About B*!!*y Time! NFL and Ref's Reach Agreement!

I love it when you write a report on a particular situation, it gets published in a New Zealand media site with your name incorrect and then a couple of hours later a development makes that report obsolete. Well this happened to me yesterday when I wrote an article on the current contract negotiations between the NFL and referees. Later that day it was announced that they had indeed reached an agreement and they will officiate NFL games starting today. This article deals more with aftermath of the agreement and the impact it has on the league and the owners specifically.

After a needless year long contract stand off between the NFL and the NFL Referee Association an agreement was finally reached yesterday. The result comes as a relief to all those involved in the league after the debacle that's transpired in the first 3 weeks of the regular season. Replacement ref's from Division III  College football and the Lingerie Football League (not kidding, look it up, just not on the work computer) have instead officiated and the results were disastrous. The ref's were shown to be well out of their depth. Their calls have consistently inconsistent and they have allowed themselves to be bullied by coaches and players. Yet the NFL and the referee association showed no urgency to compromise and get a deal done while the NFL became a breeding ground of anger and frustration.

 It took the now infamous 'inaccurate reception' play last Monday, which cost the Packers a win, for both sides to realise that enough damage had been done. All the frustration from players and fans boiled over after the game and the owners could no longer ignore the fact that they needed to settle the dispute now. The owners relented to most of the referees demands. They now have some of the best part-time positions in the world right now, working a quarter of the year and getting paid on average US $150,000 plus pension benefits. The ironic thing is that these ref's are seen as saviours when in reality these ref's have made plenty of bad decisions in the past. It won't take long for people to start complaining about poor performances form these ref's. At least they won't put up with the bullying tactics from coaches or players.

The sad thing about this whole situation is the great hypocrisy and arrogance that the owners have shown in the whole process. They have consistently said that the integrity of the game is one of their top priorities. Yet their unwillingness and stubbornness to pay the ref's a comparatively measly sum of roughly $50 million dollars over eight years has really confirmed that it's business first, integrity second for the owners. It's not like the NFL is currently in hard times, it makes $3 billion each year on broadcasting rights alone, not to mention ticket sales and merchandise. 

If history shows us the NFL has to be very careful with how they treat their product and their consumers. It's the most popular sport in America right now but for how long? Major League Baseball was the most popular sport in America for the majority of the 20th Century and the National Basketball Association dominated the 80's and 90's. Yet both have made way for the NFL in the first decade of the 21st century as the most lucrative sport in the USA. The reason it has become so popular is because the games themselves are managed professionally and with minimal outside influences. The inept performances of the replacement referees raised genuine concerns that the game would be vulnerable to match fixing if they continued to officiate. Both the MLB and NBA have dealt with match fixing scandals in the past which has tainted the leagues significantly. 

This whole saga has, in the short term, affected the reputation of the NFL. It may still affect the league in the long term, especially if the owners continue to focus on monetary gains and not the integrity of the game. Fans of sports won't put up with it forever, they will just move onto another sport. Just look at the 'sport' of Boxing. Corruption and match fixing along with the governing bodies unwilling to tackle these issues sincerely as resulted in it becoming marginalised and irrelevant. I'm hoping the NFL doesn't go the same way.

A couple of interesting statistics from the past week to finish off-

• The touchdown call on Monday affected more then just Green Bays win total. According to sports-betting website pregame.com almost $150 million was lost by punters worldwide who gambled on the Packers to win, a $300 million swing altogether in favour of the bookies. With such inconsistency in the replacement ref's decisions it's not unreasonable to think that somebody would try to fix a result if they had continued to officiate. It would be very difficult to identify whether a call was due to match fixing or incompetence.

• Not one player has been ejected from a game so far- the replacement ref's just didn't have control of the games and it showed in the amount of scuffles after plays. Expect this to be dealt with by the 'real' ref's immediately.

• Last week was the first time that quarterbacks Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers have all lost in the same week. It really goes to show how crazy the start of this season has been.

Great sporting moments-Maradona's goal vs England

When you think of brilliant individual sports moments which turn a game, you have to include Maradona's goal vs England in 1986. It was, in fact, voted by fans as the "Goal of the Century" on FIFA.com in 2002. It remains, 10 years on, the defining moment of his career, the moment where a plucky 5"5 Argentinian took on half the England team and won.

The 1986 World Cup quarter final was hanging in the balance at the start of the second half when Maradona shocked England by scoring two goals in 4mins. His first was the infamous "Hand of God" where he blatantly used his hand to punch the ball into the net. The second, though, was legitimately a masterpiece...

Receiving the ball 60m away from the goal, Maradona proceeded to out-dribble and juke around six English players to score. The ease with which he runs around the English is astounding, it almost looks like he's on a fast-forward setting, compared to the rest of the players. In today's game, this play would never have happened due to the physical nature of the game.  Therefore, this goal will stand alone as the best single run of all time.


Argentina would eventually win the match 2-1 and would go on to win the tournament. Maradona won the best player of the tournament award and would become known as one of the Top 5 greatest football players, ever. Nothing was more instrumental in his becoming a football legend than this goal.

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Real Deal or Mirage- Are NFL teams Displaying or Masking their True Colours?

The great thing about the NFL is that, on average, 5-6 new teams make the playoffs each year.  This year, teams who were expected to win are struggling and teams seemingly destined to mediocrity are exceeding expectations. The first two weeks of the season are always the time of big upsets and over hyping average teams who start well.  So I wanted to have a look at the most intriguing teams so far and breakdown whether they will continue on the path that they seem to be setting or whether it's just a mirage.

San Francisco 49ers 
Record: 2-0

Many (including myself) expected that the 49ers would take a step back this year, after their breakout 13-3 season, last year. Well, they sure proved that notion wrong after beating fellow playoff favourites Green Bay and Detroit  in a convincing fashion over the last two weeks.  The defence is stifling and downright nasty. With leaders like Patrick Willis it creates ample turnovers. The run game is also dominating oppositions right now which allows them to control the clock. Even though their Quarterback, Alex Smith,  is not a dynamic player, he doesn't turn over the ball, which is key.  The only way teams are going to beat them is getting ahead of them and forcing them to throw.

Outlook- They are the best team in the NFL, they are an early contender to be the the NFC champions..

Philadelphia Eagles
Record: 2-0
Despite turning the ball over nine times in their first two games the Eagles have somehow won both.  You can only run on luck for so long though.  Head Coach Andy Reid is known for assembling talented teams who are madly inconsistent.  He is also a very stubborn coach when it comes to play calling, to the detriment of the team.  The best example of this is that he continually allows QB Mike Vick to throw and expose his brittle body to hits like this one when he has one of the best running backs in the NFL in LeSean 'Shady' McCoy. This week's game away against the red-hot Cardinals will be another hard game for the Eagles, especially with the mounting injuries amongst their Offensive line.

Outlook:  There is no way Vick can stay healthy for the full season considering the frequency with which he is being hit.  When he misses games the Eagles are really going to struggle to compete and I see them missing the playoffs, especially being in the competitive NFC East division.

