2009 NFC East Preview: Eagles or Giants?

The New York Giants are not very flashy but they will play very physical and prevent teams from scoring many points. Therefore, the G-Men are my pick to win the NFC East Division.

Plaxico Burress is gone from the team, leaving a gaping hole in their offense that has yet to be filled. They drafted WR Hakeem Nicks from North Carolina in the first round, but the question is if he can step up now as a solid replacement.

The Giants’ success now falls squarely on the shoulders of quarterback Eli Manning, as he will have to be able to utilize all the players on offense instead of having that one go- to guy.

The Giants led the NFL in rushing on the strength of Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward each posting 1,000-yard seasons. Though they lost Ward to Tampa Bay, Ahmad Bradshaw should fill in capably as the lightning to Jacobs’ thunder.

The strength of this team lies in their offensive and defensive lines which will make them a legitimate contender in 2009.

If the Giants don’t win this division, then the Philadelphia Eagles will.  The Eagles are a popular pick in 2009 not only to win the NFC East, but to be the NFC’s Super Bowl representative.

The Eagles may emerge as the division’s most talented team. However, head coach Andy Reid needs to improve on certain little things, for example, time management in the fourth quarter.

Philadelphia also needs to abstain from over-relying on running back Brian Westbrook for offensive production. They need to have balance on offense and their WRs will need to improve.

Philly decided to go out this off season and get some offensive weapons for long time QB, Donovan McNabb. By trading for All Pro left tackle, Jason Peters and drafting WR Jeremy Maclin in the first round, the Eagles hope to protect McNabb’s weak side while giving him another target to throw the ball to.

With these and other key player acquisitions, Philadelphia filled most of their holes on both sides of the ball and probably now have the most balanced team in the division.

This leaves the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins to battle it out for the cellar.

The Dallas Cowboys are now Tony Romo’s team.  This team is now squarely in the hands of QB Tony Romo.

Well, Romo has to continue to deal with both the Jerry Jones’ circus environment and the lack of leadership as well as poor leadership from Head Coach Wade Phillips. Phillips is simply too laid back to inspire this team to finally get a post season victory. 

Romo is an athletic passer. He is capable of posting big numbers, and he still has reliable TE Jason Witten and talented, inconsistent  wide out Roy Williams to throw to. Whether it’s Marion Barber, Felix Jones or Tashard Choice getting the ball, the Cowboys are set at running back.

While they still maintain the nucleus of their talent, there are significant questions on their ability to score points. Last season’s 22.6 points per game put them in the bottom half of the league and very little has been done this off season to correct this.

On defense they seem to be more solid and last season were ranked eighth overall. It will be the defense that will have to carry them in 2009.

The Washington Redskins are still trying to figure out who they are as a defense but they will be solid and will carry the team.

Will the Redskins score enough points with Jason Campbell under center again? Probably not, but I do have a wait and see attitude.

Besides, Clinton Portis is not getting any younger at running back.

Quote of the Day: 
In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place. 
–“Mahatma” Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

 

1 John 1:7“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

2009 AFC North Preview: No Super Bowl Hangover in Pittsburgh

Will the Pittsburgh Steelers repeat as Super Bowl champions? What a loaded question!

After Pittsburgh’s 2005 Super Bowl, the Steelers experienced 2006 hangover. However, I do not expect the same after the 2008 Super Bowl win.

Almost all important players are back and who knows—the Steelers may get even better in 2009.

 

 

Pittsburgh not only survived, they thrived playing the NFL’s toughest schedule in 2008.  So why not expect even better things for 2009?

Ben Roethlisberger makes mistakes but he is very athletic and he is a proven, pure winner.

Is he an elite QB in the NFL?

While he does not pile up the statistics, Big Ben extends plays with his mobility and he makes the plays needed to help his team win.

WR Santonio Holmes still has room to improve, Hines Ward is entering the twilight of his career, and even Limas Sweed could step up.

The Steelers offensive line improved in the playoffs after an inconsistent performance during the 2008 regular season. Thus, the rushing game only ranked No. 23 in the NFL.

 

The Steelers defense was simply phenomenal a season ago. Look at some of the results: fewest points allowed, second against the pass, and second against the run.

Pittsburgh defense swarms to the ball the quickest and they gang tackle the most effectively of any defense in the league. NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison, leads a dominant front seven and Troy Polamalu will keep making plays in the secondary.

 

 

The Baltimore Ravens are Pittsburgh’s only real competition in the North and there is so much to like about them.

