Bleacher Report - Articles by Pete Treperinas

If Jake Locker Enters The Draft, The Seattle Seahawks Have To Take Him

Pete Treperinas — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:45:50 -0500

Let's face it Seahawks' fans—Matt Hasselbeck is old and on his way out.

At age 34, Hasselbeck has endured a plethora of injuries to say the least, and I can't imagine he has more than a couple seasons left in the tank. It's clear that Seattle will need a quarterback for the future, and Jake Locker is the answer.

After last week's loss to the Cardinals, it appears that Seattle is out of the NFC West race, and could very well be picking in the top-five or 10 in the draft again. Now, no one knows for sure if Locker will forego his last year at Washington to enter the draft, but if he does, chances are he'll be one of the first quarterbacks selected.

The Seahawks probably should have drafted a quarterback to start developing under Hasselbeck by now. His contract is up at the end of this year, and who knows what his plans are. And the chances that current back-up Seneca Wallace would be named the permanent predecessor are unlikely.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford injured his shoulder again this year, which will likely hurt his draft position. This means Locker, and possibly Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen could be the best names on the board when Seattle picks. And if draft history repeats itself, a quarterback is almost certain to go in the top-five.

A year with Steve Sarkisian has done wonders for Locker as a pocket passer. Sark moved Locker away from the mobile-style that former Washington coach Tyrone Willingham implemented for him.

Besides his strong arm, Locker runs about a 4.4 second 40-yard dash, making him just about as fast as anyone in the NFL.

The Seahawks have taken defensive players in the first round for the last two years, which has helped, but I think it's time for Seattle to draft a player that they can re-build the franchise around. That player has to be Locker.

While another year under Sarkisian at Washington would help Locker develop more, playing for a few seasons under a veteran and former pro bowler like Hasselbeck could show him a thing or two about how to be successful in the NFL.

Locker would have a chance to play in front of his home state where people already worship the ground he walks on, and he could be the player to someday change the way things have been going for the Seahawks lately.

Washington-Oregon State: Last Chance For The Dawgs

Pete Treperinas — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:41:58 -0500

Still yet to win a game on the road, and riding a three-game losing streak, the Washington Huskies will head in to Corvallis in an absolute must-win situation.

Let's face it—for the majority of the season, the Huskies haven't played like a team that should be going to a bowl game. However, they've played like a team that's close to crossing the threshold.

A handful of close losses have put a damper on the season that early on seemed like a Cinderella story.

Oregon State is no slouch. This team is talented, especially when it comes to offense. OSU is No. 23 in the country, and is fresh off a 20-point win over a good Cal team.

Looking at the numbers, Jake Locker and OSU quarterback Sean Canfield actually have pretty similar stats this year. It should make for an interesting game at that position.

What it will likely come down to for Washington is their ability to stop OSU running back Jaquizz Rodgers who is one of the best backs the Pac-10 has to offer. He's scored at least one rushing touchdown in all but one game this year, and let's not forget about his brother, James, who is also a running back.

Last year at Husky Stadium the Rodgers brothers lit up the Dawgs D for over 200 yards and three touchdowns. Needless to say, look out for these guys.

In response to the Rodgers', Washington will need a big effort from Chris Polk. Polk has been somewhat consistent through the season when it comes to racking up yards, but he's only found the end-zone three times all year.

Locker will need to shine as well, that's a given. But the interception to end the UCLA game needs to be thrown out, along with the 3-6 record and everything that's happened prior to this game.

I think if the Huskies can just focus on the task at hand, forget about the fact that they're 13-point underdogs, and know that the season is on the line, they might be able to give OSU a run.

Washington Huskies: 10 Plays That Have Defined the Season

Pete Treperinas — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:19:39 -0500

Coming into the season, nearly everyone had the Washington Huskies locked in to finish ninth at best in the Pac-10. Sure, right now they're sitting eighth, but the Huskies may have had one of the more interesting campaigns in college football this year. With so many last-minute finishes and improbable plays, it's been a memorable start to the Steve Sarkisian era. Here's ten plays that have defined the Dawgs thus far.

Begin Slideshow

Washington-UCLA: A Win in LA Would Mean the World to the Huskies

Pete Treperinas — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:41:40 -0500

After a much-needed bye, the 3-5 Washington Huskies are headed to Cali to face UCLA.

Both the Bruins and the Huskies badly need wins this week to try to save their seasons. A 3-0 start for UCLA quickly turned into 3-5, and they are yet to win a Pac-10 game this year.

It seems that Washington has a bit more to lose this weekend. The luster of knocking off USC has worn off completely, and if Steve Sarkisian's Dawgs want a chance to play in a bowl game this year, a victory at UCLA is vital.

Washington quarterback Jake Locker will play on Saturday despite his thigh bruise, which he suffered against the loss to Oregon.

The fact of the matter is, without Locker starting, Washington won't stand a chance this weekend. Even if not at 100 percent, look for Locker to be (as he usually is) a gigantic factor in this game.

Locker leads the Pac-10 in total offense, and UCLA's defense isn't great. When Locker gets protection and is able to get comfortable in the pocket, he's been really efficient almost all season.

Back on Oct. 24, Oregon exposed pretty much every possible weakness that Washington could have. The defense, especially the secondary, got embarrassed, while the offense surrendered the ball in the red zone numerous times.

Let's be real—UCLA isn't Oregon.

UCLA is a perfect opponent for a reeling Husky team to face. It could be a bounce-back game for Washington. Yet at the same time, UCLA probably has the same idea.

The Huskies haven't won at the Rose Bowl in a decade, and the UCLA defense could expose Locker's injury by applying additional pressure up front.

UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince hasn't had a terrible year, and he's only a freshman. Last week in a loss to Oregon State, Prince threw for over 300 yards, two touchdowns, and no picks.

I imagine this game is going to be close, similar to the majority of the Huskies' games this year. Whether it will end like Arizona or Arizona State is up in the air. To win this game without a last-second improbability, Locker will need to take over and get some help from the defense.

A win at UCLA would get Washington's bowl hopes back up and snap an ugly losing streak.

Washington Huskies' Bowl Hopes Nearly Disintegrated in Loss to Oregon

Pete Treperinas — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:37:56 -0400

After a pathetic effort on Saturday against Oregon, it's clear the Washington Huskies will have a very tough time making it to a bowl game this year.

Currently with three wins, Washington will need win three of their last four to be bowl-eligible. With the way the defense played and the offense made mistakes in the red-zone, this is going to be a difficult task.

It was evident early and often that Oregon's offense was far better than Washington's defense. Oregon running back LaMichael James shut the Dawgs down, while quarterback Jeremiah Masoli ran for two touchdowns, throwing for another.

It's going to take virtually the polar opposite of the Washington team we've seen for the past two weeks to show up next Saturday against UCLA if the Huskies want a shot at a bowl bid.

The regression of this team versus Arizona State, Oregon, and even Arizona (barring an improbable finish) almost leads to the conclusion that the Husky team we saw against USC was a fluke.

The defense has primarily been the issue throughout the season, but it now seems that Washington needs more production from their offense as well.

In Jake Locker's time in the Tyrone Willingham era, he was a mobile quarterback—to say the least. New coach Steve Sarkisian has shied away from this quite a bit.

There were numerous times in the Oregon game where I badly wanted Locker to tuck that ball and take off. Perhaps if this approach had been taken in the red zone and on the goal line, Washington's two interceptions and inability to convert on 4th-and-2 would have resulted in some points.

A bright spot in the offense against Oregon was running back Chris Polk, who went for 108 yards and a touchdown. Polk's efforts will be needed, along with a bit more running from Locker if Washington wants to win three more games.

Washington has played poorly in the third quarter of nearly every game this year. This trend continued against Oregon, as the Huskies allowed 21 unanswered points. Arizona put up 17 points at Husky Stadium this year.

Bowl teams don't have statistics like this.

The past month of Husky football is a not-so-friendly reminder that the futility of 2008 was only a year ago. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Washington, and for them to be in the bowl bid discussion alone is a good thing.

All hope is not lost yet for the Huskies, but it's awful close.

Washington Huskies' Achilles Heel Is Road Games, Team Limping Towards Bowl Bid

Pete Treperinas — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:50:42 -0400

It's happened multiple times this year for Steve Sarkisian's team—they'll build up momentum after a big home win, only to hit the road and make mistakes that cost them football games.

After the colossal upset of No. 3 USC, Washington traveled to Palo Alto to face Stanford. A 20-point loss to the Cardinal knocked the Dawgs down a few pegs, but not out.

The following week, the foe was the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. A healthy favorite, Notre Dame had trouble containing the Huskies' offense throughout the game, and it turned into a shoot-out of star quarterbacks, Jimmy Clausen and Jake Locker.

A series of failed goal-line tries for Washington ultimately led to an overtime loss to the Irish, and a two-game skid.

A return to Husky Stadium to face Arizona brought the spirit back into this team, and it had people talking about a bowl game for Washington.

As I had mentioned last week, the Oct. 17 showdown with Arizona State would rely heavily on the strength of the Huskies' defense. How'd that game end? A 50-yard touchdown pass to ASU wide receiver Chris McGaha when overtime was all but certain.

That play pretty much summarized how Washington's defense performed throughout the game. In addition, the game was plagued by penalties for Washington, who were lucky to even have a shot at overtime, considering how poorly they played overall.

Sarkisian took some heat after the ASU loss, but I look at the overall lack of running game and the defense as the primary causes for Washington dropping to 3-4 on the year, 2-2 in conference.

In almost every road game, we've seen a different variation of a Husky team. Yet at home, the running game is stable, Jake Locker and his receivers are completely on the same page, and Nick Holt's defense is usually capable of playing consistently as well.

All three of the Huskies' wins have come in Seattle, and their only home loss came to LSU—a game that Washington could have potentially won.

The college football environment is truly unlike any other sport. Being at home can potentially be the difference for a mediocre team to pull off an upset, a la Dawgs-over-Trojans earlier this year.

A big test awaits Washington this coming Saturday, as they face No. 11 Oregon at home. A potent Ducks offense will be yet another test for this Husky defense.

