Bleacher Report - Articles by dominick donofrio

Can the Philadelphia Eagles Finally Take That Next Step?

dominick donofrio — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:33:46 -0400

In 2008 the Eagles fell to the Arizona Cardinals in one of the more entertaining NFC Championship games in recent history, now the question is can this team make the next step and get into the Super Bowl this year after a very busy offseason.

The Eagles lost several key veterans in the offseason, starting with the heart and soul of this team Brian Dawkins.

The Eagles did not want to match the offer that Denver gave to Dawk and he decided to leave. Denver also plucked away Correll Buckhalter from Philly to make the running back position very thin for the Eagles.

On the offensive line, gone is Tra Thomas, and John Runyan but in is pro bowlers Peters and Andrews from the Bills and Bengals respectively. The Eagles bolstered their defense by getting in a draft day trade Ellis Hobbs from New England. Hobbs finished 2008 with 47 tackles, and three interceptions.

He joins a very stacked secondary which features Quintin Mikell who finished 2008 with 93 tackles and two sacks and three interceptions, Sheldon Brown (51 tackles, one sack and one pick), Asante Samuel (35 tackles, four interception), and finally Joselio Hanson (39 tackles, and one pick).

It will be interesting to see which two corners get the starting jobs here.

The Eagles went out and got depth, and the eventually replacement of Westbrook in the draft by selecting LeSean McCoy out of Pittsburgh. McCoy reached the end zone 36 times in only 25 total games in college.

He has a nose for the end zone and will provide the Eagles with a tough running back who will be able to get those tough short yards in which the Eagles couldn't last year. He runs down hill, so he is able to get to the hole fast and can still make the cutback very quickly. He will eventually be a very nice replacement for Westbrook.

The Eagles needed one huge thing the past couple years, a receiver. In 2008 they grabbed Jackson out of Cal and he made a huge impact last year scoring six scores, and the team high in receptions. This year the Eagles took Jeremy Maclin with their first pick.

He should be a great target for McNabb as he is very physical and will make those tough grabs over the middle of the field. He found paydirt 32 times in only 28 college games so he knows how to make a huge impact, and again the receiving battle this year should be one to watch in camp.

The Eagles have a tough road back to the NFC Championship Game in 2009. Philly has to open with a much improved Carolina Panthers and then New Orleans Saints in weeks one and two. Going into Week Three against the Chiefs, the Eagles should be 1-1 and then 2-1 after a easy win over Kansas City.

After the bye week, Philly hosts Tampa Bay which the Eagles should 3-1 after a win over a very tough team trying to get their footing under a new coaching staff. Week six has the Eagles starting a two game road trip, first to Oakland and then to Washington for their first divisional game.

Going into the Washington game, the Eagles should be 4-1, and then have to face the Redskins who will be a very tough team defensively. I do believe that the Eagles offense will outlast Washington and move them to 5-1. Week eight and nine has the Eagles facing divisional teams again in the Giants and Dallas.

The Giants will be looking to avenge the playoff lost last year and i do believe that the Giants will pull out a last second win over Philly making them fall to 5-2. Week nine has the Eagles hosting a Dallas team in flux.

I really believe that the Dallas offense will struggle with out Owens and they will not be able to score enough to keep up with Philly, Philly climbs to 6-2. After the Dallas game, Philly has a very tough stretch.

They first travel to the Chargers, the to the Cutler lead Bears, before a week 12 home game against the Redskins once again. Going into the Washington game the Eagles should be 7-3 and then 8-3 after sweeping the Redskins.

After Washington, the Eagles have to travel to Atlanta in a very tough game and the back to Giants stadium to take on the Giants. The Eagles should be 11-3 going into their Week 16 showdown with the Dawkins lead Broncos. For Denver it's easy, no Cutler = a tough season.

I do believe that this game will be close for most of the game, but in the end Philly wins and moves to 12-3 going into the season finale vs Dallas. Dallas could be fighting for a playoff berth like last year, but I do believe that the Eagles will beat them again to finish 13-3.

The Eagles should get back into the NFC Championship Game and we will see if this team has enough to make a trip to Miami.

The Eagles will need to make sure that their offense can match the defense. Last year the defense really lifted this team the last seven games and they got tired in the Championship game and finally broke.

If the offense can match, and give the defense some relief this team can make a huge impact this season. However, if they cant, those 13 wins I predicted could be much less for this team.

NFC West Preview

dominick donofrio — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:22:30 -0400

This could be one of the most compelling divisions in the league this year as each team has made great strides to capture the divisional crown away from Arizona, and the Cardinals look to prove that last year was not a fluke and they can compete for it again.

Lets start with the defending NFC and divisional champion Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals shocked the world last year, flying through the playoffs and losing to the Steelers on a last-second touch down. The major pieces of the puzzle are still intact going into the season as Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald are back, but Bolden is demanding a trade as soon as possible as he has no trust in Arizona anymore. If Bolden does leave, then defenses can now try to double Fitzgerald and slow his production down.

Steve Breaston is a great number three receiver as he grabbed 77 balls last year with 3 touchdowns, but I'm not sure if he can be a number two receiver. If Bolden does go, this will hurt the passing offense. At the running back position, James was finally released in the off season leaving Tim Hightower and JJ Arrington as the two backs with experience. Hightower finished last year with 399 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Arrington finished with a terrible 187 yards and 1 touchdown.

With their first pick, the Cardinals picked Chris Wells from Ohio State. Wells is a power back who can gain those hard-fought yards that Arizona couldn't get last year. Wells should start and Hightower should be a good replacement back, giving the Cardinals a running game to match their passing. In the off season the Cardinals lost three offensive linemen due to free-agency. Only one starter, but that is depth that was crucial on last years playoff run.

On the defensive side of the ball the Cardinals return a unit that really came alive in the playoffs. In all of their playoff games the Cardinals only allowed 299 yards rushing, and 975 passing yards, both ranked in the top ten in the NFL. The Cardinals defense sacked opposing quarterbacks ten times in four playoff games, another top ranking (only behind the Steelers). Karlos Dansby returns to command the linebacker corps with his 119 tackles and 4 sacks. In the playoffs Dansby came alive, leading the team with 31 tackles and 1 interception.

Antrel Rolle also comes back in the secondary with his 89 tackles, and 1 interception. Joining Rolle in the secondary will be second year man Dominique Rodgers Cromartie. In his first season in the NFL Cromartie came up with 42 tackles, and 4 interceptions. With Roderick Hood being let go in free agency, Cromartie will most likely take the vacant defensive back spot. Filling out the secondary is Adrian Wilson who was a rock last year with his 75 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. As long as the front seven gets pressure, this secondary will be very strong for this team.

This team has a way to go if they want to get back into the playoffs. The Cardinals open up against the much improved 49ers, a Jaguar team that will be hungry to make it back to the playoffs, and a Colts team that is in flux. I do believe that at the bye week the Cardinals could be 1-2. After the bye week the Cardinals play Houston and Seattle who are still rebuilding, and then go into stretch that has them playing four games against improving teams.

Going into week 11 against the Rams the Cardinals should be 5-4, and then with a easy win against the Rams they will climb to 6-4. Then things get interesting as the Cardinals must play the Titans, Vikings, and 49ers before finishing with the Lions, Rams again, and Packers. I can see this team pulling a late season push again and finishing 10-6 on the season.

If this team does not make the playoffs again I would be very surprised. They have a lot of talent, and it would be a shame for it to end early. The Super Bowl loser has missed the playoffs four of the last five seasons however, with Seattle being the one that made it.

Now this next team is one which I believe could really make a splash this year. The San Francisco 49ers finally have a coach that will provide a stable platform for this team to grow. Mike Singletary took over on Oct. 8th after Mike Nolan was fired finally. In his nine games at the helm of the 49ers, Singletary has a coaching record of 5-4. He was very competitive in games, being outscored by just four points 181-185. In the nine games he was the coach, his team allowed under 20 points six times, and over 30 points just twice.

The biggest need for this team is to find their franchise quarterback. J.T O'Sullivan is out, as he was let go as a free agent and has signed with the Bengals. O'Sullivan was a Nolan favorite but was not nearly productive enough as he threw 8 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a QB rating of 73.8. That leaves rookie Nate Davis from Ball State, Alex Smith, and Shaun Hill.

Hill will have the inside track to start as he was most productive last year, throwing 13 scores and 8 interceptions with a rating of 87.8. Smith has been a draft bust so far, and I really don't think he will be able to beat out Hill.

At running back, Frank Gore is back after a 2008 season in which he gained 1,036 yards and 6 touchdowns, his lowest numbers in three seasons. Foster was let go in free agency, and with their second round pick the 49ers picked up Glen Coffee from Alabama who will provide the 49ers with a great one-two punch.

At receiver, the 49ers selected Michael Crabtree with their first pick. Crabtree has great speed and strength, and a nose for the end zone. He found pay dirt in 13 straight college games, and is ranked sixth on the NCAA Annuals List with 41 scores. Crabtree will join Issac Bruce in the starting group.

The 49ers are short a receiver as Johnson was lost in free agency, and tight end Bajema was well to the Rams. This leaves a very thin receiving core for this team. Bruce is the leader with his 61 catches and seven scores from last year. Gore was next with 41 grabs and two scores, followed by Vernon Davis with 31 grabs and two scores. Bruce should be the number one receiver, and Crabtree the number two, but that third spot is up for grabs.

On defense the 49ers improved towards the end of the season last year. The leader of this defense is linebacker Patrick Willis. Willis finished the year with an outstanding 141 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception. He is only a third year pro, and his potential is never ending.

Michael Lewis is the 49ers best defensive back, and one of the better safetys in football. Last year Lewis's numbers started to decline as he did not grab an interception for the first time since 2001. He has been in the league for eight seasons now and his better years could be in the mirror.

Nate Clements joins Lewis in the secondary, but like Lewis he had a down season in 2008, posting his lowest interception total (2) since 2005, and tackle total (63) since 2003. Clements is a ninth year pro and has lost a step, but can still be a anchor in the secondary. He could use some safety help as he was beat last year on too many go- routes.

Walt Harris rounds out the secondary after having a decent 2008 season in which he finished with 54 tackles, and three picks. Harris lead the secondary in interceptions last season, but he is a 14 year pro so that leaves the 49ers with a need to start grooming defensive backs.

In free agency the Niners lost three defensive backs, which really hurts their depth. They will need to pick up some younger players to develop them. In free agency they picked up Donald Strickland, who in 2008 with the Jets finished with 38 tackles. He should help provide some depth.

At linebacker the 49ers are maybe the strongest in the division. Besides Willis, Spikes comes back for another season after posting his best season stats in tackles (96) since 2004, and interceptions (3) since 2002.

On the defensive line, the 49ers bring back defensive end Justin Smith. Smith finished 2008 with 73 tackles and 7 sacks, which is his most since 2004. Smith is joined by defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin. Fraklin, in his first season as a full time starter, flashed potential, finishing with 43 tackles, and 1 sack. He will need to get better pressure for this defensive unit.

Parys Haralson should start at the other end spot, as he started ten games last year finishing with 39 tackles, and 8 sacks. This defensive line needs to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks to protect their aging secondary. If they can do this then the unit will be very productive.

The 49ers have a tough road if they want to get over .500 for the first time in recent history. SF opens the season with a tough game against the Cardinals. then Seattle and the Vikings round out the first three weeks. The 49ers could be 2-1 after the first three games, and be in contention right away.

After a week four game against the rebuilding Rams, the 49ers go into a very hard stretch against the Falcons, Texans, Colts, Titans, Bears, Packers, Jaguars, Seahawks, Cardinals, and Philly before a week 16 game against the Lions. At this point the 49ers should be 7-7 going into the Detroit game, and 8-7 after the game to go into the final game against the Rams. After the Rams win, the 49ers will finish the season 9-7, their first winning record in recent history.

The St Louis Rams come into the season with a brand new coach, and a new attitude. Steve Spagnuolo comes over from the Giants after he created one of the best defenses in the league. Steve hopes he can do the same for the Rams, who are dying to return to glory. On the offensive side of the ball it is a whole new ball game. Out is Orlando Pace and Terry Holt who were anchors for this team since "the greatest show on turf" days.

Holt lead the team in receptions (64), yards receiving (796), and tied for scores with three. With Holt's departure, that leaves Donnie Avery to the potential number one slot. Avery showed potential last year in his second season, grabbing 53 balls and three scores.

Dan Looker also comes back this year after a decent 2008 season that saw him make 23 catches and two scores. This team needs a number one receiver that will scare offenses and I just dont see them having that yet. So saying that, defenses will be able to stack the box to stop Jackson and the running game.

With their 24th pick the Rams took Brooks Foster out of North Carolina. Foster finished 2008 with 30 grabs and two scores at North Carolina. He is very strong and will break any arm-tackles that defenders try to put on him. I'm just not sure he is the number one receiver that the Rams need.

