Bleacher Report - Articles by Pigskin Heaven

PSH Top 25 and Heisman Hype Meter: Week Five

Pigskin Heaven — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:16:53 -0400

Every week, the Pigskin Heaven crew puts together their individual top 25 college football rankings and top five Heisman trophy candidates Every committee member gets his or her own vote, but the entire site can impact voting with a collective vote that is called, "Vote of the Fan." If you'd like to help impact the Top 25 or Heisman Hype races, join www.pigskinheaven.com today.

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PSH Top 25 and Heisman Hype Meter: Week Four

Pigskin Heaven — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:57:15 -0400

Every week, the Pigskin Heaven crew puts together their individual top 25 college football rankings and Heisman top five. Every committee member gets his or her own vote, but the entire site can impact voting with a collective vote that is called, "Vote of the Fan." If you'd like to help impact the Top 25 or Heisman Hype races, join Pigskin Heaven today.

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Disliked Things about College Football: The "Check With Me" Offense

Pigskin Heaven — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:55:01 -0400

The following was written by Pigskin Heaven's President, Chris Grewe. The Ohio State graduate claims a dislike for Pittsburgh and the Swinging Gate punt formation and shares only one love with Raider fans—Kirk Morrison. Read the originally posted article here.

There are certain things that drive me absolutely nuts in college football, and these three things are among the absolute worst offenders this season.

The "Check with Me" Offense

Where do I start on this one? At one point in the history of this great game, quarterbacks called their own plays. At another very recent point, quarterbacks got their plays from hand signals from the sidelines.

The very good were expected to check off at the line of scrimmage and get their guys in the right play so you didn't run the ball off tackle straight at a blitzing corner, safety, linebacker, and someone hauling the kitchen sink in from the locker room to be thrown at the ball carrier.

And then the "Check with Me" offense came into being, giving hands-on coaches everywhere the thing they needed to keep them unmedicated and allow them to do literally everything but throw the ball.

Here's a clue, Coach: If you can't trust your guy to make pre-snap reads without "checking with you," you probably can't trust him to make the right read when he actually goes to use that rocket arm you recruited him for.

Here's another thing wrong with the offense: It takes away your shot to get a solid read on what the defense is doing.

Most wise defensive coordinators are going to tell their guys, "Hey, wait until they're done looking to the sidelines before you show anything at all you're actually planning on doing."

In other words, it's a waste, it's bad for quarterbacks, it's bad for coaches, and it's bad for my nerves.

Mainly because what could be faster-moving offenses (in an age where we already have the advent of the 40-second play clock in college football, a painstaking invention that used to be reserved for the guys who get paychecks for playing the game) slow down to a crawl that consists of more chess matches and more quarterbacks barking plays to their linemen before scrambling to get in position to call for the ball with two seconds left on the play clock.

Yikes!

The "Swinging Gate" Punt Formation

At some point, this one's going to get someone seriously hurt. I do like the fact that it's been turned into more of a slamming door, with the middle up-man closing the gap rather than truly swinging in from behind one of the others.

However, we're still looking at a very big safety issue here. Due to the spread nature of the formation, defenders come screaming in from all angles, and most of them end up right at the three-man wall at the time of the punt, leading them to try to jump over the three-man wall to block the punt.

Next time you're watching a game in which a team deploys this formation exclusively, count the number of times a defender gets upended by this wall and ends up falling on his back.

Then take a second to calculate the chances that eventually someone's going to land wrong on the other side of that wall and it's going to be a career-ending injury.

I'm normally the first one screaming, "it's football, it's a sport for tough guys, guys are going to get hurt," especially when it comes to the essential bubble-wrapping of quarterbacks.

With that said, this one's more dangerous than a lot of the things you can't do to quarterbacks any more.

Teams from Michigan Screwing Up My Picks

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Michigan beat Notre Dame last week, Central Michigan beat Michigan State, and I missed on both games.

Things I don't give about Michigan for 1,000, Alex...

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Writer Chris Grewe. You can read it, more of Chris Grewe's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

PSH Top 25 and Heisman Hype Meter: Week Three

Pigskin Heaven — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:32:00 -0400

Every week, the Pigskin Heaven crew puts together their individual top 25 college football rankings and Heisman top five. Every committee member gets their own vote, but the entire site can impact voting with a collective vote that is called, "Vote of the Fan." If you'd like to help impact the Top 25 or Heisman Hype races, join Pigskin Heaven today.

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NFL Team Previews: Seattle Seahawks

Pigskin Heaven — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:20:06 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Seattle Seahawks. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Did the Seahawks of 2008 simply run into a string of bad luck and injuries, or was the season a sign of things to come? Well, we’ll see. Meanwhile, Mike Holmgren retires and Jim Mora takes over the squad.

Early in the offseason, the only news the ‘Hawks made was with the signing of T.J. Houshmanzadeh, and then the trading away of Julian Peterson for former Lions defensive tackle Cory Redding.

With a top five draft pick, the Seahawks helped themselves by taking the top rated linebacker in the draft, Aaron Curry. Later in the draft the team also added help for the offensive line in Max Unger, as well as another receiver, Deon Butler and a quarterback, Mike Teel.

Later into the offseason, the Seahawks let go of back T.J. Duckett in favor of Edgerrin James. The biggest problem in Seattle is Marcus Trufant, and his failure to report to camp. For whatever reason, the team recently decided that Lawyer Milloy was a needed addition to the roster.

Three Burning Questions

Will Matt Hasselbeck be healthy and effective this season?

Last season, in seven games played, Hasselbeck only completed 52 percent of his passes, and threw twice as many interceptions than touchdowns. Will he be more effective this season?

The big acquisition was Houshmanzadeh, but he isn’t the youngest anymore either. You would think Seattle saw enough of older receivers on injury lists last year to take that sort of chance.

Nonetheless, with T.J., rookie Butler, Deion Branch and tight end John Carlson, Hasselbeck should have a better season, at least until further notice.

Speaking of injuries, is Walter Jones back to his former self?

If he’s 100 percent, he’s probably still the best tackle in the game.

But missing time last season, coupled with being 35, and the Seahawks should at least brace for a diminished Jones. At least it looks like the Seahawks did a little bit of preparing, and bolstering the line.

Unger is likely to start at guard, but Sean Locklear and Mansfield Wrotto don’t really scare anybody, do they? With Jones likely not fit until a couple of weeks into the season, and starting center Chris Spencer out for even longer, the biggest concern this year for the Seahawks may be with that offensive line.

No Trufant, will the defense suffer a setback?

The Seattle defense features some talent, but nonetheless, they ranked only 30th in football last year, an overall stat that found them below even the atrocious Denver Broncos defense.

Enter Redding and Curry, two guys the Seahawks are counting on heavily to return the defense to credibility. Patrick Kerney will be 33 soon, and Seattle will be hoping on some young talent to develop and help out the rest of that defensive line, guys like Michael Bennett, Brandon Mebane and Lawrence Jackson.

The leader of the defense is certainly still Lofa Tatupu, and being joined by Curry and Leroy Hill will make the linebackers the best unit on the defense. But will it be good enough?

Fantasy Forecast

Good Plays: There aren’t any Seahawks I would put in the really important category. Houshmanzadeh should be solid, as should Carlson, but that could be about it.

Avoid: James and Julius Jones at this point in their careers are marginal at best, and should only even be considered for roster spots on the really big leagues.

Sleeper: I liked Deon Butler when the team drafted him, and it seems like he’s been playing quite well so far this preseason. He may warrant a pick-up later in the year.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: San Diego Chargers

Pigskin Heaven — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:08:34 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the San Diego Chargers. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Not a lot of happenings in San Diego this offseason. Some departures, like Igor Olshansky, and some arrivals, like Kevin Burnett.

For San Diego, the team is more worried about having their key players healthy this season. LaDainian Tomlinson was hobbled at times last season, and Shawne Merriman was sidelined for the year. Both are back and looking good. That is, until Merriman’s arrest last week.

The draft brought another linebacker, Larry English from Northern Illinois. The rest of the draft brought depth, but nothing flashy. Offensive linemen Louis Vazquez and Tyronn Greene, defensive lineman Vaughn Martin, and a couple of skill players.

Three Burning Questions

Is Tomlinson healthy and ready to assume his position as best player in football?

According to coaches and teammates and coaches, Tomlinson has looked as good as ever this preseason, and he'll likely play with a chip on his shoulder.

Hampered last year with toe and groin injuries, he was limited to his worst season of his career, one that still produced 12 TDs by the way. He looks healthy, motivated, and the Chargers are better for it.