Washington will need to win three of their next four games to be bowl-worthy, and two of those are road games (Oregon State, UCLA).

If Sarkisian's team is for real, this Achilles Heel has got to be a thing of the past, and his motto of "expect to win" can't be limited to Husky Stadium.

ASU Versus UW: A Must Win For The Huskies

Pete Treperinas — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:14:22 -0400

Heading into Tempe, the Washington Huskies have got to be feeling good about themselves.

Mason Foster's off-the-foot pick to seal the deal versus Arizona put the Dawgs at 3-3 and 2-1 in Pac-10 play. That being said, bowl implications could be on the line for Washington against Arizona State on Saturday.

Washington is half-way to bowl eligibility, but looking the second half of their schedule up and down, three more wins could be hard to come by if they can't beat ASU this weekend.

The Huskies will face Northwest rival and Pac-10 leader, Oregon at Husky Stadium on October 24th, and after that they'll hit the road for two games against UCLA and Oregon State.

Washington has found ways to win, and has contended in nearly every game this season. It's easy to credit this to the Heisman-esque leadership of quarterback Jake Locker, or even the up-and-coming Chris Polk. However, I think if the Huskies are going to beat ASU, the defense is really going to have to step it up.

The defense has taken on a Jekyll and Hyde personality throughout the 2009 season. Against USC, Nick Holt had his defense looking like they deserved that No. 24 ranking. The following week, Stanford embarrassed the D and won by 20.

And look at the differences in the third and fourth quarters from the Arizona game last week; the Wildcats put up 17 points in the third, then the Huskies come out of nowhere and get two interceptions in the fourth and squeak out a win.

I believe for the most part that the offense is there. Locker and has really been clicking with his receivers, and Polk has looked great as well. This offense is playing like a unit that belongs in a bowl game.

So now it's on the defense.

The defense's primary target against ASU will likely be running back Dimitri Nance, a senior who is on pace to have the best season of his career. Last week at Washington State, Nance went for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Speaking of defenses, ASU boasts one of the best in the Pac-10. That alone is the reason why the Devils escaped a near disaster in Pullman last weekend. With an opponent's average of a little over 230 yards per game, ASU is clearly going to be a test for Locker's offense.

In that same game in Pullman, Arizona State's offense lost three fumbles and quarterback Danny Sullivan threw three picks- against the Cougs . Look for the Huskies to take advantage of an ASU offense that could go into the game with a little lack of confidence.

I look for this matchup to be a Pac-10 shootout, with both teams keeping bowl hopes alive. Although a loss for either team could potentially be detrimental to those hopes.

Upset of USC Begins Restoration of Tradition For Washington

Pete Treperinas — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:26:58 -0400

The Washington Huskies' 16-13 win over USC on Saturday will likely turn out to be the most important sporting event I ever attend.

After two era's of Husky football that produced zero winning seasons, head coach Steve Sarkisian is doing more than just shocking the world and winning games- he's bringing the spirit back to Montlake.

The Huskies last bowl game was the 2002 Holiday Bowl, and six seasons seems about the amount of time it takes to lose some fans. The amount of people leaving games at halftime last year made it seem like everyone had forgot about the glory days of Husky football.

Last Saturday, when the USC Trojans came in after a huge road victory over Ohio State, there wasn't a whole lot of optimism in the student section. Regardless, the entire stadium rallied around the idea of being the underdog.

A Washington defense that didn't seem to have much intensity in both the Idaho and LSU games came out and shut down one of the best offenses in the country. Mason Foster and Quentin Richardson made play after play throughout the game.

In college football, it's the defense that gets stadiums pumped up. In 2008, Washington was really only competing for a win in one home game last year (BYU), so these Husky fans finally had their hunger fulfilled against USC.

The place was going absolutely crazy for the whole game, minus USC's quick 10-0 start in the first quarter.

A seemingly mediocre Washington defense made all the right plays at all the right time.

USC had several drives where it appeared they would undoubtedly take control of the game, but three turnovers and a lack of converting on third downs was one of the biggest reasons the Huskies came out on top.

Jake Locker and his receivers were in sync all day, especially in the fourth quarter. One of the plays of the game was a third and 15 where Locker found receiver Jermaine Kearse for 21 yards, keeping the final scoring drive alive.

Running back Chris Polk looked solid in both the Idaho and LSU games, and continued his success against the Trojans. While his 71 yards may not seem as big of a contribution as Locker's, Polk's running helped set up the winning field goal, and he was a handful all day.

The most puzzling part of this Washington team is that it's virtually the exact same team that Tyrone Willingham struggled with last year. To me, this proves how valuable Sarkisian's presence has been after just a few months.

As we stormed the field after Erik Folk's game-winning field goal, it felt like something out of a movie. There were so many faces on that field that had been waiting for something this big for the last six years.

Well that something big is here.

The Steve Sarkisian era is well underway, and just three games into his tenure, he's bringing back what it means to be a Husky.

2009 AFC East Predictions: Brady, Pats Take Division Back

Pete Treperinas — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:21:18 -0400

4. Buffalo Bills: 6-10

So they got Terrell Owens. This doesn't really mean all that much.

Owens can't single handedly take a lame Bills team and make them a contender. However a Lee Evans-Terrell Owens tandem could really help quarterback Trent Edwards.

If Marshawn Lynch could get his act together, Buffalo's defense wouldn't be half bad, but his troubles off the field seem to be out-weighing anything he's done on the field. He put together 1,036 yards with eight touchdowns in 2008, and he's capable of doing it again. Here's the catch- Lynch has to be able to play.

The Bills started 4-0 in 2008, but people failed to realize they played Seattle, Jacksonville, Oakland, and St. Louis, none of who won more than five games last year.

Head coach Dick Jauron has yet to find success in Buffalo, going 7-9 in each of his three seasons. As a matter of fact, Jauron has only had one winning season in his eight seasons as a head coach, not counting his 1-4 stint as an interim in Detroit.

Buffalo's defense ranked 14th in 2008, and I think they can be right around there again. Linebacker Paul Posluszny was named the team's Defensive MVP last year, and could be on his way to his first Pro Bowl this year.

There are quite a few returning starters on defense, giving me a feeling that Buffalo's D could have a better year than the offense.

The sixth hardest schedule in football will not make 2009 any easier for the Bills, as they'll struggle and round out the AFC East.

3. Miami Dolphins: 8-8

The Dolphins were beyond a sleeper team in 2008. After winning just one game in '07, Miami won the AFC East and shocked the NFL.

This year Miami will have the toughest schedule in the NFL which should be partially accountable for the Dolphins being just average in 2009.

Who knows if Chad Pennington will stay healthy, but if he does, the Dolphins should be in good shape. Pennington has always been a quarterback who has a high passer rating and isn't really known to throw lots of interceptions.

Ronnie Brown's health is pretty important as well. Miami's running game can really take off due to an offensive line that is only getting better. If Brown is healthy all season, he can probably improve on his 900 yards and 10 touchdowns from last season.

Jason Taylor returns on defense to finish out his career as a Dolphin. It's always good to see players return to where they spent the majority of their careers, but I don't see Taylor averaging anywhere near his standard 10 sacks or more a year that he used to get in Miami. But he can still be an impact player for the Dolphins.

Playing opposite Taylor is Joey Porter. I have a feeling these two linebackers are going to be a handful for some offenses.

The bottom line is that Bill Parcells has been a very positive addition to the Dolphins franchise, and Tony Sparano is just getting his feet wet. I expect great things from Miami in the future, but 2009 might be a bit of a step backwards.

2. New York Jets: 9-7

Eric Mangini is out, and the defensive minded Rex Ryan is in. This is good for the Jets franchise, and I see them winning some games this year.

Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez might not have the easiest transition into the NFL, playing Houston, New England, Tennessee, and New Orleans to start the year. But I think Sanchez is going to have some success.

The Jets have one of the better offensive lines in football, with Alan Faneca, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and one of the best young centers in the game in Nick Mangold.

Last year that same offensive line helped Thomas Jones to one of his more successful years. Behind Jones is Leon Washington, who could also have a big year, giving the Jets a double threat running game.

Consistent with the rest of the AFC East, the Jets have a pretty tough schedule, ranking seventh in the NFL.

I like the Jets' linebackers this year, with Bart Scott and and David Harris (if he doesn't get traded for Brandon Marshall). Also at the linebacker position is Vernon Gholston, who I could really see fitting into Rex Ryan's defense.

New York could have been a 10 or 11 win team last year, and they're probably still capable of this now. But Rex Ryan's entrance could change a few things for the Jets. Give it time and you should be seeing this team at better than 9-7.

1. New England Patriots: 12-4

Let's just say this now and then get on to the rest of the Patriots' analysis: Tom Brady is back, he's the man, and now that he's healthy, New England should be one of the best teams in the NFL.

The Patriots have the best coach in Bill Belichick, and even with Brady out for the whole season last year, he coached the Pats to 11 wins with Matt Cassell at QB. Belichick is the football Jesus with cut-off sleeves on his sweatshirt.

I see no real flaws with the defense or the offense in New England. They recently made a move for the future by dealing Richard Seymour to Oakland for a 2011 first round pick. He'll be missed, but a tough New England defense should be able to bounce back.

New England's offense ranked fifth in the league last season with Cassell at the helm- a quarterback I find overrated. With Brady healthy, I see this offense being quite a bit better.

No need to go much further in depth here- The Pats are the real deal.

2009 AFC South Predictions: Houston Improves, Tennessee Repeats

Pete Treperinas — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:27:11 -0400

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-10

Bringing up the rear in the AFC South this year will be the Jacksonville Jaguars. The reason? A mediocre defense and the lack of good receivers.

Quarterback David Garrard has put up good stats in the last two years, but it doesn't make his job easy when his No. 1 and 2 receivers are Troy Williamson and an ancient Tory Holt.

The loss of both Matt Jones and Reggie Williams at wide receiver has taken—and will continue to take—a toll on this offense. DUIs and drug possessions led the Jags to part ways with Williams and Jones, who looked to be the future of this team at wide out.

The offensive line beefed up with the addition of Eugene Monroe at left tackle, and I think he's going to make Maurice Jones-Drew better.