It looks like Steven Jackson will have to carry this team this year. Jackson only started 11 games last year before an injury made him miss time again for the second season in a row. In the 11 games he played he managed 1,042 yards and seven scores with a 4.1 yards-per-carry average. If Jackson can stay healthy this year then he will get back to his 2005 form in which he ran for over 1,500 yards. Jackson has missed nine games the last two seasons, so the Rams should perhaps try to draft a young running back to groom.

With their final pick in the draft the Rams selected Chris Ogbonnaya out of Texas. Chris had only 378 yards this past season, but he is a very fast back, running his 40 yard dash in 4.6, so he can be a nice compliment for Jackson if he makes the team.

At quarterback Marc Bulger returns. Bulger is another Ram who missed time in 2008 and did not play well. Marc threw for 11 scores and 13 picks in 2008, the second season in a row that he threw more interceptions then touchdowns. Being in his 9th season, it might be time for the Rams to start grooming a replacement.

The Rams selected Keith Null out of West Texas A&M in the draft to be the back up to Bulger. Null holds the school record for passing yards in a season and in his career with over 9,000 yards. Marc will start the season as the starter, but if the Rams struggle again or if Marc goes down again, I wouldn't be surprised to see him lose his job to Null.Finally, the Rams brought in Kyle Boller from Baltimore to back up Bulger.

The biggest move for this team in the off season was to replace Orlando Pace at tackle. The Rams did this by selecting Jason Smith with their first pick. Smith is a very athletic offensive tackle who uses his height and long arms to easily shake off defensive ends. He is surprisingly quick for a big man. Not fast, but quick. He can reach the second level very fast, and can pull if needed. He will be a very good replacement for Pace, and should anchor the offensive line for years to come.

On the defensive side of the ball, Steve hopes to duplicate what he did in New York but he has his work cut out for him. The Rams ranked 31st in points allowed a game (29), and 28th in yards allowed a game (371.9) and rushing yards (154.7). The new coach hopes to bring a new attitude for this defense.

I do not understand the move they have made at linebacker releasing anchor Pisa Tinoisamoa. Pisa recorded 104 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles last year, his best statistics in his career. At the other linebacker spot is Will Witherspoon, who will have to be the leader now thanks to the loss of Pisa. Last year Will recorded 72 tackles, and 1 sack in only 12 starts. He should now be the starter as he is the best option the Rams have.

Victor Adeyanju was brought back in free agency and should be a very good piece in Steve's defense. Oshiomogho Atogwe should be an anchor in the secondary, and try to build on a good 2008 season that saw him post his career high in tackles (85), and have 5 interceptions.

Jason Craft could play a bigger role in 2009, as Steve will have many new schemes that will require different packages. Jason started two games last year, and recorded 61 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 interception. I look for his numbers to increase greatly in 2009.

Filling out defensive backfield is Corey Chavous. Chavous recorded 63 tackles in 2008, but did not record a single interception for the second time in two seasons. Corey has not played well as a Ram, only recording 224 tackles, and 1 interception in three seasons as a Ram. He has to create more turn overs for this team in 2009.

NFL Coaches Who Are On the Hot Seat In 2009

dominick donofrio — Sun, 17 May 2009 12:52:57 -0400

This past offseason has had one of the biggest coaching turn arounds in recent history, and it could be bi passed next year. There are several coaches who are on the hot seat this season, and the only thing that can save their jobs is to go to the playoffs, or for the team to show improvement. Lets go over the coaches who i believe are on the hot seat this coming season, and if they will save their jobs

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AFC North Draft Needs

dominick donofrio — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:02:07 -0400

This division has the possibility of being one of the most competitive in the league this year. The Super Bowl Champion Steelers look to reload and capture there seventh title in franchise history, but the Ravens, Bengals and the Browns look to change that.

Lets start with the Champions, The Steelers. Pittsburgh does not have a lot the need to do to help this team, so much like the Patriots, they should draft for depth. On the defensive side of the ball we have to start at the line.

Keisel and Smith are both in their 30's, so how much more do they have in the tank?

Drafting a defensive lineman with the 32nd pick is the smart choice here to add depth and build for the future. The secondary needs some young talent injected into it, especially at the corner spot.

The Steelers released McFadden during the offseason so they need to draft a fast, physical corner. Taylor and Townsend will hold down the secondary this year but who knows how much more they have in them.

On the offensive side I really feel like the Steelers biggest need is on the line. They can use late draft picks to get some depth. The only other need is at receiver. I really think that the Steelers need to find one more receiver that can really stretch the defense.

Plus, as much as I love him, Ward is getting to the end of his career so it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up a receiver to start to groom. Sweed will fit into the second or third receiver spot but I really still feel that they need one more.

Next we will go to the team that was hit hard in free agency, the Ravens. Starting on the offensive side we will start at receiver. Mason is a great receiver, and I love his toughness, but he is 35 so again how many years does he have.

Drafting a receiver would be smart for the Ravens, they can get him experience so he will be ready to step into that starting role, plus the Ravens really need to give Flacco a deep threat.

So taking a receiver is a good beat for this team. Lets go to the defensive side now. The Ravens lost a lot in free agency, mostly to the Jets, so they have a lot of holes to fill.

Starting at the inside line backer spot and the departure of Scott. The Ravens have others that can fill in the vacant spot, but I'm not sure if any of them can really do it.

Mclain might have the best chance to start here, but if the Ravens feel like they need to get a upgrade I wouldn't be surprised to see a backer selected with their first pick.

If they feel that they have the personnel already in place, then I wouldn't be surprised to see the Ravens get some depth in the later rounds. At defensive end, Pryce is on the decline after only getting six total sacks in his last 24 games so the Ravens should start to think about getting an upgrade at this position to groom for the future.

This is a big year for the Bengals, and Marvin Lewis. They have a lot of needs to fill on this team if they want any chance of making a playoff push. Starting on the offensive side the Bengals need help on the offensive line.

Andrews was lost to free agency, leaving a injury prone line very thin. The Bengals have to use the draft to add depth to this unit, or Palmer and Lewis will be in big trouble this year.

At the running back position the Bengals no real starter in my option. Benson has not lived up to potential, even though he started to come on at the end of the year, and Perry has been a bust to this point. The Bengals need to take a running back with their first pick to help this offense move.

On defense we will start with the line. In 2008 the Bengals had a total of 17 sacks, 17! They need to draft defensive lineman who will get to the quarterback and take the pressure off of a suspect secondary.

There is plenty of great lineman in this years class so they should be able to find one to help the defense. Moving to the secondary now and the safety spot. Jackson left the Bengals in the off season and from what they have left on the roster, I don't see a impact safety on this roster.

They will have to draft a play maker for this spot in the draft. In my opinion, the defense is the biggest needs in this draft for the Bengals. However, the defense does this team will do so if it struggles then the Bengals are in huge trouble.

The Browns are a mess, and have a lot of holes to fill. On the offensive side the Browns need a tackle. Tucker is starting to be slowed with injuries and there is not a lot of depth to this line, so the draft is needed to help fix that.

Whoever the quarterback is, they will need receivers, which leads me to the next need I believe this teams has. The Browns released Jurevicious in the offseason, and now Stallworth is a question mark so this leaves Cribbs, and Edwards as the only weapons for this offense.

The Browns have to get receivers in the draft to keep defenses honest, instead of rolling coverage over to Edwards. On defense we will start at linebacker. McGinest is going to retire, thinning the defense out even more.

The defense will need to find a backer who will fit into their desire to get pressure on the quarterback. In 2008 they only gathered 18 sacks, so they need to grab a physical backer. The secondary is a problem for this team.

The right corner is in good shape with Wright, but the other corner is still up for grabs as no one has stepped up. The Browns need to get a corner that can start right away and provide relief for this defense especially if they want to make any kind of run to the playoffs

AFC East Draft Needs: Team-By-Team Analysis

dominick donofrio — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:44:59 -0400

Last year, the Dolphins turned had a huge turn around from 1-15 to AFC East champions, losing in their wild card game to the Ravens.

The question, now, is can the Dolphins repeat and hold off the rest of a division that has gotten better?

The draft is a key spot to help fill any holes in a team's roster while trying to improve in certain areas.

We will examine what each team in the East needs to improve through the draft.

Miami Dolphins

The defense needs to start to get younger and the draft is a great spot to achieve this.

At corner the Dolphins have signed Eric Green, but the other corner Will Allen is in his 30s and with no real depth behind these two the Dolphins will need to get a game changing corner in the draft.

The linebacker corps is a good unit, but I do believe that the Dolphins should start to look for a replacement for Joey Porter, as he is getting older and it is never to early to find a future player to mold.

The Dolphins also need to get some depth at outside linebacker or someone to upgrade that position.

Porter was really the only linebacker who got to the quarterback on any constant basis.

On the offensive side the Dolphins need a receiver that will draw the double coverage and will be able to stretch the field.

Ted Ginn Jr. came on really strong towards the end of the season last year, but if Miami wants to contend with the other receiving threats in the division, they need to get a big time receiver.

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots finished the year, 11-5 and still missed the playoffs, which is incredible.

They have done a ton in the off-season and don't have many holes to fill; it's more building depth for this team.

As I said last year, the defense has to get younger to compete with the strong offenses in the league.

The Patriots should look for an outside linebacker, because I really don't think that Thomas has proven himself yet for the Pats.

At the middle backer position, Tedy Bruschi is really not an every-down player anymore and age has slowed his play down.

The Pats should look at getting depth behind Tedy, either molding a future middle backer for down the line or getting a good coverage backer for third and longs.

At the safety position, I don't know how much Rodney Harrison has left in the tank.

Further, I'm not sure if Meriweather is comfortable out of the box, so he is not the answer for Harrison.

The Pats should, again, look for a safety to mold that could be ready if Harrison goes down to injury again.

On offense there isn't much the Pats have to do either other than to get younger at the receiver position. Randy Moss is in his 30's and so is Joey Galloway.

The Pats should get a young receiver who would benefit from playing behind Moss for a year or two.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills went out and grabbed Terrell Owens to help give their offense a spark, but they still do have other holes they need to address.

On the defensive side, they got no pressure last year on the quarterback.

The Bills need to grab a stud pass rusher who will both take the pressure off of the secondary and take some of the double teams away from Schobel.

The other position that is in need on defense is the outside linebacker spot. I just don't think that Ellison is strong enough for the Bills at this position.

The Bills need to draft outside backers first in this draft to shore up the middle of this defense. If they don't upgrade, the outside backers will hurt the Bills big time, especially in this division.

Now, to the offense, which needs big time help.

Starting on the offensive line, the Bills need to take a center, and a guard to help get depth for that line. If one of the linemen goes down with injury, currently the Bills have no one else to step up.

At wide receiver, the Bills brought in Owens but he is on the down side of his career and the only other threat is Evans.

Teams will be able to adjust coverage’s to handle Evans, and double Owens unless the Bills get a speedy number three that will make the defenses play honest—plus with Owens' age, the Bills need to draft a long-term solution at receiver.

At running back, Lynch is having problems with law enforcement. His potential suspension would leave the Bills with a running back issue. They need to use their first pick to get a running back to shore up their running game as a number two back if Lynch is not suspended, and to start if he is.

New York Jets

The NY Jets have had a very active off-season, all but turning into the NY Ravens.

With Rex Ryan fixing the defense there is not a lot to do on that side but there are some things that could be done.

Ryan loves the 3-4 defenses and is going to use it in New York, so the Jets need to have a big time player who can rush off the edge.

Ellis is getting older and is not the long-term solution here; the Jets need to address this or Ryan's defense will just not work long term. The only other spot on the defensive side is the line.

Jenkins is still a good player, but is getting up in years and really didn't do fantastic last year. The Jets should look for a nose tackle to start to groom for the future and to spell Jenkins.

Moving to the other side of the ball now there are a bunch of issues, first being the receiver position as the Jets let go of Coles in the off season. They need to bring in a speedy, big receiver that will not allow defenses to double Cotchery.

Following in that mindset, the Jets need to also draft a tight end, as I do not believe that their tight ends played well in blocking situations last year.

On the line the Jets have no depth to a line that was injured a lot last year. There is only one spare tackle and one guard, so the Jets need to use some draft picks on the line.

The last position that the Jets need to sure up is the quarterback. Brett Favre was not the answer last year, and he definitely cost the Jets down the stretch.

The question is whether Ryan thinks that Clemons or Ratliff are the answer for this team.

Personally, I don't think they are. If Cutler does not end up with the Jets i fully expect them to use pick 17 on a quarterback and start him, as they did rather well with a rookie in Baltimore last year.

Top Five Worst Draft Choices by the Lions

dominick donofrio — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:29:03 -0400

Lions fans are once again in a very familiar situation, a top five pick in the NFL draft. The Lions go into the 2009 season trying to totally rebuild after the first ever 0-16 season in the history of the NFL. So what lead to the winless year? You could argue the failure of all those first round draft picks did not make the team any better. Since 2000 of the nine first round picks by the Lions only three are still with the team. So who was the worst draft pick in recent history?