Atlanta Falcons 
Record: 2-0

No team was more hyped to have a successful season than the Falcons after the preseason games.  After relying on a conservative run game over the past four years, they have decided to become a passing team and the results have been promising.  Having beaten the hapless Chiefs, away, they beat a good Broncos team at home.  QB Matt Ryan is looking great, passing to perhaps the best wide receiver duo in Roddy White and Julio Jones.  The defence also looks solid.  Another challenge awaits them this week as they travel to face the 2-0 Chargers.  This will be a good litmus test for both teams to see whether they are legit playoff prospects this year.  I think the Falcons are a better team though and I expect them to come away with the win.

Outlook: With their rivals The Saints struggling, the Falcons should be considered favourites to win the NFC South.  The defence needs to be more consistent but the signs are looking good for the Falcons to do well this year.

New Orleans Saints
Record: 0-2

The Saints had the worst off season possible with the 'Bounty Gate' scandal which resulted in their head coach and offensive coordinator being banned for one year and 8 games respectively. This has really showed in the first to games, losing both games and looking nothing like the team that won the Super Bowl only three season ago. The defence is the main issue as they can't stop the pass or the run right now, conceding a combined 75 points in both games. With Drew Brees commanding the offence they will stay competitive but he can't do it all himself.

Outlook: The Saints will improve and will be competitive all year long but I think the loss of head coach Sean Payton has been underestimated and this team is going to struggle to make the playoffs. Their defence is just not good enough to stop anybody- pure and simple.

Arizona Cardinals
Record: 2-0

The biggest surprise of the season so far.  Nobody expected the Cardinals to win their  two opening games, they are now 9-2 since last season, thanks to their elite defence and special team's play. The win against the Patriots was even more remarkable because the Cardinals offence was atrocious, yet they still won.  Not enough  media coverage is being given to just how bad the offence is, especially their offensive line and QB. Kevin Kolb is a horrendous QB and it's a real shame as they have arguably the greatest WR in the NFL right now, Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals gained  a measly 7 first downs in total, as opposed to the Patriots 17, for instance.  Their defence will have to contain the opposition to less then 20 points if this team has any chance of winning.

Outlook: The defence keeps them competitive but this team can't score and in a QB dominated league, that just doesn't cut it these days. I can't see them making the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs
Record: 0-2

The complete opposite to the Cardinals are the Chiefs who are the most disappointing team so far, in the entire NFL. A sneaky pick to win the AFC West, they have been blown out in both their games by a combined 34 points. They were supposed to have a Top 5 defence as well as an elite rushing attack, both have been extremely disappointing. To be honest, the writing was on the wall for another bad season when they hired defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel to the full head coaching role. Crennel was previously fired as the Browns head coach, never a good sign. The defence can't continue to allow the opposition to score early as the offence is not designed to come from behind.

Outlook:  There is too much talent on this team for it to not compete and I see them bouncing back. If they don't improve soon though I don't think Crennel is going to last very long as head coach.

New England Patriots
Record: 1-1

Last weeks result vs the Cardinals was the first opening day loss at home since 2001, when a little known reserve QB called Tom Brady took over after an injury to Drew Bledsoe. The rest of course is history.  The Patriots had an off day, where they were simply out coached and the players executed poorly. The funny thing is that it's not there defence, perhaps the worst in the league last year, that is the problem as they improved markedly. The offensive line, a strength last year, has suffered from retirements and injuries and is not giving Brady enough time in the pocket to find open receivers. The most concerning thing however, is the offensive play calling from coordinator Josh McDaniels. The running game has been a strength of the team this season but he is stubbornly calling a lot of passing plays. This along with his refusal to utilise Wes Welker, an All Pro receiver last year, makes you wonder whether he is the right man for the job.

Outlook: The coaches need to realise that with the OL playing so poorly that they need to run the ball more to relieve the pressure on Brady. The defence is seriously improved from last year so they don't have to rely on their offence to win games. This team is still one of the best in the NFL, they just have to play to the strengths, not the previous years ones.

San Diego Chargers
Record: 2-0

Over the past decade the Chargers are hyped to go far every season but have traditionally struggle early on and then at tail end of the season a flurry of wins allows them to squeak into the playoffs. So it's with irony that this year, when their is less hype on them, is the year they start with two emphatic wins. The defence looks strong and their QB Philip Rivers isn't turning the ball over like he did last year. To me this is a mirage. The two teams they played, the Raiders and Titans, look likely to be two of the worst teams this year. We should get a better indication of how good this team really is when they play the Falcons this week and I this certainly won't be easy for them

Outlook: I think their start is fools gold and they will undoubtedly face stronger opposition. When they do their weaknesses at offensive line and running back will be exposed big time. I still think the Denver Broncos are the better team in the division.

What NFL teams do you think are showing or not showing their true colours so far?

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Photo sourced from sports.yahoo.com

The Ginger Cringer-Reflecting On The Brilliance of The White Mamba

Last week was an emotional time for me. It was announced that my primary school, Greenpark, is being closed by the Government in their infinite wisdom. As if I wasn't cut up the announcement that the White Mamba was immediately retiring from the NBA. Brian Scalabrine and me have a eternal bond simply because we are both Gingers and really good at basketball. Team mates and opponents call me 'Scal' on the court and my university graduation present from my friends was a custom #44 Boston Celtics jersey, his shirt.

So it is very sad that nobody wants him any more, to be honest I think it's because he's too good for the NBA now, his cult following has rejuvenated the NBA time when the supposed superstars of the game complain and winge. So here is a Eulogy to the White Mamba in pictures and video. I hope you this remind you of the great qualities he had as a player.

Scalabrine showed in college that he was a force to be reckoned with- providing inspiration and guidance when it was needed the most-



Scalabrine was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the 2nd round of the 2001 NBA draft. He played there for four seasons before moving to the Boston Celtics. It's here we he gained his cult status as a hustler in limited minutes and a deadly 3-point shooter when given the chance. He did have his bad moments though:




However the good out weighs the bad- the White Mamba is a machine among mere mortals-



He's a superstar-

Fortunately this probably not the last we have seen of the White Mamba, in fact he should have a very successful career outside of the NBA if given the opportunity.

His acting potential is immense and he also could quite easily be the next top athlete to compete in Dancing With The Stars.

Apparently Scal turned down a coaching role with the Chicago Bulls to give sports broadcasting a go. Lets just hope that the more we get to hear and see from him the better. 

Two quotes from comments left by fans on youtube videos which sum Scali's impact in life:

• "Scalabrine once reloaded a grenade. He once got a triple-double by sitting on the bench the entire game. He was the reason Lebron decided to team up with Wade and Bosh because he could not be defeated alone. He misses shots just so the other team could think they have a chance against the great Scal. He got a team a ring by sitting on a bench. He once scored 2 points in 1 second. Logically speaking, he could have score 5760 points in a game." MulitScienceMan

• "Scal once did a layup on a 12ft rim. He once practised with Allen Iverson. In grade school his nickname was 'White Jesus.' His favorite team on 2K12 is the '98 Jazz. He ran into Dennis Rodman in a Vegas stripclub once and challenged him to a 1-on-1. They both lost. He is secretly married to Shaq's ex-wife. Scal doesn't drive. He runs to work. Backwards. That's the only reason he doesn't play in the 1st qtr. If you look into a mirror and say 'Scalabrine' 3 times, you will become immortal." baldheadedkid

Scal you have been my inspiration to be amazing at basketball and I want you to know that it was an honour to watch you play so hard for so long. May the White Mamba live on.

