NFL Talk 2008

[vonkaar]

My predictions: Dallas & San Diego in the Super Bowl, SD wins.

Division leaders:
NFC: Dallas, Minnesota, Arizona, New Orleans
AFC: New England, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, San Diego

[Reynaldo]

I don't see Rivers and Romo being clutch enough to win in the playoffs.

Prolly will end up being the Patriots vs. somebody again in the superbowl.

On a side note, something that pisses me off is the possession rule in the endzone. Time and time again you see these tards reach out the ball and dive into the endzone then fumble the ball when they hit the ground, but omg, it's a TD since they broke the plane.

Then in preseason, I see this catch in the endzone where the guy catches the ball clean, comes down with 2 feet, gets tackled and the ball comes out when he hits the ground, and they call it incomplete. Thats such trash since he had just as much possession as the running back who reaches the ball across then fumbles it out of bounds.

I do like the out of bounds rule now though. 2 feet or no catch, period. I'd love to see a lineman catch a RB in midair and just carry him over to the sidelines and throw him out to see the look on the officials faces.

[vonkaar]

I think Rivers just had a really bad year. Two years ago, people loved him... didn't miss Drew Brees... and his rating looked great.

Romo is in a similar spot as P.Manning was a few years ago... granted it's much worse having failed to win a single playoff game... but it's still just this monkey that he has to shake loose. He's a damn good qb and you have to know he'll get past that hurdle soon. No time better than the present since the Cowboys look like the deepest team in the conference. I went to the Texans/Cowboys preseason game a couple of weeks ago and the Barbarian was freaking dominant.

I also think Tomlinson is going to have another MVP-worthy season. I saw him in an interview a few weeks ago and he looked REALLY motivated... haven't seen him that pumped in a while. His knee is apparently 100% good to go and I think that Norv has that offense running really smooth - looked like it in the preseason game I caught. Plus, they have a RIDICULOUSLY cushy schedule... with all of their tough games at home and a stupid-easy late season ride, (Atlanta, Oakland, @KC, @TB, Denver) I think that this is the safer pick of the two.

Patriots, schmatriots.. boooooo

I think my runner up vote would be a Minnesota SB pick... which I would love. Peterson vs Tomlinson. Sweet!

[Xaiveir]

Division leaders:
NFC: Dallas, Minnesota, ARIZONA, New Orleans
AFC: New England, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, San Diego

Arizona? Really? They will be lucky to be a .500 team. Seahawks are better this year than last, by a LONG shot. Hawks win that division easily. Cant really argue with the rest. Colts probably instead of Jacksonville.

[vonkaar]

I have absolutely no faith in Seattle this year. Holmgren leaving... brand new rushing game... spotty defensive line... I think dark days lie ahead for the Seahawks. The whole division freaking sucks, but I see the Cardinals rising above the crap. Kurt Warner was arguably the top QB during the last half of the season... they had a solid draft and the rookies looked good in the preseason. I'm a believer!!

[Arlos]

You honestly think that Arizona is going to win the NFC West? Seriously?

Warner lost it YEARS ago. If he hadn't, he'd still be in St. Louis. Yeah, they have a couple decent WRs, but one of them doesn't even want to be there, and their line is iffy at best.

No, every year someone out there seems to get excited about Arizona and calls it their year, and every year they suck donkey balls. This year won't be any different.

Seattle is going to take the NFC West, easy, and I say that as a near 30 year fan of the 49ers.

-Arlos

[vonkaar]

Rofl, I'm getting the same treatment on another board... I try to make one outlandish call every year to keep it interesting. It's the 'speculation' area of my portfolio. My call is that Seattle is going to get MUCH worse and Arizona will improve. 9-7 for AZ, 8-8 for Seattle. They will go 1-1 h2h, like last year.

I want to see all of your picks damnit =).

[Arlos]

OK, here's mine:

NFC West: Seattle
NFC North: Green Bay
NFC South: New Orleans
NFC East: Dallas (oh, how this pains me to say. /hate /hate /hate Dallas. Jerry Jones should DIAF)

NFC Wild Cards: Minnesota, NY Giants

AFC West: San Diego
AFC North: Pittsburgh
AFC South: Indianapolis
AFC East: New England

AFC Wild Cards: Jacksonville, NY Jets.