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NFL Free Agency: Big Money Doesn't Always Equal Wins

dominick donofrio — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:07:06 -0400

During the free agency period, fans constantly scream and moan when their teams don't make huge splashes by signing big-time free agents, regardless of what the team actually needs. The fans want their teams to win fast and now, which will lead to over-paying players and spending money on a position that was fine to begin with.

Teams who go out and spend like crazy in the off-season do not always see results from the players they pick up. Players need to bond and learn to work together. Sometimes, the players who are brought in will not fit into a team's system and don't work well with others, which usually ends up hurting a team rather than helping it.

Look at the Washington Redskins. Owner Dan Snyder spends like crazy in the off-season, picking up aging players who do little to help the team. The Redskins, since 1998, have gone 82-94, finishing above .500 only three times and have gone just 1-3 in the playoffs during that time. They have gone through three coaches, including hall-of-famer Joe Gibbs.

The players that Synder brings in, in most cases, only remain with the team for an average of two years and then depart or retire. This off-season, Synder spent over $100 million on free agents which could again be a bad decision.

I do like the acquisition of Haynesworth on the defensive line; however, the team had other needs to fill, such as: quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive line. Unless the Redskins plan on addressing this in the draft, or feel comfortable with the players in which they have, then they have made some mistakes.

Another team who has a track record for going out and getting free agents is the Raiders. In 2001 they went out and grabbed linebacker Bill Romanowski, receiver Jerry Rice, defensive tackle Warren Sapp, and quarterback Rich Gannon. The Raiders had one of the oldest rosters in the NFL.

The Raiders went to the Super Bowl in 2002, losing to the Buccaneers, and have since gone 24-72 with four different coaches at the helm. The players they brought in were great for one year, but upon retirement of those players, the Raiders were left with a young and inexperienced squad that has suffered greatly.

This does not mean that every team that brings in big players suffers. The Patriots did great in the 2007 season by bringing in free agents and almost went undefeated. Last year they finished 11-5.

You have to gauge the players you bring in, and avoid bringing in too many players that will just be a quick fix. The smart thing to do is to get players that you need to fill a position, like the Eagles did by bringing in Stacy Andrews to fill the vacant offensive tackle position, or like Kansas City did by finally getting a franchise quarterback in Matt Cassell.

Yes, free agency is great for bringing in big time players, but these players are really a quick fix in most situations. As much as the fans do not want to hear this, the best way to improve your team for the long haul is through the draft and helping players mature.

The teams such as the Patriots, who have success every single year, do this. It's better for the players and for the whole organization to go in this direction.

The Top Five Super Bowls of All Time

dominick donofrio — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:51:49 -0500

Super Bowl 13 between the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers was a NFL classic between two dynasties. The Steelers were lead by Terry Bradshaw while the Cowboys were lead by Rodge Staubach so the hype was this would be a great back and fourth game. The Steelers scored first thanks to a Bradshaw pass to Stallworth for the 7-0 Steelers lead but the Cowboys would respond with a Staubach touchdown pass for the 7-7 tie after one period. In the second the Cowboys scored to take the 14-7 lead thanks to a fumble recovery and score by Hegman. However, the Steelers would tie the game with another Bradshaw score and then take the 21-14 half time lead with Bradshaws third score of the day. In the third the Cowboys narrowed the lead to 21-17 with a field goal. In the final period Harris scored to give the Steelers the 28-17 lead, and then Bradshaw recorded his fourth score of the day to bring the lead to 35-17. Things looked over but the Cowboys wouldnt quit as Staubach found the endzone to narrow the lead to 35-24, and then 35-31 thanks to the recovery of an onside kick and another Staubach score. It all came down the another onside kick, which the Steelers recovered to hold on to the four point lead. This would be the Steelers second super bowl title.

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NFC Championship Breakdown: Arizona Cardinals-Philadelphia Eagles

dominick donofrio — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:29:30 -0500

So at the start of the year who had the Philadelphia Eagles playing the Arizona Cardinals for the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl? Ok, how many of you had the Eagles in this game after they lost 36-7 to the Ravens and Donovan got benched? The fact is that in this NFC Championship game we have two good teams who have honestly fought and clawed their way to get here and both deserve to be here. This game will be a drag out fight and personally i cant wait to see who wins. In this article i will go over each unit between the teams and see who has the edge in which area and why i see it that way. Finally at the end i will make my NFC pick on who will go to the Super Bowl in Tampa Bay. Enjoy

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Ten NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat

dominick donofrio — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:17:34 -0500

I am a Eagles fan and live in Philadelphia so i hear everyday how unhappy the fans are about this team and they have a right to be. Since going to the Super Bowl in 2004 the Eagles have made the post season only once, in 2005 with Jeff Garcia, and have been fluttering around .500 or worse in each of those seasons. This year the Eagles were thought to be Super Bowl contenders and after blowing away the Rams in week one they went on a 2-3 streak in which they were outscored by 15 total points. Then after getting back into the mix with a three game win streak, the Eagles went 0-2-1 with that now famous tie to the Bengals. This team has to make some kind of change in the offseason, if it is front office, player, or coaching it has to come. Andy has become a pass happy coach and is passing more then 60% of the time, and in games that he has abandoned the run this year the Eagles are 2-4 including the latest loss to the Redskins in which running backs had a combined total of 62 yards. Westbrook was actually finding success as he ran for 45 yards but Andy went away from him. In games that Westbrook, or other backs gets 90 yards or more the Eagles are 5-0 this year. So why does Andy decide to go away from the run? This team just does not play well when there is a lot on the line. When they were out of playoff contention last year and at 5-8 the Eagles went on a three game tear to finish the year strong and at 8-8. This year the Eagles were thought for dead they came back but in critical time when the playoffs were on the line they came up one yard short. This team has to come make some kind of change in the offseason, but firing Andy might not be the right one. Andy has turned this team around from laughing stock to competing but something has to happen. He will more then likely be brought back but if ownership wants things to change in the organization it is unknown how he will take that.

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NFC Playoffs: Predictions on how it will go

dominick donofrio — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:49:18 -0500

In the NFC you have the Giants in the number one seed clinching last week with their win over the Panthers. The Number two seed is going to the Panthers, and the number three seed is still up for grabs but odds are the Vikings will grab the seed and the number three slot. The fourth seed will be the slumping Arizona Cardinals winning their first ever NFC West title. The wild cards are going to the Falcons and either the Cowboys, Eagles, or Buccaneers. The Eagles need to beat Dallas and have Oakland beat the Buccaneers. The Cowboys need to beat the Eagles and they are in. Finally the Bucs need to win and have the Eagles lose to Dallas. The Bucs will not lose to the Raiders and i think the slumping Cowboys will lose to the Eagles putting Tampa Bay into the final slot

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Predicting NFL Playoff Results: AFC

dominick donofrio — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:50:23 -0500

Now that the playoffs are right around the corner we can start to guess who will come out of the tournament and travel down to Tampa Bay. The top seeds are as followed: in the NFC the Giants have received home field advantage and clinched the number one seed. The Panthers look like they will finish off with the number two seed in the NFC. The AFC top two seeds are the Titans who will keep home field advantage as long as they stay alive in the playoffs. The number two seed in the AFC is the Steelers. Now we have a couple seeds that going into the final week are still up for grabs so i will explain how i see the final playoff seeds being placed. First lets start with the AFC. The Titans will finish obviously 14-2 and the top seed and the Steelers will finish 12-4 and the second seed, both receiving a week off. The Third seed will go down to this final week between the Jets, Miami, and Patriots. The Dolphins have the easiest way into the post season since all they have to do is win over the Jets and they are in and i do believe they will do so as Chad Pennington will get the last laugh against his former team. Finally the last seed going down to the Ravens and Patriots fighting it out. I do believe that the Ravens will beat the Jaguars to claim the last seed. So the playoffs in the AFC should go as followed: Titans 14-2 Steelers 12-4 Dolphins 11-5 Chargers 8-8 Colts 11-5 Ravens 11-5

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Top Five Teams to Watch in the NFL Playoffs

dominick donofrio — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:58:24 -0500

In this slide show i will go over the top five teams in the playoffs that we should watch because they could run the table and find themselves in Tampa Bay. At this point we know that the top seed in the AFC and NFC are the Giants and Titans. The road to the Super Bowl must go through Tennessee and New York this year. The Wild Cards are all set up besides two slots which are being contended by up to six teams. In the AFC the Ravens, Patriots, and Jets are fighting for the final spot. In the NFC the Eagles, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Bears are all fighting for that final spot in the last game.

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Detroit Lions Headed to 0-16?

dominick donofrio — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:06:25 -0500

The Detroit Lions are on the road to Canton, Ohio and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but not for a positive reason.

The Lions suffered their 14th straight loss, a 31-21 heartbreaker at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts last weekend. With just two games left in the season, the Lions are looking for the opportunity NOT to make history.

But it's not as though the Lions are completely awful. They've lost seven games by seven points or fewer, including a 12-10 heartbreaker against the Vikings in week six.

Despite holding the lead in the fourth quarter multiple times this, Detroit can't seem to finish games. They are being outscored in the third quarter 97-47, and then in the final quarter 102-66. The offense is 27th in the NFL, averaging just 17.1 points a game while they allow 31.7 points a game, which is dead last in the league.

You cannot expect to win in this league with such drastic differences. Things get worse on defense, as the Lions are second to last in total yards allowed.

Quarterback John Kitna went down early in the season, and the offense just never seemed to recover. On the season, Lions quarterbacks have averaged only 186.7 passing yards-a-game, which is 21st in the league.

To help try to revive the squad, the Lions brought Daunte Culpepper off his couch to lead the team. That proved to be a failed experiment as he threw just four touchdowns and six interceptions while completing less than 58 percent of his passes before he was injured.

Since then, former UCONN quarterback Dan Orlovsky has stepped in and has not done too badly, other than his safety against Minnesota which eventually led to the 12-10 loss.

Dan has six scores and four picks on the year, and has actually done a decent job driving the team down the field.

Additionally, the running back situation has really hurt this team as they are averaging only 79.1 yards a game, which is second to last in the league. Kevin Smith has been limited due to injuries and Rudi Johnson has been less-than-stellar in his place, picking up under 250 yards and averaging just three yards-per-carry

The Lions must now travel to New Orleans, which is 7-7 and is fighting for the NFC Wild Card. The Saints are the NFL's No. 1 team in points-per-game (27.9), total yards, and passing yards-per-game, with 304.2.

Drew Brees might be the league MVP this year, as he is completing 64.7 percent of his passes while throwing 28 touchdowns and only 16 interceptions.

The Saints' rushing attack has been handed over to Pierre Thomas due to injuries and suspensions. Thomas has stepped up, taking advantage of the situation while picking up 548 yards, an average of 4.7 yards-per-carry. Against the Lions' dreadful rushing defense, he should have a career day.

Unfortunately, the Lions just do not have the fire-power to keep up with the Saints, and will lose 40-21 to drop to 0-15, a first in NFL history.

The final week of the year will pit the Lions against division rivals the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers are looking to finish the year on a high note and will be looking to make sure they're not the team that gives the Lions a win.

Green Bay are currently ranked fifth in scoring, 10th in yards-per-game, and ninth in passing yards-per-game. Their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, has had a better-than-expected season, throwing for 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 63.5 percent of his passes.

The Packers' rushing attack is led by Ryan Grant, who notched his first 1,000 yard season this year. Their defense has struggled, ranking 21st in scoring, 24th in total yards, and 26th in rushing yards.

The Lions have not won at Green Bay in a very, very long time, so the odds are stacked against Detroit already. With all the emotion on the Lions' side while Green Bay is having a disappointing season and is therefore vulnerable, I see an upset here. I'm calling it 24-21 Lions to end the year 1-15 and avoid the first 0-16 record in NFL history.

No team, from Pop Warner to the NFL, should finish 0-16 with all the work they put in during a season. The Lions deserve to win at least one, and I will be rooting for them in the final two weeks.

NFL Playoff Situation, As of Week 15

dominick donofrio — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:05:22 -0500

So with three weeks left of the regular season, only three teams have clinched a playoff spot with a divisional title, and five divisions still stand for the taking. The NFL divisional winners are guaranteed a playoff spot, so first we will talk about the divisional leaders.

With doing this, we have to of course talk about who has already clinched. The Arizona Cardinals won the West this past weekend with their huge win over the St Louis Rams. The Cardinals were limping into the Week 14 matchup after two big losses to the Giants (37-29) and to Philly (48-20).

They have not faired well away from Arizona all year, winning only three of seven games so far, but lucked out with two of their last three games at home. The Cards will finish the season with Minnesota, New England, and Seattle, who are not pushovers.

The Vikings and Patriots are fighting for their playoff lives and will not go down easy while the Seahawks will try to win the season finale for their coach. The Cards' offense is ranked No. 1 in points and second in passing yards.