If you have any related Scalabrine moments that you would like to share please feel free to leave them at the bottom of the post. Cheers.

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Note: Apart from the second photo of this post I do not own the rights to any of these pictures or videos.

NFL Retroactive Season Preview Part 4- The Contenders

Amy Winehouse Division

No NFL team has more potential then the Eagles and yet they always seem to mess things up. Last year the team signed a bevy of free agent stars to become favourites to win the NFC. Their backup QB even claimed they were ‘The Dream Team’. Needless to say they sucked big time, starting 4-8 before winning their last four matches. This year the team remains the same and the hopes are equally high with many predicting they will get to the Super Bowl. On paper they have the team to do it. The teams ethos is to build a lead with a explosive, field stretching offence, forcing oppositions to throw and then rush with the most explosive Defensive Line (DL) and the best Cornerback (CB) combination on paper. With the NFL being a quarterback league now, in theory this should work but it hasn’t.

The reason for their comes down to the two leaders of the team- Quarterback (QB) Mike Vick and Head Coach Andy Reid. Vick is the most talented athlete to ever play the QB position. After playing his first six seasons with the Falcons he was convicted and jailed for 21 months for being involved in a dog fighting ring. After release the Eagles gave him a chance and he excelled becoming the 2010 Comeback Player Of The Year and led the team to the playoffs. However last year he really struggled with his decision making and threw a lot of interceptions. Vick tends to get hurt quite easily and ill disciplined in protecting himself by throwing away the ball.

The other big weakness and ultimately the reason why they won’t make the Super Bowl this year is their coach Andy Reid, the most frustrating NFL coach to me. His stubbornness and constant poor in game decision making continues to hamper this team. Reid made some outright dumb decisions last, none more so then turning is offensive line (OL) coach, Juan Castillo, into the defensive coordinator, despite him not coaching defence at either college or pro level before. Not surprisingly the defence was a disaster last year but Castillo remains the Defensive coordinator. Reid was almost fired for that last year alone but the late season improvement saved him. Reid is also a terrible team motivator and disciplinarian for his players who have routinely complained and not played up to expectation.  This year is certainly make or break for Reid as the Eagles owner has publicly said so. I see an improvement by the Eagles from last year, especially on the defensive side, but Vick’s propensity to getting injured and Andy Reid’s continual inept decision making on and off the field will ultimately prevent this promising team from achieving its potential.

Beast players- (Top 5 players in their respective positions, game changers)- LeSean McCoy RB,  Nnamdi Asomugha CB, Trent Cole DE.

Great players-(Top 15 in their respective positions, can be pro bowlers)- Jason Babin DE, Mike Vick QB, Evan Mathis G, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB, Jeremy Maclin WR, Brent Celek TE.

Bust out players-(Players who can breakout and become Beasts or Great players this year)- DeSean Jackson WR.

Retroactive look after Week 1: The frustration begins. Andy Reid decides to throw 56 times despite RB LeSean McCoy being really productive vs the Browns in the limited opportunities he was given. Vick threw 4 interceptions. Thankfully the defence and Weeden helped stop the Browns from winning. The way this team is going they aren't going to be in the hunt for the play offs. This weeks game vs the Ravens should be a cracker. They can beat them but I don't trust Reid to play call well enough to win. 

The most surprising team last year the 49er’s finished the season 13-3 and were a costly fumble away from making the Super Bowl after finishing 6-10 the previous year. First year coach Jim Harbaugh was a revelation, giving belief to a team which had struggled for the previous decade to compete. The 49er’s had the best defence and special teams last year creating turnovers and preventing teams from scoring. Harbaugh managed to make much maligned QB Alex Smith effective enough to compete. This off season they upgraded the Wide Receiver unit, adding Randy Moss  and retaining all 11 starters on defence.

However I can see them struggling more this season. They have a tougher schedule, facing the AFC North teams and playing the Packers, Saints and Patriots away. As well as that the Seahawks will be a tough team to beat in their division. The biggest question mark is still at QB. Selected ahead of Aaron Rodgers in the 2005 NFL draft Alex Smith is just not very good. Harbaugh tried to convince Peyton Manning in signing there in the off season and then lied about it, creating the awkward situation of having to resign Alex Smith when it looked like he wasn’t wanted.  If the 49er’s fall behind in games and teams stop their running game they could really struggle. The 49er’s had a really lucky run of injuries and winning turnovers last year, along with a harder schedule and tougher division rivals I see the 49er’s taking a step back despite having the best defence in the NFL. QB’s win games now though and Alex Smith is not the difference maker you need.

Beast players- Justin Smith DE, Patrick Willis ILB, Navarro Bowman ILB, Vernon Davis TE, Andy Lee P, David Akers K.

Great players- Frank Gore RB, Isaac Sopoaga DT, Mike Iupati G, Joe Staley T, Carlos Rodgers CB, Dashon Goldson S, Aldon Smith DE.

Bust out player- Kendall Hunter RB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Well this already looks pretty bad for my predictions. The 49er's went into Green Bay and destroyed the best regular season team from last year. Their defence was utterly dominant and their run game was unstoppable. They look like the favourites to win the NFC already. I still think that Alex Smith is going to struggle to win games when he has too but the defence is going to keep them in every game this year. The Lions despite having Stafford at QB don't stand a chance this week.

There aren’t many teams being hyped this off season as the Falcons. The Falcons have had some great regular seasons as of late but haven’t translated that into the play offs. Last year they were embarrassed 2-24 against the Giants in the wildcard round unable to score a point on offence. After several years of running a conservative running game the Falcons are looking to throw it a lot more. Offensively big things are being expected from their QB Matt Ryan and their pro bowl calibre WR’s Roddy White and Julio Jones. Jones especially is hyped to have an outstanding season after struggling last year-his rookie season-with injury and unfamiliarity with the system . The OL was really bad last year, failing to give Ryan much time to throw, it needs to improve for the offence to work especially since they are throwing more.

The defensive side of the ball was even more of a concern last year has they failed create sacks and pressure on opposition QB’s. John Abraham at 34 years old was their best pass rusher last year but he can’t carry on forever. The team traded for former pro bowl CB Asante Samuel which should help in the backfield but questions remain to whether the defence can create enough turnovers. This team has the parts to do well and their new offensive schemes should help them score more points but their defence has to step up and Matt Ryan needs to show that he can carry this team through the play offs.

Beast players- none

Great players- Roddy White WR, Brent Grimes CB, John Abraham DE, Sean Weatherspoon WLB, Matt Ryan QB, Michael Turner RB.

Bust out players-Julio Jones WR,  Jacquizz Rodgers RB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: A really good start to the season for the Falcons going to the Chiefs and winning convincingly. The passing offence looks very strong and Julio Jones looks like the breakout player of the year. Unfortunately they lost their best CB Brent Grimes for the season in the game and now they face the Broncos at home. This should be a good litmus test for whether the Falcons should be considered as one of the top teams of the NFL this year.

In the NFL depth is key, injuries always occur and you need good reserves to make sure your team keeps playing well. The Bears failed to do that at two of the most important positions and ended up costing the General Manager is job. Starting the season 7-3 the Bears lost starting RB Matt Forte and then starting QB Jay Cutler for the season. They had no suitable replacements and the team self destructed, finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs. This year the team has made sure of providing talented backups at those positions as well as upgrading their average WR unit by trading for former pro bowler Brandon Marshall from Miami. Marshall and Cutler played together in Denver in their early careers and should be a successful pairing this year.