With Merriman back, will Chargers defense return to 2007 form?

In 2008, the Chargers ranked 24th in the league in defense, and 15th in scoring defense. The 2007 Charger defense ranked 14th and fifth in those respective standings.

This team is certainly built to be better than it was last year, better even than the version from two years ago.

With Merriman and English joined at linebacker by the likes of Shaun Phillips and Stephen Cooper, a secondary that features Quentin Jammer, Antonio Cromartie and Antoine Cason, and a line that features Luis Castillo and Jamal Williams, this defense should be a consistent top five unit.

Let’s see if they can put that together this year.

Should Norv Turner be on the hot seat?

Last year the Chargers went 8-8, inexcusable considering their talent level, no matter how banged up they were.

They did luck into the playoffs and won a game. Here’s the thing. It seems that Charger fans are satisfied with the team making the playoffs on a regular basis, and maybe winning a game and losing a close one. That’s all fine and dandy.

But to me, the Chargers are a team that should have visited the Super Bowl at least once over the last five years, and well, they haven’t. I know it may be an unpopular decision to fire a coach who leads his team to the playoffs, but Charger fans should be able to expect more from this team.

Fantasy Forecast

Good Play: The Chargers feature one of the five best running backs in Tomlinson, one of the five best quarterbacks in Rivers, and one of the five best tight ends in Gates. Vincent Jackson is also a starter in any league.

Avoid: I wouldn’t put too much incentive in Darren Sproles. He’s certainly worth a late pick, and if Tomlinson gets hurt then Sproles’ value rises dramatically, but until then, he’s not worth much.

Sleeper: Whoever steps up and becomes the third receiver behind Jackson and Chambers should see fairly decent numbers. My money is on Malcolm Floyd. He’s not worth a draft pick, but look for him on the waiver wire if he starts putting up numbers.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Arizona Cardinals

Pigskin Heaven — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:33:24 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Arizona Cardinals. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

The Arizona Cardinals went to the Super Bowl. Did that sink in yet? The Cardinals! Super Bowl!

And it took a spectacular drive capped by an even more spectacular play by the Steelers to keep the Cardinals from lifting the Lombardi. Since then, the team had a quiet offseason.

Kurt Warner signed a new deal, and the team is still working on Anquan Boldin. Edgerrin James was let go, which led to the drafting of Chris "Beanie" Wells.

After the pick of Wells, the team focused on defense, taking safety Rashad Johnson, hybrid lineman-linebacker Cody Brown, and corner Greg Toler. They also added to the offensive line with guards Herman Johnson and Trevor Canfield.

Three Burning Questions

Can the team overcome the curse of Super Bowl losers?

Only the Seahawks were able to lose a Super Bowl, and return to the playoffs the following year this decade.

Even the Patriots missed the point last year, but they did win 11 games. The Cardinals are no Patriots.

The team plays in an improved division, and the task to return to the postseason is certainly a difficult one.

Will Kurt Warner be able to duplicate his 2008 performance?

Warner started all 16 games for the first time since 2001. His 598 attempts are easily the highest of his career. The man is 38 years old.

Certainly his supporting cast is among the best in football, but the question is can Warner again stay upright, and can he keep Leinart on the bench.

I think he’s due for at least a small decrease in production.

Is the defense going to play better than last year?

Remember, there once was a time when Brett Favre led the Jets to 56 points against the Cardinals, and the Eagles and Patriots came within a field goal of eclipsing 50 as well.

The team ranked 19th in overall defense, and 28th in scoring defense. Arizona will not duplicate last season’s success if they don’t improve on those numbers.

Fantasy Forecast

Good Plays: Larry Fitzgerald is one of the top three wide receivers off any board, and Boldin won’t be far behind him. Warner will still be an effective starter.

Avoid: Stay away from the Arizona defense. There is no tight end worth taking from the team either

Sleeper: Steve Breaston was the sleeper last year. I think this year that job will go to Jerheme Urban.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Pittsburgh Steelers

Pigskin Heaven — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:15:26 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Pittsburgh became the first NFL team that needs to use two hands to show off their jewelry, so how much change does their need to be?

For the most part, all Pittsburgh did was re-sign their own free agents, and pick up wide receiver Shaun McDonald. They did part ways with Byron Leftwich because Charlie Batch is back and healthy, and they extended Heath Miller for six years.

It was in the draft were the Steelers addressed most of their issues, drafting for depth on the defensive line with Evander Hood, offensive line with Kraig Urbik, at wide receiver with Mike Wallace and in the secondary with Keenan Lewis.

Three Burning Questions

Will the offensive line find a way to improve?

They really didn’t do all that much to address the problem, possibly thinking that keeping the players they have and letting them mature for a year will help.

Urbik and A.Q. Shipley were the only linemen added in the draft, and both could see some playing time, but neither should see too much. Justin Hartwig is certainly the quarterback of the line, and Willie Colon and Max Starks are likely to stay the tackles.

With Darnell Stapleton lost for the year, this is where Urbik comes in, if he passes the rookie learning curve quickly.

Will the defense lose a step?

It’s hard to get any better than they were a season ago, isn't it?

They gave up only 10 or less points in half of their games last season. Only six times was Roethlisberger out-thrown by his opposition. Only four times did the Steelers not have the leading rusher in the game.

It’s seems like 2008 was a particularly good season for a particularly good defense. And that’s just it.

Even the great defenses of the recent past have had one year that sticks out above all others, and it’s likely that for the Steelers, that year was last season. They’ll likely continue to lead the league in defense, but you almost have to believe it won’t be as easy as it was last year.

Will the Steelers find that playmaker replacement for Nate Washington?

It seems like the recent Steeler teams have had a receiver, whether that was Washington or Randle El, who’s sole purpose was to make plays.

Santonio Holmes would be a good candidate for that role, but he’s a little busy being the No. 1 man in that offense now. Shaun McDonald is a decent choice, but lacks the explosiveness of Washington.

And Limas Sweed, though likely to find his way this year, is not the type either. Other than the offensive line, not much to nit-pick on this team, but this might be one player that they will miss.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: San Francisco 49ers

Pigskin Heaven — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:41:50 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the San Francisco 49ers. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

After taking over for Mike Nolan last season, head coach Mike Singletary is looking forward to his first full year at the franchise helm.

The 49ers were busy when the free agency period opened, landing Brandon Jones, Damon Huard, Demetric Evans and Marvel Smith, among others. The team also extended tackle Joe Staley for six years, perhaps its most important work.

Everything was going quite swimmingly for the red and gold—then draft weekend came around. The 49ers had the 10th pick and, after what seemed like another bonehead decision in Oakland, they had the draft's best receiver ripe for the plucking, and pluck they did.

Michael Crabtree is a 49er. Great news, except it isn’t. We're less than a week from the season opener, and Crabtree is still unsigned.

The rest of the draft went much better for the 49ers, as they found running back Glen Coffee, quarterback Nate Davis, linebacker Scott McKillop and defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois.

Meanwhile, Damon Huard did not make the team and Marvel Smith retired.

Three Burning Questions

Having won the battle, is Shaun Hill the right guy to lead the offense?

Hill is a very smart and capable signal-caller. While no one will mistake him for Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, he seems more than capable of running a 49ers team that, despite Crabtree's absence, should be pretty good.

Frank Gore and Coffee will lead the ground attack and Vernon Davis looks more motivated this season. With a solid offensive line and a receiving corps that includes Josh Morgan, Isaac Bruce and Brandon Jones, it’s an offense that should linger somewhere around 15th in the league.

What about the defense, is it improved?

While the coaching change made last season merely switched one defensive mind for another, the 49ers would improve if they merely took on the attitude of their coach, one of the best and most feared linebackers to ever play the game.

San Fran ranked a good 13th in defense last season, but giving up 23.8 points-a-game had them 10th-worst. The team has many pieces in place, not the least of which are linebacker Patrick Willis and corner Nate Clement.

Add to that the likes of Justin Smith, Manny Lawson, Michael Lewis, and the young Kentwan Balmer, and I expect the defense to improve to a top-ten level this year.

Will the offensive line allow fewer sacks?

No team has surrendered more sacks over the last two years than the 49ers, so can they change that this season?

Well, I think if they can continuously pound opponents with the ground game, the pass rush will automatically lose effectiveness. Joe Staley is one of the best tackles in the game and the 49ers pulled a great coup just yesterday by getting Tony Pashos, who will improve the line in a hurry.

With Chilo Rachal, Eric Heitmann and David Baas in the interior, the line should gel into a more cohesive unit.

