NFL: Preseason Prognostications Were Pretty Accurate

Just like every sportswriter in the nation, I made some predictions back in September about who was going to the playoffs. Unlike the rest of those guys, I’ll own up to my calls. Here they are:

AFC Playoff Teams:
New England Patriots
Indianapolis Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Diego Chargers
Miami Dolphins
Tennessee Titans

Dark Horses:
Jacksonville Jaguars
Cincinnati Bengals 

NFC Playoff Teams:
New York Giants
New Orleans Saints
Chicago Bears
Seattle Seahawks
Philadelphia Eagles
Carolina Panthers 

Dark Horses:
Arizona Cardinals
Green Bay Packers

Amazingly, I got four out of six right in each conference. That’s not bad, but I was hoping for better. Here’s a brief rundown of the highlights.

I correctly noted you have to give the Patriots and Colts automatic bids until they prove otherwise. I don’t see any proof.

Of the Chargers, I wrote: “I’m not sure how good the Chargers are. I am sure they play in the same division as the Chiefs, Broncos, and Raiders. Put San Diego on the board.” As accurate as that turned out to be, I think I may have sold San Diego short. They are playing really good football right now.

On the Bengals: “If the reconstituted offensive line keeps (Carson) Palmer clean and can open some holes for Cedric Benson, the Bengals are going to be the surprise of the league in 2009.” Okay, I wasn’t surprised, but a lot of people were.

My thoughts on the Saints? “What do you get when you cross one of the most prolific passers in the NFL with a quality defense? A division championship.”

And there was this on Philadelphia: “There’s just something about the Eagles. They scratch and claw and find a way to win enough games to be in the thick of things in the final week.”

Of course, I made some boneheaded calls too. Like betting the Steelers wouldn’t suffer a Super Bowl hangover, or this gem on the Panthers: “there’s just so much to like, starting with Jake Delhomme. . . .”

Speaking of quarterback disappointments, how about this line from my analysis of the Bears: “Jay Cutler’s a guy who can make a difference in a tight game. Expect him to.” Oh, he made a difference alright. It just wasn’t a positive one.

Smartest Thing I Wrote:

“Okay, this is pretty simple. If you fire one of your coaches before the season starts, you have a huge managerial problem.”

Records of teams that fired a coordinator before the start of the season: Bills 6-10; Chiefs 4-12; Buccaneers 3-13.

Dumbest Thing I Wrote:

“Brad Childress has an awesome defense and the best running back in the league. All he needed was a franchise quarterback. So it’s too bad he signed Brett Favre. Favre passed the playoffs away last year and the Super Bowl the year before. Opposing cornerbacks should be licking their chops.”

Favre’s Touchdown to Interception Ratio in 2009: 33-7
Vikings’ Record:12-4 

Super Bowl Prediction:

So now that the tournament is about to start, who do I think is going to win it all? I’ll take the Bengals over the Saints in the Who Dey vs. Who Dat Bowl. It probably won’t happen, but that’s what I’m rooting for. If it does come true, I’ll come back and gloat in February.

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Blame Raiders, Not Bengals, For Sunday’s Upset

It’s easy to look at the Raiders’ stunning 20-17 upset of the Bengals Sunday and say Cincinnati choked. It was a trap game, and the Bengals fell into it hard.

 

After all, go the arguments, they lost three fumbles. They missed a field goal. They gave up three sacks. They only scored 17 points on a two-win team. They had an emotional let-down after a big win in Pittsburgh.

 

But before anyone starts crying, “Same old Bengals that can’t handle success,” it might be worth noting that the Raiders played a pretty good game.

 

Maybe that statement is as shocking as the score yesterday, but Oakland deserves credit for executing a sharp game plan.

 

Consider: The Bengals had the second-best run defense in the league and had been putting a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They sacked Ben Roethlisberger four times last week.

 

So the Raiders, starting a backup quarterback, put together a max-protection scheme and had Bruce Gradkowski throwing it quickly. That neutralized the Bengals’ pass rush.

 

With Cincinnati running back Cedric Benson out, the Raiders loaded eight men in the box to stop the run and blitzed the daylights out of Carson Palmer, so he wouldn’t have time to find an open receiver.

 

Rookie running back Bernard Scott may have had 119 yards rushing, but 61 of it came on a single play. Otherwise, he averaged 2.8 yards per rush.