Kurt Warner has really sparked this team with his play (25 TDS and over 4,000 yards passing). What hurts this team is the run game which is ranked 32nd in the NFL. James has been non existence in his tenure in Arizona especially this year but still is the leading rusher with only 359 yards this year. That is what the Giants get per game!

This team will win at least two more games to finish the year 10-6 but with out a strong rushing attack they will not go far in the playoffs.

Next is the defending Super Bowl Champions the New York Giants who backed into the divisional title with their shocking 20-14 loss to Philly last Sunday. The only reason they won the division is because the Cowboys blew a 13-3 lead over the Steelers to fall late. The Week 14 loss to the Eagles was the first at home for the Giants this year, but face two of their next three away from New York, including a huge game against the Cowboys next week, who will be playing for their playoff lives.

After this game the Giants have to play the NFC South leading Panthers, and then the Vikings who will be playing for their playoff lives. The Giants are ranked third in the league with scoring but only scored a total of 14 against the Eagles defense and the defenses will only get better down the final three games.

The NFL's No. 1 ranked rushing offense was shut down against Philly last week and the Giants best weapon Brandon Jacobs has not practiced yet this week with his knee injury which means the load will be put on Ward who is averaging 4.2 yards a carry this year.

They will have to get much better play out of Manning who looked terrible against the Eagles, but you can not place all the blame on him as his receivers played with a case of the drops.

The defense is ranked fourth in the league in points allowed with 17.4, but the Eagles tacked on 20 and tacked up 331 yards including some big kills by Westbrook. The Giants are going to play a Cowboys team that is struggling, and could put the dagger in the Cowboys hopes this week.

The Giants will win all of their last games to finish 14-2 and get the home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The only other team to clinch thus far is the NFL surprise team, the Tennessee Titans, who ended the Colts five-year divisional strangle hold. The Titans climb to 12-1 after a nice win over the Browns 28-9 last Sunday. The Titans hold the seventh ranked scoring team in the NFL, and the third ranked rushing attack.

The Titans have responded great since their 34-13 set back to the Jets in week 12. Since that game they have outscored opponents 75-19 and have not allowed a team over 10 points in two straight weeks. Collins has really played great thus far throwing for 11 scores and the rushing attack of Johnson and White has been great as both are averaging over four yards a carry.

White has 14 scores this year thus far and with the remaining schedule that could grow even more. The Titans must play the Texans, Steelers, and Colts in the seasons final weeks. The Texans are playing much better, but I'm not sure if their defense can hold the Titans.

The Steelers and Colts will play great and will challenge the Titans to the max. The Titans could very realistically lose two of their last three games, and finish 13-3 with the number one seed in the AFC.

TEAMS FIGHTING FOR DIVISIONAL TITLE

AFC EAST

This division has shaped up to be the best in the NFL, with the Jets, Pats, and Dolphins all at 8-5. The Jets still are the divisional leaders holding the tiebreakers with the Pats and Dolphins but have really stumbled since their Week 12 win over the Titans. Since that game they have been outscored 58-31 by the Broncos and 49ers who are really struggling and should have been wins.

The Jets will have a rocky road to the season finale as they have to play two divisional teams in the final weeks. The Jets play the Bills, Seattle, and finish with the Dolphins. The number two team in the division with an 8-5 record is the Pats.

After a 33-13 loss to the Steelers in Week 13, the Pats came back from behind to beat Seattle 24-21 last Sunday. This team is very puzzling as they play good one week and bad the next, and injuries are starting to pile up on them.

The defensive leader, Bruschi, is now out due to a knee injury, fellow LB Woods is out due to a jaw problem, and running back Faulk has been limited in practice.

This team has overcome injuries all year but this might be to much for this team. With games against Oakland, Arizona, and Buffalo to finish the season there is some doubt if this team will get to the playoffs.

They have to win out to have a chance and with the way that Arizona is playing, and Buffalo will be playing spoiler. I can see an upset in one of these games. The other team still in contention for the division is the surprising Miami Dolphins who stand at 8-5 this year.

Regardless of how this team ends up, they deserve coach of the year honors after a 1-15 year last year and this year finishing at worst 8-8. The road is a little easier for Miami to end the year as they play Kansas City, SF, and the Jets.

The Jets game could be for the divisional title, but like the Pats, they have to win out, and I can see a upset in week 16 vs the 49ers.

My guesses for this division is as follows: Jets finish 10-6, Miami 9-7, Pats 9-7.

AFC NORTH

The Steelers currently hold the division lead with a 10-3 record but the Ravens are close behind with a 9-4 record much to the surprise to everyone. The Steelers came from 13-3 down to Dallas last week to win 20-13 with 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. The defense is ranked No. 1 in every category in the NFL and shows no chance of slowing down.

Big Ben has thrown 14 scores this year with 12 INT so not a great season but the rushing attack has really helped this team averaging 110 a game. The Steelers finish the season with a huge match up this week against Baltimore which will determine the division champion.

After this game, they play the Titans and Browns. The Ravens have surprised many this year with their 9-4 record under new head coach John Harbaugh and rookie QB Joe Flacco. Flacco has thrown for 13 scores and lead the offense to No. 12 in scoring.

The rushing attack has helped take the pressure off of Flacco with the number four ranking in the NFL. This week will determin the divsion champion as the Ravens host the Steelers. The Ravens are 5-1 at home and will play hard defense to force Big Ben into mistakes. After this game the Ravens finish with Dallas and Bengals.

My guess for this division will be: Steelers 12-4, Ravens 10-6.

AFC WEST

This division is almost gone to the Broncos as they stand 8-5, and the Chargers are 5-8 and really limping. All the Broncos have to do is win one of their last three games to clinch this division but the final three teams will not go away easy.

The Broncos face Carolina first, then Buffalo, and finish with the Chargers in the finale. Denver has been facing injuries all season and faced another with stand out rookie RB Hills out for the rest of the season due to hamstring injuries. The Broncos will loss to the Panthers in the next game and then beat the Bills to win the division.

Broncos 10-6, Chargers 7-9

NFL NORTH

This division has come down to the Vikings (8-5) and the Bears (7-6) fighting it out for the division, and the week 13 Vikings win over the Bears might have ended the race. The Bears will need the Vikings to lose two of their finale three games to have any chance to get the division.

The Vikings will play the Falcons, Arizona, and Giants to end the year and could lose to two of those teams but the Bears finish with the Saints, Packers, and Texans, so they face a challenge winning out as all these teams will be looking to end the season strong, and the Saints will be fighting to a playoff birth.

Vikings 10-6, Bears 9-7

NFC SOUTH

The Panthers took a huge step this week in clinching the South with the surprising 38-23 win over the Bucs, running all over the great Bucs defense known for stopping the run. The Panthers stand at 10-3 and the Bucs at 9-4 and will have to win two of their last three for the title. They will play the Broncos, Giants, and Saints to end the year—all very tough games.

The Broncos will be to hurt to compete but the last two teams are a toss up. While the Bucs will have to win out to have any chance and they play the Falcons, Chargers, and Raiders to end the year.

They have the easier route to the playoffs then the Panthers, but that Monday night game really will hurt them.

Carolina 11-5, Tampa Bay 11-5

NFL: Week One Full of Good and Bad Surprises

dominick donofrio — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:52:07 -0400

Finally the NFL season began after four long weeks of preseason games, and it began with a bang. We saw many surprises in week one both of the good and bad variety, which should worry or make fans excited about their teams.

Bad Surprises:

New England Patriots: This has to be the biggest problem in all of football this year and it happened with 7:33 left in the opening quarter. Tom Brady was hit in the knee during a pass to Moss and was instantly heard screaming by team mates and was not seen again.

The report out of New England is that Tom will have to have season ending knee surgery this week which leaves the Pats with a huge question mark at quarter back. Matt Cassel came in and played well going 13/18 for 152 yards and 1 score, he was sacked twice in the game as well.

Now you cant really get a good judge of if Cassel can be a asset to the offense or a problem. He should be tested this week against the Jets, as the defense will be better then Kansas City and will get pressure on him.

The other quarterback on the roster is rookie O'Connell who played better then Cassel in the preseason. Behind an offensive line who has two starters out this could be a interesting 2008 now.

St Louis Rams: Now i knew that they would not beat Philly, who had a heck of a day, but they played terrible and showed no improvement from 2007. The Rams "Greatest Show on Turf" only scored three points, got 166 total yards (130 passing and 36 running) and allowed four sacks.

Steven Jackson might have needed training camp after all as he rushed for only 40 yards, with his long being nine yards. He looked confused as soon as he took the ball, but that could have gone with the lack of blocking by the line.

Four of the five offensive linemen got penalties called on them, only one not being Orlando Pace. The Eagles just constantly confused the offensive line with their stunts, and Cole just bullied the offensive tackles all day.

The Rams play the Giants next, who's defense is even better then the Eagles, and offense is close to if not the same as the Eagles. It could be a long season for the Rams, and they might be looking for another head coach.

Detroit Lions: This was my surprise team for 2008 as they looked improved and ready to make a run at it. Well they played terrible against the rebuilding Falcons allowing 21 points in the first quarter as they fell behind 21-0.

The rushing attack just did not materialize as they picked up a total of 62 yards, most by rookie Kevin Smith who picked up 40. The offensive line allowed three sacks on Kitna, and only converted 2/9 on third down.

The defense was the downfall of the team by far. They allowed 21 points in the first quarter, and would allow the Falcons 34 total. The Falcons picked up 471 total yards on the Lions, including 316 rushing yards.

You think they miss Rodgers in the middle? They not only couldn't stop the Falcons rushing attack, they could not get pressure on Ryan as they only sacked him once in the whole game. They play Green Bay next so the proper corrections will need to be made.

Indianapolis Colts: The Colts have Super Bowl hopes this year, but if they played like they did in the opener then just getting a winning record will be challenging. I'm a huge Manning fan, but he did not play like himself in this game.

Manning went 30/49 for 257 yards and one score but he looked confused at times and lost his cool. He was under constant pressure as he was sacked twice, once for a safety. The offense scored just 13 points which is very un-Colt like.

The lack of a rushing attack is what killed the Colts as they picked up only 53 yards total, Addai picked up 44. The offense looked lost at times, and the line with out center Jeff Saturday was just not as dominate. The defense was again questionable as they allowed the Bears to convert 10/16 third downs, and 319 total yards (most of which was rushing).

Now, hopefully this was just opening day jitters as Manning did not play all preseason but week two has the Colts traveling to Minnesota which should be a win.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags again were though to be a team which could compete for a deep playoff run. Well in week one they could not get past the Titans as they lost 17-10. Offensively the Jags could not get on track as they only gained 189 yards (156 passing and 33 rushing).

The Jags offensive line allowed two sacks, and they only converted 5/14 third downs. Fred Taylor, and Jones-Drew just could not find anything as they both picked up under 20 yards for the whole game.

The Jags are a run first team and if the rushing attack fails then they are in huge trouble. The defense was the real reason this team lost week one. (How often do you ever hear that) The Jags allowed 309 yards (172 passing).

The Jags only got to Young one time in the game, when they praise themselves as getting to the QB. The Jags have a chance to make a splash this year if the Colts keep struggling but they need to pick up the defense.

Good Surprises:

Atlanta Falcons: Who's rebuilding? With a new coach and quarterback coming into week one, many though the Lions would run over the Falcons. Well, that was just not true. On his very first NFL pass, Matt Ryan threw a touchdown pass to get the Falcons up fast. Ryan would finish the day with 161 yards and one score.

The Falcons went out and got running back Michael Turner from the Chargers and what a pick up that was. Turner gobbled up 220 yards and 2 scores and really took the pressure off of Ryan to win this game.

The offensive line protected Ryan very well only allowing one sack all day and helping the offense jump to a 21-0 lead in the first. The defense will need to pick it up however as they allowed 308 yards.

Carolina Panthers: Many people thought that this game would be a blow out, and i was one of them. Well the Panthers showed that they might be a sleeper team this year as they scored on the final play of the game for the 26-24 win over the Chargers.

Jake Delhomme picked up 247 yards and the winning score and helped guide the offense to 388 yards. The offense controlled the ball for five minutes and some change more then the Chargers, keeping LT off the field.

Baltimore Ravens: Same situation as the Falcons in this week one match up as the Ravens have a new coach and quarterback and was going against a very good team in the Bengals.

Rookie Joe Flacco surprised me with his composure in the pocket as he picked up 129 yards through the air, and even a 37 yard rushing day with a 38 yard score. He showed the composure of a veteran. The offense picked up 358 total yards on the day and controlled the ball for 12 minutes and change more then the Bengals keeping "Ocho Cinco" off the field.

The line only allowed one sack on the day as well. On defense many people had questioned if the unit would show its age this year. Well, at least in week one they proved they are a force. The Ravens only allowed 154 total yards (65 rushing and 89 passing), and recorded two sacks and only allowed 2/13 conversions on third down.