Fantasy Forecast

Good plays: The only high pick should be Gore, but don't forget Josh Morgan and Vernon Davis.

Avoid: Shaun Hill is not likely to get you too many fantasy points.

Sleeper: Is calling a veteran with a near Hall of Fame worthy resume a sleeper wrong? Well, I haven’t seen a lot of drafts that have included Bruce, and without Crabtree and a currently questionable Jones, Bruce could just have one more nice season in him.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Oakland Raiders

Pigskin Heaven — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:44:05 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Oakland Raiders. Click on a team to read its preview.

Editor's Note: The following was written prior to the addition of Richard Seymour.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Tom Cable stays around after taking over the team from Lane Kiffin early last season.

Oakland did themselves a favor this off-season by not signing anyone to ridiculous Javon Walker contracts. Some help at quarterback with the likes of Bruce Gradkowski, Charlie Frye and recently cut Jeff Garcia, line help with Khalif Barnes and Marcus Johnson, and the big acquisition of Greg Ellis.

While the Raiders were highly ridiculed on draft day by taking Darrius Heyward-Bey and Mike Mitchell, they may have been the right picks. Another receiver, Louis Murphy, was sandwiched between three defensive end picks, Matt Shaughnessy, Stryker Sulak and Slade Norris.

Three Burning Questions

Will the offense find themselves this year?

So, not only did Jeff Garcia not take the starter’s role from JaMarcus Russell, he did not make the final roster. This could mean the end of a scrappy career that began just across the Bay.

But now that Russell is running the show, will the show be worth watching? The Raiders have one of the best running corps in the league. Darren McFadden and Michael Bush could combine for numbers similar to the Carolina duo last year.

Heyward-Bey has been progressing slowly, but Murphy has looked good. The team will be without Chaz Schilens to start the season, and Johnnie Lee Higgins has to improve on his preseason play.

Can the defense build around Nnamdi Asomugha?

Asomugha is probably the best corner in the league right now, and is on the short list of best defensive players in football. Can his supporting cast rise to his level this season?

Kirk Morrison is in a starting battle with Ricky Brown. Greg Ellis joins the line, and Mitchell has impressed when he’s been on the field. This is a do or die season for Michael Huff.

The defense was ranked 27th last season, and that should rise to around 20th this year.

Are the players behind Cable?

The biggest story out of Oakland in the summer was that of Cable allegedly punching, and breaking the jaw of, one of his assistants. But Cable has also implanted some new policies.

He’s taking it a lot easier on his team during practices, and is very high on walk-through’s and teaching opportunities. His players seem to like what he’s doing, with vocal support coming from Asomugha.

Fantasy Forecast

Good play: Darren McFadden will be given every opportunity to become the teams’ feature runner, and I expect a big season from him. Zach Miller should be a good 2nd TE

Avoid: Anybody else in the passing game. There are not a lot of weapons there yet, and Russell is likely to struggle.

Sleeper: Despite McFadden being the featured guy, and Fargas still around, Michael Bush could be good for 700 yards and six touchdowns, or better.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: St. Louis Rams

Pigskin Heaven — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:40:49 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the St. Louis Rams. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

2009 finds the Rams in a position that also has seven other teams, a new head coach.

The Steve Spagnuolo era starts with cutting the likes of Orlando Pace, Torry Holt, Trent Green and Corey Chavous. Brought into town were, among others, Mike Karney, Eric Moore, Kyle Boller and James Butler.

For the second year in a row, the Rams found themselves in the top five of the draft, and they chose mammoth Baylor tackle Jason Smith with the second pick in the draft, hoping he will become the new franchise tackle.

In the second round they added Buckeye linebacker James Laurinaitis, and defense continued to be the prime focus, as the Rams added defensive back Brad Fletcher and defensive tackle Dorell Scott.

Three Burning Questions

Is Marc Bulger still a capable NFL quarterback?

If the Lions had passed, then I think the Rams would have bit on quarterback Matthew Stafford. Torry Holt is gone, Isaac Bruce as well, and it may have been an understandable clean sweep to also tell Bulger to take a spot in the unemployment line.

2006 was Bulger’s best career season. Despite playing in 15 games last season, the 2008 stats show his completion percentage dropped by six points, the yards went down 1600 yards, the touchdowns were cut and half, and the QB rating took a dive of more than 20 points. Bulger always seemed to be more a product of the system than a driving force behind it.

The Rams won’t get much further holding on to him.

Will Chris Long be unleashed this year?

Long had a fairly pedestrian rookie season, logging a mere four sacks. With the defensive minded Spagnuolo at the helm, known for his defensive line in New York, can Chris Long take those numbers and double them, or better?

He will be missing Adam Carriker in the middle who was placed on injured reserve, but with Victor Adeyanju, James Hall and Leonard Little joining the end rotation and veteran tackle Hollis Thomas, it looks like Long still has talent around him.

I think he can get close to ten sacks this year.

Is the secondary improved?

The Rams ranked a fairly respectable 19th against the pass last season, but that number is misleading, since many opponents were able to resort to running out the clock early in the game.

St. Louis only managed 12 interceptions. Gone is the first rounder from just a few years ago, CB Tye Hill. O.J. Atogwe is a safety I like, but with the likes of Ronald Bartell, Justin King and James Butler roaming the defensive backfield, you can color me unimpressed.

Fantasy Forecast

Good Plays: Stephen Jackson looks healthy, and he will be relied on to carry the Rams offense. He is the only Ram worth a flier until others prove themselves.

Avoid: I would stay far, far away from Marc Bulger, and the defense may have a decent line, but they’re at best good for making a start while your real defense has a bye.

Sleeper: Jackson has certainly proven he’s not the most durable runner, so drafting his backup late in the draft could be a wise move. That’s where Samkon Gado comes in.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Kansas City Chiefs

Pigskin Heaven — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:40:21 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Kansas City Chiefs. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

After a 9-7 debut season for Herman Edwards in 2006, he combined to win only six games over the next two seasons (which is one less than Detroit by the way) and was justly canned after last season.

New in town are general manager Scott Pioli, coach Todd Haley and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.

Whoops, scratch that last part.

Also, the team infused some veteran leadership into the rest of the team, bringing in the likes of Amani Toomer (since cut), Bobby Engram, Zach Thomas (since cut) and Mike Vrabel. The team also traded for their quarterback in Matt Cassell, then proceeded to sign him to a large contract extension.

For the second year in a row, Kansas City drafts an LSU defensive lineman in the top five. Last year, it was Glenn Dorsey, this year it’s Tyson Jackson. They added another defensive tackle in the third round, Alex Magee, and a corner in the fourth, Donald Washington, keeping a focus on defense.

Three Burning Questions

Can Todd Haley actually maintain a relationship?

It’s beginning to become a trend for Haley, whether it’s a sideline war of words or dismissal of a coach. Haley is already well known for being the coach that Terrell Owens had words with on the Dallas sideline.

He moved on to Arizona and word was that Anquan Boldin was not a fan.

With less than two weeks before the start of the season, Haley relieved offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. Are these all different coincidences, or is Haley just hard to get along with?

Will Matt Cassel earn his money?

Matt, you’re not in New England anymore.

Is that Randy Moss on the outside? No, that’s just Dwayne Bowe. Look, Wes Welker in the slot! My bad, that’s Bobby Engram.

Cassel certainly doesn’t enter a prime situation, and he’ll be asked to do a lot with that offense. I think it will be too tall a task for Cassel, and the Chiefs will be looking for a new quarterback within three years.

Can the defense do better than half or DeMarcus Ware in the sack department?

That’s right, half of Ware. DeMarcus had 20 sacks, the Chiefs had 10. TEN!

Less than any team in one season ever. Well, maybe not ever, but at least since 1982, when the stat first got tracked.

The team is playing a 3-4 defense now, and they do have a couple of potential sack specialists, in Vrabel and Tamba Hali. If Glenn Dorsey gets off the PUP list and performs to expectations, and Jackson becomes a playmaker quickly, then the defense will at the very least pick up a few more sacks.

They had to be embarrassed in seeing Derrick Thomas enter the Hall of Fame in a season where the Chiefs only amassed three more sacks the Thomas once had in one game.

Fantasy Forecast

Good Play: There really aren’t any Chiefs that warrant a pick in the first four rounds. A slimmer, motivated Larry Johnson may be worth a flier.

Avoid: The teams’ security blanket (Gonzales) is gone, meaning Cassell would have to get it done with his current crew of receivers. It’s not happening. Stay away from the defense as well.