The Ravens look like a playoff team again and could make things interesting in the North if Flacco continues to improve and if he has another wideout other than Derrick Mason that elevates his game.

Joe Flacco’s strong arm finally gives the Ravens a real passing attack. Therefore, their passing game makes their running game much better.

Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain pounded opposing defenses for an AFC high 148.5 yards per game in 2008.

Having a competent offense allows the defense to rest more often. Baltimore’s defense is aging but it is still effective, as LB Ray Lewis still covers a lot of ground at linebacker and Ed Reed led NFL with nine picks in 2008.

 

 

Now we are left with the two NFL teams in Ohio to battle it out for last place in the AFC North. I apologize to fans of the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns for my sarcasm, but both teams annually struggle.

Just flip a coin to predict which of these teams will finish in the cellar of this division. Or throw a dart.

Who gets the shortest straw?

Because of QB Carson Palmer, I predict the Bengals will finish third place in the AFC North for the 2009 campaign. However, now that Palmer finally gets healthy, T.J. Houshmandzadeh is no longer around.

I’m just not in the mood to discuss Ocho Cinco, a.k.a. Chad Johnson. But fans may follow his tweets at Twitter.

Palmer may finally get some pass protection after the Bengals spent a first-round pick on offensive tackle Andre Smith.

I am guilty of underrating Cincinnati’s defense. It was quietly the twelfth best in the NFL last season, which was the franchise’s best ranking in nine years. Veterans Roy Williams and Tank Johnson should only help it get better.

 

 

Then we have the Cleveland Browns remaining. This team annually plays like its on a season-long hangover, interrupted by a few games in which they impress us.

Eric Mangini is coaching, Braylon Edwards’ hands are unreliable, and Kellen Winslow Jr. is gone.

QB Brady Quinn should get his opportunity to start and lead the team, although he’ll have to battle Derek Anderson again.

The Browns’ defense was ineffective last year but Mangini just might fix it. He brought along a group of his Jets players: Kenyon Coleman, Eric Barton, David Bowens, and Abram Elam should get Cleveland’s defense closer to respectability.

 

 

2009 AFC West Preview: Chargers to Win Again

The big question regarding the AFC West is not who will win the division in 2009, but how deep will the San Diego Chargers go in the postseason?

The Chargers have proven they can handle the Indianapolis Colts again and again, but in the playoffs, they struggle against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots.

Like the AFC East, selecting the expected champion for the 2009 season is easy. It’s evaluating the other three teams that is so challenging.

The San Diego Chargers will easily win the NFL’s easiest division. The Chargers simply have the talent and they lack competition in their division.

Phillip Rivers is developing into an elite NFL quarterback, showing improvement season by season. His wide receivers are also improving, especially with towering Vincent Jackson emerging as their No. 1 target.

We were down on LaDainian Tomlinson in 2008, as he hobbled through the season and lost carries to Darren Sproles. But maybe LT has one more healthy and inspirational season left in him.

With a healthy Shawne Merriman returning, the Chargers defense will play consistently better than they did in the 2008 campaign.

Okay, someone will have to place second in the AFC West. I reluctantly select the Denver Broncos.

Losing QB Jay Cutler may prove to be a disaster for new head coach Josh McDaniels. If the Broncos maintain an effective running game, the offense should do okay with QB Kyle Orton.

Denver’s defense is simply a disaster, particularly against the rush. So why am I predicting the Broncos to finish second?

I may be wrong, and Kansas City may emerge, if they all of a sudden play fundamentally sound like the Atlanta Falcons turned things around last season. That is a big if.

The Chiefs acquired quarterback Matt Cassel from the Patriots in the offseason and we will find out exactly how good of a QB Cassel is. Is Cassel talented, or a product of a system?

Dwayne Bowe and Mark Bradley are his wide receivers and they are competent. Will Larry Johnson surprise us with a productive season in the backfield, if the passing game works out, and he faces fewer eight-man fronts?

The Chiefs’ defense was terrible last year, but it has nowhere to go but up. First-round pick Tyson Jackson should help with the pass rush in the new 3-4 scheme.

After going 2-and-14, Kansas City has no where to go but up.

The Oakland Raiders finished the 2008 season on a positive note. However, they still won’t find the endzone often enough.

Quarterback JaMarcus Russell’s passing game is still among the worst in the league, as he still struggles to read NFL defenses. Rookie Darrius Heywood-Bey more than likely won’t be the answer this season.

Their running game should be respectable with Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas, if they avoid injuries.