OUTSTANDING PLAYERS IN WEEK ONE:

QB:

Pitt—Roethlisberger: 13/14 for 137 yards and 2 scores

Baltimore—Flacco: 15/29 for 129 yards and a rushing score

Miami—Pennington: 26/43 for 251 yards and 1 score

NYJ—Favre: 15/22 for 194 and 2 scores

Dallas—Romo: 24/32 for 320 yards and 1 score

GB—Rodgers: 18/22 for 170 yards and 1 score

Philly—McNabb: 21/33 for 361 yards and 3 scores

RB:

Pitt—Parker: 138 yards for 3 scores and a 5.5 yards a carry average

Atl—Turner: 220 yards for 2 scores and a 10 yard a carry average

NFL Final Roster Cuts Produce Many Former Superstars

dominick donofrio — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 14:00:55 -0400

So, only four days until the 2008 NFL season opens up, which means the rosters all had to be cut down to 53 players by Sunday at 6:00 pm. This means that the hopes and dreams of playing in the NFL for over 700 NFL players ended with a knock at the door Sunday evening.

Among the roster cuts were several key names that frankly were a surprise as they were team and fan favorites and at one point in their careers all pros. Getting released does not mean the end of the road for some vets, as teams will be very fast to pick them up to fill holes in their rosters, but for some it is the end.

Let's look at some of the teams releases:

NY Giants

The Giants surprised me by cutting their third quarterback to go into the season with only Manning and David Carr on the roster.

Now they could pick up recently released Jared Lorenzen who was the third string quarterback in NY last year before being released in the off season. He knows the offense and will not need any time to learn it which is a plus.

But Manning has proved capable of surviving the 16-game season without getting hurt, so the Giants might be ok with only two quarterbacks.

I'm a little surprised that London did not beat out Moss for the final receiver spot as he had more speed but he was not consistent at all and that hurt him. He will be picked up somewhere to be a practice squad player however, I'm sure.

The Giants already picked up McDougle who was released from the Eagles to compete for the vacant defensive end spot left by Osi.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs finally let go of unhappy quarterback Chris Simms. Simms has not started a game for the Bucs since his hernia injury against the Panthers in 2006. The Bucs decided to keep him for some reason through the whole training camp even with Simms begging to be released and everyone knew he was not in their plans for 2008 with Garcia, and Griese on the roster.

This relationship ended with some really bad blood between the two parties. Simms will find another job in 2008 and don't be surprised to see him in the starting unit.

I'm very surprised that kicker Matt Bryant stuck with this team after his terrible preseason but Gruden declared that the Bucs have full confidence in him going into the season. However, don't be surprised to see Tampa add another kicker the minute that Bryant starts to struggle.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills cut every tight end on their roster other then Robert Royal, so Royal must prove that he was worth this decision. If he gets hurt, or underplays the Bills will instantly regret this choice since they had two good back-ups on their roster.

Royal had a bad preseason and is coming off a 25-catch, three-score 2007 season. He'll need to get more production this year.

New England Patriots

There were a lot of shocking names on the cut list for this team.

Starting at corner, the Pats released Fernando Bryant who looked to be the replacement for Samuels this year. In 2007 Bryant picked up a very good 69 tackles and two interceptions and had held down the starting role until his cut today.

This leaves the job to second round draft choice Terrence Wheatly. I hope the Pats have patience with Terrence as he is a rookie and will certainly have growing pains this year, which might hurt the team at times.

The Pats released veteran linebacker Victor Hobson who had a good rookie season getting 62 tackles for New England. He will surely find another job as he has a nose for the football.

Backup quarterback Matt Gutierrez was released instead of Cassel. Gutierrez had a very nice preseason moving the ball and getting the Pats points while Cassel had a very poor preseason. I don't understand this move by New England but Gutierrez will most definitely find another job, maybe in Miami?

The biggest name on this list by far was Jon Lynch who came over from Denver halfway into training camp. Lynch was not happy in Denver as he found out his playing time was going to be reduced for some very good younger talent so he came over to New England to prove he did not lose a step and was still worthy to be a NFL starter. Well, he did not.

He was slow to pursue and just did not play well in the preseason games so he was cut. This might be the end of the line for John as his skills have decreased, but he could find a home if a team needs a solid back up safety. I cannot see Lynch starting another NFL game.

Philadelphia Eagles

I was shocked to see defensive end Jerome McDougle on the Eagles cut roster. He played a very solid preseason finally showing glimpses of why he was selected in the first round by the Eagles six years ago.

However, I guess the Eagles got tired of waiting for him to live up to his talent, and his injuries so they let him go. McDougle has already found a home in New York and is fighting for the starting job there.

Michael Gasperson had a very nice preseason hauling in balls for the Birds but was let go as well. I thought he could have been a solid number four receiver for Philly but the Eagles thought otherwise. Gasperson will find another home or could be brought back to Philly for the practice squad.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals parted ways with running back Rudi Johnson who was expected to be the work horse in 2008. Rudi has not recovered fully from the hamstring injury and apparently this hurt him during camp and lead to his release.

This leaves Chris Perry as the starting back for the Bengals, as he will have to prove he can handle the full load in 2008 as he has not played a full season in his whole six year NFL career.

The Bengals also cut long-time Bengal and left tackle Willie Anderson. Leg injuries led to Anderson losing his job in camp and eventually his spot on the roster. The Bengals lose a very good leader in Anderson but leadership could not make up for the salary cap costs he brought to this team.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons surprised me by releasing Joey Harrington on Saturday night.

Harrington was left to pick up the pieces last year after the whole Mike Vick incident and struggled in his starts. However, you can argue that Joey was not surrounded by good talent at all and that's why he struggles as well, until you remember Redman coming in and actually playing decently with the same bunch of people.

It is surprising that Joey was cut and DJ Stockley remained on the team but Harrington will find another job, maybe in Baltimore if their three quarterbacks struggle.

Rumors and News as of Sunday, August 31st

Rudi Johnson:

Rudi already is meeting with Detroit to discuss a deal which would provide depth at the running back position and possible to start. At the moment the Lions go into the 2008 season with rookie Kevin Smith, and vet Tatum Bell who has not done much while in a Detroit uniform.

Rudi would help the Lions drastically in the rush offense and take some of the pressure off of Kitna which could translate to more wins and competition in the North.

McDougle:

It did not take McDougle long to find a new home as the NY Giants inked him to a one year deal Sunday afternoon. McDougle could find himself as the starter at defensive end since Osi is out for the year.

It will all depend on how he learns the playbook and how he progresses. If the progress is good as it has been all preseason look for McDougle to be a force for the Giants.

Suspensions:

Henry was suspended one year by the league but the suspension could be longer. It all depends on the commissioner and his final decision.

Tony Gonzalez will be suspended four games, a huge blow to the already weak Chiefs offense, and Bucs offensive tackle Luke Petitgout will miss four games as well.

Patriots long time running back Kevin Faulk will miss the season opener due to violating the leagues drug policy and will be fined two game checks by New England. The loss will not be so severe as the Pats will most likely dominate the Chiefs anyway.

AFC Playoff Predictions: Changing of the guard?

dominick donofrio — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:12:59 -0400

DIVISIONAL WINNER:

Chargers 14-2

Colts 13-3

Steelers 12-4

Patriots 12-4

WILD CARDS:

Jaguars 12-4

Jets 9-7

WILD CARD ROUND:

NY Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Brett Favre magic is not enough for the Jets as they are over matched in this game against the Steelers. Big Ben jumps on them early and often and Willie Parker ends the hopes of a Favre come back as the Steelers win 35-21 to advance and giving Tomlin the first playoff win in his administration.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New England Patriots

How unlucky do the Jags have to be to draw the Pats in the opening round? The Jags make this a dog fight until the end of the game when Moss catches a bomb from Brady to lead by 10 going into the final minutes of the game.

Not being a come from behind type of team the Pats end the Jaguars season with a turn over winning the game 24-14 and advancing to the divisional round.

DIVISIONAL ROUND:

New England Patriots @ San Diego Chargers

The rematch of the 2007 AFC Championship game as these two teams just dont like each other. LT run all over the Pats defense early setting the tone and the Chargers defense gets in Brady's face early and often forcing Brady into bad throws.

The game remains close until Jones Drew scores late in the final period for the upset and the end of the Pats dynasty. Chargers win 27-21 to advance to their second straight AFC Championship game.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts

The rematch of the 2005 AFC Championship game proves to be just as exciting. Fireworks in the first half as Manning lights up the score board for the Colts and same is said for Willie Parker and the Steelers offense.

Late in the game Bob Sanders picks off a Big Ben pass and the Colts go up by 14 and seal the win to advance to the AFC Championship game wit the 35-21 win.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

Indianapolis Colts @ San Diego Chargers

Rematch of the 2007 AFC Divisional game and much of the same. The Colts cant slow down the rushing attack of LT and the Chargers keep Manning off the field. Manning has to throw to try to save the game but makes a costly error which seals the win for the Chargers 38-28.

SUPERBOWL 43:

San Diego Chargers vs. Seattle Seahawks

AFC West Preview: Do the Chargers have anything to worry about?

dominick donofrio — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:53:26 -0400

This could be the most lopsided division in all of the NFL with only one team being a contender and the other three teams are continuing their rebuilding processes. This division has a long way to go before it gets back to domination.

San Diego Chargers

The defending champions of the West really has nothing to worry about in 2008 when it comes to defending their divisional title. They return basically every piece of their dangerous offensive attack starting with Philip Rivers.

Rivers really came into his own in 2007 as he threw 21 scores and 15 picks and led his team to the AFC Championship game. At running back returns one of the best running backs in the whole NFL, LaDainian Tomlinson.

In 2007 LT ran for 1,474 yards and 15 scores being the biggest threat for the offense, and winning several games all by himself. He got injured in the AFC Championship game and the lack of his presence was felt as the Chargers could not get any offense going and lost the game.

At receiver is Chris Chambers returning for his second season in San Diego after a very good first year in which he caught 66 balls for four scores. Joining him at receiver will be Vincent Jackson who had 41 catches and 3 scores, and Antonio Gates at tight end who has always been a huge target for Rivers. He was not the same in the AFC Title game and it hurt the offense.

On defense the unit is lead by outside backer Shawne Merriman. Merriman had 68 tackles last year and 12 1/2 sacks but has had serious knee issues in the off season.

He has chosen to forgo the surgery until after the season, but if his knee goes it could be devastating for this defense. On the line returns Jamal Williams at nose tackle, Igor Olshansky (49 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, and one pick) and Luis Castillo (33 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks).

The defensive line starters missed a total of nine games last year as both Williams and Castillo sat out. They need to be in and causing pressure for this team if they want to beat New England and Indy.

Jammer returns for the secondary with his 61 tackles and one pick, a number he will need to increase in 2008. At the other corner is Cromartie who had 44 tackles and 10 interceptions in his first year as a full time starter in the NFL. He proved to be a shut down corner and another weapon on this Charger defense.

The Chargers should be 5-0 when they face New England in week six. The Patriots seem to have their number and i don't see that changing yet as the Chargers lose a close one thanks to a Moss score and fall to 5-1. The Chargers only other loss will be to the Saints right before the Bye. The Chargers finish a team best 14-2.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos have not been dominant since the departure of John Elaway and has not have a stable quarterback since. Cutler is getting there but still has far to go as he makes to many mistakes with games on the line. He threw 20 scores and 14 picks in 2007 and the teams success will only go as far as Cutler takes them and that wont be far this year.

He is still to young and raw but he will have this team ready to go in the next two years. At running back stands second year player Selvin Young. In his rookie year Young ran for 729 yards and one score as Denver continued its running back factory.

Michael Pittman comes over from Tampa to provide some depth at the position with his power attack. Colbert comes over from Carolina at the receiver spot with his 32 catches. At the other receiver spot will be the leading receiver from 2007, Brandon Marshall.

Marshall finished 2007 with 101 catches with seven scores but will miss time this coming season due to a suspension from a off the field incident. The offense does not have enough weapons right now to compete for a playoff spot.

On defense the Broncos will have a aging team. Out is John Lynch to New England leaving behind Champ Bailey at corner (84 tackles and three sacks), and Dre' Bly at the other (51 tackles, one sack, five picks). The line is lead by Dumervil who recorded 34 tackles, 12 1/2 sacks and one pick.

The defensive line is a work in progress as they did not record many sacks and has to play three times better in 2008 for this unit to be successful. At backer comes back DJ Williams who recorded 101 tackles, one sack and one pick, and Boss Bailey from Detroit. This defense has a ways to go before they can help this team win. This team should finish 7-9 this year.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs continue its rebuilding process in year three of the Herman Edwards administration. This year the offense looks improved but the defense might be a question mark going into this division. At quarterback is Brodie Croyle the third year man out of Alabama.

In 2007 Croyle threw nine scores and nine picks in only nine games of work. He has to be more consistent as he had games in which he looked good and then when he looked terrible. If he can stay consistent and grow this year, the Chiefs future looks solid. At running back comes back the all pro Larry Johnson.