There are several weaknesses on this team though which could affect their ability to make the playoffs again. The first is their OL, which has ranked as consistently as one of the worst in the NFL over the past couple of years. Why they don’t address this in free agency is beyond me as it helps contribute to the frequent injuries that Cutler gets. Cutler also has to do a better job of not turning the ball as much. He has a gunslinger mentality which can produce a lot of interceptions.

The other weakness is perhaps the middle of their defence where their best player of the last decade, Bryan Urlacher, just had knee surgery before the start of this season. He has reported that his knee will be the same again. This could turn out to be a bug problem as he is the unquestioned leader and playmaker of the defence. If the Bears can somehow keep Cutler healthy and not turning over the ball they will be in the thick of the playoff hunt by the end of the year.

Beast players- Julius Peppers DE, Devin Hester KR.

Great players- Matt Forte RB, Henri Melton DT, Charles Tillman CB, Brandon Marshall WR, Lance Briggs ILB.

Bust out player- Alshon Jeffrey WR

Retroactive look after Week 1 &2: 2 games and two different results. In Week 1 they dominated the Colts on both sides of the ball and looked like one of the best teams in the NFL. In their second game vs division rivals Green Bay the defence once again looks formidable but the offensive was downright offensive. The OL allowed seven sacks and Cutler threw 4 interceptions. Forte was injured as well with a hih ankle sprain which may knock him out for a while. Cutler boasted about the way his WR's were going to get open before this game and they didn't. Cutler was seen chastising his LT after a sack and he really didn't take responsibility for his terrible decision making. If the Bears can't protect Cutler he is not going to survive a year but he has to do a better job himself. The Bears defence looks tremendous though.

If the Texans had stayed healthy last year they might have made it to Super Bowl. Not bad for a team’s first time to the playoffs and relying on their rookie third-string QB after their top two QB’s received season ending injuries. The teams remarkable rise to amongst the great teams of the NFL comes down to the transformation of their defence. New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips created an aggressive 3-4 defence which created turnovers. On the offensive side they had the most under rated OL in the NFL which allowed the Arian Foster and Ben Tate to wreck havoc. The team has young talent at the most important positions and are primed for a Super Bowl run this year.

There was cause for concern during the off season as they let go their starting RG and RT but the team believes they have the players to replace them, time will tell. The big IF is whether QB Matt and WR Andre Johnson can stay healthy. If they can then the Texans will have a deadly duel threat on offence. Playing in the weak AFC South division they are one of my favourites to go all the way.

Beast players- Arian Foster RB, Duane Brown LT, Chris Myers C, Andre Johnson WR, Jonathan Joseph CB, J.J Watt DE, Brian Cushing ILB.

Great players- Matt Schaub QB, Owen Daniels TE, Ben Tate RB, Daniel Manning S.

Bust out players- Brooks Reed OLB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: A rusty start for the Texans offence as the running game was not the dominant unit we have seen. It may have to do with a solid Dolphins defence and the right hand side of the OL being new. The defence looks great though and this team should be one of the best teams in the AFC this year. It's good to see Andre Johnson healthy, hopefully he can stay on the field this year.

U2 Division-

Not one team had more of a tumultuous off season then the Saints thanks to ongoing Bounty Gate saga. After their head coach was banned for one year and their next in charge coach was banned for half the season the odds seem against the Saints. Fortunately they have Drew Brees at QB who is one of the best on the field leaders in the NFL. He should keep the top ranked passing offence running smoothly.

On the defensive side they should be better hiring Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator. Signing linebacker Curtis Lofton from division rival Atlanta was smart as well as the signing of David Hawthorne from Seattle. The pass rush needs to improve and the secondary needs to stop taking risks when it comes to going for interceptions. The good thing is that the defence just  has to be average as their offence should score more points than the opposition in most games. I do think the loss of head coach Sean Peyton will have an impact but the team should still make the playoffs, as long as Drew Brees is healthy.

Beast players- Drew Brees QB, Jahri Evans G, Jimmy Graham TE.

Great players- Darren Sproles RB, Curtis Loften MLB, Marques Colston WR, Ben Grubbs G.

Bust out players- Lance Moore WR.

Retroactive look after Week 1: A terrible start for the Saints at home as they took RGIII and the Redskins  

for granted. They got behind really early and it forced Bree's to throw. This team is better then the way they played and they should beat the Panthers away this week. The defence must improve to give Bree's a chance.  

Baltimore were literally one catch away from going to the Super Bowl but unfortunately Lee Evans couldn’t hold onto this ball and then this happened. This year’s team should be just as competitive. Unfortunately for the team it lost arguably it’s best player, Terrell Suggs, to an Achilles injury during the off season. The defence has always been the strength of the Ravens but for the first time in the organisations short history the offence may actually be better. Led by the supposed elite QB Joe Flacco the offence is going to apparently going to become a lot more open and less conservative under offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Flacco has several weapons around him so he should do well, the OL could be a weakness though as they lost one of their best players Ben Grubbs in free agency. The defence is what I’m most worried about though. 

Centred around ancient stars Ray Lewis (37)and Ed Reed (34) as well as losing Suggs to injury I can see the defence struggling, especially against the run. I think they will easily win the AFC North but whether they can beat New England and Houston is another matter. If Flacco is indeed elite as he says he is then perhaps the Ravens are the team to beat this year.

Beast players- Ray Rice RB, Haloti Ngata DT, Ed Reed S, Michael Oher RT, Ladarius Webb CB, Vontae Leach FB.

Great players- Ray Lewis MLB, Marshall Yanda G.

Bust out players- Torrey Smith WR, Joe Flacco QB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: A dominating first up win as they allowed Flacco to throw it. He looked good but this week vs the Eagles defence should tell us whether it is for real or not. The defence looked good vs the pass but I have still some concerns when it comes to the run defence. The Suggs injury will hurt them sooner or later and the secondary is not going to stay healthy all year as well. 

Has there ever been a quieter hype for the defending Super Bowl champions then this year’s Giants? Thanks to Tim Tebow being traded to the Jets the Giants have gone largely unnoticed which is what they want. The Giants scraped into the playoffs last year with a 9-7 record and being outscored by 7points in the regular season. The Giants are the best single elimination team in the NFL as they save themselves for when it matters. The problem is whether they can get to the playoffs in the first place. The Giants are incredibly inconsistent, losing to bad teams and demolishing good ones. This year I expect them get to double digit wins at least. With Eli Manning at QB they have the leader to take them all the way. 

The RB and WR positions have skilled players and should score points. The Giants have a formidable pass rush which causes headaches for most OL’s. The secondary and the OL are the weakest points but they should be overcome by the elite play of Manning. Overall this team will have it’s up and downs in the competitive NFC East but it should still win it thanks to the inconsistencies of the other teams.

Beast players- Eli Manning QB, Chris Snee G, Jason Pierre-Paul DE.

Great players- Justin Tuck DE, Osi Umenyiora DE, Mathias Kiwanuka LB, Hakeem Nicks WR, Ahmad Bradshaw RB.