Defensively, the Raiders have issues regarding getting to the opposing quarterback, which puts major pressure on their secondary to make plays.

Quote of the Day:
If you haven’t got charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.
–Bob Hope

2009 AFC East Preview

Is it too soon to pencil in the New England Patriots as the AFC representative of the next Super Bowl? Yes.

Is it too early to declare the Patriots the AFC East Champions? Probably not.

A season ago, the New England Patriots won 11 games without QB Tom Brady. With Brady in full health, the Patriots are obvious favorites to win the AFC East.

New England is easily the most talented team of this division An offense featuring one of the best offensive lines, a core of weapons at WRs, and an improving group of RBs will dominate the AFC, much less the AFC East.

Youth has been added on defense, and that means quickness and durability. The Pats finished strongly in 2008, going 5-1 in their final six games, including 4-0 on the road.

And yes, I expect New England to return to the Super Bowl, but I expect that the Pittsburgh Steelers—and perhaps the San Diego Chargers—could stand in their way. 

Notice I didn’t mention the Indianapolis Colts. More anlaysis of the Colts will be given in my AFC South preview article. 

The AFC East Division is a real challenge as far as predicting which teams will finish second, third, and last.

While the Miami Dolphins had a great bounce back season in 2008, they are “rewarded” with a tough 2009 schedule. Opposing coaches have had an entire offseason to adjust and prepare their defenses for the Wildcat offense.

There is also the question of whether Chad Pennington will repeat his fine performance of last year. The way they play defense and pound the ball on the ground, I like their chances of finishing 9-7 or 10-6.

The Buffalo Bills have the talent to finish second in the AFC East and to compete for a wildcard playoff position; however, their mediocre coaching annually interferes with potential success on the field.

The Bills have a reliable rushing attack, and I expect Terrell Owens to play well until the bitter cold and wind of winter settles in. Buffalo has a solid core of WRs.

Their defense is good enough to keep the offense in the game, but it seems that the Bills tend to snag defeat from the jaws of victory, especially in games they need to win the most. The Bills look like an 8-8 or 9-7 team.

The Jets, on the other hand, appear to me as a 7-9 or 6-10 type of team. Rex Ryan will change the New York Jets into the Baltimore Ravens of the AFC East—that means a fun-to-watch, dominating 3-4 defense and a conservative, limited offense.

However, with their solid offensive line and decent cast of skills players, I expect rookie QB Mark Sanchez to start and have a better season than the Detroit Lions rookie QB, Matthew Stafford. It’s interesting that these two first-round draftees have become friends and support one another.

In summary, the AFC East belongs to the Patriots, as long as Tom Brady stays healthy.  The Dolphins, Bills, and Jets are solid teams who at times will be fun to watch, but are nowhere near the elite levels of New England and Pittsburgh.

 

Quote of the Day:
A thing is not necessarily true because badly uttered, nor false because spoken magnificently.
–Saint Augustine of Hippo

Psalm 18:30“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

John Kasay Was Inspired to Inspire Others

Please read Panthers’ PK John Kasay, Man of Inspiration at The Charlotte Observer‘s website.  This story grasped my heart as well as my intellect.

Too often, I view athletes primarily through a lens of statistics and accomplishments.  Frequently, we tend to stereotype placekickers in the NFL as eccentric oddballs or nerds who can help their team win a game with a needed field goal as the time runs out.

Therefore, I enjoy reading, reflecting, and responding to a human interest story about an athlete, even a placekicker who has kicked in the NFL seemingly forever—19 seasons.

I see that Kasay wants to lead a conference to inspire NFL coaches and their wives to inspire others.  Kasay, his wife, and his outreach ministry are all inspirational.

But guess who in this story inspires me the most?  Kasay’s high school coach: Billy Henderson of Clarke Central High School in Athens, Ga. 

Henderson is 80-years-old and retired now.  I used to live in Georgia and I recall a few of Henderson’s Clarke Central teams losing in the AAAA or AAAAA State Championship game two or three times to Valdosta High School. His teams annually competed into the state of Georgia playoffs.

Between his high school and NFL career, John Kasay kicked for my Georgia Bulldogs, also in Athens, GA.

Please read the article again.  Think about the person or people who inspired you and your life.

Behind almost every athlete, not matter how successful or not they end up performing on the professional level, was a coach, a parent, a teacher, or a community leader who inspired them in middle school or in high school, if not both.

Behind almost every writer here at Bleacher Report who inspires us, there was probably one or more people in their lives who inspired them to be the best that they can be.