Last year Johnson recorded 559 yards and three scores in only eight games of work. He needs to stay healthy to take some of the pressure off of Croyle. At receiver the production was not good in 2007.

Darling comes back after only a 18 catch and three score season, Bowe comes back with his 70 catches and five scores, and tight end Tony Gonzalez with his 99 catch five score season. These receivers has to improve their production this year and if they do then the Chiefs could be competitive in some games.

On defense the Chiefs bring back Donnie Edwards at outside backer with his 101 tackles, two sacks and one pick season. Joining him at backer is Derrick Johnson with his 94 catches, 4 sacks, and one pick and Napoleon Harris with his 116 tackles and one sack and one pick.

The LB corps is the strongest part of the defense by far and if they get some help from the line this could be a explosive unit. Surtain comes back at corner after his 58 tackle, 2 pick season in 2007. He needs to prove hes a shut down corner once again. On the other side is rookie Brandon Flowers from Virginia Tech.

He is a very fast and physical corner who should be an upgrade at this position. The Chiefs have the disadvantage of facing New England first to begin the 2008 season and then plays four teams who are all looking to rebuild. The Chiefs should finish 5-11 this year.

Oakland Raiders

Lane Kiffin comes back for his second year at the helm of the Raiders. His first season was not very good as he finished 4-12 but did play some young players to build for the future. JaMarcus Russell comes back for his second season as the full time starter.

In 2007 Russell threw two scores and four picks in only four games of action. If Russell's development continues in a positive way then he will do very well this year. At running back will be a dual threat between Justin Fargas who picked up 1,009 yards and four scores and rookie back from Arkansas Darren McFadden who is a very quick back and will make a instant impact this year.

The Raiders lost Jerry Porter to free agency but picked up Javon Walker who picked up 26 catches in an injury shortened season in 2007. If he can get back to his dominant ways he will be a huge target and have a career year in 2008. At the other spot is Ronald Curry who picked up 55 catches and four scores in 2008. This receiving corps should be a good group for Russell to use.

On defense Derrick Burgess comes back after a down season in 2007 in which he only picked up 39 tackles and eight sacks. joining him on the line will be Tommy Kelly (30 tackles and one sack), Terdell Sands (23 tackles), and second year man Jay Richardson (33 tackles and one sack).

The defensive line is a very young group which will only get better with age. At backer is Thomas Howard (95 tackles, one sack, and six picks), Kirk Morrison with the most tackles on the team with 120 and four picks and at outside backer is Robert Thomas who finished with 62 tackles.

The secondary got better in the off season as they picked up unhappy corner from Atlanta DeAngelo Hall. Hall brings his 228 tackles and 17 picks to a unit that needs take aways. He also brings leadership to a very young unit.

This team is very young and has a ways to go before they become Super Bowl contenders but they should improve in 2008 going 5-11. However, Al Davis might not see any improvements and still look for a new coach.

AFC WEST PREDICTIONS:

San Deigo Chargers 14-2

Denver Broncos 7-9

Kansas City Chiefs 5-11

Oakland Raiders 5-11

AFC North Preview: Browns time to shine?

dominick donofrio — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:32:58 -0400

This division has gotten so much more competitive with the Browns finally living up to expectations in 2007 and finishing just 1/2 game behind the Steelers and the final wild card spot.

If the Browns can continue to improve this year and the Bengals wake up after the two past down seasons then this could be a very interesting division going down to the final weeks.

Pittsburgh Steelers

For years its seemed the Steeler have dominated this division with out any kind of threat. They lost the division in 2005 to the Bengals but have not lost it since (2006-2007) and look to make it three in a row this year.

Mike Tomlin came into his first season as a head coach and changed the offense for the Steelers into passing more then they had under Bill Cower. Big Ben Roethlisberger capitalized from this pass first offense having a break out year throwing 32 scores and only 11 picks, which is almost double his previous best in a season.

Ben proved that he could win a game and just not manage it and looks to have a big 2008 season. Running the ball will be a dual combo between Willie Parker (1,316 yards and two scores) and rookie Rashard Mendenhall. These two backs will be a very nice one two punch as both are speedy and can beat anyone at the edge.

Ben will be throwing to big rookie receiver Limas Sweed who has caught five balls for 36 yards in the preseason. He is a big target who will excel at end-zone catches as he can out leap people and he is very physical.

Joining Sweed at receiver is former super bowl MVP Hines Ward who had an very good 2007 picking up 71 catches and seven scores. The Steelers lost all pro guard Alan Faneca in the off season so looking to fill his shoes is Chris Kemoeatue in his fourth NFL season.

On defense the Steelers come back stacked. Starting at nose tackle is the big man, Casey Hampton who recorded 33 tackles and only 1/2 sack in 2007. He will need to be a bigger run stuffer in 2008 to make this defense succeed.

At defensive end is Aaron Smith who recorded only 30 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks in a injury shortened 2007, and the other end is Brett Keisel who recorded 39 tackles and 3 sacks in 2007.

Back at linebacker is James Farrior (94 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks and one pick), LaMarr Woodley (14 tackles, four sacks), Larry Foote (81 tackles, three sacks, one picks) and who had the best output in 2007 James Harrison who recorded 98 tackles, 8 1/2 sacks, and 1 pick.

At left corner is Ike Taylor who recorded 80 tackles, one sack and three picks. He has to improve this season against faster receivers, as he was constantly beat against them last year. At right corner is Deshea Townsend who had a decent 2007 with 52 tackles and two picks.

At saftey comes back Troy Polamalu who finished 2007 with 58 tackles in a injury shortened season. Troy has not played a full season since 2005 and needs to stay on the field this year for the Steelers to win.

The Steelers open the season with Houston but then face Cleveland, the Eagles, Baltimore and the Jaguars who will all be a tough out. They should come out of that stretch at worst 3-2. They will finish the season 12-4.

Cleveland Browns

The surprise team of 2007 in the NFL as they won 10 games and just came within 1/2 game of the Steelers for the division and the final playoff spot. The Browns finally found an franchise quarterback in Derek Anderson.

Anderson threw 29 scores and only 19 picks in his first full season as a starter and was named to the pro bowl after Tom Brady backed out.

Anderson should continue to only get better in Romeo's system and should throw in the high 30's for touch down passes this season. At running back comes back power running back Jamal Lewis.

Lewis recorded 1,304 yards and nine scores in 2007, his best output since 2003 with the Ravens but thought he needed to do more so he lost 20 pounds and comes in faster and more dangerous. Catching passes from Anderson will be Braylon Edwards who's 80 catch, 16 score year was his best output yet as a pro.

He should only keep getting better and should have a even better year in 2008. At the other receiver spot will be Donte' Stallworth who comes over from New England. He brings with him leadership and 46 catches with three scores.

The third receiver will be Joe Jurevicius assuming he comes back at full strength from that knee surgery. At tight end is big time target Kellen Winslow. Winslow had a great 2007 season as he brought in 82 catches for a career high six scores. The offense looks like they can score with anyone.

Defensively the Browns upgraded their nose tackle spot as they went out and got free agent Shaun Rogers from Detroit. Rogers brings a instinct for stuffing the run as he recorded 32 tackles and seven sacks last year and even recorded one pick.

At left end comes in Corey Williams who played 2007 in Green Bay. Williams brings with him 35 tackles, seven sacks and one pick. At the other end is the only Brown defensive lineman returning from 2007, Robaire Smith. Smith recorded 56 tackles and four sacks last year as the most solid defensive lineman they had.

At backer returns for his final NFL season Willie McGinest. Willie has been the heart of this defense and looks to go out on top in his final year. Joining him at inside backer is Andra Davis (67 tackles), D'Qwell Jackson (101 tackles, one sack, and one pick) and Wimbley (51 tackles and four sacks).

The Browns schedule is very challenging this year as they start the year hosting Dallas and then the Steelers. I cant see the Browns beating last years record as they will go 9-7 and fight for a wild card birth.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals looks to return to their 2005 form in which they stole away the North and finished 11-5. Leading this team is quarterback Carson Palmer who looks to rebound after his worse NFL season throwing 26 scores and 20 picks while being sacked 36 times.

Palmer needs his receivers to get open faster and that starts with T.J Houshmandzadeh who was the leading receiver in 2007 with 101 catches and 12 scores. At the other side is Chad Johnson who finished with 93 catches and eight scores. At running back Kenny Watson as the only back on the roster at the moment.

Watson finished the year with 736 yards seven scores as he started five games. Rudi Johnson was released today on the final cut down. If this team can keep Palmer upright and get the ball down field they will be a definate threat.

On defense is Geathers at end (47 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, one pick), Peko at tackle (52 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks), Thornton at the other tackle (32 tackles and one sack), and Odom at end who finished with 21 tackles and eight sacks.

The line has to get more pressure as they did not get to the quarterback nearly enough only getting 13 sacks. At backer returns Jeanty (39 tackles), and Dhani Jones (89 tackles and one sack). This corps has to play better and stay healthy to give the Bengals a chance. The Bengals should finish this year 9-7.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens come into 2008 with many firsts this year. One being their coach. Out is Billick and in is John Harbaugh as the third coach in franchise history. The other new issue for this team is the quarterback spot, out is proven vet McNair and in his place is Boller, Smith, and Flacco.

On the other side of the ball is an aging defense whos window of dominance is closing quickly. Steve McNair retired after an injury shortened 2007 leaving behind him a team with no proven quarterbacks. Kyle Boller all time has 45 touchdowns and 44 interceptions and has not proven that he can lead this team to any victories or to a playoff run.

Plus he was injured at the end of preseason making the Ravens chose one of the other young quarterbacks. The former heisman trophy winner Troy Smith is the other quarterback on the team with any NFL experience. He got into the two scores last year with no picks and looked good moving the ball for Baltimore. He has arm strength and is very fast so he is a good solid weapon for Baltimore.

The final solution is the drafted quarterback out of Delaware Joe Flacco. Flacco has done well in the preseason throwing one touchdown and moving the ball down the field for Baltimore. He will most likely be the starter week one for Baltimore.

Willis McGahee returns as the running back for Baltimore after a solid first year when he rushed for 1,207 yards and seven scores. Mark Clayton returns for the Ravens at receiver after a 48 catch season in 2007. Derrick Mason returns as the number one receiver after his 103 catch five touchdown 2007 season which was his best in his career.

The all pro tight end, Todd Heap returns for Baltimore after injury shortened his 2007 campaign. He looks to return to form and be the major weapon for Baltimore in 2008. The offensive line lost pro bowl tackle Ogdon to retirement which makes the offensive line a question.

On defense the unit is aging and the window might be closing for this unit to dominate. Nose tackle Kelly Gregg returns after a great 2007 season in which he got 80 tackles and three sacks, his best output in his career. Trevor Pryce returns at the left end spot after injury shortened his 2007 season to only five games and 15 tackles with two sacks.

He has to remain healthy to give this team a pass rush. At the right defensive end position Haloti Ngata returns after having a break out season with 63 tackles and three sacks. Jerret Johnson is the outside linebacker as he racked up 58 tackles and two sacks in his first season as a full time starter.

On the inside returns the heart of this team Ray Lewis who had a very solid 2007 season with 120 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions. He is the anchor on this defense, but the Ravens have to start to groom his replacement as he enters his 13th season.

Greisen was brought over from Jacksonville last year and recorded 30 tackles for the Ravens and is thought to be the replacement for Lewis. Bart Scott comes back at the other inside position with his 93 tackle and one pick season.

He does however hurt his team as well with his emotions as proven in the Patriots game. Terrell Suggs returns at the outside position after his 80 tackle and five sack year in 2007. Samari Rolle was hit hard by injury last year missing 11 games which did hurt the Ravens secondary.

At the saftey spot Dawan Landry comes back after a very solid first year as a started recording 82 tackles and one sack. At the other safety returns Ed Reed who is always a solid player for this Ravens defense.

The schedule for the Ravens is very tough as most of the teams are going to be pushing for a playoff birth and the Ravens having a young quarterback will hurt them. They will go 6-10 this season and make more of an impact next year.

AFC NORTH PREDICTIONS

Pittsburgh Steelers 12-4

Cleveland Browns 9-7

Cincinnati Bengals 9-7

Baltimore Ravens 6-10

AFC East: Can Any One End Patriots Streak

dominick donofrio — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:09:12 -0400

The rest of the AFC East made some huge adjustments in the off season to try and compete with and end the dominance of the New England Patriots.

The Jets went out and traded for future hall of famer Brett Favre.

The Dophins brought in Parcells to use his magic and turn the team around.

The Bills look to continue improving as they did to close the season in 2007.

New England Patriots

The defending champions of the division, and the AFC, look to continue their domination of the East in 2008.

Last year the Pats went 16-0 during the regular season and finished 18-1 with a shocking loss to the hands of the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. On the way to the 16-0 regular season, the Pats completely dominated their division out scoring the teams 229-76.