Bust out player- Prince Amukamara CB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Another average performance by the Giants. This team will do better but they really struggle to be consistent in the regular season. The secondary was injury riddled last week and desperately needs its best players back. Their pass rush was very disappointing vs the Cowboys considering the players they have. They will bounce back vs the Bucs this week at home.

Jimi Hendrix Division

The Packers seemed destined to win the Super Bowl last year, going 15-1 in the regular season before losing to the Giants at home in an off game. There flaws were exposed, a non-existent run game and defence which couldn’t stop the pass. This year they are looking to get back to the Super Bowl after a solid but unspectacular off season. They acquired pass rusher Nick Perry in the draft and added veteran RB Cedric Benson to shore up the run game. The best QB in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers leads the most explosive passing offence in the NFL  and Charles Woodson, the future Hall of Fame CB/S, still leads a solid defence. 

The Packers need to create more of a pass rush for them to contend but any team with Rodgers as their QB will always be in any game.  It also helps they face one of the weakest schedules in the NFL as well.

Beast players- Aaron Rodgers QB, Greg Jennings WR, Charles Woodson S, Josh Sitton G.

Great players- Jordy Nelson WR, Jeff Saturday C, Bryan Bulaga RT, Tramon Wiliams CB, Clay Matthews OLB, B.J Raji DT.

Bust out player- Randall Cobb WR/KR.

Retroactive look after Week 1 & 2: One loss and one win after 2 games this season and there are warning signs that all is not well with the Packers. Aaron Rodgers has struggled to find his receivers and the OL is not doing the best job protecting him. Greg Jennings has been injured which makes a huge difference to the passing game. To be fair they have played maybe the two best defences of the NFL so far so it can't get any worse. The defence has to keep stepping up like did vs the Bears to make this team a Super Bowl contender. 

Most losers of the Super Bowl tend to struggle the year after. The Patriots are in fact better than they were last year going into this season. Last year they had one of the worst pass defences in the NFL, they couldn’t stop any quarterback. The Patriots drafted two Defensive players in the 1^st round who should help remedy that. Both DL Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont’a Hightower have the skills to rush the passer and help the secondary. 

On the offensive side they added the deep threat they have been missing since Randy Moss, signing Brandon Lloyd. This should make an already formidable pass attack with Brady, Welker, Gronkowski and Hernandez that much harder to stop. New England will also try and run the ball now they two young, explosive backs in Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen. The biggest question mark apart from the defence is the OL. Injuries and retirement have turned the strength of the team into its biggest weakness. It may take a few weeks into the season for the OL to gel together.

The Patriots have also been gifted with the easiest schedule with the toughest games being against the Ravens and Texans but not much else. If they deal with those two teams then who should be plain sailing to the playoffs. Then it will all come down to whether the OL can protect Tom Brady and whether the DL can put enough pressure on the opposition QB to stop him exploiting a weak secondary.

Beast players- Tom Brady, Logan Mankins G, Vince Wilfork DT, Rob Gronkowski TE, Aaron Hernandez TE.

Great players- Wes Welker WR, Jerod Mayo ILB, Sebastian Vollmer RT, Brandon Lloyd WR.

Bust out players- Chandler Jones DE, Dont’a Hightower ILB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: A sloppy but dominating performance vs the Titans was a good start for the Pats. The run defence was spectacular, completely shutting down Chris Johnson, it could be the best in the NFL this year. The pass defence was OK. Chandler Jones had a great debut, creating constant pressure and stripping the ball off Locker which turned into a touchdown. The offence was more balanced then we have seen the Pats play over recent years with Stevan Ridley rushing for 125 yards and a score. The OL was adequate but it certainly looks like the weak point of the team. However they are still one of the favourites to win the AFC and will be hard to beat this season especially with an improved defence.

NFL Retroactive Season Preview- Part 3- The Middle Of The Pack

Welcome to the third part of my NFL season preview. Too see the musical analogies go here. This part is the middling teams, teams which have a chance on making the playoffs. Enjoy.

Black Eyed Peas + Fergie Division

The worst team in last year. The Colts finished 2-14 after their Quarterback of the past decade and future Hall of Famer, Peyton Manning, underwent multiple neck surgeries and missed the entire season. Supporters would say that if Manning had been able to play then the team would have made the playoffs. I disagree, first off the coach Jim Caldwell was terrible. He hung off Manning’s coat tail and was exposed when he was injured. Also most of their top draft picks over the last five years haven’t panned out which gradually made the team worse and worse especially on both offensive and defensive lines.

Lucky (pun intended) for the Colts best QB prospect since Peyton Manning became eligible in the draft when they had the first pick. Andrew Luck is now the new face of the franchise already in preseason he is looking like a stud. The Colts still have significant holes but the fact they have their franchise QB for the next 10 years makes life a lot easier. New head coach Chuck Pagano, formerly the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, will improve the terrible defence from last year. This team will pull a few upsets this year, probably not enough to make the playoffs though.

Beast players- none

Great players- Reggie Wayne WR, Dwight Freeney DE, Robert Mathis DE.

Bust out player- Andrew Luck.

Retroactive look after Week 1: The Colts had a really tough start vs a veteran team in the Bears. Luck had a rough day throwing 3 interceptions but the lack of pass protection by his OL was mostly to blame. The defence put some pressure on Bears QB Jay Cutler but star player Dwight Freeney got injured and the secondary was poor. They will certainly be more competitive then last year though.

Washington are another team who hopefully added their franchise QB of the future this off season, it just cost a lot more. The Redskins traded up to the 2^nd overall pick for Heismann Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. He is being compared to Michael Vick in terms of athleticism and arm strength but is a better pocket passer. He gives the team a legitimate chance of competing for the NFC East division, the only thing holding them back last year was terrible QB play. Head coach Michael Shanahan needs to improve from last year’s  5-11 record last year to keep his job. The defence has  strong  pass rush with Kerrigan and Orakpo and their running game is always strong, however  their secondary and offensive lines don’t have much depth. I think RGIII may struggle early on adjusting to the NFL but he is a playmaker who can create with his legs and his arms, something they didn’t have at QB last year. Look for them to be in the fight for the division come the end of the season.

Beast player- Brian Orakpo OLB.

Great player- London Fletcher MLB.

Bust out players- Pierre Garcon WR, Ryan Kerrigan OLB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: What a start! The Redskins went into New Orleans and punched the Saints in the mouth. RGIII was great and Pierre Garcon looks like a stud if he can stay healthy. I still think Griffen will struggle at some stage in his rookie season, a year of NFL hits will do that for you. They look like they can contend in the NFC East though.

Despite their 4-12 record last year the Panthers were a competitive team thanks to the sensational season from their rookie QB Cam Newton. Even though he was selected No.1 overall he wasn’t expected to break a multitude of rookie records including most passing yards in a season and most rushing touchdowns in a season. The defence was horrendous though as injuries to the linebacking unit allowed opposition to run at will against them. This year with the defence getting a boost through the draft and Newton developing his passing game further I can see them winning a few more games and fighting for the NFC South division. 