Isn’t that a significant part of what life is really all about?

Panthers Quickly Sign Several Undrafted Free Agents

According to numerous Internet reports, particularly NFL.com and Charlotte.com, the Carolina Panthers wasted no time with signing several quality undrafted free agents.

Penn State’s Gerald Cadogan, at 6-foot-5, 309 pounds, who some analysts had projected to be a third or fourth-round pick, will backup left offensive tackle Jordan Gross. Cadogan’s 40-yard dash time of 5.12 seconds was tied for fourth best among offensive linemen at the NFL combine back in February 2009.

Louisville quarterback Hunter Cantwell was also signed.  He filled in for last season after Brian Brohm left for the pros with the Green Bay Packers. Cantwell passed for 2,493 yards, with 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He becomes the No. 4 quarterback behind Jake Delhomme, Josh McCown, and Matt Moore.

Another signee is Penn State safety Anthony Scirrotto, a team captain for the Nittany Lions who had 66 tackles and a fumble recovery.

The Panthers, with veteran free agent Jason Kyle unsigned, snatched California LS Nick Sundberg, a former walk-on who spent four years working exclusively as California’s long snapper.

Carolina also landed Rutgers tight end Kevin Brock.  Brock started only six of 13 games last season, catching 26 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns.

LSU defensive tackle Marlon Favorite was another free agent signed by the Panthers.  He was a part-time starter last season, starting only seven of 13 games, and although he has not shown much as an inside pass rusher, he is much better against the run.

And add West Virginia linebacker Morrty Ivy to the roster. He started the past two seasons, playing WLB in 2007 and SLB in 2008. Ivy had 90 tackles, six pass deflections, and three interceptions last year.

Also signed was Illinois linebacker Brit Miller, reported to be a hard-nosed player had 132 tackles from the middle linebacker position.  As a team captain, he led the Big Ten in tackling.

Pittsburgh C/G C.J. Davis was another signee by Carolina.  He started the first seven games at left guard last season and then filled in at center when the regular starter was injured.

The seven other players signed by the Carolina Panthers are Wesley College KR/WR Larry Beavers, Louisiana-Lafayette WR Jaron Chery , Connecticut center Keith Gray, Morgan State DT Lonnie Harvey, Purdue LB Anthony Heygood, Michigan State DT Justin Kershaw, and Bishop College RB Jamall Lee.

 

 

Quote of the Day:
Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.
–Goethe

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

How Did My Team Do in the 2009 Draft?

How did your team do in the 2009 NFL draft?

Obviously, it takes about two or three years to objectively analyze a draft. Our immediate analysis reflects a draft’s potential.

As expected, the Detroit Lions selected Matthew Stafford No. 1 overall.

As unexpected, at least by me, via a trade with Cleveland, the New York Jets selected QB Mark Sanchez from USC.

Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree surprisingly fell to No. 10 in round one. Crabtree joins a San Francisco 49ers team in need of a big-play receiver.

Recall that Crabtree was unable to run for scouts due to a stress fracture in his left foot that was repaired surgically. He is expected to be fully recovered by the start of training camp.

The last pick, Mr. Irrelevant, is South Carolina Gamecocks placekicker Ryan Succop,who went to the Kansas City Chiefs with the 256th pick, the final selection of the 7th round.

How did my team, the Carolina Pantehrs, do in the 2009 draft?

I think that the Carolina Panthers drafted significant value despite not having a first-round pick, and therefore, they had a very good couple of days.

The Panthers prudently moved up to the No. 43 spot in the second round in order to select FSU DT Everette Brown. Brown is not a sure thing but he has strong reputable character and will look good as a pass rusher opposite Julius Peppers.

Corvey Irvin, DT, Georgia, was Carolina’s third-round pick. He is a solid pick but he may not be ready to start in his rookie season.

Texas A&M RB Mike Goodson was an interesting pick in round four, given that the team passed up local talent, Andre Brown of N.C. State, to take a player who will be no better than a third-stringer.

With their next pick, the Panthers made Tony Fiammetta from Syracuse the first fullback selected.

The fifth-rounder Duke Robinson of Oklahoma can play all three offensive line positions and he is likely to play a role with the Panthers reasonably soon.

The Panthers wrapped up their draft by taking South Carolina cornerback Captain Munnerlyn in the seventh round. Carolina had traded their sixth rounder for this pick with the Oakland Raiders. Munnerlyn also returned punts and kickoffs for the Gamecocks.

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