Sleeper: This would have gone to Devard Darling, but he’s off on the IR now. Perhaps Cassell will find solace in Brad Cottam.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pigskin Heaven — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:16:22 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Click on a team to read its preview.

Editors Note: The following preview was written prior to Luke McCown being traded.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

It would probably be shorter to tell you what isn't new. The news in Tampa really started last December, when longtime defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin announced he was joining his son's staff at the University of Tennessee.

So, the Bucs announced Kiffin's replacement, young Raheem Morris. An 0-4 December then led to the dismissal of Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen. After the interview process, Morris was given his second promotion in about a month, and was named the teams' next head coach.

Mark Dominik joins him as a first year general manager. One of Morris' first moves as coach? See ya later, Derrick Brooks. The long time linebacker was released by the Bucs, along with Warrick Dunn, Joey Galloway, and Cato June.

What are some of the additions to the team? Morris did hire Jim Bates to run the defense and Jeff Jagodzinski to run the offense. The Bucs also traded for Kellen Winslow, and signed Derrick Ward, Angelo Crowell, and Byron Leftwich. Jagodzinski wouldn't last, as he was fired just recently.

In the draft, Tampa Bay first added young signal caller Josh Freeman, a potential Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco type of player. Later, the team bolstered its defensive line by adding Roy Miller and Kyle Moore. And the late round pick of Sammie Stroughter is looking very good.

Three Burning Questions

How long before Freeman becomes the leader of the team?

Leftwich was named the starter over Luke McCown at the end of the preseason and the Bucs are toying with the idea of carrying four quarterbacks into the season.

But the question is, how does Josh Freeman look, and will he be the man soon? Freeman has actually looked like a rookie. He's shown the potential that made him the 17th pick in the draft, but he's also shown that he is still green.

No matter how the season goes, Freeman is probably best served sitting for at least ten games, if not all season.

The Tampa-2 is going away, how will the defense cope?

With Bates and Morris, a new philosophy is coming to Tampa. While the Tampa-2 will still make an occasional appearance, the team is looking for a more aggressive, blitzing defense.

Problem is, the Bucs may not have the personnel to become an aggressive unit this year. Angelo Crowell has been put on injured reserve, and with Tanard Jackson facing a four game suspension, the experiment to move Jermaine Phillips to linebacker is on hold, as he moves back to safety.

Quincy Black has really emerged this pre-season, and Barrett Ruud is widely regarded as a top five middle linebacker in the NFL, but it's probably not enough.

What can the Bucs expect from the offense?

For the first time in a very long time, the offense could end the season as the team's premier unit.

The defense could expect to struggle, but the offense all of a sudden has quietly amassed a plethora of play-makers. Antonio Bryant had a huge season last year, and though he has been kept out of the preseason, he should be ready come week one.

Michael Clayton re-emerged late last season, Maurice Stovall has shown signs of life this preseason, and Stroughter has played very well.

Certainly not the most feared wideout unit in the league, but when you add a three-headed running attack with Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward, and Earnest Graham, and two of the most talented tight ends in the league with Winslow and Jerramy Stevens, the Bucs offense looks like it may have some potency this year.

Fantasy Forecast

Good play: Despite the improved offense, the only high rounder will be Bryant. Derrick Ward and Winslow should get looks in the middle rounds.

Avoid: Do not play the Bucs defense this year. With the new philosophy, and players out with injuries and suspensions, it could be a long year on that side of the ball.

Sleeper: The sleeper for Tampa Bay, other than Stroughter, is Cadillac Williams. The coaching staff is so enamored by Caddy that they named him the team's starter when healthy. He looked very good in preseason game three, and he could be in for a great season, especially since he'll have plenty of help in carrying the load.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Denver Broncos

Pigskin Heaven — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:35:47 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL, prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Denver Broncos. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Well, I would say that the entire locker room is running around in "Hello, my name is ______" stickers, but then again, half the locker room were New England Patriots last year, so there is at least some familiarity.

The Broncos' offseason started and for the first time in well over a decade, it wasn't going to be run by Mike Shanahan. The Broncos instead tabbed, from the Patriots, Josh McDaniels.Then in February, the Broncos released Dre Bly, and later signed Brian Dawkins.

There were way too many free agent acquisitions to name, but some of the more notable ones include: running backs Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, and J.J Arrington, as well as a ton of defensive help. Linebacker Andra Davis, corner Andre Goodman and safety Renaldo Hill, to name a few.

Then the mess began in Denver.

After rumors of shopping quarterback Jay Cutler were spread, Cutler became upset and, eventually, requested a trade. After several failed attempts to contact Cutler, the team honored his request by moving him to Chicago in exchange for Kyle Orton and draft picks.

That allowed the team to focus on the draft. While the bulk of the draft focused on defense, Denver did select running back Knowshon Moreno with the 12th pick, then used Chicago's choice on end Robert Ayers.

Alphonso Smith, Darcel McBath, and David Bruton were all added later in an attempt to bolster the secondary. And the Broncos ignored draft pundits who kept insisting they trade up for Mark Sanchez or at least select Josh Freeman, and took their signal caller in the sixth round, Tom Brandstater.

Now, with summer here, the headaches in Denver feature mostly Brandon Marshall, and his export from the team could be rather brisk.

Three Burning Questions

Can Orton Come Close To Equaling Cutler's Production?

Kyle Orton earned a lot of praise for his play in Chicago last year, but to compare that with Cutler's play in Denver is just not happening.

If Orton has Marshall to throw it to, then the talent he's playing with this year dwarfs what he had in Chicago. If Marshall gets shipped out, then the talent edge has drastically dwindled.

I think Orton has never been a great quarterback, and he could succumb to the pressure now laid on him in Denver. I don't expect many good things from him this year.

Is the Defense Actually Improved?

Denver really focused on making its defense better, so the question is, did they succeed?

Yes, I think they have. Don't get me wrong, they're not going to be making a bunch of headlines in 2009, but with Dumervil harassing other team's quarterbacks and Dawkins joining Bailey in the secondary, plus a good array of linebackers between them, by the end of the season, Denver may have a defense further along than the offense.

Tabbing Mike Nolan to run the defense may be one of McDaniels' best decisions of the offseason.

Will Eddie Royal, Peyton Hillis, and Tony Scheffler Continue Their Development?

It's quite possible that this is a trio that shone thanks to Cutler at quarterback. Will they be the same weapons now that Orton is running the show?

My initial thought is no. Royal may be the most impacted, since Hillis and Scheffler at least play positions that quarterbacks like to check down to. It could be a long year for the passing game.

Fantasy Forecast

Good play: There aren't too many Broncos I'd hitch my trailer to this season. If Brandon Marshall plays, he'll get his stats, but that's about it. Perhaps you can try to pick a workhorse RB and get lucky, but there's not much else.

Avoid: Avoid Orton and Royal, as well as the defense. Orton has never been a viable fantasy player, and even if he has his full array of talent at his disposal, he's still only at best, an emergency backup.

Sleeper: I think the sleeper will be Hillis. He'll get in on many short yardage situations, and he can run and catch, plus he could easily account for about eight TD's by the time the season's over.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: New Orleans Saints

Pigskin Heaven — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:07:22 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the New Orleans Saints. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

For the Saints, most of the new acquisitions came in March and April, since the team only had one noticeable draft choice.

Mike Karney was replaced by Heath Evans. Darnell Dinkins and Darrell Sharper both signed one year contracts. The team also added Pierson Prioleau, Jabari Greer, and Paul Spicer.

Some of these new acquisitions will get early work as the Saints have to weather the first four games without the suspended Will Smith, Charles Grant, and Garrett Hartley.

With the teams' second round pick in New York from the Shockey trade and the third rounder in Detroit from the Vilma trade, the Saints had to make their first rounder stick.

They found Malcolm Jenkins, likely the most NFL ready corner in the draft. Later they added more depth to the defense by selecting a couple of Demon Deacons, safety Chip Vaughn and linebacker Stanley Arnoux.

Three Burning Questions

Will the Saints survive losing the suspended defensive end duo?

Charles Grant and Will Smith were linked in the same story that included the Vikings' pair of Williams'. Unlike the Minnesota players, who were able to have their suspensions lifted in court, the Saints will have to play without their bookends to start the season.

The Saints should be fine for that short an amount of time though, as Spicer and Bobby McCray will step in and start for those games, and then become two of the league's better backups starting in week five.

The offenses the Saints face early in the season?

Well, there's Detroit, who can certainly air it out if the quarterback isn't getting pressured as much, followed by the Terrell Owens fueled Bills, a potent Eagles offense and a less than potent Jets offense. The Saints should hope for a split from those four games.