 

This wasn’t Cincinnati playing down to the level of its opponents. The Bengals just plain got beaten.

 

Yes, they lost three fumbles, two in the red zone. But those were all great plays by the Raiders. Yes, they dropped a few passes, but not many. Palmer may have been sacked, but it wasn’t due to breakdowns on the line. The Raiders rushed more guys than the Bengals could stop.

 

The Raiders may not be a good football team, but they played a stellar game against Cincinnati and pulled it out. If the Bengals need to learn anything from this loss, it’s how to counter the game plan they faced on Sunday.

 

So it may be tempting to sling mud at the Bengals for losing a game that, at least on paper, they should have won. But if you’re looking to point fingers at someone for Sunday’s disappointing loss, you should start with the guys in the black and silver uniforms.

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Larry Johnson Gamble Shows Bold New Philosophy from Bengals Management

A lot has been made of the Cincinnati Bengals’ decision to sign troubled ex-Chiefs running back Larry Johnson. Monday, Bengals.com columnist Geoff Hobson correctly predicted it will be “debated hotly through the hills and valleys of Bengaldom.”

 

Some see it as a great move, gaining insurance for the playoffs, especially since feature back Cedric Benson is nursing a hip injury.

 

Others think Cincinnati is introducing a locker-room cancer into a close-knit team, torpedoing what has been a special season thus far.

 

And some figure it can’t hurt, because, at a pro-rated league-minimum salary, Johnson costs the Bengals nothing to cut if he’s a problem.

 

Lost in all this speculation, though, is what the move says about Bengals management. It’s easy enough to talk about Johnson as a huge gamble, but that really puts the focus on Johnson and not the Bengals.

 

The truth is signing Johnson says very good things about how the Bengals are managed.

 

Pretend for a second it wasn’t Larry Johnson the Bengals acquired. Pretend it was anyone else who could play reasonably well and add some depth to a position that would be frighteningly thin if the starter went down.

 

At 7-2 with seven games to play, the Bengals saw themselves in position to make a move. Two things could probably derail a playoffs run in a matter of seconds—losing Carson Palmer and losing Cedric Benson.

 

So there were the Bengals minding their own business when, suddenly, a two-time Pro Bowl running back hit the market. “You know,” head coach Marvin Lewis likely thought, “if that guy is willing to do things the way we want here, he could really contribute to us making a deep run at a championship.”

 

And when did that thought occur to Lewis? Last Thursday. Before Benson got hurt.

 

There’s a new way of thinking in Cincinnati. The Bengals have decided they are going to do what is necessary to win games. We saw it from the coaches in the offseason. We’ve seen it from the players during the season. Now, management is getting in on the act. Owner Mike Brown pulled the trigger on a controversial deal because it just might earn him something his father never had—a Lombardi Trophy.

 

This is aggressive, win-now thinking. It’s the kind of move the Patriots have made (Corey Dillon? Randy Moss, anyone?) multiple times. Ask Robert Kraft how it’s worked out for him.

 

It’s unclear right now whether Johnson can make good on his last chance the way Dillon and Moss did, but the Bengals management team should be praised for stealing a play from Bill Belichick and Co.

 

If it works, this little controversy will be forgotten, as, in the words of Bengals founder Paul Brown, “winning makes believers of us all.”

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Cincinnati Bengals’ Win Over Steelers Sunday Shows a Different Team from 2005

It wasn’t that long ago. The Cincinnati Bengals invaded Heinz Field tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They left victorious with a lock on the division.

 

Sound familiar? It is a little. A 94-yard kick return by Tab Perry set up a Rudi Johnson touchdown that effectively sealed the game. A gritty performance by the Bengals kept them in it, even when it looked like the Steelers were rallying.

 

But something was very different in that 2005 game than Sunday’s most recent win in Pittsburgh.

 

Before leaving the field, TJ Houshmandzadeh wiped his cleats with a Terrible Towel. The Bengals strutted around the field declaring the balance of power in the AFC North had shifted. Cincinnati had arrived, and everyone should bow down.

 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t true. The Bengals lost their final three games of the year—one to a weak Buffalo team; one to the Chiefs when they rested their starters for the playoffs; and the final one in the playoffs to those very same Steelers they had vanquished only a few weeks before.

 

Things didn’t get any better. They beat the Steelers again at Heinz in Week Three of the following season, but then didn’t do it again until 2009. Cincinnati didn’t win more than eight games in any season after the balance of power in the AFC North allegedly shifted.