The only close game was the week 15 match up when the Jets lost 20—10 to the Pats.

The Pats really did not do much in the offseason, their biggest move being resigning Moss to a long term deal. Other then that, they brought in aging free safety John Lynch, and ex-Raider LaMont Jordan.

At quarterback of course is Tom Brady.

Brady had a amazing season last year, breaking Peyton Mannings record for touchdowns with 50 while throwing only eight interceptions during the regular season.

During the playoffs, his stats seemed to drop off a bit however; he only recorded six scores with three interceptions.

This was a direct result of the offensive line allowing teams to get to Brady.

He went from being sacked 21 times in the regular season (16 games) to being sacked eight times in three playoff games, including five times in the Super Bowl.

The line is a huge problem this year as they have allowed teams to continue to get pressure on the quarterbacks. If Brady really has a issue with his ankle, the coaching staff has to do something to make sure the line holds their blocks.

If Brady goes down, the back ups are less then reliable as they proved all preseason.

At running back is the returning Laurence Maroney. As the Pats got pass happy during the season, Maroney's stats went down as his reps got cut. However, he still managed to gain 835 yards and 6 scores including one in the Super Bowl.

At receiver, of course, is Randy Moss. Moss had 98 catches last year with an NFL record 23 scores, reviving his career after a terrible stint in Oakland.

At the other receiver spot comes back the short, but speedy Wes Welker. He caught a career high 112 catches with 8 scores in 2007, as he proved a great number two receiver with his speed and allusiveness. As teams doubled Moss, Welker would find the seems in the coverage and make up for Moss's coverage.

The defense is the question mark on this team.

They are made up of old vets who, in the Super Bowl and so far in the preseason, look slow and unable to pursue.

The offense will score points, but the defense will have to be able to slow teams down, which they have not yet done in four preseason games.

The line is led by Richard Seymour who is entering his eighth NFL season. He recorded 23 tackles and one—and—a—half sacks in a injury plagued season in 2007.

He is joined by nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who gobbled up 48 tackles and two sacks last season. In the playoffs though, he seemed to run out of steam on long drives and has to be on the field for this defense.

At the other end is Ty Warren, who had a decent 2007 with 53 tackles and four sacks.

Only recording seven—and—a—half sacks last year, the line has to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks as well as give their defensive backs some relief.

At linebacker, only one change has occurred.

Out is Junior Seau and in steps rookie Jerod Mayo from Tennessee. He looks to be a fast, hard hitting backer, but has struggled to make plays so far in the preseason. When he finally gets over this, he will be a great line backer for the Pats.

In the middle is long time Pat, Tedy Bruschi. He had a very solid 2007 recording 92 tackles and two sacks, but was not very effective in the Super Bowl.

On the outside returns Mike Vrabel, who recorded 77 tackles and twelve—and—a—half sacks last year. He has a great nose for the football and is around almost every play.

Playing opposite of Vrabel for his second season in New England will be Adalius Thomas. His numbers dropped a bit from his Baltimore Ravens days, but he still had a very solid year finishing with 78 tackles, six—and—a—half sacks and one interception. He provides the defense a very solid and reliable outside backer.

Now, onto the hardest hit part of this team in the off season: the defensive backs.

Out is Asante Samuel (to the Philsdelphia Eagles) and Randall Gay and in steps Fernando Bryant (69 tackles and twp interceptions) and Ellis Hobbs (63 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception).

This unit will miss the likes of Samuel, who recorded many interceptions for this team over the last few years (22 in last 75 games).

The safeties see a returning Rodney Harrison, who recorded 68 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 pick last year, and James Sanders who finished with 71 tackles and only 2 picks.

The secondary will have to get more take aways to be efficient this year. The Pats will not go 16-0 again this year, but will win the division at least for one more year with a 12-4 record. Dont be surprised, however, if the team struggles and teams pile it on to repay them for 2007.

Buffalo Bills

This is a very interesting team in 2008.

Trent Edwards came in last year and played decently with seven scores, but eight picks in just 10 games under center.

Fighting with him for the starting job is J.P. Losman, who did not have a good season in 2007 recording four scores and six interceptions.

Edwards will most likely win the job heading into the regular season.

At running back returns rookie stand out Marshawn Lynch, who recorded 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns. He provides the offense a fast weapon and will take the pressure off of whoever winds up being the quarterback.

The receivers will have to play better this year.

Lee Evans looks to have a big year in 2008 after a 55-reception, five-TD season in 2007, which was a disappointment after a great 2006.

Joining him on the other side is Josh Reed who brought in 51 grabs but failed to find the end zone.

The third receiver will be Roscoe Parrish who had 35 grabs with only one touchdown.

The offense needs to put points up to stay competitive this season, especially in a toughening East.

The defense brings back linemen Kelsay Williams and Aaron Schobel, the best player on the line from 2007. He recorded 57 tackles and six—and—a—half sacks last season for the Bills.

Buffalo went out and traded for Marcus Stroud from Jacksonville. He brings with him a tough run stopping force, but only has 22 sacks dating back from his rookie year in 2001.

The line needs to get to the quarterback more often with a quarterback-rich division with Favre and Brady.

At linebacker stands the ex-NY Giant Kawika Mitchell, who brings his leadership and 76 tackle, three—and—a—half sack and one INT stats to a young defense. He will provide the leadership that has been missing since Takeo Spikes left in 2005.

With him stands former Penn State stand out, Paul Posluszny. He recorded 26 tackles in his first NFL Season.

He is joined by the leading tackler from 2007, Angelo Crowell. He had 126 tackles, one sack and one INT in 2007. This could be one of the top LB corps in 2008.

This team opens up with two very tough games against Seattle and Jacksonville then get a break with their next two against rebuilding teams.

They should go into the bye 2-3 at the worst and should finish the season 9-7 and contend for a possible wild card game. I do not see this team beating New England, yet.

NY Jets

This team finished the biggest deal in NFL history during the off season, bringing in the future hall of famer Brett Favre to give them a quarterback.

They released Pennington, who later signed with the Dolphins.

Brett brings with him a leadership and a championship attitude that will help this young Jets team mature quickly, while helping young Kellen Clemens mature as well.

Brett will be throwing to Jerricho Cotchery (82 catches and two TDs), Coles (55 grabs and six TDs), and Wallace Wright, who looks to have a break out year in 2008.

The running back position has Thomas Jones (1,119 yards and one score) and Leon Washington (353 yards and three TDs). They should be a very good one-two punch for the Jets.

Favre will get this offense moving, but he can not take the stupid chances he did in Green Bay that cost the Packers some games (including the NFC Championship game).

The offense will be a very improved unit with the addition of Alan Faneca at guard. He brings the leadership and discipline to the offensive line that it was lacking. He will help protect Brett.

On defense, Shaun Ellis will need to greatly improve his numbers from a 2007 season in which he only grabbed 49 tackles and five sacks.

Joining him on the line is Kris Jenkins, coming over from the Carolina Panthers. He is a very physical nose tackle who will stuff the run for the Jets. He improves the defensive line greatly.

Finishing off the line at the other end is Kenyon Coleman, who had a great 2007 finishing with 83 tackles and one—and—a—half sacks.

The line has the potential to be a great unit who can get after the quarterback.

At linebacker, Calvin Pace comes over from Arizona with his 98 tackles, six—and—a—half sacks, and one INT season in 2007. He is a very solid tackler and a great upgrade.

Joining him is Eric Barton, who started 15 games last year for the Jets finishing with 73 tackles and two sacks and one pick.

David Harris brings 127 tackles and five sacks with him at the other backer spot for a very good bunch of backers, definitely the strongest part of the defense.

The Jets begin the year facing Miami, then New England in week 2 facing and San Diego in week 3.

Don't be surprised if the Jets beat the Pats in a huge Week 2 upset. I think that they will be able to pass on the Pats defense and, if the Pats' offensive line has not picked it up, Brady could be on his back.

The Jets finish the season very much improved at 9-7 and could just miss out on a playoff spot.

Miami Dolphins

This team has no where to go but up after a 1-15 2007 season.

In the offseason, Bill Parcells came in and basically cleaned house, bringing in Tony Sparano to lead the team.

Parcells has turned every team he has been with around and made them playoff teams; should do it again here eventually, but this will not be a fast turn around.

They brought

At quarterback the Dolphins have a lot of talent this year wiof th the new additions Chad Pennington and Chad Henne from Michigan, something they could not say in 2007. Only one quarterback remains from the 2007 team that finished 1-15; John Beck, who finished last year with one TD and three INTs in four starts with the Dolphins.

Pennington brings the leadership and the intelligence to lead Miami and improve their offense right away. He will win the starting job unless he gets hurt again. His downfall has been injuries, as he has only played one full season for the Jets, in 2006 and has had several surgeries to his shoulder.

He will be handing off to Ronnie Brown, who is looking to bounce back from a injury shortened 2007 where he only picked up 602 yards and four scores in only seven games. If he is back at full strength that will help this team greatly and make the offense a threat.

He is backed up by Ricky Williams who, since 2005, has only played in one NFL game, which was last year against the Steelers in which he picked up 15 yards before hurting himself. If Williams gets healthy then he could be a very good compliment to Brown.

At receiver the Dolphins have second year player in Ted Ginn Jr. (34 catches and 2 scores) who showed flashes of being a good player in 2007, to go along with Ernest Willford from Jacksonville (45 catches and 3 scores).

The offensive line is anchored by rookie Jake Long from Michigan, who will be a very tough run blocker.

The leader of the defense will be Joey Porter, who begins his second year in Miami.

In 2007, Porter had a good year finishing with 65 tackles, five—and—a—half sacks and two INT and looks to continue raising his game in 2008.

Will Allen returns at left corner with his 62 tackles, two sacks, and one INT.

At right corner, Michael Lehan returns with his 57 tackles, one sack and one pick in his break out season. This will be his second season as a starter in Miami.

On the line Jason Ferguson comes over from Dallas with his tough run stopping mentality. He will provide Miami with a upgrade on the line.

Joining him will be Vonnie Holliday (42 tackles and two sacks), Matt Roth (44 tackles and two sacks), and a rookie from Clemson in Phillip Merling.

The Dolphins schedule has them starting against nine teams who could be in the playoff hunt; if they come out of those nine games at 2-7, it would be a accomplishment especially since it would surpass their 2007 win total.

The teams they play at the start of the season have too much fire power and Miami is not strong enough just yet to compete.

To finish the season, the Dolphins should go 4—3, since it is a weaker part of their schedule and finish 6-10 and be very much improved in Parcells first season.

AFC EAST PREDICTION

New England 12-4

NY Jets 9-7

Buffalo Bills 9-7

Miami Dolphins 6-10

NFC North Preview

dominick donofrio — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:39:58 -0400

The NFC North has to be the most interesting division in the NFL this year because there are so many question marks with each team.

Green Bay Packers

We begin with the defending division champions, the Packers.

This team was involved in the biggest story of the offseason with the Brett Favre saga.

Now that Brett has moved on to the Jets, that leaves the Packers with a question mark at quarterback.

Coach Mike McCarthy gambled what could be his job in the young arm of Aaron Rodgers.

Aaron has one touchdown and 218 yards to his young NFL resume.

He saw action last year against Minnesota, where he went 2-for-2 for 17 yards and then saw large action against Dallas when Brett went down with an injury.

In that game, he played very well, going 18-for-26 for 207 yards and his first ever NFL touchdown.

Rodgers has played decently in the preseason, throwing two scores and one pick, but he has been sacked seven times in three games.

He stays in the pocket too long at times, but that can be corrected.

The one thing that Rodgers brings to the table that could be a positive is that he will not bring the bad decisions that Brett seemed to risk.

Brett would gamble a lot, and that would bring interceptions to the team, which could be costly, a prime example being the NFC Championship Game, where he threw a pick that set-up the Giants' overtime score.

Now, I'm not saying that Brett isn't a great quarterback; he is. But it could be a positive. Ryan Grant, last year, came on as a huge surprise, rushing for 956 yards and eight scores.

He is back this season, a year stronger and wiser, and should pass the 1,000-yard mark and help take the pressure off Rodgers.

The Packers have also found a good second weapon in rookie Lumpkin.

Lumpkin has picked up 126 yards and one score while averaging 4.5 yards a carry.

These two backs will have to take the pressure off of Rodgers.

Catching passes from Rodgers will be Driver (82 catches with two scores), Jennings (53 catches with 12 scores), and newfound target Martin, who is having a good preseason.

The defense comes into the season knowing that they will need to have a big season for the success of the Packers. Woodson is back to control the right corner, and Harris back for the other.

The defense has only been able to sack the opposing quarterback once in the preseason, while allowing 917 yards in just three games.

The defense will need to step it up this season.

The Packers open the season against four teams that are playoff worthy in Minnesota, Detroit, Dallas, and Tampa Bay.

They are not strong enough to beat Dallas, and Tampa might be able to overpower them.