This defense isn't horrible, but they haven't found that Marcus Stroud-type player to be the leader since his departure before last season. The Jaguars now have Mel Tucker at the helm of their defense, and he had some success as a DB coach and defensive coordinator with Cleveland.

When all is said and done, the Jaguars are an average football team at best. I expect them to compete in some games this year, but everyone else in the AFC South will be on a different level.

3. Indianapolis Colts: 10-6

Peyton Manning is still an elite quarterback, and he will continue to be one for at least two or three more years. Unfortunately, with the exits of both Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison, the Colts aren't going to be the same dominant team we've seen for years. They'll still be good, though.

Jim Caldwell takes over as head coach, and he has extremely big shoes to fill. Dungy was one of—if not the—best coaches in the NFL. But looking at Caldwell, he's been in the Colts system for seven years as a quarterbacks coach and an assistant head coach.

Caldwell has worked with Manning for all of those years, which makes me think that Manning trusts this guy to run the Colts.

Reggie Wayne has to pick up some of the slack left by Marvin Harrison, but last season he looked like the No. 1 receiver the Colts need. Wayne compiled over a thousand yards with six touchdowns.

The offense will also rely on Joseph Addai, who needs to bounce back from a season where he missed a few games and didn't play that great. If he doesn't, rookie Donald Brown is waiting.

Indy will have to start the season without defensive playmaker Bob Sanders, although he's not expected to miss more than five games.

I imagine the Colts can maintain a solid defense in 2009, but division rivals Tennessee and Houston have some pretty efficient offenses. It's going to be a close race, but I have a feeling that Indianapolis' window of dominance might be nearing an end.

2. Houston Texans: 10-6

A lot of people have the Texans pegged as a sleeper, but I don't think that exactly, because they've been on the cusp of success for the past two seasons.

Back-to-back 8-8 records makes me think that Gary Kubiak has this Houston team in good shape to have their first winning record ever.

The pieces of the puzzle seem to be falling into place for the future. Running back Steve Slaton is a stud—we all know this. Quarterback Matt Schaub had a 92.7 percent passer rating in '08 to go along with 3,000-plus yards.

Over half of those yards went to No. 1 receiver Andre Johnson, who had over 1,500 receiving yards and eight touchdowns last year.

This will be the year that Slaton, Johnson, and Schaub all gel perfectly on offense.

Don't forget about Mario Williams and the Texans' defense. It's still hard to talk down the decision to draft Williams at No. 1, seeing as he's been one of the most successful players from the 2006 draft class.

DeMeco Ryans and 15th overall pick Brian Cushing will lead the linebackers, making the Texans defense look pretty intimidating.

The Texans are no longer the little brother franchise. They're headed for 10 wins and a wildcard spot.

1. Tennessee Titans: 11-5

Last year's sleeper team, the Titans aren't surprising anyone in 2009. They're for real.

Kerry Collins had one of his best years in 2008, but he's old and prone to injury. His health is going to be important for the Titans, but not vital. Let's not forget that Tennessee probably has the most talented backup quarterback in the NFL in Vince Young, who will probably take over for Collins next year.

The Titans' road schedule is really going to test them, opening up the year going into Pittsburgh. They'll also play New England, the Jets, San Francisco, Seattle, and of course Indianapolis.

The gap that Albert Haynesworth has left isn't going to be easy to fill, but Tennessee's defense shouldn't have too tough of a time. The majority of the defense is returning from 2008, which should make the Titans close to a top 10 defensive team again.

With a linemen corps led by Keith Bulluck and a secondary featuring Michael Griffin at safety and corner back Cortland Finnegan, I don't think Tennessee is going to have much trouble containing most offenses.

The Titans have an explosive young running back in Chris Johnson, and LenDale White, who was good on the goal line in 2008. I also look for wide receiver Justin Gage to have a big year, as he's now going to be either the first or second option for Collins.

This team has most of the same players as the one that won 12 games last year. I'll say 11 wins is the magic number for Tennessee to get back-to-back division titles.

Washington Huskies Hang With LSU as Offense Shines

Pete Treperinas — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:39:41 -0400

The Steve Sarkisian era got off to a quick start last night, as the Washington Huskies played four strong quarters of football. Given, the LSU Tigers were in town and are ranked 11th in the country and walked away with a 31-23 victory.

The game started off with an 85-yard Husky drive, capped off with a James Johnson touchdown.

I'm sure a lot of people thought that Washington had just caught LSU off guard, but by the end of the game the Dawgs had compiled nearly 500 yards and looked great on offense.

Freshman running back Chris Polk had his coming out party after redshirting in 2008. Polk ran for the majority of his 90 yards in the first half before LSU's defense picked up on the fact that Polk could run.

Quarterback Jake Locker had his fair share of big plays too, making four or five yard runs here and there to pick up first downs. However at times, Locker seemed to have trouble communicating with his receivers.

In the end, it was Locker's tip-ball pick six and Polk's fumble on first and goal that cost the Huskies this game.

The defense also had some trouble containing Jefferson as well as running backs Keiland Williams and Charles Scott. Wide receiver Terrance Toliver proved to be Jefferson's favorite target, and went for two touchdowns on 117 yards.

Even in the fourth quarter when the score was 24-16 and Washington still had a lot of hope left, the Tigers' offense was too much for UW.

On that last LSU drive, they started at their own 33. After the dominant running of Williams and a 25-yard Toliver reception, the Tigers quickly found themselves in the red-zone, where they put up seven and virtually ended the game.

While the score was 31-16 and there was only 1:54 remaining in Coach Sark's debut, the Huskies didn't quit and neither did us fans in the student section.

Washington's final try for a score was led by Locker, who helped lead the Huskies from their own 19 to a Kavario Middleton touchdown reception as time expired.

That last drive summed up what's to come in the future of Husky football- a competitive spirit accompanied by a coach who believes in his team.

The first game of the 2009 season resulted in a loss for the Huskies, and while there's no such thing as moral victories (so they say), this was about as close as it gets to one.

The Husky offense looks revamped with a healthy Locker, and it appears there's a new tailback in this system in Chris Polk. I'm a little concerned about the defense, but let's not forget they were facing a team that's only one year removed from a national championship.

Next up for Locker and the Huskies is Idaho. If they play anything like they did against LSU on Saturday, I imagine this losing streak might be over.

2009 AFC North Predictions: Champs Edge Birds

Pete Treperinas — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:12:03 -0400

4. Cleveland Browns: 3-13

Eric Mangini takes over a franchise that has talent but lacks leadership.

First and foremost, the quarterback issue needs to be addressed. Is it Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn? If I had to guess right now, I'd give the nod to Quinn, just because of how poorly Anderson played in 2008. Quinn deserves at least a shot.

The fact that we're one preseason game away from Week One and the Browns still don't know who will be behind center means that Jamal Lewis' job is going to be pretty important. The only problem with Lewis is that he'll accumulate a thousand yards in a season but he rarely finds the end-zone. Lewis is also over 30 years old now, which is often times when running backs start deteriorating.

Potentially taking carries away from Lewis in 2009 could be rookie James Davis from Clemson, a member of the 2006 All-ACC team. Davis went for 116 yards and a touchdown in the Browns' preseason game against the Lions.

The Browns' defense isn't good, and they were one of the worst teams in the NFL at stopping the run in 2008. However, Rob Ryan is the new defensive coordinator, and this guy knows his football. He was responsible for quite a few successful pass defenses in Oakland.

Cleveland is going to be one of the worst teams in the league this year, but now that the horrendous Romeo Crennel era is over, things should start looking up in the next few years.

3. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-8

How Marvin Lewis kept his job after the last two disastrous years in Cincinnati is a mystery.

The Bengals haven't been over .500 since 2005, and 2009 will be no different. Even with a healthy Carson Palmer, this team has too many off-field issues and a major lack of team chemistry.

Cincy lost T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but added Laveranues Colesan—an aging receiver who can still produce decent numbers. He could very well end up being the most productive of the Bengals' receivers due to double coverage on Chad Ochocinco.

Barring any troubles with the law, wide receiver Chris Henry has a promising career ahead of him. Word has it that Henry worked especially hard this offseason and has turned his act around. Palmer and Henry appear to be on the same page, which should be a nice change for a quarterback who's had to deal with Ochocinco's stints for nearly his whole career.

On defense, the Bengals got an absolute steal in the second round of the draft by taking linebacker Rey Maualuga out of USC. He'll play along side former USC teammate Keith Rivers. The future of the Bengals D looks menacing.

Another troubled player, running back Cedric Benson, returns to the Bengals for a second season. Along with Henry, it appears that Benson has his priorities straight and will be the starting running back.

The Bengals could be one of those teams that no one expects to do well and ends up winning 10 games. They have the talent, but as I mentioned, team chemistry may do them in.

2. Baltimore Ravens: 10-6

Joe Flacco was the man in '08, the defense rocked, and the Ravens were a game away from the Super Bowl.

Let's start with the defense. Second in the total defense, with a secondary that'll really bug a quarterback. They're defensive line finished third in the league in defending the run as well. If you have to pick the best unit in football (offense or defense), this Baltimore D is right up there.

The Ravens' secondary is stacked with Ed Reed, Fabian Washington, and newly acquired cornerback Domonique Foxworth. Then looking at the d-line, names like Ray Lewis, and Haloti Ngata.

Lines coach Greg Mattison was promoted to defensive coordinator with the departure of Rex Ryan. Mattison knows this defense because he's been a part of this coaching staff, but has big shoes to fill. You have to think that Ryan was at least partially responsible for the success of Baltimore's defense.

Flacco threw for nearly 3,000 yards in his rookies season, and he's known for his rocket of an arm. It will be interesting to see if last year's Rookie of The Year can pick up where he left off.

Baltimore's offense finished 18th last season and didn't do a much this off-season to change that. Expect the Ravens to depend on their defense to win games, but look to Flacco for leadership.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers: 12-4

The Ravens are good, but the Steelers are just flat out better.

Super Bowl XL left a bitter taste in my mouth as a Seahawks fan, but after Pittsburgh's second Super Bowl win in four years, it's clear that this Steelers team is on the cusp of a dynasty.