 

The Steelers have won two Super Bowls since then. The Ravens have finished above the Bengals every year. So much for things being different.

 

But this year, there’s reason to think they might be. No one got out a Terrible Towel after Sunday’s 18-12 win that put the Bengals alone atop the division. In the interviews, the Bengals were mostly humble.

 

“It’s scary because everybody’s going to be patting us on the back and telling us how good we are,” quarterback Carson Palmer said after the game. “We’re not good enough to win the Super Bowl now; we have a long way to go. We’re not good enough to make a dominant playoff run….”

 

Is he talking about the team that’s ranked second in the AFC? The team that dominated the Bears, Ravens, and Steelers in its last three contests? That team isn’t good enough for a deep playoffs run?

 

Maybe Palmer is exaggerating, but the attitude is right. You don’t get the sense the Bengals feel they’ve accomplished much. They don’t act like they’ve “arrived.”

 

And he’s not the only one carrying that new attitude around.

 

“It’s a great win for us,” DT Domata Peko said, “but we have to look forward to the next week.”

 

OLB Brandon Johnson sounded a little happier, saying “I’ve never experienced anything like this,” but he was quick to point out the season wasn’t over: “On to the next one. Bring on the Raiders.”

MLB Dhani Jones perhaps put it best: “You can’t rest on the laurels of just a win. There’s a lot of season left to go. Yeah, it’s a big win, but at the same time we have more games to play. That will affect the outcome of the season.”

 

The 2005 Bengals were a good team, but they didn’t have this attitude, and it showed when Palmer got hurt in the playoffs loss to the Steelers. When things went wrong, they completely unraveled.

 

Things are different now. If the current attitude stays, Carson Palmer will be wrong—this team will be poised for a deep playoffs run.

 

And the balance of power in the AFC North may well have actually shifted this time.

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Bengals Face Another Big Test Sunday Vs. Steelers

It just doesn’t get any easier for the Cincinnati Bengals, does it? A week after passing a big test against the Baltimore Ravens, here come the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

For the second week in a row, the Denver Broncos, which beat the Bengals on a miracle play, failed to offer any help. After getting crushed by the Ravens a week before Cincinnati faced Baltimore in a rematch, the Broncos gave a similar performance against the Steelers. Pittsburgh matched the Bengals’ 6-2 mark. Cincinnati is going to have to do it on its own.

 

Maybe it’s better that way. The Bengals have been struggling for respect all season. Half the national experts have the Steelers ranked above Cincinnati in their power rankings despite the fact that the Bengals beat Pittsburgh and smashed the other team to defeat the Steelers this season, the Chicago Bears. Odds haven’t come out for the game yet, but you can bet Cincinnati will not be favored to win.

 

So the Bengals are going to have to prove it, and that’s better for their season anyway. With both teams at 6-2, a loss leaves the Bengals looking up. Had Denver done them a favor, they’d have had the cushion of Pittsburgh only being able to pull into a tie. Now, they have to win if they don’t want to fall off the pace.

 

If Cincinnati wants to be regarded as one of the elite teams in the league, this is one of those games it must win. Go into a hostile park. Beat an arch-rival. Wrest control of the division away.

 

For the past nineteen seasons, the Bengals have folded under pressure. There were a few exceptions—perhaps most memorably the 2005 trip to Heinz Field that essentially secured Cincinnati’s first AFC North title. For the most part, though, this is the time when the Bengals buckled under the pressure. To prove they’re not that team anymore—to make the fans really believe—they have to win.

 

That’s life in the NFL. That’s playing Big Boy football. You can’t rely on help from anyone else. You have to do it yourself.

 

And when the moment for greatness arrives, you have to seize it. Sunday, we find out how great the Bengals really are.

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Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears: At Last! Game Shows What Bengals Could Be

This is what the fans have been waiting for. This is what the coaches have been asking for. This is what everyone associated with the Cincinnati Bengals, from owner Mike Brown to the water boys, has been praying for.

 

It wasn’t the blowout victory, although that was nice. It wasn’t the no-turnover performance by the offense, although that was helpful. It wasn’t even the Bengals’ bouncing back from a tough loss to deliver a dominating performance.

 

No. Quite simply, the Bengals played their first complete game of the season, and the results were not only exceptional, they were staggering.