Detroit and Minnesota are toss-ups, as both are up-and-coming teams.

So, with that said, the Packers should start the season, at worse, 2-2.

They should easily handle Atlanta to move to 3-2, but then they face the Colts and Seahawks.

The Packers will finish 9-7 this year, but they could do worse if Rodgers fails to lead this team.

Minnesota Vikings

The success of the Vikings will depend on that of their quarterback.

Tarvaris Jackson threw nine scores with 12 picks last year in an injury-shortened season.

This season, the Vikings are saying that he has improved greatly, but he was injured again in the preseason, which means that Gus Frerotte steps in.

If he fails, then the other quarterback on the roster is rookie John David Booty from USC.

He has had a decent preseason, completing 58.6 percent of his passes, throwing zero scores but two picks.

Second-year star Adrian Peterson comes back after a great rookie campaign in which he picked up 1,314 yards and 12 scores and has looked good in the preseason.

The Vikings have a good one-two punch, with Chester Taylor spelling Peterson.

He picked up 844 yards last year with seven scores.

Catching passes will be former Chicago Bear Bernard Berrian (71 catches and five scores), Bobby Wade (54 catches and three scores), Sideny Rice (31 catches and four scores), and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

After Bernard Berrian, the receivers fall off and will need to have a great season if the Vikings have any hope of making progress.

The defense will need to pick up its play to give the Vikings a chance if the offense struggles.

Darren Sharper comes back to anchor the defense after a 63 tackle, one sack, four-interception 2007 season.

Madieu Williams came over from the Bengals, bringing his 74 tackles, two sacks, and two picks.

The defense has picked up in the offseason.

The Vikings have a rather hard schedule, playing the Indianapolis Colts in Week Two.

They could finish off 9-7, depending on the quarterback play.

Detroit Lions

This could be the surprise of the season in the NFC North.

The Lions finished 2007 with a record of 7-9, their best in recent years.

There were several encouraging things to take from the 7-9 record, including the play of Kitna and the receivers.

This could be a big year for the Lions.

The quarterback play rests on the shoulders of 12-year pro John Kitna.

He threw 18 touchdowns last year, with 20 interceptions.

He has to limit his mistakes and stop forcing throws; this will give his team a chance for more victories.

The Lions released Kevin Jones, making the Lions start either rookie Smith or vet Bell (182 yards, one score).

The Lions are very thin at running back, and that could really hurt them if Kitna has to shoulder the load.

The backs will have to show that they can move the offense in the right direction.

Catching passes from Kitna will be second-year standout Calvin Johnson (48 catches and four scores), Roy Williams (64 catches and five scores), and Mike Furrey (61 catches and one score).

The Lions will have to get more production out of their receivers if they want to get more wins this year.

The defense will have to be more productive if they want more wins this year as well.

They suffered a huge offseason loss on the defensive line in the departure of DT Rodgers.

To fill his place, in steps eighth-year pro Chuck Darby.

Chick Darby had 12 tackles and one-half sack in 2007 with the Seattle Seahawks and has had a decent preseason so far with three tackles.

He will have to be more productive in stopping the run this year.

At the other tackle spot is Cody Redding, who had only 37 tackles and one sack in 2007.

The line is a huge question mark for the Lions; they will have to play harder and make more plays in 2008 if the team has any chance of a playoff push.

Kelly steps in from Tampa to upgrade the corner position for the Lions. He had two interceptions in 2007.

At the other corner is Fisher, who had a solid year in 2007 when he recorded 78 tackles and two picks.

The defense is a very young unit, and the team will do only as well as they play. The Lions start the season against Atlanta, Green Bay, and the 49ers—all teams searching for a identity.

I doubt that they will beat the Packers, but they should go 2-1 to open the year.

The Lions could finally get to the .500 mark, but I don't see them being ready to challenge for a divisional crown just yet.

They should finish 8-8.

Chicago Bears

Benched is quarterback Rex Grossman, and in his place is Kyle Orton.

Orton started for the Bears in 2005, throwing 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

He got his latest action last season after Rex Grossman got injured, and Orton threw two touchdowns and three interceptions in the final three games of the year.

He has had a whale of a preseason, throwing 2 touchdowns and no picks and only getting sacked once.

He has to move the ball if the Bears want to be a force in this division.

Catching Orton's passes will be Booker (50 catches and one score), and ex-Redskin Brandon Lloyd, who looks to fill the shoes of Chicago's two outstanding receivers they let slip away in free agency.

They also have little-known Rashied Davis, who caught two touchdowns last week against the 49ers.

They look to be a little thin at receiver, with several younger players at the position.

At running back stands their second-round pick, Matt Forte from Tulane, ex-Lion Kevin Jones, second-year back Garrett Wolfe, and Adrian Peterson, who had a disappointing 2007 season, only getting 510 yards and three scores.

The offense will have to find a way to use the weapons they have to get points.

The defense is an aging one for the Bears.

Lead by All Pro MLB Brian Urlacher, who had a career year in 2007 with 123 tackles, five sacks, and five picks.

Next to him at the LB position is Lance Briggs, who had 102 tackles and two sacks, and on the weak side is Hillenmeyer, who had 78 tackles in 2007.

Up front is DT Tommie Harris, who only recorded 36 tackles and eight sacks. He will need to get more pressure up front for this defense to have any success.

The secondary could be a problem for the Bears.

Charles Tillman is the real anchor of the group, with 75 tackles and three sacks last season.

McGowan recorded the second-best stats in the secondary, with 68 tackles and two picks.

The Bears open the season with a very hard game against the Colts. I believe the Colts just have too much firepower and will beat the Bears in the Super Bowl XLI rematch.

The Bears should finish the season 10-6, unless the offense plays great football; then they could add two more wins to that total.

NFC NORTH PREDICTIONS

Chicago Bears 10-6

Green Bay Packers 9-7

Minnesota Vikings 9-7

Detroit Lions 8-8

NFC East Preview: Are They Still the NFL's Toughest Conference?

dominick donofrio — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:45:44 -0400

Last year proved just how tough the NFC East is, as three of the four teams (Dallas, NY, and Washington) made the playoffs, and the NY Giants surprised the world by beating the Patriots in the title game, 17-14.

This year should be another great year of NFC East football, as each team upgraded to make this year very competitive.

Dallas Cowboys

First we'll start with the defending NFC East champions—the Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo is back as the starting quarterback. He had a very good season last year, throwing 36 scores to only 19 picks and 4,211 yards.

He started the season off with a fast start but again faded in the last three weeks, which raises a few concerns, as he did same thing in 2006. The Cowboys went 1-2 in final three weeks, and Romo threw one score with five interceptions, most of which came in a Week 15 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

He is another year wiser and another year better, and he is having a good preseason so far.

At running back, the Cowboys let Jones go to Seattle, which makes Barber the new starting running back. He was a force last year as a short-yardage back, picking up 975 yards and 10 scores while splitting time.

He averaged 4.8 yards a carry, which is amazing, and it should go up even more this year since he is now the starter. He played a great game in the playoffs against New York, picking up 129 yards and a score.

Dallas also drafted Felix Jones, a speedy back to complement Barber. He has shown flashes in the preseason of being a very good back. This should be a very good one-two combo for Dallas.

The receiver position is a bit of a question mark for Dallas, as they let Terry Glenn go. Now, the main receiver on the Cowboys' roster is Owens. Owens caught 81 balls last year while tying a career high 15 scores. With Glenn gone, he might get double covered again.

The next receiver for Romo is Patrick Crayton, who only caught 50 balls last year for seven scores. He will have to try to take some of the coverage away from Owens. The third-receiver spot is a toss-up right now. Miles Austin caught only five balls last year, but he has had a very good preseason, catching seven with one score.

The tight-ends position is a lock, with the very reliable Jason Witten holding the fort. He caught 96 balls with seven scores in 2007. He is always a very solid player.

On defense, the story of the year was the addition of Adam "Pacman" Jones. He has not played football since 2006, but so far in camp and preseason, he has looked very good, with eight tackles.

Zach Thomas came over from Miami to restart his career in Dallas in hope of a Super Bowl title. He has eight tackles in the preseason so far and has looked faster then he did in Miami.

Rounding out the defense is Ware and Williams. Both look to improve on 2007 seasons. The Cowboys should finish the season 11-5 and get into the playoffs.

New York Giants

No one expected the New York Giants to beat the 18-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl, but they did. To get to the Super Bowl, the Giants won 11-straight away games, including the NFC Championship thriller against the Packers.

Eli Manning, the Super Bowl MVP, comes back after a great postseason in which he threw six scores and only one pick. He has had a solid preseason, as he has run and thrown downfield.

Returning as the team's running backs are Jacobs, Bradshaw, and Ware. Bradshaw came to life in the playoffs, showing he has the speed and power to be a very nice complement to Jacobs.

Ware has had a very nice preseason, picking up 132 yards and averaging 6.6 yards a carry. He could become the No. 3 back. The receivers all come back from 2007, and the only real shake up is the release of Shockey. This promotes Boss to the full-time starter after a great season last year.

On defense, the Giants have a few issues. Osi Umenyiora was lost for the season with a knee injury, which makes a defensive line that was shallow even more so. Everyone knows that Strahan retired after the Championship, so that makes the defensive-end position a question mark.

The Giants want to move linebacker Kiwanuka back to his defensive end position, which he played in college. The other end spot vacated by Osi is up for grabs. The Giants lost several pieces of their secondary in the offseason, but the addition of Madison teamed with Webster will make them a solid unit.

While it is unlikely that the Giants will win the East, they should get back to the playoffs with a 9-7 record.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles come into 2008 with very high hopes after a very active offseason. On offense, they got Lorenzo Booker in a draft-day trade and drafted speedy receiver and kick returner DeSean Jackson in the second round. He has had a great preseason, with 16 grabs and a huge punt return for a score. He is the speedy target that McNabb wanted.

L.J. Smith comes back after an injury-shortened 2007, which will provide McNabb with a red-zone target. With Smith out last year, the Eagles struggled in the red zone and in picking up short yardage. Curtis comes back at receiver after a very good first season as an Eagle. He should complement Jackson, giving McNabb a nice one-two touch. Curtis picked up 77 catches with six scores in 2007.

The third-receiver spot is up for grabs right now while Lewis struggles. Baskett has had a very good preseason and could be that other receiver.

The whole offense and fate of the Eagles will be on the shoulders of McNabb. He has missed significant time in every season since the Super Bowl, a time period in which the Eagles have made the playoffs once when Jeff Garcia took over the starting role. If McNabb stays healthy, then this team could challenge Dallas for the title.

Of course, we can't forget about Westbrook. He's always a huge weapon for the Eagles' rushing attack. He had a career year in 2007.

On defense, the Eagles picked up one of the biggest free agents out there in Asante Samuel. He was a very solid piece of the Patriots' dynasty and Super Bowl run last year. He had six picks last year and has 22 in 75 regular season games, plus five more in postseason action. He also has six picks returned for scores. Samuel leads the NFL with picks since 2006.

The Eagles' defensive secondary will be lead by the leader of the team: Brian Dawkins. He is coming off an injury-shortened season in which he only recorded 37 tackles and one interception. He should rebound this year and lead a very good secondary. He has looked decent in preseason, but his ankle now could be a problem.

At linebacker, the Eagles moved around the order of their backers. Bradley moves into the middle role, as Gaither will move back to outside backer. In the preseason, second-string MLB Mays has done a great job and could challenge for playing time.

The defensive line is the question mark here. The Eagles released Kearse in the offseason and tried to replace him in a trade by getting Clemens, but that did not work. Now, the starters are solid, with Cole and Parker at the ends. Parker picked up 37 tackles last year with five sacks.

On the inside are Bunkley and Patterson. Rookie Laws is making a push. The Eagles could be the team under the radar this year. They could finish 12-4 or 13-3 on the season and win the division.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins are a team in transition. Out is the HOF coach and in comes first-year coach Zorn. He takes over a team that finished the 2007 season strong. On offense, he has to find a way to get Campbell to mature. He only threw 12 scores and 11 interceptions in an injury-shortened season.

Zorn also has the rookie from Hawaii, Colt Brennan, who could mature into a very good quarterback. At running back, of course, is Portis. However, he has been very injury prone the last few seasons. Betts provides a good one-two punch in the backfield.

At receiver, Washington has some good weapons. Randel El is coming off a 51-grab season, Moss a 61-grab, three-touchdown season, and the best weapon on the team, Chris Cooley, who had 66 catches and eight scores in 2007. The offense is very capable of putting up points.

On defense, the Redskins went out to get Jason Taylor for a solid anchor at defensive end. Springs and Smoot provide a good secondary for the Redskins. London Fletcher is always a solid middle backer and is the heart of that defense.

They have a very tough schedule, and with a young team and a new coach, that could mean trouble. They could finish 6-10 this year.

Predicted NFC East

Philadelphia 12-4

Dallas 11-5

Giants 9-7

Redskins 6-10