Ben Roethlisberger is clutch, and no one can debate that. The Steelers offense features two running backs in Rashard Mendenhall and an experienced Willie Parker. This tandem worked well last season, and I don't see them having a problem splitting carries in '09.

As for Big Ben's receivers, Hines Ward is still one of the better wide-outs in the game, and I believe that Santonio Holmes is well on his way to being in that same elite group. Heath Miller is also one of the league's best tight ends.

While Pittsburgh has a great quarterback in Roethlisberger and a good offense, there's no doubt that the defense is statistically the better unit. If it weren't for James Harrison and this beefy D, the Lombardi trophy could be in Phoenix right now.

The linebacker duo of James Farrior and Lawrence Timmons is just flat out terrifying. And with strong safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Ike Taylor, this defense is no slouch.

Mike Tomlin has gone from an unknown assistant to a world champion in a two-year period. This gives me a feeling that the Steelers are going to be contenders in the AFC for years to come, and they may not be done collecting hardware.

2009 AFC West Predictions: Bolts Cruise

Pete Treperinas — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:53:55 -0400

4. Kansas City Chiefs: 4-12

Matt Cassell isn't as good as people think he is. Look at all of the talent that he had around him in New England. The Patriots pass blocking was ranked 11th last year, as opposed to the Chiefs who ranked 30th.

And instead of Randy Moss and Wes Welker, Cassell will throw to Dwayne Bow and Bobby Engram. The point is, Cassell didn't prove anything in my opinion last year, and before I'll give him credit, I want to see him win some football games with this Kansas City team.

A potential sleeper/comeback player this year is Larry Johnson. He's fallen from his top five running back status, but I believe that Johnson has at least two more years left in the tank. He had 874 yards for five touchdowns which isn't bad.

Glenn Dorsey will continue to work hard in order to repair the defensive end position. When defensive end Jared Allen left KC for the Vikings a year ago, Dorsey was drafted to fill the void. Dorsey's rookie season wasn't too special, and the Chiefs were the second to worst defense in the NFL.

Kansas City made strides to help the D by drafting Dorsey's former teammate and fellow defensive end Tyson Jackson from LSU. The Chiefs also added veteran linebacker Zach Thomas, so things could be looking up.

The other big change for the Chiefs was the coach. Herm Edwards is out and Todd Haley is in. Haley's resumé features seven years of assistant coaching, most notably being his job as offensive coordinator of the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals last year.

Things won't be pretty for Kansas City this year; 4-12.

3. Oakland Raiders: 7-9

2009 will be the Raiders best year since their trip to the Super Bowl in 2002.

This isn't really saying much though, seeing as Oakland hasn't won more than five games in a season since '02.

JaMarcus Russell is maturing and we know he has a great arm. But if things get hairy this season, I have a feeling the Raiders won't hesitate to give veteran Jeff Garcia a shot.

I feel like this will be Darren McFadden's year to break out. In 13 games McFadden had just shy of 500 yards and found the end-zone four times. Not a bad start considering Oakland's offensive line isn't too special and he was primarily the back-up to Justin Fargas.

As of now, McFadden is still listed as the second-string tailback, but I can see this changing if he has a couple big games.

I have Johnnie Lee Higgins penciled in to be another break-out player on this Raiders roster. This will be his third year, and after scoring four touchdowns and after logging 366 yards on 16 receptions, Higgins could be headed towards the number one receiver slot for Oakland. He was also the Raiders primary punt returner in 2008.

As for the defense, coordinator John Marshall comes over from Seattle and brings with him d-line coach Dwaine Board. Nnamdi Asomugha was an All-Pro last year, and the safeties look pretty good as well.

The Raiders are not a playoff team or anything too close to it either, but they will show signs of life in 2009.

2. Denver Broncos: 8-8

Let me start by saying Kyle Orton isn't that bad. He compiled a 21-12 record with the Bears and actually had a pretty decent 2008 campaign.

Orton also has a fairly decent group of receivers as well. With Jabar Gaffney, Eddie Royal, and hopefully Brandon Marshall, I think Denver has a chance to do all right this year.

Knowshon Moreno is the future at running back for the Broncos, and he could make an immediate impact. He'll compete with LaMont Jordan and Correll Buckhalter, so I look for Moreno to get quite a few carries in 2009.

This is pretty close to the same Broncos team that had the second best offense in the NFL. And sure, they lost a Pro Bowler in Cutler, but they gained head coach Josh McDaniels who was the offensive coordinator in New England where he produced one of the best offenses ever in 2007.

In addition to McDaniels, Mike Nolan comes in as the new defensive coordinator. Long-time Eagle free safety Brian Dawkins signed with Denver this off-season as well. Dawkins is a seven-time Pro Bowler and a potential Hall Of Famer, and he'll now get a chance to play in the secondary with another future Hall member in cornerback Champ Bailey.

People seem to think that when Cutler had his tantrum and was traded, the Broncos were automatically forfeiting the 2009 season. But I look at Kyle Orton as an efficient passer, and McDaniels has experience with potent offenses. Denver won't win the division, but they're going to be a fairly competitive football team.

1. San Diego Chargers: 12-4

For a number of years, the AFC West has belonged to the Chargers. This year will be no different.

The only difference this year will be that San Diego's defense will be better than their offense. The Chargers will stick with the 3-4 defense this year. I like both Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie to lock down the secondary, and a healthy Shawne Merriman will lead the defensive line.

I'm going to come right out and say that Merriman is the best linebacker in the game, and he's pretty young too. He'll be terrorizing the AFC West for years.

I still think LaDainian Tomlinson is one of top four or five running backs in the NFL. It's funny that after he had a 1,100 yard season with 11 touchdowns a lot of people seem to think he's fallen off the map.

He didn't put up his usual stats, but Tomlinson's 2008 stats are nothing to be mad about. LT is still the guy who you want carrying the ball when you need that first down or a touchdown in the red-zone.

Philip Rivers has his work cut out for him if he wants to top his 4,000 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 105.5 passer rating from 2008. Rivers has completely developed into the leader that the Chargers were hoping he'd be. But let's not forget his job is a lot easier when he has tight end Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, and Chris Chambers to throw to.

The San Diego Chargers will win the AFC West, and possibly the whole damn AFC for that matter.

2009 NFC East Predictions: Giants Take It Again

Pete Treperinas — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:39:32 -0400

4. Washington Redskins: 9-7

The quarterback issue in D.C. isn't pretty.

The Redskins shopped around for other quarterbacks this offseason, but they have decided to stick with Jason Campbell for the last year of his contract.

I can't imagine that Campbell is too happy with the Redskins' Josh McDaniels-esque attempts this summer, and his poor preseason play has reflected that.

Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts will provide an above average running game for Washington, which should be the biggest factor in the Redskins' success this year. They finished eighth in rushing in 2008, and I'd expect similar numbers in 2009.

The Redskins went out at signed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and drafted Brian Orakpo to add to an already strong defense. Washington finished fourth in the NFL in total defense last year, and after adding Haynesworth and Orakpo, it could be the best.

I'm not sure if Jim Zorn has everyone on board in Washington. Portis made that clear last season when he spoke out on the radio about how Zorn was a "genious." If Zorn can build a stronger relationship with his players, especially Campbell, the Redskins will be a winning football team this season.

Unfortunately, a winning record doesn't guarantee anything in the stacked NFC East.

3. Dallas Cowboys: 10-6

OK, so T.O. is gone, and I don't know if this is a good thing for the Cowboys.

Sure, he was a constant attention whore and always found his way into the news. But when you put all of that aside, Owens is one of the best receivers in the league.

Now, Dallas has to rely on Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton. Both Crayton and Williams are good receivers, but I don't consider them on the same tier as an Owens-type wideout.

Regardless, Tony Romo is a proven veteran, and I imagine he'll work with what he's given. We know that Romo can perform in the regular season, and we know that he is a leader.

The thing we're yet to see is playoff success from Romo's Cowboys—maybe that botched snap in 2007 will haunt him for the rest of his career.

The Cowboys' defense is full of big playmakers. With a defensive line featuring DeMarcus Ware, and a secondary with Ken Hamlin and Terrance Newman, Dallas should be scary.

Wade Phillips' job depends on this season, in my opinion. When Phillips inherited this Cowboys' team, there seemed to be no doubt that he'd have Dallas back on top for a while. Now, one might think that Dallas' 13-3 record in Phillips' first season could have been a product of Bill Parcells.

I think there is a possibility that the window of opportunity could be coming to a close for the Phillips era, because just getting a winning record is never enough for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys.

2. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-5

After falling one game short of the Super Bowl in 2008, the Eagles will be gunning for a division title, a trip to the postseason, and the one thing this team hasn't accomplished with Andy Reid at the helm: A world championship.

Rookie receiver Jeremy Maclin could be a sleeper for Philly this year, and I look for him to contribute to this offense. Add DeSean Jackson, who now has a very successful first year under his belt, and you have a solid corps for potentially the next five or six years.

Keeping Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook healthy will likely determine the outcome of the Eagles' season. Both stars have struggled with injuries over the last few years, and if they can both just make it through a whole season, the Eagles will win a lot of games.

Westbrook is fresh off of surgery on his knee, which is something that fantasy owners and Eagles fans alike should watch out for.

Who knows what Michael Vick will bring to Philadelphia in 2009. Vick might play a little receiver, act as a decoy in the backfield, or just back up McNabb. But one thing is for sure—Philly won't be his last stop, but rather the first step in him becoming a starter again someday. As for now, he'll help sell tickets and he just might contribute to this Eagles team.

Cornerback is a position that the Eagles won't have a problem with this year, and that position could carry the defense. Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel are two corners who are always known as playmakers. Throw Quintin Mikell in there and you have yourself a secondary. ,

Don't count the Eagles out, because even as a Wild Card, they can be scary. Take last year for example.

1. New York Giants: 12-4

The Giants are going to be one of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL this year.

They have their quarterback. Overpaid or not, Eli Manning has gotten the job done in the past, and he's going to be keep doing it. With the departures of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, the receivers won't have a whole lot of experience.