Will the defense be improved as a whole?

Sure, the offense is nearly record setting, but the defense has lagged behind. And the Saints did add Spicer, and Sharper, and Jenkins and others to the mix.

But the biggest offseason addition for the defense? New coordinator and the mastermind behind the very good Redskins defenses of late, Gregg Williams.

The team has a good young secondary that includes Jenkins and second year man Tracy Porter, as well as the acquired Greer. They should blitz more this year, and Vilma should return to being a tackling machine.

The defense may still be missing a few pieces, but they have to be considered improved.

Can the offense be even better this year?

There are several reasons why the Saints may be optimistic enough to answer this with yes.

Shockey has emerged this training camp, and a legit threat at tight end would be absolute terror on defenses who already have to follow every step of Marquez Colston, Devery Henderson, and Lance Moore.

Oh, by the way, Robert Meachem is emerging this year as a fourth receiving threat, and that's still not counting Reggie Bush. Pierre Thomas should be comfortable in his role as the starter this year, and the Saints even improved at the fullback spot with the Evans signing.

The one drawback? No Jammal Brown for about a month.

Fantasy Forecast

Good Plays: Drew Brees is likely the first or second quarterback off the board. The rest of the squad will be hurt a little because the ball gets distributed so much, a player could end with seven catches and 140 yards one week, and not be seen the next. Nonetheless, Colston, Thomas, Shockey and Moore should make it onto every team.

Avoid: Well, the defense is better, but not one I would spend a pick on. Reggie Bush may become the forgotten man with all the weapons in the receiving game.

Sleeper: The sleeper could be Meachem. He's been playing very well, which he has any time he hasn't been injured. In this offense, even as the third or fourth receiver, he could eclipse 700 yards.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

PSH Top 25 and Heisman Hype Meter: Week One

Pigskin Heaven — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:54:02 -0400

Begin Slideshow

NFL Team Previews: Tennessee Titans

Pigskin Heaven — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:50:28 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Tennessee Titans. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

The Titans have lost a lot since losing in the playoffs last year.

Gone is Albert Haynesworth, the unquestioned spark plug of the defense. Gone is Jim Schwartz, the creator of the defense.

But they also added a few pieces in the offseason, including defensive tackle Jovan Haye and wide receiver Nate Washington.

The draft focused equally on helping the offense improve and keeping the defense near the top as the top four picks clearly show: wide receiver Kenny Britt, defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks, tight end Jared Cook, and defensive back Ryan Mouton.

They also added depth to the line in Troy Kropog and to the backfield with Javon Ringer.

Three Burning Questions

Will the Titans Weather the Loss of Haynesworth?

When a tackle as dominant as Haynesworh moves on, it affects a team much more than just that position.

I would argue that defensive tackle is the most important part of any great defense, and I'm sure you can agree when you look at the tackles in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Minnesota.

The Titans' defense overall is very solid. Keith Bulluck leads the linebackers and the team, and the Titans also feature Kyle Vanden Bosch, Courtland Finnegan, and Michael Griffin.

But will Haye and Marks, along with Jason Jones, bring enough to the middle of the defense to replace Haynesworth?

Will the Offense Be As Effective As It Was Last Season?

Last year, the Titans were able to hit you with Chris Johnson, and I think he surprised a lot of teams with his success.

Tennessee has Johnson and LenDale White, so a heavy dose of the run should continue.

But what about the pass? At 36, will Kerry Collins be able to continue to play at a fairly high level?

The team certainly added weapons that should help him in Washington and Britt. If all goes well, opposing defenses will not be able to focus on just stopping the run, because they will get beaten through the air.

Is Vince Young's Head Still in the Game?

In a recent magazine, he proclaimed himself the next black quarterback to win a Super Bowl and that he will end up in the Hall of Fame.

Let's just assume he was talking about the NFL's Hall of Fame, because he's certainly a shoo-in for the college hall.

Is he delusional? Is he just trying to motivate himself by any means necessary? And the most important question: Is he good enough to play football at the highest level?

So far this preseason he has looked good at times and bad at others, but has only played against second and third string defenders.

Does he have a shot when being stared down by Harrison and Polamalu?

Fantasy Forecast

Good plays: Chris Johnson is likely the only Titan that will be drafted early. The defense should be picked among the first five or six and Bironas is a steady kicker. Middle rounders include White as well as Bo Scaife.

Avoid: Don't be fooled by the preseason success of Alge Crumpler. The Titans do not plan to use him as the primary receiving tight end. His job will be to block and his numbers will reflect that. I wouldn't pick Britt either. One, he's a rookie, and two, Justin Gage and Nate Washington seem to be in place, at least for the time being.

Sleeper: I'm going to go with Nate Washington here. He may be good enough to become the teams' featured wideout this season, plus he's always a threat for a deep play.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Carolina Panthers

Pigskin Heaven — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:23:10 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Carolina Panthers. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Not too much new in Carolina.

Julius Peppers made an attempt at getting out of Charlotte, but he got tagged with the franchise player instead, and no team bit on his price. The Panthers did extend Jake Delhomme for another five years, for better or for worse.

More recently, the Panthers assigned the injured Maake Kemoeatu to the injury list and signed Kevin Kaesviharn and Kelvin Smith.

But for the Panthers, the most noticeable news came in the draft.

Everette Brown was once projected as a top ten pick, and he just missed out on being a top ten pick in the second round.

Sherrod Martin and Corey Irwin kept the flavor on the defense, and speedy Mike Goodson adds depth and insurance to the already powerful running game.

Oklahoma guard Duke Robinson also spent most of the off-season being projected as a first rounder, and the Panthers picked him up in the fifth round.

Three Burning Questions

Can the run game continue their effectiveness?

Last season DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart became the best one-two punch in the league, as the two combined for 2,449 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground.

Stewart is nursing some nagging injuries, so can Williams be as effective if he has to run more than 17 times per game?

Woodson has impressed with his play during the preseason, and the offensive line is one of the best. Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah, now with Robinson, should continue to open the holes.

The overall end result may not be quite as impressive as 2008 was, but they should continue to be in good shape.

Is Jake Delhomme still the answer in Carolina?

This may be a two part question. Is Delhomme still good enough to lead this team, and does he have enough weapons to make a difference?

Of course, there's Steve Smith, but what else do they have?

Dwayne Jarrett has yet to consistently get on the field. Muhsin Muhammad had a very impressive 2008, but is 36 years old. There are no threats at the tight end position.

If no one emerges and Smith gets constant double coverage, it could be a long year for Delhomme.

Can the Panther defense return to prominence?

Carolina was only ranked 18th in defense last season, and an even worse 20th in run defense.

Kemoeatu is injured, Jon Beason is nursing an injury, Peppers may be a bit unhappy to still be in town. This could be a recipe for disaster in Charlotte.

The run defense is likely to be challenged by Atlanta and Tampa Bay, and the secondary doesn't look good enough to stop what the Saints will throw at them.

This has the look of a defense that is still in decline, and doesn't show a sign of improving for at least another season or two.

Fantasy Forecast

Good play: DeAngelo Williams is a top five draft choice, and he can be taken at any point in that top five. Steve Smith will find some stats, but he's probably only the 10th receiver off the board. A healthy Stewart will be a good depth pick.

Avoid: Delhomme won't find too many targets, and the Panther defense could be a mess.

Sleeper: There really isn't one, but for the Panthers' sake, Bowe better step up and become that 2nd threat.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Indianapolis Colts

Pigskin Heaven — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:43:52 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Indianapolis Colts. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

For the most part, the only news out of Indianapolis was in the coaching ranks.

Tony Dungy has retired and left the team in the hands of Jim Caldwell. Then came the weird story that was Tom Moore and Howard Mudd, first retiring, then being brought back as “advisers”.

Now, here's a newsflash, the Colts had a quiet free agency period. Can you believe it?

Other than re-signing most of their own, most notably Jeff Saturday after a brief flirtation with Pittsburgh, the big new acquisition in Indianapolis was, uhm, Adam Seward?

The Colts really made the draft work for them though, finding potential talent at nearly every turn. Donald Brown will lighten Joseph Addai's load, hopefully making him more effective.

Fili Moala was found in the second round. Austin Collie and Terrance Taylor in the fourth, and later Curtis Painter in the sixth, and the Colts seem to have had one of the best drafts in the league.

Three Burning Questions

Will the Colts weather the change in coaching?

Tony Dungy did in Indianapolis what he couldn't do in Tampa, he took a good team with the potential to be great, and made them great, and eventually, champions.

