sub-.500 squad. They have some depth, but they need to hope Mangins can man the oline, and Brady can repeat last year's performance. If Branch gets traded, we're gonna hear another year of how they are cursed in Boston.
11. San Diego - Phillip Rivers. Everything rides on him. They have a good enough defense to get things done, but unless they employ some Pittsburghish blitzes with their safeties, the defense will be overrated a tad. Merriman was NOT the rookie of the year last year, and as good as he was, hes not automatically a top 5 LB. Top 10 either, even. I am smelling a big year from Tomlinson on the ground as hes hitting his primetime, but then again, looking at this computer, I see a computer. LT is expected to do well, but can he stay healthy with a big load? Their receivers are pretty shaky too, but luckily, Rivers has a young QB's best friend, a TE. They are a Wild Card at best.
10. New York G - Very solid team across the board, though they need to upgrade their secondary a bit more. Their oline is about average. The big key is Eli Manning, Mr. overrated. So many 'experts' said they saw things that puts superstar in his future, but as a guy who watches a TON of games, I can tell you, I failed to see it. (Giants were the 2nd most watched team by me last year, because well, Fox hates me). Manning was horribly inaccurate, and had luck on his side on several pass plays to his yeti receivers. Toomer might be taking a step back this year. The Giants have a small shot at getting to the NFC Champ, but they're going to need another team to upset Carolina or Seattle, because they won't be able to do it. This is another team that lacks depth behind his star starters.
9. Cincinnati - If I learned one thing, character matters. I have no confidence in the Bengals making the Super Bowl whatsoever. Their defense is suspect, and really thats what plagued them last year. They can score, but you're going to need more than one or two guys catching the ball. Johnson is hitting his prime, so thats a plus. Is Palmer ready to take some hits? Their oline may of now claimed the #2 spot in the NFL, behind Seattle of course. Give or take KC, Denver, NE, and Pitts. Did Palmer have THAT big of a----erm rest? (another bad pun!)
8. Dallas - Dallas is a threat. Not because of TO. Its because of their defense, and the balance of depth that goes with it. We're going to be hearing about TO all year whether hes in trouble, injured, or an angel. Hes overrated anyways. As a corner, I have to know nuances from receivers, and TO's stats mislead millions of people. Not to mention his popularity. He has the physical tools, but as a teammate---which counts, he hurts himself. He also drops a ton of passes and disappears against top corners. I do like his little pushoff at the line of scrimmage, something I now use to knock receivers off their routes. Want to throw stats at me? Go ahead, stats bounce off of me like girls in a bedroom. Can Bledsoe do it again? I think not, but they are scary.
7. Miami - I think im gonna love Miami...at least in February. Their defense has always been somewhat crafty, though they are starting to put too much emphasis on their offense, and now a lot of defections on the defensive side are going to start wearing on them. Culpepper was a nice pickup, especially for Randy McMichael and Chris Chambers. Speaking of Chambers, he has to be the most underrated receiver this side of Darrell Jackson. Both are top 10 receivers in football when healthy, and I have them both ranked ahead of everyone's favorite punk, TO. Culpepper to Chambers, whos hitting his prime, is going to be a monster duo. Now for that average oline...and injury risks...
6. Jacksonville - Defense wins championships. I honestly think they have the best defense in football. Two reasons. their starting lineup is the best in football, and they have depth everywhere. Possibly the deepest team in football, give or take Seattle. Their oline will have to hold up, and really thats a question mark. On paper, it looks average, though it has potential for a breakthrough this year. The offense should move up a bit, but injury risks could kill them. They need depth on offense.
5. Pittsburgh - The SteAlers. Buttholes. Cheaters. 2nd best. It was proven they were 2nd best when they took a beating at the hands of the Seahawks, then the refs...and, ugh, the rest is history. Their offense could beat up bad secondaries, but really, they are a 21-24 point team, which isn't bad at all. They have a good oline. Absolutely NO DEPTH on offense anywhere but maybe the oline. Their special teams is questionable with Randel El gone...their corners still aren't that great other than their size. The safeties include the dangerous TP, but a huge question mark next to him. Honestly, someone needs to pull a Pruitt on his butt. They have depth on defense, and the overrated Joey Porter, who just picked off a pass and returned it for a TD as I type this. Figures. I hate the SteAlers. What goes around, comes around...