 

Carson Palmer threw five touchdowns passes— two of them to Chad Ochocinco. The Bengals scored on their first seven possessions of the game, producing six touchdowns. Cedric Benson had a career day, rushing for 189 yards and a touchdown. The defense forced four turnovers.

 

There were no dropped passes. There were no critical fumbles or interceptions. There were no drive-killing penalties. There were no missed tackles. The Bengals just executed for four quarters.

 

What a difference.

 

To be sure, a complete game effort isn’t going to produce a 35-point blowout every week. It might not even produce a win every week.

 

But the Bengals proved they might just be one of the league’s elite teams with their 45-10 drubbing of the Chicago Bears. When everyone played the way they were supposed to for four quarters, there was no stopping Cincinnati.

 

After a bye next week, the Bengals draw tougher opponents than the Bears in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. We’ll see just what sort of character they have after a week off and when playing tough divisional opponents.

 

But if their mindset is right, the Bengals should remember two things: they’ve beaten both of those teams already, and a complete game is what they need to guarantee victory.

 

It’s too early to predict wins in those match-ups, but the long-awaited full-game effort by the Bengals against the Bears serves as inspiration— to both the fans and the team— that Cincinnati can do whatever it wants, no matter the opponent.

 

If Sunday’s effort becomes the norm, then opponents will be yearning for those incomplete games from earlier in the season.

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Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears: At Last! Game Shows What Bengals Could Be

This is what the fans have been waiting for. This is what the coaches have been asking for. This is what everyone associated with the Cincinnati Bengals, from owner Mike Brown to the water boys, has been praying for.

 

It wasn’t the blowout victory, although that was nice. It wasn’t the no-turnover performance by the offense, although that was helpful. It wasn’t even the Bengals’ bouncing back from a tough loss to deliver a dominating performance.

 

No. Quite simply, the Bengals played their first complete game of the season, and the results were not only exceptional, they were staggering.

 

Carson Palmer threw five touchdowns passes— two of them to Chad Ochocinco. The Bengals scored on their first seven possessions of the game, producing six touchdowns. Cedric Benson had a career day, rushing for 189 yards and a touchdown. The defense forced four turnovers.

 

There were no dropped passes. There were no critical fumbles or interceptions. There were no drive-killing penalties. There were no missed tackles. The Bengals just executed for four quarters.

 

What a difference.

 

To be sure, a complete game effort isn’t going to produce a 35-point blowout every week. It might not even produce a win every week.

 

But the Bengals proved they might just be one of the league’s elite teams with their 45-10 drubbing of the Chicago Bears. When everyone played the way they were supposed to for four quarters, there was no stopping Cincinnati.

 

After a bye next week, the Bengals draw tougher opponents than the Bears in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. We’ll see just what sort of character they have after a week off and when playing tough divisional opponents.

 

But if their mindset is right, the Bengals should remember two things: they’ve beaten both of those teams already, and a complete game is what they need to guarantee victory.

 

It’s too early to predict wins in those match-ups, but the long-awaited full-game effort by the Bengals against the Bears serves as inspiration— to both the fans and the team— that Cincinnati can do whatever it wants, no matter the opponent.

 

If Sunday’s effort becomes the norm, then opponents will be yearning for those incomplete games from earlier in the season.

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Painfully Predictable: Sunday’s Loss To Texans Easy To See Coming

If the Cincinnati Bengals needed a wakeup call, they got it loudly at Paul Brown Stadium this past Sunday. For five weeks, the Bengals have been flirting with disaster. Sunday, they found it. There was no fourth-quarter miracle. There were no Cardiac Cats.

 

And it’s easy to see why.

 

·        The league’s leading rusher (Cedric Benson) only managed 44 yards against the league’s sixth-worst run defense.

·        Both tight ends fumbled the ball away on critical possessions.

·        A red-zone interception killed the last drive.

·        Multiple dropped passes forced punts.

·        Two drives were short-circuited by penalties.

·        Missed tackles led to multiple big plays and touchdowns.

 

In the Bengals’ defense, losing DE Antwan Odom and DT Domata Peko on the first series severely hampered what the defense was able to do.

 

But that doesn’t explain away the poor tackling or the inability to generate first downs. Plain and simple: The Bengals were not ready to play on Sunday.

 

You’d like to believe this was an aberration, that Sunday’s flop was just a hiccup. But this has been happening all season.

 

·        Against Denver, the offense didn’t show up until the last drive.