One thing I don’t like about the organisation is how they continue to pour money into the RB position. After signing DeAngelo Williams to a guaranteed $21 million contract last year they sign their other top RB Jonathan Stewart to a guaranteed $23.5 million contract this season as well as signing Mike Tolbert from the Chargers for 4 years, $8.4 million. In a time where you can pick up solid RB prospects from the draft for peanuts this is a waste of money which could have been spent on positions of need like DT or a second receiver.

Beast players- Cam Newton QB, Jordan Gross LT.

Great players- Steve Smith WR, Jonathan Stewart RB, DeAngelo Williams RB, Jon Beason MLB.

Bust out players- Greg Olson TE, Luke Kuechley LB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: The Panthers had the most mystifying performance of Week 1 vs the Buccaneers. They abandoned their biggest strength, the run game, very early in the game even though they weren't down by much. The offensive line was atrocious and it is a concern if they have to rely on Newton to throw them to victory. If they don't improve in their second game then I could see a really bad season ahead for them.

Tampa Bay were an under achieving 4-12 last year but an over achieving 10-6 the previous year so somewhere between these two extremes lies the true quality of this team.  They have been one of the youngest teams the last couple of years and it showed last year as indiscipline led to the firing of the head coach Raheem Morris who was not much of a disciplinarian. He is replaced by long time college football coach Greg Schiano who is the complete opposite which should help this team turnaround this year.

The team has a lot of intriguing pieces, particularly on offence. QB Josh Freeman is a solid young QB who had a tough time completing passes last year due to a dodgy offensive line and a lack of WR talent to throw to. The Bucs helped him by signing free agents WR Vincent Jackson and G Carl Nicks, these two veterans will make a big difference for Freeman. The Bucs also drafted their RB of the future in Doug Martin who is an every down back. The defence is the weakest unit, especially in the secondary but they did add Alabama safety Mark Barron as their first pick of this year’s draft who should contribute immediately. Whether this team has enough weapons to compete with the rest of the NFC South remains to be seen but they will be more competitive than last year that’s for sure.

Beast player- Carl Nicks G

Great players- Vincent Jackson (if healthy), Gerald McCoy DT.

Bust out players- Doug Martin RB, Josh Freeman QB

Retroactive look after Week 1: The Bucs started off really, beating division rivals in a solid but unspectacular way. Their Defensive line was huge, stopping the much vaunted Panther run game. They are going to be in most games if their defence can hold up. First round rookie safety Mark Barron is already making his presence felt in the NFL.

The last team of this group was probably the most difficult to group. Despite posting a respectable 9-7 record last year and not getting worse during the offseason the Titans are not seen as much of a playoff threat this year. That’s because they had quite an underwhelming team last year but faced a really easy schedule which bumped up their record. I see them dropping a couple of games to sit in the 6-8 wins area. So why are they in this group then? Well they are starting their first round draft from last year, Jake Locker, at QB who is an intriguing prospect. He is wildly inaccurate passer but can zip it in and he can make moves with his feet. They have a couple of interesting wide receiver talents in Kenny Britt and rookie Kendall Wright as well as RB Chris Johnson. Johnson was average last year because he held out for a pay rise until the start of the season and the OL played terrible. With a full offseason to get in shape I can see Johnson getting back to his elite playing level.

A problem for Titans is the their opening schedule- home vs New England, away vs SanDiego, home vs Detroit, away vs Houston, away vs Minnesota, home vs Pittsburgh, away vs Buffalo.  They could easily be 1-6 to start off the season and if Locker struggles how long will they keep him in there before they go to veteran Matt Hasselbeck.

Beast player- Michael Roos LT.

Great player- Michael Griffen S, Chris Johnson RB, Steve Hutchinson G.

Bust out player- Jared Cook TE.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Week 1 vs New England was a tough match up but the way both lines were physically mauled into submission is a huge concern. The run game was non existent and complaints about the play calling from the offensive coordinator are already surfacing. Locker ended up separating his non throwing shoulder in a tackle but shouldn't miss much time. If there isn't much sign of improvement in this weeks game vs the Chargers then this could be a really disappointing year for the Titans.

Maroon 5 Division

The Broncos are the most hyped team this year after an eventful offseason in which they traded their QB media sensation Tim Tebow to the Jets and signed the one of the greatest QB’s ever Peyton Manning. After getting to the AFC semi-finals led by the unconventional Tebow hopes are high that the addition of Manning will mean a run to the Super Bowl this year. When word came of the QB change in March money flooded into Vegas on Denver. The hype has slowed down a little now- after all Manning hasn’t played a NFL game for 18 months due to four neck surgeries and nobody knows how his body will cope with an entire season of hits and sacks. If Manning can be 80-90% of what he has been in the past the offence can do very well. They have a couple of talented WR’s in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Dekker as well as solid running game led by Willis McGahee.

The defence on the other hand as several question points which will impact whether the Broncos make the playoffs , let alone the Super Bowl. They haven’t added much to an average unit apart from CB Tracy Porter from New Orleans. They have a formidable pass rush on paper in Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil but their defensive tackles are below average and the secondary is made up of either young players or ageing veterans. The Broncos can’t afford any injuries as they have no depth Despite going 8-8 last year the Broncos were outscored by 81 points, the most from any team above .500.

Finally their schedule is one of the toughest in the NFL this year. They face the tough AFC North and AFC South divisions as well as the Houston Texans and New England Patriots. There aren’t going to be many easy games on the schedule and I think this along with Manning coming back from a serious injury will mean that they will really have to play well to make the playoffs. They can certainly win the AFC West but it is not a given like many people are saying.

Beast players- (Top 5 players in their respective positions, game changers)- Von Miller OLB, Ryan Clady OT.

Great players-(Top 15 in their respective positions, can be pro bowlers)- Champ Bailey CB.

Bust out players-(Players who can breakout and become Beasts or Great players this year)- Demaryius Thomas WR.

Retroactive look after Week 1: An impressive start to the season with the victory vs a tough Steelers team.  Manning looked good and the defence applied a lot of pressure on Roethlisberger. This weeks game away against another good team in the Falcons should give a good indication on whether the Broncos are the real deal.

The Cowboys are the essence of over rated. Coined as ‘America’s Team’ it recently has been valued as the most valuable sports franchise in the USA , it’s routinely rated by fans as a shoo in to win the Super Bowl despite winning only one playoff game in the last 16 years!! Owner Jerry Jones is known for his hands on approach when it comes to running the team. This has resulted in periodical head coaching firings as well as drafting players with immense potential but serious red flags.

Last year the team had the chance to make the playoffs by beating division rivals and eventual Super Bowl champion NY Giants but choked, finishing 8-8. Their biggest weakness was their defence last year as they continually gave up leads in 4^th quarters . The Cowboys focused on the secondary this offseason, drafting top CB prospect Morris Claibourne and signing Brandon Carr in free agency which should help. The lack of pass rush outside of DeMarcus Ware is a concern but they feel that they feel their CB’s will shutdown receivers long enough for the pass rush to get to opposition QB’s.

The offence has some intriguing talent. Their leader is QB Tony Romo, maybe the most under rated QB in the NFL. He can be brilliant but can also make awful mistakes. If young RB DeMarco Murray can stay healthy and undisciplined WR Dez Bryant can behave himself under the curfew he is under (not kidding!)then the team can do well. In the tight NFC East division they will be in with a chance but it seems every year the Cowboys find some way of losing games they should win and self-destructing, maybe this is finally the year they change.