Look for Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon, and rookie Hakeem Nicks to be the top receivers for New York this year. Smith and Hixon led the Giants in receptions and yards, respectively, and they should be OK without any real superstars on the roster at receiver.

They have their running game. The Giants' run blocking was the best in the game in 2008, and this shouldn't change this year.

Give a lot of this credit to Shaun O'Hara and Chris Snee, who both earned Pro Bowl honors last season. All five starters from the offensive line are returning for 2009.

Behind this offensive line is the 6'4", 260-pound Brandon Jacobs. The bottom line is that the dude can run, and he can be difficult to stop. His sidekick is Ahmad Bradshaw, and with the departure of Derrick Ward, look for Bradshaw to get some carries.

They have their defense. Where to begin? The Giants defense is absolutely stacked. The defensive line features Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and former Seahawk Rocky Bernard. And don't forget about linebackers Antonio Pierce and Michael Boley either.

They'll have an NFC East title. On both sides of the ball, the Giants look flat-out good. The Giants will win one of the most talented divisions this year.

2009 NFC South Predictions: Panthers, Saints Look Good

Pete Treperinas — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:02:23 -0400

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5-11

There are a lot of uncertainties about Tampa Bay this year.

When Jon Gruden was let go, the Bucs got rid of virtually all of their coaches, and the majority of the veterans who had been playing there for a while. Ike Hilliard, Jeff Garcia, Cato June, Warrick Dunn, Joey Galloway, and Derrick Brooks were the most notable.

This season, it looks like Luke McCown will be the starting quarterback. McCown doesn't have a whole lot of experience, but back in 2007 he played games and looked good.

The Bucs are in a rebuilding year right now, and I wouldn't expect to see McCown behind center for more than a year or so. With the 17th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Tampa Bay took quarterback Josh Freeman from Kansas State. If all goes well, Freeman will be the future at quarterback in Tampa.

One aspect of the Buccaneers that I like is their running game. With Earnest Graham and Derrick Ward in the backfield, Tampa Bay's running should pick up the slack for a passing game that may not be that great. And if Cadillac Williams is healthy, that should make them even better.

It's going to take a few years for the Bucs to get back to the top of the South.

3. Atlanta Falcons: 7-9

Matt Ryan had a phenomenal rookie season, Michael Turner was one of the best running backs in the league, and Mike Smith did a terrific job in his first year as a head coach.

Things won't be so peachy this year for the Falcons.

Some people seem to believe that the NFL strength of schedule doesn't mean a whole lot, but for Atlanta this year, it definitely does. They'll play both the NFC East and AFC East, not to mention the NFC South is talented also.

I'm not knocking the Falcon's talent, because Ryan and Turner will both probably have good years, and they added Tony Gonzalez. But my biggest concern is that this won't be enough.

It won't be enough because Atlanta's defense isn't going to be very special this year. Up-and-coming cornerback Domonique Foxworth signed a four-year deal with Baltimore this offseason, leaving the Falcons' secondary looking bleak.

John Abraham will provide some leadership for a defense that is pretty young and looking to get better.

2. New Orleans Saints: 10-6

With one of the best (if not the best) offenses in the NFL, the New Orleans Saints should contend for the NFC South this year.

Drew Brees should have another big year, and he has a great group to throw to in Lance Moore, Marques Colston, and Jeremy Shockey at tight end.

It seems to be a foregone conclusion that Brees will be a Pro Bowler this year, and he'll probably throw for around 4,000 yards and about 30 touchdowns. What we don't know about the Saints is if their running game will be rejuvenated in '09.

Reggie Bush has dealt with injuries over the last two seasons, but it appears that he's nearly healthy again after having surgery this offseason. I really think that this is the season that Bush will need to return to his rookie season form in order for New Orleans to make the playoffs, let alone have a winning record.

Pierre Thomas provided the Saints with a back-up running back to fall back on when Bush got hurt last year. In five starts, Thomas rushed for nine touchdowns and 625 yards.

Similar to the Atlanta Falcons, the Saints rely heavily on their offense and struggle on the defensive side of the ball. While New Orleans led the NFL in both total offense and passing in 2008, they finished 23rd in defense.

The D will be better this year. Cornerback Malcolm Jenkins has a year of experience under his belt. New Orleans also has Jonathan Vilma, and newcomer Darren Sharper to turn to. This unit could be revamped this season.

I like the Saints to win 10.

1. Carolina Panthers: 11-5

After an early exit from the postseason in 2008, I feel like the Panthers have something to prove this year—they can win in the regular season and the playoffs.

DeAngelo Williams broke out last season with 20 touchdowns and 1,600 yards, and he should be one of the top running backs in the NFL this season. Williams is only entering his fourth year in the league, and has great hand, not fumbling once last season. Throw Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith in with Williams and you're set.

The Panthers' defense was a bit of a problem last season. They addressed that problem this offseason by adding defensive coordinator Ron Meeks, who spent the last seven seasons in Indianapolis.

Meeks was partially responsible for the development of Dwight Freeney, and I could see him doing the same with another young defensive end in rookie Everette Brown. Brown will spend time behind Julius Peppers which can't hurt his development either.

Carolina is one of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL this year as well. They have a top-five running back (and a solid back-up in Jonathan Stewart), a reliable quarterback, and a possibly revamped defense.

I think the Panthers have what it takes to edge out the Saints by a slim margin.

2009 NFC North Predictions: Why Brett Favre Won't Tame the Chicago Bears

Pete Treperinas — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:17:09 -0400

4. Detroit Lions: 3-13

We know they are the absolute lame duck of this division and of the NFL for that matter, but the Detroit Lions are going to win a few games this year.

Matthew Stafford should be the starter, and I think he'll have a shot to do alright with the mediocre amount of talent he's been given. Stafford could just be the first building block in getting the Lions back to a legit NFL franchise.

Stafford will get to throw to Calvin Johnson, who was one of the only bright spots in Detroit's 2008 season. He improved so much from his first season, and I think he's only going to get better through NFL experience.

The Lions also traded for linebacker Julian Peterson. He was a Pro Bowler last season, and will be another bright spot for a team that will undoubtedly struggle.

New coach, new attitude, new franchise quarterback—all good things. It's just going to take time.

3. Green Bay Packers: 9-7

Aaron Rodgers is starting to get comfortable in his skin as a starter. And for most quarterbacks, success doesn't come immediately.

Rodgers has a couple experienced receivers in Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. Rodgers' 4,000-plus yards, 28 touchdowns, and good passer rating last year can put some optimism for a winning season in Green Bay also.

I'm not too sure what to expect from Ryan Grant. He had average stats last season, but it will be interesting to see if he can return to '07 form this year.

The Packers defense was still pretty good last season, and B.J. Raji could add a whole lot to that side of the ball. Green Bay also has one of the best sets of cornerbacks in the league.

Green Bay looks good, but they'll be playing in what could pan out to be one of the tougher and more competitive divisions in football.

2. Minnesota Vikings: 10-6

Before Brett Favre decided to show up all movie star like, Adrian Peterson looked like the only player who would shine for the Vikes on the offensive side of the ball, and it was hard to predict what Minnesota would look like.

But now that Favre is in Minnesota, not only is the quarterback position a whole lot better, but it's going to make Visanthe Shiancoe, Bernard Berrian, and all of the Vikings receivers better too.

Favre is coming off surgery, but it sounds like he'll be ready to go come Week One. My only concern is that Favre could potentially one big hit away from retirement, and if that happens, Minnesota has to turn to Tavaris Jackson and/or Sage Rosenfels.

With a beefy defense, a great O-line (i.e. Steve Hutchinson), the Vikings should reach double digit victories this year. Peterson is one of the best players in the NFL, and I don't see any reason why this team shouldn't make the playoffs.

1. Chicago Bears: 12-4

With the easiest schedule in football and a shiny new quarterback, I like the Bears to win the NFC North.

For the past few years, Chicago has had a strong defense, but they've had trouble finding consistent success on offense. Jay Cutler should help this problem quite a bit.

The Bears defense didn't really lose anyone in the offseason, and they added Pisa Tinoisamoa at linebacker. Tinoisamoa led the Rams in tackles last season, and could be an ace in the hole on a talented Bears' defense.

Chicago's offense will be strong in both running and passing for the first time in a while. The Bears have a proven quarterback to go along with Matt Forte, who had a stellar rookie season in 2008.

The pieces of the puzzle are all here in 2009 for the Bears. Both sides of the ball look strong, they're well coached, and Soldier Field is always a tough field to play on. Cutler will get his first taste of the post-season this year with Chicago.

2009 NFC West Predictions: Hawks Return To Top

Pete Treperinas — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:01:37 -0400

Regardless of people saying the NFC West is the worst division in football, they have sent two teams to the Super Bowl in the past four seasons. I think the NFC West could be one of the most competitive and wide open divisions in the game.

Here's how I think it's going to shake down:

4. St. Louis Rams: 6-10

Steve Spanguolo is the right man for this job. I'm not sure if he'll bring the Rams back to its "greatest show on turf" days, but St. Louis is now moving in the right direction.

St. Louis' biggest problem is their lack of a great quarterback. Marc Bulger has declined considerably in each of the past two or three seasons, and as his career nears its end, I'll be shocked if he stays healthy for 16 games.

Bulger's 2004 Pro Bowl year is well behind him, and in the last two seasons, he's thrown a combined 28 interceptions with his passer rating dropping more than 20 points.

Bulger aside, the Rams are mainly a run-oriented football team, and with a guy like Steven Jackson, there's no reason they shouldn't be. Jackson is one of the best running backs in the league, and he's going to be the biggest building block in this major rebuilding process.

It won't happen this year, but the Rams are going to be atop the NFC West some year soon. As for now, I think six wins is going to be considered a success because that's more wins than this team has gotten in the last two years.

3. Arizona Cardinals: 8-8

Was last season a fluke for the team that represented the NFC in the Super Bowl? It's a close call.

First off, I don't see Kurt Warner pulling a miracle like he did last year by playing all 16 regular season games. This guy is old as dirt. Not to mention he had surgery this offseason.

The biggest reason that Arizona won't be winning this division is because of their poor defense. The Cardinals were blown out a handful of times last season (most notably a 47-7 loss to the Patriots late in the season), and never allowed less than 10 points in a game.