Caldwell has been there through all of it, coming in with Dungy in 2002. Mudd and Moore have been there even longer. All of Indy's top tier coaches have been in town for more than five years, with Larry Coyer the notable exception.

With Mudd and Moore back in action, the “coordinator” Clyde Christensen will only benefit. The Colts will be able to weather this change quite easily.

Is the offensive line good enough to keep Peyton upright?

The Colts were very high last year on tackle Tony Ugoh, this year though, they seem quite a bit less enthused about him, even threatening him with a demotion.

I'm sure the Colts are thrilled they were able to keep Saturday from leaving town. Ryan Lilja returns after missing 2008.

I still think Ugoh is good enough, and the best choice to stay a starter, but perhaps the Colts will switch him with Ryan Diem, and let Diem play the left side.

Will the Colts step up their run defense?

The Colts ranked 24th against the run last season, yet had the sixth best pass defense.

That point was highlighted in the playoff game, when the Colts held Rivers to a respectable 217 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, while Darren Sproles ran for 105 of the 167 total yards the Colts gave up on the ground.

I think the Colts did very well to draft Moala and Taylor, and both should play big parts in the rotation early on. Add to that the return of Ed Johnson and Keyunta Dawson, and the interior of the line looks much better.

Gary Brackett returns after missing the last five games last year, which will also help out in the run game.

The remaining question may be the health of Bob Sanders, who missed nearly all of last season, and hasn't played yet this year.

Fantasy Forecast

Top players: Peyton Manning is still the Colts' best choice. Along with Drew Brees and Tom Brady, Manning should be the only QB even considered in the first two rounds of any draft. With Marvin Harrison completely gone now, both Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark will continue being great plays.

Avoid: Don't avoid completely, but certainly avoid taking Addai or Donald Brown too early, but also don't forget to take either one of them later in the draft. They will get you points. Avoid the defense, only 30 sacks and 15 interceptions last year. They'll make a good substitute when your defense is on a bye, but don't rely on them weekly.

Sleeper: It's hard to pick a sleeper, because generally Colt players do not get ignored come draft day. Perhaps this is more of a story of who becomes the teams' third receiver? I say it will be Pierre Garcon, making him the sleeper for the team.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Atlanta Falcons

Pigskin Heaven — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:10:48 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Atlanta Falcons. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Of course, most of the news came last year, in the form of a new coach, new quarterback, new running back, and so on. This year, they added tight end to the list, and brought in the ageless wonder Tony Gonzales.

Keith Brooking has left town and set up camp in Dallas, and Atlanta has brought in the effective, but oft-injured Mike Peterson. Beyond that, the rest of Atlanta's acquisitions came in the draft.

With Grady Jackson off in Detroit now, Atlanta chose the consensus second best defensive tackle on the board in Peria Jerry.

They also added William Moore, Lawrence Sidbury, Chris Owens and William Middleton, in a draft that focused completely on bolstering the defense.

Three Burning Questions

Will the new additions improve and solidify the defense?

Last season, the Falcons were 24th in the NFL in defense, 22nd in scoring defense, which explains the focus on defense in the draft.

The team allowed 127 yards rushing per game, an area they hope will be helped by Jerry and Peterson manning the middle.

Against the pass, they weren't much better, hence the drafting of three Secondary players.

The team did have 34 sacks last season, but half of those came from John Abraham. Sidbury should be able to add to that number.

Add in the players already in place like Abraham, and the defense should be better. But, it still won't be great, and I would be surprised to see them enter the top 16 this year. Maybe next year.

Will the offense be able to keep everybody happy?

Last season Atlanta featured one of the game's best runners, and, despite a rookie at quarterback, one of the league's best receivers.

Add to that Tony Gonzales and Ryan in his second year, and something may have to give. Matt Ryan threw for 3,400 yards last season, and I'm sure he would love to take that number to the 4,000 yard mark.

Does that mean less carries and yards for Turner, still the teams' biggest weapon? Will Jerious Norwood become a forgotten man and seek an exit from Atlanta soon? Will Roddy White still play as well as he did last season now that he's been paid?

The offense has to carry this team again, let's hope their unified.

Will Matt Ryan find enough people to throw to?

The passing game at the moment has two main weapons, White and Gonzales.

With Harry Douglas out for the year, it will be up to Michael Jenkins to keep the defenses from focusing on the two stars.

The Falcons also added veterans Marty Booker and Robert Ferguson, but who knows what impact they can bring at this point in their careers.

Fantasy Forecast

Good plays: The Falcons want to reduce Turner's workload. Don't worry, he's still a top three pick. Matt Ryan will enter the starting QB's group, and Roddy White is one of the best receivers in the game.

Avoid: As far as TE's go, don't pick Gonzales too early. He'll be a good choice, but expect the numbers to fall a bit. Stay away from the defense.

Sleeper: The sleeper has to be Jenkins. He lost his main competitor to his job when Douglas went down, and Jenkins should see a lot of single coverage. His numbers could improve quite a bit.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Jacksonville Jaguars

Pigskin Heaven — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:29:25 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

The Jaguars underwent a bit of a house cleaning after last years' disappointing 5-11 campaign.

Gone are receivers Matt Jones, Reggie Williams, and Jerry Porter. In are Torry Holt and several rookies.

Also out are Paul Spicer, Mike Peterson, Gerald Sensabaugh, Khalif Barnes, and Cleo Lemon. Jacksonville did bring in some veteran talent, like offensive tackle Tra Thomas and quarterback Todd Bauman, but most of the new talent was brought in on draft day.

There, the Jags started by finding a couple of future bookends for the offensive line in Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton. They also drafted help for John Henderson in Terrence Knighton, and help for Rashean Mathis in Derek Cox.

Then Jacksonville finally went after receiving help, finding a couple of good ones in Mike Thomas and Jarrett Dillard.

Three Burning Questions:

Can David Garrard improve on a sub-par 2008?

Garrard struggled last year, but I think most of that can be contributed to the lack of help at receiver and a thin, depleted offensive line.

That line has most certainly been re-inflated. Tra Thomas could likely keep Monroe out of the starting lineup for a while, or he could be moved to play guard. Britton is likely to take the right side away from Tony Pashos, and Brad Meester is healthy again.

With the improvement on the line, expect Maurice Jones-Drew to have a great year, which will in turn make Garrard's play a lot better.

I'm sure he will use a lot of Holt early, while working up chemistry with the younger guys. Garrard should have a nice rebound in 2009.

Will the interior of the Jags defense play better?

John Henderson has the talent to be one of the best defensive tackles in the league, but his play seems to have regressed a bit recently. Mike Peterson is gone to Atlanta, and in his place is Daryl Smith, or perhaps Brian Iwuh.

The Jags used to have a feared defense, but last year they certainly did not resemble one, and this year it is still a work in progress. Derek Cox has been impressive enough, and could move Brian Williams to the nickel spot.

At this point Quentin Groves and Reggie Hayward don't really scare anybody at end, but Groves is a good talent who can emerge if his running mates aren't up to par.

It could be a fairly long year for the defense overall.

Is Troy Williamson merely a training camp sensation, or is he ready to be a first round receiver?

Williamson was finally tossed from the Vikings in 2007, but did not find life much easier in Jacksonville last year.

Then came 2009 training camp, and rumors of his emergence were quickly shrugged off. Then he had a nice four receptions for 74 yards against the Dolphins, and people started to pay a little bit of attention.

He matched that 74 yards on one play against the Bucs, and totaled 147 yards on three catches in that game.

All of a sudden, Williamson is becoming the talk of Jacksonville and the league. Is all of this merely one of those nice summer stories, or will he finally take that speed and talent and translate it to the regular season?

With Torry Holt on the other side, it's probably the best chance Williamson ever had.

Fantasy Forecast

Top players: That probably shouldn't be a plural, the Jags only have one top player right now, and that is Jones-Drew. He should be picked anywhere in the top-five.

Avoid: Avoid Garrard unless he is your third QB, and don't pay too big a price for Holt either. The Jags defense is not to be touched.

Sleeper: In three seasons, Tight End Marcedes Lewis has steadily improved his numbers, and he could be ready for a 60 reception, 650 yard, five TD type of season, certainly good for a non top-tier Tight End.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Minnesota Vikings

Pigskin Heaven — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:52:48 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Minnesota Vikings. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Let’s just say I will continue to listen whenever Jay Glazer has a hunch.

His report on August 19th that Favre may be close to signing with the Vikings left me waiting one more day to write this preview, as to not make it as obsolete as last year’s Jets preview, written hours before Favre arrived.