4. Indianapolis - Best starting squad overall in the NFL. Good oline. Everyone looks rosy. Experts have been picking them for years, and still are to this day. I have continually picked against them come playoff time every year, and im always proven right. Experts ask is Manning can do 'it'. I say they have no depth, and they're exposed in the playoffs. People, I have been preaching this for years, and its never failed. Two things to be a SB threat. You need an above average oline. That is big in getting you to the playoffs. When the playoffs start, you're players are tired, bruised, and worn down. YOU NEED DEPTH. YOU NEED GOOD ROTATIONS. Its pathetic that no expert has gotten this yet. Its right in front of you, ESPN. They have no depth again this year, and a question mark at RB, and the question of whether Harrison will be up to his standards, which I vote yes. They are threats, but they're going to need a little luck.
3. Carolina - It was great last year. My favorite two teams in football fighting at my #1's stadium for a SB berth. Win-Win for me, though obviously I was rooting for the Seahawks. They got their heads bashed in. Yet, still they are being picked over us again and again this season. Johnson makes that much of a difference? Somewhat, yes he does. It opens the door for Smith. Two egos who want the ball, it might not mesh well. The defense will be there, but they're always getting injuries somewhere. Delhomme has looked terrible in the preseason. I think this team has the greatest potential for a downfall, but that have potential to win it all. I think they're a major threat, but when it comes to matchups...Average oline, good RB depth, great defense, but I dont have confidence in Delhomme. A good defensive squad with an offense would create major problems. Seahawks, Broncos, or SteAlers would eat them alive.
2. Denver - My pick last year to represent the AFC. They had it all, and I said it all rode on Plummer. The good Plummer showed up the whole year and he reverted back to the bad Plummer against Pittsburgh. They have a good oline, a potentially dangerous offense the way they run the ball, and with Walker being added to the team. Their defense is fast, aggressive, and dangerous across the board. Their dline may be a little suspect, but they have some depth to play with. It all depends on Plummer and another major receiving threat to emerge behind the injury risky Walker.
1. Seattle - Best team last year. Best team this year. Pretty simple. Best oline in the NFL. Deepest team in the NFL. Either young, or in their prime across the board. Best LBs in football. Best overall WR corps in the NFL. Best RUNNING BACK (pure runs, not catches) in the NFL. Best DLine rotation in the NFL. Top 3 QB in the NFL. Its looking good for our team. Their secondary is the biggest factor right now, as Trufant is still one of the better corners in the league when healthy, and the Safeties look great if they avoid injury. Problem is, Herndon is a 3rd stringer. Jennings is a rookie. Either way, they're both going to get picked on. The TE situation is hairy because our offense loves them, but they'll be back soon, and we got plenty of good WRs to utilize. This isn't the first time Stevens and Jackson have been injured. Mili either. Really the main worry is one injury to a safety, and its panick time...knock on wood. If there is any justice in life, this team will get whats coming to them. The world chico, and everything in it.
Playoffs
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Just Missed: AFC - New England, Kansas City, San Deigo; NFC - Atlanta
Wild Cards: AFC - 1. Cincinnati, 2. Jacksonville; NFC - 1. New York G., 2. Tampa Bay
Divisions: AFC - 1. Indianapolis, 2. Denver, 3. Pittsburgh, 4. Miami
Divisions: NFC - 1. Seattle, 2. Carolina, 3. Dallas, 4. Chicago
First Round
Dallas over Tampa Bay
New York G upsets Chicago
Jacksonville upsets Pittsburgh
Cincinnati upsets Miami
Second Round
Dallas upsets Carolina
Seattle over New York G
Jacksonville upsets Indianapolis
Denver over Cincinnati
NFC Championship
Seattle over Dallas
AFC Championship
Jacksonville upsets Denver
Super Bowl
Seattle over Jacksonville
The world is yours.