This means that the Cards will have to rely heavily on their offense alone. This worked in the playoffs last year, but I just don't see it happening again. Right now, Anquan Boldin isn't too happy in Arizona, and this is not good. Often, when a star wide receiver has an ego and isn't happy, it affects the whole team.

2. San Francisco 49ers: 8-8

I think the Niners could potentially be one year away from the playoffs.

The quarterback situation in Frisco isn't too great, but if Shaun Hill can perform like he did last year, the 49ers will look just fine. It's unfortunate that Alex Smith has had injuries, but even without them, I don't think he's that great.

Hill's job will be a lot easier if Michael Crabtree decides to sign with the team. Without Crabtree, Josh Morgan will be the No. 1 option for the Niners, along with veteran Arnaz Battle.

And let's not forget about one of the premier tailbacks in the game—Frank Gore. It seems to be a foregone conclusion every year that Gore will be a monster. I doubt that 2009 will be any different.

The 49ers' defense is also something to keep an eye on. Each year, Patrick Willis inches closer and closer to becoming the best linebacker in the game, and he'll carry this defense with players like Nate Clements and Takeo Spikes.

1. Seattle Seahawks: 10-6

Injuries have plagued the Seahawks for the past few seasons. However, the 2008 season was by far the worst.

The Seahawks' receiving corps was full of inexperienced players and washed up vets, and Matt Hasselbeck missed the majority of the season as well.

With Deion Branch and Nate Burleson both healthy again, and the arrival of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle's receivers look like one of the best units in the league. This is, of course, only if Hasselbeck can stay healthy.

My biggest doubt with Seattle is their running game. Julius Jones didn't really have a great first year in Seattle, and the offensive line was poor also. However, Walter Jones has been one of the best guards in the league for a while now, and he knows what he's doing.

It was really hard to watch Seattle's defense last season. The Hawks went out this offseason and signed Ken Lucas and drafted Aaron Curry. Lofa Tatupu and Patrick Kerney will be playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulders after an embarrassing '08 season, which is why I think the Seahawks D will be tough this year.

New coach Jim Mora is familiar with this team after serving as an assistant last year, and will put Seattle back at the top of this division.

Mariners' Pitching Staff Could Put Them Over the Hump

Pete Treperinas — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:46:53 -0400

All season, and even in the last off-season, there has been so much talk about the Seattle Mariners dealing pitchers such as Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn.

Everything seems to be falling in place for the Mariners right now, and regardless of how much certain players will be worth after the 2009 season, I think they should hang on to what they've got, and go for the AL West title.

In the last of a three-game series with Detroit on Thursday, Washburn threw seven innings of two-hit ball, helping Seattle to a 2-1 win, and a series win.

Earlier this year, Washburn had a serious lack of run support in almost every start he had. Regardless of the fact, he boasts a 2.71 ERA and a 8-6 record.

Why deal a guy who has developed into one of the Mariners' most reliable starters?

In front of Washburn in the reliability department is Felix Hernandez. His 11-3 record and 2.45 ERA are numbers to get excited about.

Over the past few seasons, Seattle has anxiously waited for Hernandez to mature enough to truly dominate. He had his ups and downs through those seasons, but 2009 appears to be Hernandez's rise, and his All-Star appearance proves this.

Then there's Erik Bedard. The Mariners shipped some of their future (Adam Jones, George Sherill, Chris Tillman) to Baltimore for Bedard before the 2008 season in hopes of a post-season run. Things didn't go as planned for Seattle, and talks of a trade to Philadelphia came up around this time last year.

I'm glad that Seattle hung in there with Bedard, because he has contributed to the team's 3.68 ERA average. After a little while on the DL, Bedard returned on July 8, and has a 5-2 record in 14 starts.

To have the third starter in your rotation have numbers like Bedard's isn't shabby at all.

While the everyday studliness of Ichiro Suzuki has been a huge reason the Mariners have a 55-41 record, I think the surprisingly strong starts by this pitching staff have really helped get the Mariners where they are.

Every year, Ichiro puts up unreal numbers, but the M's seem to finish .500 at best. He can't do it by himself, especially when there was a lack of pitching.

Now he isn't doing by himself at all. His fellow bats have been pretty good lately, and the starters have made Ichiro's job that much easier.

Currently five games behind the LA Angels, Seattle is set to start a three-game series at home with the lowly Cleveland Indians.

If the Mariners' rotation can keep up the consistency, I think this team has a pretty good shot to give both the Angels and the Rangers a run for all the marbles in the AL West.

M's Continue Solid Play, Adrian Beltre Will Be Missed

Pete Treperinas — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:58:01 -0400

The pitching staff has been pulling it together, and surprisingly, the Mariners are hitting.

Run support has been the biggest issue for Seattle this year with the exception of Ichiro and Russell Branyan, but since the beginning of inter-league play, things have been looking up.

A 10-6 record in inter-league play has the Mariners only three games off the Angels in the AL West. The division is somewhat wide open at this point, with Texas cooling off quite a bit of late.

On Friday, the Mariners started what many have called the team's toughest road trip of the season. Three against the MLB's best, the Dodgers, then they head East for three with the Yankees (42-32) and three with Boston (46-29).

Going into the trip, I figured a .500 trip would be nothing short of successful, but after taking two of three from LA, it seems the M's have something brewing.

On Sunday afternoon, Garrett Olson went five innings of four-hit, two-run ball while Jose Lopez continued a good series with two RBI and three hits. The bullpen then gave up just one hit in the last four innings and David Aardsma picked up his 16th save of the season.

Remember last year when Jarrod Washburn was a waste of a spot on a lame staff? Those days are over.

His consistent 3.22 ERA has been a pleasant surprise for the M's, and his 4-5 record is only a result of low run support. Take that away and I think Washburn makes a decent All-Star case.

The next two series will be an incredible test for Seattle, and after that we'll be able to tell what caliber team this really is. Unfortunately for the next six to eight weeks, Seattle will have to do it without third basemen Adrian Beltre.

Beltre will have surgery to remove bone spurs, and decided to play his final game with the team on Sunday. Manager Don Wakamatsu informed Beltre that he didn't have to play, but he said he owed it to his teammates to play one more.

Beltre drove in a run and helped the M's to victory. Seattle will need to turn to reserves such as Mike Sweeney and Ronny Cedeno to pick up the slack in Beltre's absence, or this little run the team has had could stay little.

The majority of the Mariners' recent success has happened with Erik Bedard on the DL, and the pitching staff will only get better when he returns.

Younger pitchers like Brandon Morrow, Olson, and Justin Vargas have had a shot to make their way into the rotation while Bedard has been getting healthy. This has also been a bit of an indicator of what the future of the staff could be.

Only time will tell how the absence of Beltre and the tough upcoming schedule will affect this seemingly streaky Mariners team.

Weighing in on Jon Brockman's Odds in the NBA

Pete Treperinas — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:57:28 -0400

After leaving it all on the floor in the Huskies' second round loss to Purdue in the Big Dance this year, there were questions surrounding whether or not Brockman would be a prospect for the Draft.

The Portland Trail Blazers answered those questions when they took Brockman 38th overall and dealt him to the Sacramento Kings.

While he's considerably undersized at 6'7", Brockman can rebound. Well, he could do it in a strong Pac-10 conference for the last four years, anyway.

Last night on Sports Radio KJR 950 in Seattle, it was brought up that a best case scenario for Brockman could be if he turns out like a Paul Millsap, maybe a Jason Maxiell.

The Millsap's and Maxiell's of the league are able to make a decent career out of averages around 10 and eight a game. As a matter of fact, Maxiell got a $20 million contract last year for averages less than that.

Brockman is going to be in an environment in which I think he'll have the potential to get minutes. There's very little experience at the power forward position on Sacramento's roster, which has me beaming with optimism that Brockman could get some minutes.

It will be interesting to see how Brockman will play in the summer league, and how effective his style of play will be against other talented young players. He's an exceptional scorer, too, but rarely leaves the post.

Brockman shot 53 percent from the field while averaging nearly 15 PPG and 11.5 RPG last year, and he also set the UW record for rebounds.

In my opinion, the key to Brockman's success will be finding his role as an individual. Here are a couple possibilities for what that role could be:

The Seventh Man

Brockman obviously won't be starting in Sacramento. The team might have been the worst in the league last year, but even with a lack of serious depth at power forward, I don't see Brockman having a great shot at being in the starting five.

However, I think Brockman could be that guy that new coach Paul Westphal can turn to when he needs some gritty play for half a quarter.

The Bruiser

Okay, so we've covered the fact that Brockman is way undersized, but even in college he was matching up with bigs that were taller than him. So while his height is going to be an issue, I don't think intensity will.

For the U-Dub fans out there that doubled as Sonics fans, you have to remember the 2004-2005 season. Danny Fortson (banger) and Reggie Evans (bruiser) made a bigger impact than one would think.

In that same season, Evans played under 24 MPG and finished ninth in the league in boards.

Down the road I could see Brockman developing into the type of player that gets in the game, rebounds his butt off, gets a few fouls, and takes a seat when he's told to do so.

NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference Semifinals Preview

Pete Treperinas — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:49:40 -0400

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (4)

Is there any hope for the Hawks to beat the future 2009 NBA champs? Nah.

That's right, I called them the future champs. Cleveland is going to win it all. The rest is all just building up to the Finals and likely the Lakers.

No surprises in the first round sweep. Detroit didn't show up, and LeBron James had a field day. Now I don't think it'll be to that extent against the Hawks, but the Cavs aren't going to have a problem here.

The Hawks-Heat matchup in round one was a fun one to watch. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith are both amazing players, and if Atlanta wins a game or two in this series, it will likely be because of them.

Atlanta took the Celtics to seven games in the first round last year, so they've been known to surprise. However, I can't see Cleveland losing a game at home, and losing three on the road isn't very likely.

The lowest point total that James had against Detroit in the first round was 25, not to mention he was notching double-doubles like they were going out of style. The bottom line is that to stop LeBron, the Hawks will need a miracle.

Cavs in four.