But what, other than Favre, is new in Minnesota?

Well, they also signed what now looks like second fiddle Sage Rosenfels, and they re-signed most of their own important free agents.

The draft brought with it playmaker Percy Harvin, and 6’8” offensive tackle Philip Loadholt. Except for on the quarterback front, this team is largely unchanged from last year.

Three Burning Questions

Will Favre really lead the Vikings to the promised land?

Two years ago at this time, most of us were saying that Brett may be overstaying his welcome.

Then came a stellar 2007 season that ended in a Lambeau blizzard loss against the Giants. That season made it difficult for the Packers to move on with Rodgers, but Favre’s retirement smoothed the process.

Or so we thought. Favre also played well with the Jets last year until a December swoon did him and the Jets in.

Now he’s in Minnesota, and why a lifelong Green Bay Packer had such an urge to play for the Vikings is beyond me.

What he does bring with him is leadership and respect. No matter his age or his skills, not many teams want to face a Favre led Viking team in January.

Will there be more to the defense than just the front four?

In 2008, the Vikings led the league in rushing defense for the third straight season, thanks in large part to Pat and Kevin Williams.

But the Vikings only ranked 18th in pass defense, and the team mustered only 12 Interceptions last year.

With one of the game’s premier rush ends in Jared Allen providing the pressure, and the likes of Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin in the secondary, the rest of the defense should be better than it played last year.

Do the Vikings have a true receiving threat?

Sure, Bernard Berrian is nice, and Favre should really like him, but what else is there?

Percy Harvin could be an elite playmaker, but he is a rookie, let’s see how he does before we anoint him. Sidney Rice has been a chronic underachiever, and Bobby Wade is, well, he’s Bobby Wade, a solid contributor, but I can’t foresee a spike in his performance.

Brett certainly likes tight ends, but is Visanthe Shiancoe enough of a weapon for other teams to start accounting for him?

Will Favre be able to whip these receivers into shape, or will the Vikings ultimately be doomed by the passing game?

Fantasy Forecast

Good plays: Adrian Peterson is likely the top pick in the draft, and certainly shouldn’t see any lower than number three. Bernard Berrian's stock probably rose quite a bit since the Favre signing as well. The Vikings defense should force more turnovers this year, and with Jared Allen are already adept at putting quarterbacks on the turf.

Avoid: It may be trendy to pick more offensive players now that Favre is in town, but do not take Harvin or Shiancoe too high.

Sleeper: Favre himself may be a bit of a sleeper, but another one to go for is Chester Taylor. In his three seasons with the Vikings, he has always been good for at least six touchdowns. He should also figure very nicely in the passing game. If you’re lucky enough to have "AP", you may want to get Taylor for insurance in the later rounds.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: New York Jets

Pigskin Heaven — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:57:05 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the New York Jets. Click on a team to read its preview.

Editors Note: The following article was written prior to the news of Mark Sanchez being named Jets' starting quarterback.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Obviously, what’s new in New York starts right at the top.

Mangini is out, and for the first time in a long time, the Jets don’t look slightly north for a coach, gazing their eyes the other direction and nabbing Rex Ryan from Baltimore. He brings with him the Ryan family attitude, just ask Channing Crowder.

Gone also is Brett Favre, but yet again the team is not handed to Kellen Clemens, instead they pay a big price, move up 12 spots in the draft and get USC pretty boy Mark Sanchez.

Linebacker Bart Scott follows his coach up to New York, where he is joined by newcomer Larry Izzo, however, they’ll have to wait until mid-October before they can be joined by Calvin Pace, who is suspended for four games.

Among the players gone are Laveranues Coles and Mike Nugent.

After the drafting of Sanchez, and the aforementioned price paid to move up, there wasn’t much left for the Jets to do on draft weekend, but somehow they did luck into Shonn Greene to help tote the rock in the third round, a player I expect to push Thomas Jones to the pine sooner rather than later.

Three Burning Questions

How Long before Mark Sanchez Gets the Nod at QB?

The Jets do have Clemens on the roster, and he has started games to fairly decent results, so it may not be necessary to throw the rookie in the fire right away.

But last season taught me one thing, whether they acquire him by trade, free agency, or in the draft, a new head coach seems to be very quick in establishing his new quarterback.

So unless he flames out during the preseason, expect Sanchez to start week one.

Will the Secondary Be up to Tall Task?

The Jets feature one of the best secondaries in the NFL.

Darrelle Revis is a very underrated corner, probably top five in the league, and maybe better than that. Add to that Dwight Lowery and newly acquired Lito Sheppard, and the corners are in good shape.

They’re all backed up by one of the leagues best in Kerry Rhodes at safety.

But, will the defensive line be able to help them out by providing pressure on opponents, which include Randy Moss and the Patriots, Terrell Owens and the Bills, Andre Johnson and the Texans, as well as New Orleans, Cincinnati, Indy, and Atlanta?

Perhaps there will be a Vernon Gholston sighting this year.

Will the Jets Find a Capable Replacement to Coles?

Jerricho Cotchery will likely be thrust into the No. 1 receiver role, a role many previous two receivers have failed in.

It seems like the rest of the wideout core is an unproven bunch, as Chansi Stuckey and David Clowney are also going to see more attention this season.

Brad Smith is certainly a wild card and could emerge, but beyond him there’s not really much. The Jets will likely scour the waiver wire for help, as guys like Mario Urrutia, Paul Raymond, and Huey Whittaker (even if he did go to my high school) are not likely to cut it.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

Green Bay Packers: 2009 NFL Preview

Pigskin Heaven — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:20:33 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Green Bay Packers. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

This was a slow and uneventful offseason for Green Bay.

Brett Favre is gone. Aaron Rodgers has taken the team over and looks to be effective at the helm. There was nothing of significance to talk about when looking at the trading and free agency periods.

The only time Green Bay did much of anything this spring was on draft weekend; but, it was a good weekend.

The biggest news out of Green Bay is the planned switch in defensive philosophy and adapting the 3-4. The Packers quickly got themselves two players who should thrive in this defense: B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews.

The Green and Gold also got themselves a couple of new tackles, T.J. Lang and Jamon Meredith.

Three Burning Questions

Will Aaron Kampman find a home in the 3-4?

Kampman is a pass rusher first and foremost, meaning he’s not well suited to play the end position in the new scheme.

Nick Barnett is practicing again and hopes to be healthy, A.J. Hawk is starting to play at All-Pro levels, and Matthews has already impressed in camp and is likely to start immediately.

Add in guys like Brady Poppinga and Brandon Chillar and the question of what happens to Kampman becomes even bigger. The best solution for all parties may be to trade the 29 year old Kampman to a 4-3 defense in need of a pass rusher.

Green Bay should get decent value in return. Perhaps, instead of just a draft pick or two, a team is willing to part with a fairly good offensive tackle as well.

Will the offensive line hold up?

I already mentioned the age of Clifton and the absence of Tauscher.

The interior of the line looks pretty good and is young as well, but the play at tackle could make or break this season in the end.

How will Rodgers play in the year 2 A.B. (After Brett)?

This team couldn’t have asked for better production from Rodgers in his first year as a starter.

With a completion percentage above 63, a passer rating over 93, a better than 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio while surpassing the 4000 yard mark. These figures are very comparable to those of the 2007 Favre.

Will Rodgers surpass those numbers this season?

Considering the level of talent all around him, from Driver to Jennings; Nelson to Jones; Lee to Finley, I would be very surprised if Green Bay doesn’t end up with the second best passing game in the NFC, behind only the Saints.

Fantasy Forecast

Good play: Aaron Rodgers should be very high on the list of quarterbacks. Take him after Brees and Brady, but he certainly fits right in behind those two, on the same level of Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner.

Ryan Grant only had five touchdowns last year, a solid pick but don’t take him too high.

With the wealth of receivers on the roster, it may be tough to figure out who to play, but Greg Jennings and Donald Lee should probably be starters on any team.

With the offense scoring as much as I think they will, Crosby should be one of the first kickers off the board.

Avoid: I would avoid Donald Driver. He had a 1,000 yard season last year, but with the emergence of Nelson and the return of Jones, I look for those numbers to dwindle. Still a good pick later in the draft though.

Avoid the defense, at least early on. Last season the Packers only totaled 27 sacks, good for 25th in the NFL, and they are transitioning their top pass rushing threat to linebacker.

The Packers were very good in the turnover department though, but a change of scheme may change that. Perhaps, as the 11th or 12th defense or a bye week pickup, but don’t take them high.