I'm with you on San Diego going to the Super Bowl from the AFC, and even with you on winning the whole thing. I'm not so sure on who will get there from the NFC, though. Could easily be Dallas, could be the Giants again, I just don't know.

-Arlos

[Xaiveir]

Brand New running game? Thats good...REALLY good. They made a huge improvement in the running game. Not sure if you even watched a Hawks game last year (who does outside of Washington), but they had NO running game, at all. The offensive line is better this year, the running game is vastly improved, and problems at defensive line? Really? It may be undersized, but its actually pretty good. They have 2 very good DEs, and their tackles are solid. They have the best linebacker trio in the NFC (poss in the NFL) (note i said trio, not individually), and improved secondary.

You also saying Holmgren's last year is bad? If anything that would be a boost to the team. The only weak spot on the the team i see, is the kicking game, from losing Josh Brown (yet our new kicker has a great name, and is decent), and lack of depth/experience at the WR position. Seattle will be 11-5 this year easy. I would not be surprised to see them play Dallas in the NFC championship this year. Dallas would give them issues though.

[vonkaar]

Xavier: I said spotty defense and NEW running game... along with a new coach. Julius Jones is a good back, and Duckett isn't bad... but you have 2 of 3 RBs coming into a brand new system that didn't even exist the year before. Way too many 'ifs' for Seattle to IMPROVE.

Arlos: I still like the Giants but not enough to put them in the SB two years in a row. That's a special thing and I just don't think the Giants are 'special' enough. I also think Green Bay (with basically a rookie QB) over Minnesota is just as much a stretch as Arizona over Seattle.

[Arlos]

Except Minnesota's QB is not much more than a rookie either. Green Bay had an awesome year last year, and has a lot of talent. All that didn't just vanish because Favre left town. While Rogers has never run the team in a real game, he's had 4 years now to pick up the offense and learn from one of the better QBs ever. Remember, it was a toss-up whether Alex Smith or Rogers would be taken 1st by the 49ers that year. (Smith got picked largely because Rogers refused to do these stupid goofy exercises Nolan wanted, like throwing bombs while on your knees, etc.) So, I don't think Green Bay's dropoff will be anywhere near as large as you seem to expect it to be, which means Minnesota will have a hard time gaining.

Now, if Favre had GONE to Minnesota, I'd be putting them first, no question. Indeed, he's why I picked the Jets for the Wild Card. But as it stands, Tarvaris Jackson is at least as big a tossup as Rogers is, and I think there's overall more talent in Green Bay, with the notable exception being the running game.

-Arlos

[Xaiveir]

Yeah i reversed it when i wrote it first. I did Say spotty running game, instead of new running game. I think i am dyslexic today.....i edited as you were writing that hehe.

But seriously....new backs in this system is not hard. Its similar to what both have run before. But even new to the system, that is an improvement. I dont think you know how BAD the running game was last year. It is absolutey amazing to me that we made the playoffs last year (even in this division) with how piss poor our running game was. Shawn Alexander was bad, our offensive line was not great, and having Hassleback out for afew games made it even worse.

[vonkaar]

Exactly...
'if' the hand-me-down running backs perform well
'if' the team properly adjusts to the new coach (defensive coordinator... and the defense looked bad last year... )
'if' hassleback stays healthy
'if' the defense plugs its holes

Even 'if' all of those turn positive and they win the division, you can't possibly put them ahead of New Orleans, NYG or Dallas... and I argue that even if all things work out for Seattle, Minnesota is still the better team.

Favre was soooo much more important to GBs success than you are giving credit, Arlos. Yeah, Rogers has talent... but remember that something like 10% of the 'hot qbs' coming out of college do anything in the NFL. Asking him to fill the shoes of Favre and do it with even 50% competency is a large request.

[Xaiveir]

Exactly...
'if' the hand-me-down running backs perform well
'if' the team properly adjusts to the new coach (defensive coordinator... and the defense looked bad last year... )
'if' hassleback stays healthy
'if' the defense plugs its holes

Even 'if' all of those turn positive and they win the division, you can't possibly put them ahead of New Orleans, NYG or Dallas... and I argue that even if all things work out for Seattle, Minnesota is still the better team.