Beast players- DeMarcus Ware OLB, Jason Witten TE.

Great players- Tony Romo QB, Miles Austin WR (if healthy), Sean Lee MLB.

Bust out players- DeMarco Murray RB, Brandon Carr WR, Tyron Smith LT.

Retroactive look after Week 1: A good start by the Cowboys with the beating division rivals Giants away. Now they face another away game at the Seahawks. The Hawks defence will be better then the Giants so this will be a good indication of whether the Cowboys are consistent enough to make the playoffs this year. The defence looks much improved though and should give rookie QB Russell Wilson a rough day.

The Chargers for the past 5-6 years have been the most over hyped team in the AFC. Playing in the weak AFC West division the Chargers routinely start slow and then have late season charges to make the play offs. Last year they didn’t make the play offs after another dismal year and yet both much maligned head coach Norv Turner and General Manager AJ Smith survived. This year is certainly Turners last chance and the leash will be short.

The Chargers used to be known as having one of the most talented rosters in the NFL but that has gradually diminished over the years. They still have Phillip Rivers at QB but around him are a load of question marks. Their tackles are average at best, their best RB Ryan Matthews is out with a broken clavicle and their WR unit can't stay healthy. The defence has been even weaker as of late as they have failed miserably with draft picks on that side of the ball. The Chargers will be competitive and have the ability to win the AFC West but their best days are behind them. I say Turner isn’t back next year.

Beast player- Antonio Gates TE.

Great players- Phillip Rivers QB, Nick Hardwick C, Eric Weddle S

Bust out player- Malcolm Floyd WR.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Another disappointing performance by the Chargers, they were fortunate that Oakland self destructed on special teams. They really need RB Matthews back from injury because their offence is not very good right now especially in the red zone. They should beat Tennessee at home this week as well but I still don't think they are a very good team and they will get exposed during the season.

Gangnam Style Division

Under the guidance of ex USC football coach Pete Carroll the Seahawks have slowly become a relevant team again. Centred around a unique but effective defence and one of the best home field advantages in the NFL they will be in the hunt to win the NFC West. The most interesting story of the team is the fact they are deciding to start the season with a rookie QB after signing Matt Flynn in free agency to do that job. The 3^rd round selection Russell Wilson has surprised many with his outstanding pre season form despite his lack of ideal size for the position. It was for that reason that he wasn't selected in the first round. I watched this video before the draft and I was convinced that he was going to be a steal for some team, I just didn't expect for him to get an opportunity this early. I would have gone with Flynn to start the season and if he struggles go with Wilson.  The weaknesses of this team are that their WR unit is inconsistent and often injured and the OL’s depth is questionable. Also their top RB Marshawn Lynch is facing a suspension for a DUI incident in the off season. 

I have high hopes for Seattle this year, I think they will give the 49ers a run for their money in the division. However they need to be more consistent , too often they take weeks off against opposition they should beat and it costs them.

Beast players- Chris Clemons DE, Red Bryant DE

Great players- Marshawn Lynch RB, Earl Thomas S, Max Unger C.

Bust out player- Russell Wilson QB

Retroactive look after Week 1: A first round loss to Arizona was not the start the Seahawks needed. Wilson struggled a little as his OL is missing its best players. If a couple of WR's had held onto catches late in the game the result may have been different.This weeks game at home vs a good Cowboys team should be great match. If Wilson continues to struggle they may have to go to Flynn though which would be a blow for the development of Wilson.

Buffalo have been irrelevant for so long that I can’t remember the last time they won a play off game (1995). Last year’s team started 4-2 but collapsed to 6-10 due to injuries to key players. This year the team invested in their weak defence by signing former Texan Mario Williams to a massive $100 million contract  as well as drafting CB Stephon Gilmore with the 9^th pick overall. Their defensive line on paper now looks like one of the strongest in the NFL  and their secondary should be much improved.

As well as that they get Fred Jackson their best RB back from a broken leg who was having a tremendous season before he was injured. The team have weapons on offence so the pressure is on QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to turn things around after getting a big payday after the great start last year. If he struggles then this team will be terrible once again. Question marks include the Offensive line which seems to be an issue every year and the No.2 WR position.

I can see the Buffalo Bills getting a play off spot this year as their schedule is favourable and the Jets are overated, however they must stay healthy, which is not assured with this team.

Beast player- Marcell Dareus DT

Great players- Fred Jackson RB, Mario Williams DE, Kyle Williams DT, Steve Johnson WR.

Bust out player-CJ Spiller RB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Well it didn't take long for the Bills hype to disappear after being demolished by the Jets. Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown 19 interceptions in the his last 10 games. The defence was supposed to create more pressure against a weak Jets OL but had a quiet day. Too make things worse Fred Jackson sprained a knee and is out for at least a month. They need to recover quickly otherwise the Bills are consigned to a cellar dweller.

The Chiefs season last year were derailed by injuries early. They lost their best running back, tight end and safety in the first 2 weeks. They then lost their starting QB and then fired their abrasive coach Todd Haley half way through the season. The interim coach- defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel did such a good job that he was hired to be the Head Coach this year. With the return of their injured players as well as a successful offseason signing players the Chiefs look like they will contend for the wide open AFC West. Kansas may have one of the best defensive teams in the NFL with young talent all through it. The offence also upgraded its offensive line by signing RT Eric Winston who has been one of the best at his position. They have Jamaal Charles at RB and Dwayne Bowe at WR, both explosive playmakers.

The question marks of this team come from the two most important positions , quarterback and coach. Matt Cassel has been average since he arrived from New England in 2009. He needs to get the ball to the talent around him, he doesn’t need to be spectacular. I have concerns over Romeo Crennel as well. He’s had an opportunity to be a NFL head coach before at Cleveland and that was terrible. He will have an effective defence but he needs to get this offence up and running otherwise it’s going to be another wasted year with the talent they have. I think that Cassel will do just enough to make this team competitive enough to win this division over the Chargers and Denver though it will be close.

Beast players- Tamba Hali OLB, Derrick Johnson ILB, Brandon Flowers CB.

Great players- Jamaal Charles RB, Dwayne Bowe WR, Eric Winston RT, Eric Berry S.

Bust out players- Justin Houston OLB, Jon Baldwin WR.

Retroactive look after Week 1: The Chiefs got blown away at home by the red hot Falcons but they shouldn't be too discouraged. They were missing two of their best players on defence, Tamba Hali from suspension, and Brandon Flowers from injury. Both should play vs Buffalo this week. Matt Cassell has to make more plays though as the passing game was very conservative. If the defence can get back to its solid game then this team will be competitive.

Jet Division

Last year the Detroit Lions made the playoffs for the first time since 2000 after a decade of awful mismanagement and losing. They now have a franchise quarterback in Matthew Stafford and the best WR in the game right now, Calvin Johnson. Head coach Jim Schwartz has demolished the inherent  losing culture of the franchise instead instilling confidence. However he has not combined this with discipline as his players and himself were shown to be a little too fired up last year . This resulted in the team being one of the most penalised in the NFL. It didn’t get any better as three of their most promising young  players were arrested twice each for misdemeanours.  Apparently Schwartz has clamped down hard on discipline during training but the fact remains to be seen whether it will translate into the regular season. 

