NFL Preview Part II

So, my AFC preview was released on Saturday, so now that that is out of the way, here’s my NFC preview.

NFC East
1. Giants – Yes, I am a Giant fan, but that’s not why I picked Big Blue to win the NFC East.  Their defensive is excellent and I think Eli Manning will shoulder the load on offense.  Of course, it always helps when Brandon Jacobs can drop his should and run over any linebacker in the game.
2. Eagles – I think the Eagles will do some things on offense that no one has ever seen before.  As long as Donovan McNabb buys into whatever that may be, they will be just fine.
3. Cowboys – I think Dallas’ PR guy can start writing Head Coach Wade Phillips’ obituary.  I honestly just don’t think the Cowboys are that good.  Tony Romo has been inconsistent for most of his career and without a big play receiver or back (sorry, Marion Barber), Dallas misses the playoffs.
4. Redskins – Sorry.  Jason Campbell isn’t a franchise quarterback and you can’t win football games by buying the most expensive free agents.  They won’t be good enough to keep pace in this division.

NFC North
1. Packers – This is the toughest division in football in 2009 and I agonized for a few seconds when making this pick.  I like Green Bay as the team in the division with the fewest holes.  No, I won’t explain that.
2. Bears – Jay Cutler immediately makes the Bears a Super Bowl contender, but I worry about their secondary on defense.  That’s the onyl reason they don’t win the division.
3. Vikings – Hemingway once wrote “The Old Man and the Sea.” When I used to play pond hockey in the winters, my friend’s Dad called himself “The Old Man and the Ice.” Brett Favre will be “The Old Man and the Dome.”  My money is on him running out of gas week 14.
4. Lions – The Lions won’t go winless again, but don’t expect them to win more than four games.  Things are looking up in Detroit with the arrival of Matt Stafford.

NFC South
1. Falcons – Matt Ryan and the Falcons should handily win this division.  Hmm.  I think that’s all I need to say about them.
2. Panthers - The Panthers are another team on the decline.  Jake Delhomme and Julius Peppers have peaked and the Panthers aren’t deep enough to make a serious run at the Falcons.
3. Saints – Their offense is rarely the problem.  The problem is that their defense is a sieve and there is no sign that will change in 2009.
4. Buccaneers – A rebuilding year for Tampa.  Josh Freeman is the quarterback of the future, which is a problem because there’s no quarterback of the now.

NFC West
1. Cardinals - I give the edge (narrowly) to the reigning NFC champions, but they are a much different team without Anquan Boldin, so keep an eye on his situation.
2. Seahawks – They have a lot of receivers.  A lot.  Now, how about that running game?
3. 49ers - Without a proven quarterback, teams don’t usually go that far.  This is the problem with the 2009 49ers.  I wonder why they let Jeff Garcia go to Oakland…
4. Rams – They only certain thing in this division is that the Rams finish in the basement.  My boy Steve Spagnuolo will have them competing in no time, just not this year.

NFL Preview Part I

Cue the theme from Monday Night Football, it’s pigskin season!  After baseball, football is my next favorite sport and of course, the Giants are my team.  So, without further introduction, here are my 2009 football previews.  We’ll start with the AFC today and on Monday we’ll post the NFC.

AFC East
1. Patriots – A healthy Tom Brady means the Patriots own this division until further notice.
2. Jets – I like the attitude new coach Rex Ryan is instilling in this young team and if Mark Sanchez plays well, they could surprise some people.
3. Dolphins - Everyone knows about the Wildcat now, although no one has seen it with Pat White, yet.  I don’t think the fins will sneak up on anyone this year and I expect a small setback from the good things they’re doing in Miami.
4. Bills – The T.O. show can only take a team so far, so I think the Bills are destined for a season in the basement of the AFC East.  They’re more than a five win team, however.

AFC North
1. Steelers – This is a two-team race and I expect it to be very close.  I give Pittsburgh the advantage for having a seasoned quarterback and the best defense in the league.
2. Ravens – The D is getting a little older, but the offense continues to improve.  I think Rutgers product Ray Rice becomes the feature back and has a good year to help Joe Flacco and the Ravens make the playoffs.
3. Bengals – Which Chad Johnson/Ochocinco will show up this year?  The guy that plays great football as a sideshow to his comedy act or the unhappy, whiney guy?  That alone will be the difference between a 5-11 season and a 7-9 season.
4. Browns – Not even the Manginious can turn this Browns squad around as Cleveland faces a tough schedule.  The team’s success will depend on the quarterback, which is expected to be Brady Quinn.

AFC South
1. Colts – This division will be much tighter than Peyton Manning is used to, but he should still lead the Colts to another divison title.
2. Texans – They have a favorable schedule this year and I think will finally make an appearance in the playoffs.  That Mario Williams over Reggie Bush pick makes Houston look smarter every year.
3. Titans - Kerry Collins can’t keep this up forever, can he?  If not, there’s no way Vince Young is ready for prime time (will he ever be?).  They’ll push the Titans for the second spot, but this is a team on the decline.
4. Jaguars – This is probably the end of the Jack Del Rio era in Jacksonville.  He put all his eggs in the David Garrard basket and while he’s better than Byron Leftwich, he hasn’t made that jump to a guy who can carry his team.

AFC West
1. Chargers – I’ll be shocked if San Diego loses any games in the divison this year, but since they play the NFC East also, they will lose games… just not enough to keep them from running away with the west.  I think they clinched this division when Jay Cutler was dealt to Chicago.
2. Chiefs – By process of elimination between the three remaining teams, the Chiefs get second place.  KC appears to be on the right track as long as Matt Cassel proves he’s legit and wasn’t successful just because he was playing for the Patriots.
3. Broncos – Josh McDaniels will be a good head coach for this team, but not this year.  Denver needs another new quarterback as Kyle Orton won’t be leading them to the playoffs anytime soon.
4. Raiders - Honestly, I have no idea what’s going on in Oakland and it really doesn’t matter anyway.

PLAYOFF TEAMS: Patriots, Steelers, Colts, Chargers, Texans, Ravens

Burress Pleads Guilty

Talk about a downward spiral.

Plaxico Burress was on top of the world when the Giants won the Super Bowl in February 2008, catching the game-winning touchdown.  As of Thursday morning, however, he’s headed off to prison for two years in a plea agreement stemming from his weapons indictment a couple weeks ago.  In case you forgot, Burress had a concealed weapon and managed to shoot himself in the leg in a night club in Manhattan last year. At his grand jury testimony, Burress reportedly told the entire truth and admitted to everything, throwing himself at the mercy of the grand jury, hoping they didn’t indict him.  Unfortunately for Burress they did and he was staring at 3-15 years in prison if he was convicted on all counts – a real possibility since… you know… he admitted to everything.  So Burress settles for two years in jail (does Rikers Island have a room for him?).

I fully expect NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to do what he did with Michael Vick and suspend Burress indefinitely.  With his size alone, Burress could be back in an NFL uniform in two years, but time is working against him.  He’s 32 now and should be in the prime of his career.  Oops.

The NFL has been hit hard by bad PR in the last several weeks, with the whole Vick ordeal, Donte Stallworth pleading guilty to vehicular manslaughter, and now this.  I hope professional athletes take note that they’re not invincible and that they use this as motivation to start making better decisions off the field.