·        At Green Bay, Carson Palmer kept the Packers in the game by throwing two interceptions that resulted in touchdowns.

·        Against Pittsburgh, the Bengals waited until the second half to get going.

·        At Cleveland, they fiddled around until there were four seconds left in overtime to win.

·        At Baltimore, they went six consecutive series without a first down.

 

This time, there was no magic. The hole was too deep before the Cardiac Cats tried to dig out. The mistakes were too many.

 

The Bengals are standing at a crossroads. Will they shake this off, wake up from their doldrums, and finally play a complete game? Or have we seen the best Cincinnati is capable of this season? If it’s the latter, this season is going to end on the couch for the playoffs again.

 

It’s time for the Bengals to get serious about winning football games. That means playing four quarters of football. All the talent is there.

 

But, as has so often been the case in recent seasons, the execution (and perhaps the will) is lacking.

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Preseason Prgnostications, Part Three: The Outsiders

For the past two days, I’ve been telling you who is going to make the playoffs. I selected eight teams from each conference as likely candidates.

Today, we focus on the 16 teams I think are doomed. Some of these picks are obvious. The sporting world will be stunned if some of them make the postseason. Others are teams that have a shot but will likely end up short.

But take note, because in January I’ll check out how I did. Then you can throw rotten fruit at me for being wrong. Unless I’m right.

 

Atlanta Falcons: There’s a lot of talent in the ATL, and they’re looking to build on last season’s unexpected success. But the Falcons have never had two consecutive playoffs seasons. Ever. I’ve got to bet that way until they break the streak.

 

Baltimore Ravens: Of all the teams I left off the list, this was the hardest decision. The Ravens are sure to give people fits again this season, and it might seem insulting to say the AFC runner-up won’t make the playoffs. But Willie Anderson isn’t there to anchor the line this year, I suspect Joe Flacco will have a sophomore slump, and it’s been 10 years since Ray Lewis was a Super Bowl MVP. I know the guy’s been tough, but how much longer can he do this? I think Baltimore comes up a few short at the end of the season.

 

Buffalo Bills: Okay, this is pretty simple. If you fire one of your coaches before the season starts, you have a huge managerial problem. Seriously. How could Dick Jauron not know Turk Schonert wasn’t his man before training camp? You don’t win in the NFL with that kind of decision-making.

 

Cleveland Browns: The Browns got the Mangenius to run the show, but even he can’t resurrect this stinker in a single season. He’s got a quarterback controversy (that he shouldn’t have), his best receiver is in Tampa Bay, the defense has holes, and they don’t have a feature running back. Things might start to gel for the Browns late in the season, but it’ll be too late if they do.

 

Dallas Cowboys: I just don’t believe in these guys. There’s a lot of talent here, but the Cowboys find ways to let things slip away when it really matters. Maybe the loss of T.O. will be as good for them as it was for the Eagles, but I just don’t see them making the plays when the season is on the line.

 

Denver Broncos: A new head coach has to establish things are going to be different. However, alienating your franchise quarterback by trying to trade for a guy who hadn’t earned a starting job since high school before settling on a guy who couldn’t win the Bears’ top start doesn’t make for a winning combination. Remind me how this is better than Mike Shanahan’s two Super Bowl victories.

 

Detroit Lions: The Lions should win a few games this year. That’ll be progress. Matt Stafford’s in for a rocky ride.

 

Houston Texans: There’s a lot of talent on this team, and I like Gary Kubiak. But the Texans play in the toughest division in the league, and I just can’t bet on them until they prove it. Maybe this year they will, but I’m not holding my breath.

 

Kansas City Chiefs: Remember what I said about Buffalo? They have a lot a more talent than the Chiefs. Todd Haley’s first season at the helm is going to be painful.

 

Minnesota Vikings: Brad Childress has an awesome defense and the best running back in the league. All he needed was a franchise quarterback. Too bad he signed Brett Favre. Favre passed the playoffs away last year and the Super Bowl the year before. Opposing cornerbacks should be licking their chops.

 

New York Jets: Like the Browns, the Jets have a highly regarded new coach. They’ve also got a top-five draft pick at QB. Sanchez has shown some promise, but I don’t see him as the second coming of Dan Marino, who led the Dolphins to the Super Bowl his rookie season. It’s a steep learning curve in the NFL, and the AFC East is no place to try to make it in one season.