Boston Celtics (2) vs. Orlando Magic (3)

The big question is: How good were the Chicago Bulls? Sure, Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon played well in that series, but I don't think Boston should have had so much trouble with Chicago, with or without Kevin Garnett.

And I got news for you Boston, Orlando isn't Chicago- they're a whole lot better.

Ray Allen had some special games in the first round and I think he's pretty close to erasing the tag of someone who can't perform in the post-season. He'll face former teammate Rashard Lewis in this series, and they could both have big series.

Lewis is a streaky shooter and when he gets hot, it's hard to shut him down. Speaking of streaky shooters, both Paul Pierce and Brian Scalabrine will be huge for the C's. Scalabrine will likely see quite a few minutes, and Pierce will be on the court for most of the series I would expect.

Dwight Howard will ultimately be the player that pushes the Magic into the Conference Finals. Why? There's no one to match up with him now that KG and Leon Powe are both out. Kendrick Perkins is no match for Howard, who was an MVP candidate.

Don't expect another seven-game, overtime epic; Boston just can't be as effective, sans Garnett.

Magic in six.

NBA Playoffs: Western Conference Semifinals Preview

Pete Treperinas — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:03:55 -0400

LA Lakers (1) vs. Houston Rockets (5)

Houston surprised me in their first round series. In Game One, the Rockets blew Portland out and really set the tone.

The Rockets' role players had an excellent series as well. Von Wafer was a surprising handful and Aaron Brooks was filling the void that Tracy McGrady left. With Ron Artest playing solid D, and Yao Ming's offensive presence, I think Houston has a shot at beating the Lakers.

Kobe and Co. were never really challenged by Utah in the first round. Andrew Bynum hasn't been as much of an addition to this team in the playoffs as I originally thought he'd be. This is why I look to Bynum to become kind of an x-factor in this series.

Ming's domination in the post against Portland isn't something we'll be seeing in the semis. Ming was going up against the inexperienced Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla, now he'll have to deal with Bynum and Pau Gasol.

Houston shot lights out throughout the first round. I don't think it's going to be the same in round two, and I just think the Rockets are going to have to play in a different way against the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant is a different player than Brandon Roy, who they saw in round one. It's going to be hard to shut Bryant down, and it's really a job fit for T-Mac.

And let's not forget that LA was 4-0 against the Rockets this season.

Lakers in Six.

Denver Nuggets (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (6)

I know this series already started last night, but I'll go ahead and give my insight anyways.

Dallas surprised me in the first round, but game one against Denver last night was something ugly. Denver's defense has been solid, but Dirk Nowitzki was still able to put up 28 points and 10 rebounds in their game one loss.

In order to win the series, the Mavs will need Jason Terry to play that Sixth Man role, as he did in the first round and throughout the year. Terry has given Dallas the extra push throughout the season, and he could make the difference in some games.

Denver's offense is pretty strong, but I think that if the Nuggets win this series, it's going to be due to the offense. Chris Andersen had six blocks in game one, and he's really all over the court when he's out there. Believe it or not, this clown makes the Nuggets a lot better.

For the Mavericks, winning the series will obviously rely heavily on the play of Dirk. He's an MVP winner, he's been to the finals, and he knows what it takes to win.

Mavs in Seven.

NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference First Round Preview

Pete Treperinas — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 02:21:46 -0400

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) versus Detroit Pistons (8)

These division rivals have seen each other in the playoffs before. When LeBron led the Cavs to the Finals in 2007, he had a string of amazing games. James dropped 48 in Game Five in what is considered to be one of the greatest postseason performances ever.

Cleveland won't meet the Washington Wizards in the first round this year, which will be something new for them. Instead they'll meet a Pistons team that has deteriorated throughout the course of the season.

Allen Iverson hasn't clicked at all with this team, with the exception of about the first couple of weeks. He won't suit up for the playoffs, and it sure seems like Detroit is already out.

To have a shot to even win a game in this series, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince will have to step their game up. And most importantly, they'll have to find a way to contain LeBron James, which is a near impossible task.

James should be the MVP this season, and this series is just a warm up for Cleveland. The tables have really turned in the Central division, and the Pistons are beginning to get washed up.

Cavs in five.

Atlanta Hawks (4) versus Miami Heat (5)

I knew last season's 15-67 record in Miami was a fluke. The Heat put the pieces back together this year and won 43 games. Dwyane Wade is a serious contender for MVP, and I believe he had the best year of his career.

Wade's Heat will face an Atlanta Hawks team that has also improved quite a bit off the last two years. The franchise has made the moves to get the Hawks into the playoffs. Atlanta's starting five looks pretty scary, and could pose a threat to the Heat.

The only issue I have with Miami is that Wade can't always put up 40 points a night. the Heat do have Jermaine O'Neal, but his inconsistency and injuries make me a little bit skeptical. He missed some time this week for a calf injury. The Heat don't really have as much depth as the Hawks either.

While it may be difficult to defend Wade, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith will dominate offensively. Bottom line is, Wade won't be able to do it alone, and Atlanta will handle the Heat.

Hawks in seven.

Boston Celtics (2) versus Chicago Bulls (7)

Upset alert? Nope.

Even without Kevin Garnett, the Boston Celtics are a way above average team. Ray Allen has the sweetest jumper in the game, and Paul Pierce proved last season that he can be the man down the stretch.

A great potential matchup will be Pierce versus Ben Gordon. Both guys average around 20 PPG, but it's also going to be fun to see Gordon and Pierce play D against each other.

A turning point in Chicago's season was the trade that brought John Salmons and Brad Miller over from Sacramento. In his three games against Boston this season, Salmons averaged nearly 24 PPG. He could be someone to look out for.

The reason I think Boston can win this series, and maybe even the conference, is because while Garnett was crucial in last season's title run, the role players helped out a lot as well. The Leon Powe and Rajon Rondo-type players on that roster all meshed with the Celtics' "Big Three."

Celtics in six.

Orlando Magic (3) versus Philadelphia 76ers (6)

Dwight Howard out-did his 2007-08 season this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if he keeps it up in the postseason. The Magic are one of the most fundamentally sound squads in the league if you ask me, and they're deadly from the perimeter.

Rumor has it that Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu will be back for the playoffs—these are two of the top three-point shooters in the league. Speaking of good three-point shooters, Andre Iguodala shoots over 30 percent from beyond the arc as well.

The Sixers are really Iguodala's team. Since the departure of Allen Iverson, he's had a great opportunity to be a leader, and has led Philly to the playoffs in each of the last two years.

People thought that with Elton Brand on the roster, the Sixers could possibly contend for the Central division. Well, plans changed when Brand got hurt. Regardless, Philadelphia has found themselves in the postseason and finished 41-41.

I see the Magic winning the division. I don't see Howard getting shut down by Samuel Dalembert, and I wouldn't be shocked to see Jameer Nelson continue his solid year either.

Magic in six.

NBA Playoffs: Western Conference First Round Preview

Pete Treperinas — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:45:19 -0400

LA Lakers (1) vs. Utah Jazz (8)

The Jazz had a strong second half of the season. Carlos Boozer's return was vital to Utah sneaking into the playoffs. Deron Williams had a good year, but I really expected the Jazz to win the Northwest division with something along the lines of 55 or more wins.

Andrew Bynum's return is incredibly important for L.A. In the Laker's victory over Utah on Tuesday, he dropped 22 points to go with four rebounds and three blocks. With Bynum healthy, the Lakers are probably the best team in the league.

When the two teams met this week, the Lakers had four guys in double figures, with both Bynum and Pau Gasol putting up 20 or more.

Williams had 25 points and 13 dimes for Utah, and if will have to be on fire if the Jazz want to have any shot at beating L.A.

In the end, Kobe Bryant will play like the reigning MVP that he is, and will move the Lakers into the semis.

Prediction: Lakers in five.

Portland Trail Blazers (4) vs. Houston Rockets (5)

The Blazers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA heading into the playoffs. Brandon Roy had a phenomenal season, and he has led Portland back to the postseason for the first time since 2003.

Houston will, of course, be McGrady-less, which they've proved isn't exactly the end of the world. The Rockets have kept playing good basketball, and role players like Ron Artest, Shane Battier, and Aaron Brooks have all pitched in to help the Rockets' scoring effort.

The thing that scares people about the Blazers is their incredible depth. With players like Travis Outlaw (who is a Sixth Man candidate) and Rudy Fernandez coming off the bench, Portland could pose a threat to a team like the Lakers, if they can get past Houston.

Yao Ming will create problems for both Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla on both sides of the ball, but I think that Portland's home field advantage and the play of Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge should be enough to get them by.

Prediction: Blazers in seven.

Denver Nuggets (2) vs. New Orleans Hornets (7)

Chauncey Billups has been the man this year for the Nuggets. He meshes with Carmelo Anthony far better than Allen Iverson ever did. And now that Kenyon Martin is finally healthy again, Denver looks to finally get past the first round.

The Hornets are still a talented team. Chris Paul is the premier point guard in the league, and averaged a double-double this season. But a tough April schedule knocked New Orleans into the bottom part of the Western Conference playoff picture.

A special player for the Nuggets is Chris Andersen, who has been a monster on the boards and on defense this year. He was a great pick-up replacement for Marcus Camby this offseason, and adds to the arsenal that is the Denver Nuggets.

I think the Hornets are pretty burned out, but could still give Denver a run. However, it won't be enough to stop a Nuggets team that could go pretty far this postseason.

Prediction: Nuggets in six.

San Antonio Spurs (3) vs. Dallas Mavericks (6)

These teams know each other really well. I believe that the Spurs are the better team, but it's going to be an exciting series because of the familiarity factor.

Something that's important to look at is Tim Duncan's averages this season against the Mavs—23.3 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. Dallas center Erik Dampier is no match for Duncan.

The Mavericks are yesterday's team. They had their big playoff run a few years ago, and beat the Spurs en route to a Finals appearance, but they just aren't the same team they used to be.

The Devin Harris for Jason Kidd trade didn't pan out the way they wanted either.

However, Kidd has loads of experience, which could help the Mavericks win at least one or two against the Spurs. Dirk Nowitzki has also been there and done that.