Detroit are a team with lots of depth in some postions (DL, WR) and huge holes in others (CB, RB). Their secondary in particular is extremely raw and maybe the worst in the NFL. For the team to succeed they must have Stafford stay healthy and they need their defensive line to create pressure on opposition QB’s to mask their weaknesses elsewhere. In a tough NFC North I can’t see the Lions repeating their success last year despite their talent.

Beast player- Calvin Johnson WR.

Great players-Matthew Stafford QB, Ndamukong Suh DT, Louis Delmas S, Cliff Avril DE.

Bust out players- Titus Young WR, Mikel LeShoure RB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Despite throwing three interceptions Stafford was able to lead the Lions to a last minute win vs the plucky Rams. This week they face the 49er's and are considered favourites. Stafford will have to be at his best for this team to have any chance of beating San Francisco. 

This team made the playoffs last year with a rookie QB and top WR after having a weak schedule. They beat the bad teams and lost to the good ones. This off season they had one of the best drafts and added some good players in free agency. So why don’t I like them this year?

Well it’s the fact that they are consistently inconsistent when it comes to playing. Check out the Bengals records the last 5 years- 7-9, 4-11, 10-6, 4-12, 9-7. If you follow the pattern this year they should drop below .500 and not make the playoffs. Despite a good off season they could have done much better, they had the most amount of cap space to sign big players in the entire NFL. They could have signed one of the elite offensive lineman available or wide receiver to complement AJ Green. Yet they signed mid range players and resigned several average players. They do this because they are run by the cheapest and least liked owner in the entire NFL. Mike Brown is despised by the Bengals fan base for good reason, he has no intention of making the team a Super Bowl contender. He spends frugally on everything, especially in the front office and this has an effect on the success of the team on the field. The team hasn’t won a playoff game since 1990!

It’s a real shame because the team has a nucleus of young players on both sides of the team to make a challenge for the Super Bowl but the owner doesn’t want to invest the money. Anyway I see Andy Dalton, the Bengals QB struggling in his second year due to the tougher schedule this year.

Beast players- none

Great players- Geno Atkins DT, Carlos Dunlap DE, AJ Green WR, Leon Hall CB, Andrew Whitworth LT.

Bust out player- Benjarvis Green Ellis RB

Retroactive look after Week 1: Facing the Ravens Week 1 is never the easiest start to the season. Injuries to key players in defence and poor play from Dalton contributed to a heavy defeat. This week should be a lot easier vs the Browns. The Bengals will be the same as the last year beating the bad teams and losing to the good ones.

Madonna Division

There isn’t a franchise I am rooting for to fail more then the Jets. I dislike how the way the organisation is run and how they act as a team on and off the field. The Jets love media attention and run under the ethos that any news on them, good or bad, is great for the organisation. Led by the biggest smack talking coach Rex Ryan the Jets staff and players aren’t afraid to talk before they walk. Now in previous years they have walked the walk thanks to a dominating defence and a good running game. However the Jets have failed to re inject themselves with talent through the draft and it’s finally catching up to them. Last year they finished with a 8-8 record but struggled mightily thanks to an inaccurate Mark Sanchez and poor OL play They took Quentin Coples DE as their first pick in the draft but didn’t address the OL and the spent their 2^nd round draft pick on a project WR.

The team has a Top 5 defence but has but its safeties are retreads from other teams, it remains to be seen whether they can support their solid CB unit. The offensive side of the ball is going to be a huge problem for the Jets I believe. The biggest move this off season was obviously trading for Tim Tebow setting off an immediate QB controversy which will linger over this team especially if Sanchez plays poorly early on. The Jets claim they will only use him in Wildcat packages but that will go out the door when the fans are crying out for Tebow especially after what he did last year in Denver.

The Jets also had poor OL play last year including having the worst starting right tackle in the NFL (Wayne Hunter) last year so they traded him for a marginally better player (Jason Smith) who is a lot more expensive. Shonn Greene is an average starting RB at best and the WR group is so bad that the No.2 CB , Antonio Cromartie, claimed that he is the second best WR in the team. This of course didn’t go down too well amongst the WR. Also Rex Ryan made the odd comments about how he didn’t want to draft Stephen Hill despite that being a position of need. All this is adding up to a highly charged setting within the team that if things don’t start off well the team could self implode.

In a league dominated by QB’s I can’t see the Jets offence being able to match if they get behind in games. The defence is good but it has health issues in the linebackers and safeties and if injuries start to mount up like they can in the NFL then the Jets could be in serious trouble and Ryan could be without a job at the end of the year.

Beast players- Darrelle Revis CB, Nick Mangold C.

Great player- D’Brickashaw Ferguson LT.

Bust out player- Muhammed Wilkerson DE.

Retroactive look after Week 1: What a start by the Jets, scoring the most points in Week 1 and utterly dominating the fancied Bills. Mark Sanchez looked good and rookie Stephen Hill scored two touchdowns. Despite all this I still think the Jets aren't a good team and won't make the play offs. Sanchez is still too inaccurate and the running game is average. They face a tougher test this week in the Steelers, I can't see them beating a team as good as the Steelers especially after they lost their first game. It was good to see Rex Ryan getting smacked down during last weeks game though.

Now this team are big smack talkers as well but the organisation is one of the most widely respected in the NFL for its consistency and excellence over time. In the Super Bowl era, since 1967, they have had four head coaches in total! The Steelers have made three Super Bowls in the last seven years and won two of them. Under the current coach, Mike Tomlin, they have not had a season under .500 wins., in fact they have had only nine losing seasons since 1970. Built around an extremely physical defence and the strength of QB Ben Roethlisberger to extend plays on offence the team has always been a contender. However there are signs that this teams time is finally running out. The defenceis based around ageing players like James Harrison and Troy Polamalu who are very injury prone. If they aren’t on the field then the rest of the unit is going to struggle. Their CB unit has a few unproven players who have to step up as well as the fact that they don’t produce many turnovers.

The offensive side of the ball is worse. The Offensive line has been bad for the last couple of years and the Steelers finally invested two high draft picks to remedy this. Unfortunately they are back to square one before the season as both rookies are probably not going to contribute much this season. 1^st round pick guard David DeCastro tore his MCL in preseason and 2^nd round pick tackle Mike Adams has been underwhelming.

The Steeler running backs have also been severely impacted by injury, their best back from last year, Medenhall is recovering from a torn ACL and his backups are all banged up or rookies. And of course you can’t forget Roethlisberger himself who seems to be constantly carrying an injury. All this makes me think that the margin of error is very small when it comes to injuries. I think that the age of both lines and the linebackers is going to catch up with the Steelers this year and they are going to fail to make the playoffs.

Beast players- LaMarr Woodley OLB, Troy Polamalu S, Maurkice Pouncey C.

Great players-Ben Roethlisberger  QB, James Harrison OLB, Mike Wallace WR, Ryan Clark S, Lawrence Timmons ILB.

Bust out player- Antonio Brown WR.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Travelling to the Broncos and missing Harrison and Clark on defence was always going to be a hard task. Their OL again struggled and lost another player to injury Marcus Gilbert. At home they will be better but the Jets defence is formidable and they may struggle to give Roethlisberger enough time to throw. This Steelers team is already dealing with key injuries in the defence and I really see them struggling to compete with the best teams in the NFL this year.