 

Oakland Raiders: This team is a train wreck. The coaches are punching each other’s lights out, they overpaid for their No. 1 draft pick, and there still doesn’t seem to be any sort of a plan. Al Davis is one of the greatest owners in NFL history, but he’s soiling his legacy. It’s time to step down, Al.

 

San Francisco 49ers: Frank Gore is a great runner, but he’s languishing in San Fran. The 49ers play in a weak division, so it’s possible they might make a run at the playoffs, but I still haven’t seen enough pieces in place to believe it’s going to happen.

 

St. Louis Rams: Like the Browns, the Rams have a new head coach with an excellent reputation. Like the Browns, St. Louis is a year away from being able to cash in on that pedigree.

 

Tampa Bay: Remember what I said about Buffalo and Kansas City? My opinion hasn’t changed. Raheem Morris might get a mulligan for being a rookie head coach, but it still isn’t going to get the Buccaneers to the playoffs.

 

Washington Redskins: I love Jim Zorn, but he’s got an owner who keeps throwing ridiculous contracts at guys who made their reputations elsewhere. Daniel Snyder keeps trying to buy a championship, but it just doesn’t work that way in the NFL. A high-priced free agent should complete the puzzle you built through the draft. Until Snyder proves he’s figured that out, I can’t make myself bet on the ’Skins.

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Preseason Prognostications Part 2: The NFC

Yesterday, I made my predictions on who’s going to represent the AFC in the playoffs. Today, we’ll look at the NFC.

First, a brief reminder of the rules. I only pick playoffs teams, not Super Bowl winners.

I pick eight teams—six I think are in and two dark horses. If one of the dark horses makes it, that counts as me being right. Regardless, I’ll own up to my picks in January.

Picking the NFC has been really difficult the last few years. The conference runs as a very large pack for most of the season. An elite team or two emerges by November, and the Lions are usually out of things before Thanksgiving.

But there’s a ton of teams with only six or seven wins that seem to be in it with only a game or two to go. I wish I could pick more dark horses in this conference.

Oh, well. Here’s my best guess. 

 

Playoff Teams (in no particular order)
New York Giants
New Orleans Saints
Chicago Bears
Seattle Seahawks
Philadelphia Eagles
Carolina Panthers 

 

Dark Horses
Arizona Cardinals
Green Bay Packers

 

New York Giants

The Giants’ defense remains solid, Eli Manning is reliable, and Brandon Jacobs is a terror from the backfield. That should add up to a fine curtain call for the Meadowlands. It won’t be easy—the NFC East is not a nice place to play—but look for the Giants to have a little more grit than the competition.

 

New Orleans Saints

What do you get when you cross one of the most prolific passers in the NFL with a quality defense? A division championship. Who dat can beat dem Saints?

 

Chicago Bears

Chicago finally has a quarterback. It’s questionable whether he has anyone to throw to, and the Bears’ defense fell off last season, finishing 30th against the run. Still, Jay Cutler’s a guy who can make a difference in a tight game. Expect him to.

 

Seattle Seahawks

Matt Hasselbeck is back. T.J. Houshmandzadeh has come to town. There’s a solid stable of running backs and a reputable defense. Jim Mora has all the makings of a successful recipe here, but how well can he fill Mike Holmgren’s shoes? Well enough.

 

Philadelphia Eagles

I don’t know why I keep picking these guys, since they let me down more often than not, but there’s just something about the Eagles. They scratch and claw and find a way to win enough games to be in the thick of things in the final week. My bet is they do it again.

 

Carolina Panthers

This is another team that lets me down when I pick them, but there’s just so much to like, starting with Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith. The Panthers should be able to bully enough teams out of the way that they end up playing in January.

 

Arizona Cardinals

A Super Bowl hangover. A quarterback as old as the franchise. A malcontent wide receiver. This just doesn’t look like a playoff team to me. But they’re in the weakest division in the conference, and maybe they can overcome all that.

The Cardinals are very talented on paper. If they put the distractions behind them and focus on football, they can make a run at another conference championship. Maybe.

 

Green Bay Packers

The Packers are switching to a Dom Capers 3-4 defense. That’s usually a good thing, but can they make the transition in a single year?

Aaron Rodgers has plenty of weapons on offense, but is he a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback? The Packers should make things exciting this season. If they score enough points, they might just make the playoffs.

 

Tomorrow: The 16 that didn’t make the cut.

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