In order for Dallas to have a shot, Nowitzki will have to put up at least his season average (25.9 PPG) each game. And if the Mavs can somehow capitalize on the absence of Manu Ginobili, we could have a series here.

But I don't see Duncan and Parker choking—They've been through this too many times.

Prediction: Spurs in six.

The Seattle Blazer: Oden Could Be Postseason Dark Horse

Pete Treperinas — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:05:48 -0400

Brandon Roy is the leader of the Portland Trail Blazers.

We won't even start to question this. But Portland could possibly have a secret weapon this postseason in Greg Oden.

Oden fell way short of his expectations in his rookie year. Plagued by both injuries and foul trouble, he's lost his starting spot to Joel Przybilla. Oden, did however play well on Monday nigh'ts slaughtering of the OKC, with 16 points and nine boards in 20 minutes and has shown flashes of potential throughout his second season.

He's had his fair share of poor games, but if he can average a double-double coming off the bench for the Blazers, things could get better. I think that the biggest problem that he's had this year is finding out where he fits in.

At this point in time, Oden doesn't appear ready to start in the NBA. He's shown that he can't effectively play more than 25 minutes a game without getting into foul trouble. And if Portland wants to keep Oden's legs fresh, I think he fits in well splitting time with a veteran like Przybilla.

"Disappointment" has been the main word associated with Oden's rookie campaign. If this continues, he'll be considered nothing short of Kwame 2.0. People are losing hope in Oden, and his stock is way down.

But that's why I think he could surprise people in the Playoffs. The times that I've gone to the Rose Garden this year, whenever the fans start getting down on Oden, he seems to step his game up and make a few big plays.

The funny thing is that a lot of people expected Oden to be a player similar to Shaquille O'Neal and other dominant centers: 20-plus points a game and about 10 rebounds. Even in college, Oden only averaged 15.7 points a game. He's never been a huge scorer and he probably never will be.

Right now Oden is averaging about nine points per game. But where Oden has been lacking offensively, he'll need to make up on defense. His defense has been somewhat productive this year with his shot-blocking and ability to alter shots in the paint above all other aspects, this could be where he surprises people in the postseason.

The Seattle Blazer: Houston Matchup Likely

Pete Treperinas — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:17:18 -0400

The Blazers won another big game last night, defeating the San Antonio Spurs on the road. This game was an indication that Portland is prepped for the playoffs, and ready for whatever.

As of now, the Blazers sit in the fifth spot in the Western Conference. And although they share the same record of 50-28 with the Houston Rockets, Houston owns the season series.

Portland's remaining four games will consist of three home games (Lakers, Thunder, and Nuggets) and a road game against the Clippers. Looking at the Rockets last four, they'll get the lowly Kings, Warriors, and the playoff-bound Mavs on the road, and the Hornets at home.

If I had to guess, I'd give Houston a bit of an edge to earn the fourth seed. Behind the Blazers are the Hornets, who will need to pretty much win out to take the fourth or fifth slot in the West.

Throughout the season, the Blazers have beat the tough teams, and they've won the close games. Last year, this team shocked a lot of people, and they did some more of the same this year.

Some skeptics thought that Portland could finish on the outside looking in yet again in '09, or maybe sneak in with the eighth seed. But this Blazers team had an impressive year, and grew immensely.

On a recent trip to Portland, I saw the Blazers tear the Utah Jazz apart. This was an indication to me that the Blazers are ready to be a playoff team that could potentially be a threat to a team like the Lakers.

Sure, one might say that the Blazers inexperience could be a problem down the stretch. I don't see this being a big factor. Although Brandon Roy has never played in the postseason at the pro level, he's had nights where he has shut down some players and teams that are there all the time.

The potential matchup of Portland versus Houston could be an interesting one. Back on Nov. 6, Roy hit a game-winner in OT to put the Rockets away. LaMarcus Aldridge tacked on 27 points and nine boards that night, while Tracy McGrady led the game with 30 points.

The Feb. 24 matchup saw a different outcome, when Houston got the 98-94 win at home. Roy and Aldridge each had 20-plus, while Aaron Brooks and Ron Artest did the same for the Rockets. Then on April 5, the Rockets got a lopsided victory 102-88.

Of course, the Rockets will be McGrady-less for the remainder of the year. His absence has been felt without a doubt, but this team is used to being short-handed.

It seems like either Yao Ming or T-Mac get hurt every year, and somehow the Rockets find a way to get in.

If it were a battle of pure experience, taking Houston would be a smart pick. And it's really possible that Ming's presence in the paint could be too much for Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla.

Through watching Oden all year, I've seen that he's been having trouble posting bigger centers up, and his defense definitely needs work. This is why I think that turning to Przybilla for big minutes in the Rockets' series could be valuable.

While this matchup isn't set in stone yet, it looks pretty likely. I feel this series would be awfully close, similar to the way the West has shaken down this year.

Regardless of the outcome, the Blazers have exceeded expectations this season and raised some eyebrows.

MLB Preview: AL Central

Pete Treperinas — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:39:40 -0400

Each year, the AL Central has a new king. It could be the hardest division to predict in baseball. Maybe the Tigers will live up to last season's expectations that fell short, or maybe the White Sox will win back-to-back division titles. Whoever it may be, the race for the AL Central is always close, and makes for a good September.

Begin Slideshow

MLB Preview: AL West

Pete Treperinas — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:59:42 -0500

The Angels won 100 games last season. Second place went to the Texas Rangers who won 79. It looks like times are changing in the AL West, and we might actually have some competition in the division this season. The Oakland A's made big moves this off-season, The Kid is back in Seattle, and Josh Hamilton will likely do big things again for the Rangers. Who has what it takes to win the AL West this year?

Begin Slideshow

The Seattle Blazer: OKC Thunder Visit Rose Garden for the First Time

Pete Treperinas — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:43:53 -0500

Six months have passed since my Supersonics packed their bags and moved South to Oklahoma City. Since then, the Blazers have grown on me, and I now consider myself a fan.

Last week, these two teams collided for the first time since the big move. I couldn't even watch. When I quickly flipped to the game and saw Earl Watson and Kevin Durant, I was reminded of what used to be.

It made it even worse when the Thunder won the game. Now the two will meet this Wednesday in Portland, a game that I originally planned on going to.

However, after seeing Portland and Oklahoma play, the idea didn't resonate well with me.

I just don't think I could stomach seeing the team that I was loyal to for so many years playing for a new city, especially because I would be rooting against them and for my new team, Portland.

I know lots of former Sonics fan will be making the trip down I-5 to get some chants of "Let's Go Sonics!" going, but I know I wouldn't be able to watch. It's hard enough to watch the highlights of the team that was taken from me, let alone going to watch them for a few hours.

As for the key matchups in the game, I look for Brandon Roy to continue playing well, and dictate the pace of Portland's offense. I'd be thrilled to get 10 and 10 out of Greg Oden, who was utterly out-shined by Durant in last week's loss in OKC.

The Thunder are doing well as of late, mostly due to Durant's supporting cast playing better. They're out of the cellar in the West, and the talk of worst team ever is way in the past.

Regardless, I didn't feel an ounce of compassion when the Thunder were 2-30 or whatever. I'm hoping karma shows up come the draft lotto. It's going to take a number of years before I'll be able to watch them play a game, and accept that they are in fact gone.

I think these two teams meeting in Portland will always draw former Sonics fans, and in a few years, the Blazers will likely be one of the best teams in the league, and if I had to guess, I'd say Oklahoma City is on the rise too.

These two teams will eternally be linked for the rivalry that was, and the Durant-versus-Oden saga that all NBA fans crave. As for now though, I'm going to sit this one out, because I'm still licking my wounds from my Supes leaving.

Why Seahawks Fans Were Confused by Super Bowl XLIII

Pete Treperinas — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:55:35 -0500

When watching the conference championship games, a thought crossed my mind. I realized that there was a possibility that I, and every other Seahawks fan for that matter, would be debating whether or not to watch the Super Bowl.

This is because I realized that the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers could actually both be playing for the big one.

I dislike the Cards for obvious reasons—they're a division rival that had Seattle's number this year. I hate the Steelers (and always will) because of Super Bowl XL. The officiating was terrible, and I don't think I'll ever get over the fact that the Seahawks probably could have won if it weren't for Ben Roethlisberger's rushing "touchdown" or Darrell Jackson's "offensive pass interference" in the end zone.

So when the Philadelphia Eagles were making a comeback late in the NFC title game, I was bleeding midnight green and silver, because I badly wanted McNabb and the Eagles to shatter Arizona's glass slipper. No dice.

Then came the AFC championship. Of course, I was rooting for the birds again. Joe Flacco and the Ravens posed a threat to the Steelers, and the game looked to be a defense oriented battle. Pittsburgh came out on top as expected.

This was the first postseason in five years that the Seahawks weren't invited, and their 4-12 mark was uninspiring.

Basically there was nothing to get excited about during Seattle's season, so I decided to focus all of my postseason enthusiasm on the Cardinals and Steelers losing. However, when they both made it to the Super Bowl, I got confused.

Did this mean I would root for a 0-0 tie so neither of these franchises that I despise would get to grasp the Lombardi trophy? Last time I checked you can't tie in that game, so I had a decision to make.

For the first two weeks, and even the first five minutes of the game, I decided to boycott the Super Bowl, and not contribute to a championship that I could care less about.

Looking at the possible outcomes, I saw that if Arizona won, Seattle would be the only team in the NFC West without a Super Bowl win. And my hatred for Pittsburgh obviously meant I wouldn't be thrilled to see them win a record six Super Bowls.

But after those difficult five minutes, my inner-sports fan took the driver's seat, and I reluctantly flipped to the game.

I'm sure a lot of my fellow Seahawks fans felt the same way, and when the game was winding down and we all saw one of the best Super Bowls ever, I was still clueless.

I was excited when Larry Fitzgerald scored in the fourth, and my heart rate went way up when Santonio Holmes and the Steelers drove the length of the field for what would become the winning drive.

In the end I realized that being sour was pointless, and if I had gone through with my boycott, I would've missed out on a great game. Hopefully all of the Seahawks fans out there came to this realization as well, despite the initial confusion that was Super Bowl XLIII.