Ooooooh come on Vonk, dont be that guy. You are better than that. I already covered the "hand me down" running backs. Those,nomatter how you slice it, are an improvement over what the Seahawks had last year. The running game will get better....period. An added bonus on that is the Offense can actually incorporate Screen plays back into the system. Those ones that Holmgren used so well in SF as an offensive coordinator, and the ones that were used so well in GB with Favre. Shawn Alexander could not catch a football to save his life, so they took the screen plays out. That alone will be a big improvement.

If Hasslebeck stays healthy? Really? He has never been injury prone, so im not sure where this comes in. If ANY playoff caliber team loses their signal caller they are in trouble. So you can assign that IF to your cowboys and Romo as well. Thats pretty much a given, and a straw man argument that is pretty much an "if" for any playoff team.

The Defense looked bad last year? If they fill their holes? Really? I mean REALLY? You are talking about the 6th best defense in the league as it pertains to Points allowed (17 points more than the vaunted NE defense, and only 7 points more than the dominating chargers D). They had 45 sacks which was good for 4th in football last year (1 behind dallas 2 behind NE) and one of the best takeaway teams as well. Which are some of the true indicators at how well they performed. Especially, with the no running game, and starting QB out for half the year last year, not to mention the shoddy punting game. The defense was put in horrible positions last year, and they pretty much carried the Seattle team to the playoffs last year. The defense is arguably one of the top 5 defenses in football, and certainly not rated below 10th. If anything this is one of the biggest strengths, not an "if".

My guess is you are basing the "bad defense" on the one game you probably saw of the Seahawks last year, when they got demolished in Greenbay, in the playoffs. Which was not as much fault on the defense (yes they looked bad) as it was the offense.

[vonkaar]

ok, so... I'll back away from (retract) the defense argument because I sort of had my 'lineman' reversed. I remembered some key lineman injuries and saw those as a giant gaping hole, (never questioned your secondary, they rule)... but 1 quick google showed that it's the offensive line that had the injuries, so I'll shut up =p.

"Spotty" offensive line. Mea culpa.

And Hassleback has supposedly battled a bad back this off-season... missed a few games last year. He's not getting any younger. Your center is destroyed, Engram is out for half the season... Branch is questionable for the opener... Obomanu is out... The injury list isn't as rosy as you make it seem.

And stop with the "your cowboys" thing... I'm 80% NBA, 18% NFL and 2% hockey... "My Mavericks" is correct, Cowboys are just the local team for a sport I love.

[vonkaar]

Although... one quick point... "points allowed" while playing in the amazing NFC West isn't really much to brag about. Holding San Fran to 3 and 0, St Louis to 6 and 19 and Arizona to 23(loss) & 21 sorta lowers the stat (12ppg average in divisional games (5-1 record), 21.9ppg otherwise (5-5 record)). And while that might support the point of winning the division in 2008, I still think Arizona will have a much better year this time around =).

[Tikker]

the seahawks will win 6 or less games this year I think

I don't think the Chargers will be going too deep in the playoffs this year

[Kramer]

Pats and ________ this year

The Chargers Success = Rivers stepping up + a receiver (besides Gates) stepping up

[Reynaldo]

AFC:
Pats
Browns
Jags
Chargers

NFC:
Cowboys
Vikings
Saints
Seahawks

[Arlos]

OK, I cannot for the life of me see why anyone is picking Jacksonville over Indy. Did Peyton Manning die or something when I wasn't looking?

Nor can I understand picking Cleveland over Pittsburgh. Also makes no sense to me. Yeah, Cleveland improved. Improved is not the same thing as being ready to win the division, however....

Oh, and what, no one else has the balls to pick wild cards?

-Arlos

[Phlegm]

Jaguars vs. Cowboys.

[Evermore]

you people have too much faith in Wade Phillips...

[Eziekial]

I don't care about any other team than the Dolphins and my expectations are pretty low after last season

[Harrison]

Patriots, schmatriots.. boooooo

FUCK YOOOOOUUUUUUUU!

Lol sorry, rabid fanboyism kicked in...

[Lionking]

AFC:
Patriots,Browns,Jags,Colts,Chargers,Steelers

NFC:
Giants,Cowboys,Vikings,Lions,Saints,Seahawks

AFC Title Game:
Chargers over Jaguars

NFC Title Game:
Cowboys over Saints

Superbowl
Chargers over Cowboys