Sleeper: If James Jones returns at 100%, he could quickly challenge the status-quo among the Green Bay receivers. He could surpass Nelson and even Driver as the second best target for Rodgers.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Miami Dolphins

Pigskin Heaven — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:17:49 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Miami Dolphins. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Not nearly as much to talk about here compared to last year, but the Dolphins did have another fairly busy, and likely fruitful offseason.

Some of the best of the old is that Channing Crowder and Yeremiah Bell re-signed. Jason Taylor also returns to South Beach after his yearlong hiatus in Washington

The draft went well for the Dolphins as they were able to acquire one of the better receivers in the draft in Brian Hartline.

They also added who I thought was an underrated athlete in Utah safety Sean Smith, and added perhaps the best corner in the draft in Vontae Davis. So you can feel they had a definite need to upgrade the secondary.

Last season, Miami surprised the Patriots and the rest of the league with the unveiling of a Wildcat formation. This year, they add Pat White in an attempt to expand the role the Wildcat has this season.

Three Burning Questions

Will the Wildcat work out, or has the league caught on?

This is probably the biggest question hanging over the Dolphins, as well as some other teams that have successfully developed some Wildcat plays.

Remember that in the Patriots rematch, the Dolphins were soundly outplayed. The Wildcat is, and always will be, a scheme and a gimmick, it will not graduate to a team philosophy.

As long as the Dolphins can find some ways to keep opponents off-guard, this scheme can still have some life in it.

Can Chad Pennington repeat last year’s play?

Namely, the error-free football he showed last season. The Dolphins played several games without committing a turnover, and led the league with a +17 ratio.

It seems that repeating that feat could be too tall a task for Miami.

Can the defensive line produce pressure on opposing quarterbacks?

This Dolphins defense does not look too scary. Taylor returns, but clearly he is no longer Player of the Year caliber.

The rest of the ends are quite young, and none seem to established at this point.

Top that off with a young secondary, and Miami could be in for some rough games.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Detroit Lions

Pigskin Heaven — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:59:11 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Detroit Lions. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

Well, after last year's stellar season, there just wasn't much need for change.

However, change there was. Millen and Marinelli have given way to Mayhew and Schwartz.

Also gone with Marinelli are receivers Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald, as well as linebacker Paris Lenon, cornerback Leigh Bodden, and signal caller Dan Orlovsky.

Newcomers to Detroit include several receivers, led by Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt. The secondary gets a few new players in Anthony Henry and Philip Buchanon.

The biggest additions for the Lions before draft day came at linebacker. They traded Cory Redding to the Seahawks for Julian Peterson, and also signed Steelers starter Larry Foote.

Then came the draft. Coming to terms just before draft day, the first pick was Matthew Stafford. He was joined in the first round by tight end Brandon Pettigrew, and then in the second round by Louis Delmas.

They then added yet another linebacker in DeAndre Levy, and another weapon for Stafford in Derrick Williams. The only offensive lineman drafted by Detroit came in the seventh round. At least, in my opinion, it was a good one, in Nebraska's Lydon Murtha.

Three Burning Questions

1. Will Stafford be thrown to the lions (no pun intended) right away?

Sure, there is the success of Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco last year.

But there are also recent examples of players who had an opportunity to wait, and that seems to have worked out for the likes of Philip Rivers, Jay Cutler, and Aaron Rogers.

I'm sure the Lions won't wait two or three seasons to play Stafford, the way San Diego and Green Bay did, but they could be wise to let Stafford stay on the sideline for at least a good part of this season.

2. Is the offensive line improved at all?

This answer is a definite maybe, and it relies on the play and the health of Jon Jansen.

If he can resemble anything close to his prime, then the line automatically improves. Gosder Cherilus played well down the stretch last season, but Jansen could push him to guard for a while.

Dominic Raiola is one of the best centers in football, and if Jeff Backus is ever given just one job to do, he'll do it fine.

Pettigrew should actually a bigger addition to the offensive line than the receiving core, at least during the early part of his career.

3. Will the new faces of the Lions' defense make a difference?

You have to start somewhere, right? The Lions already have a few youngsters in place, like linebackers Ernie Sims and Jordan Dizon, defensive end Cliff Avril and safety Daniel Bullocks. Delmas is likely to join that group quickly.

Now, Detroit has added a few experienced leaders in Peterson and Foote. The Lions are slowly building a competent roster. Next up for them is to find better defensive tackles.

Fantasy Forecast

Good plays: It's surprising that he hasn't been mentioned yet, but the only true great fantasy play for the Lions is Calvin Johnson.

If Daunte Culpepper is as healthy and as revived as reports say he is, he should have a field day throwing to Calvin, who's as good a deep threat as Randy Moss, and an even better short to intermediate threat than he was at this point in his career.

Kevin Smith played very well near the end of last year, scoring three TD's and gaining 291 yards in his last three games. He'll be a good mid-round pick around the fourth or fifth round.

Avoid: Avoid the defense, it won't be that good yet.

Avoid Jason Hansen too. He's one of the game's best and most consistent, but the Lions may not give him enough chances to score. If the Lions' offense does show signs of life, he could be a very nice free agent addition. He simply doesn't miss.

Sleeper: If you're in a keeper league, you may want to consider a late round flier on rookie Derrick Williams, especially if you're in a league that includes Special Teams stats.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Buffalo Bills

Pigskin Heaven — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:12:15 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Buffalo Bills. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

You have to look no farther than "No. 81" to find an answer to that question.

It’s safe to say that Buffalo stunned the NFL community with the signing of oft-troubled wideout Terrell Owens, though you can’t deny being enticed by what he can bring to an offense.

Slightly less publicized are the signings of Dominic Rhodes and Drayton Florence.

Angelo Crowell was the only Bills’ free agent of not to not stay in Buffalo, and the J.P. Losman era has officially run into an iceberg, as Losman is out of Buffalo, and out of the NFL.

The Bills were movers in the draft, and helped themselves early, picking up Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin and Louisville center Eric Wood in the first round, the former of which may have been picked too high, and the latter cost them former franchise tackle Jason Peters.

Three Burning Questions

Can Terrell Owens co-exist with a fairly young, fairly inexperienced Quarterback?

Owens found Romo in Dallas at a point when Tony had about as much NFL experience as Trent Edwards does now.

While he didn’t finish off Romo, it certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort. Edwards is a smart guy, but will he be head-strong enough to deflect any attacks that may come from his receiver?

Is the offensive line ready to leap towards the front of the pack?

Last year, the one area I criticized the most while doing the Buffalo preview was the offensive line.

This year, the cornerstone of that line is missing. Yet, this year, I say the Bills are both better and better off without Peters.

They addressed the line early in the draft, in somewhat unconventional ways, drafting Wood in the first round, and then nabbing a guard, Andy Levitre, in the second. They also added Geof Hangartner and Seth McKinney.

This line is not likely to be in the league’s top 10 this season, but they’re on the right track.

Is the defense ready to step up against the likes of New England?

Last year, they added run-stuffing tackle John Henderson. This year, they drafted a pass-rusher in Maybin.

The have the likes of Paul Posluzny and Keith Ellison roaming the middle and a solid secondary that includes Terrence McGee, Donte Whitner and Leodis McKelvin.

Last season Buffalo ranked 14th in total defense and scoring defense, and I think they can improve on that this year, threatening to make the top 10 in either category.

With New England on the schedule twice, as well as the likes of New Orleans, Cleveland, Houston and Indianapolis, the defense better be ready for the challenge.

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Washington Redskins

Pigskin Heaven — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:18:32 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Washington Redskins. Click on a team to read its preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s New?

It's year two of the Jim Zorn era, and there weren't quite as many changes, especially on offense, as there were last year.

Defensively, there were only a few moves made too, as this seems to be a rather quiet, uncharacteristic offseason for Dan Snyder.

He did ink Albert Haynesworth to a $100 million deal and kept DeAngelo Hall around while cutting ties with Shawn Springs and Jason Taylor.

This season, the Redskins had two draft picks in the first three rounds and six overall—both of those numbers could be records during the Snyder era. They made the early picks count, picking up perhaps the best defender in the draft in Brian Orakpo and later picking cornerback Kevin Barnes.

Three Burning Questions

Is Jason Campbell going to prove that he deserves to be this team's QB?

In 36 games as the Redskins' starter, Campbell has thrown 35 TDs. Considering the weapons given to him on offense, that's just not enough.

Last year, while playing his first 16-game season, Campbell had respectable numbers in completion percentage (62.3), yards (3,245), and quarterback rating (84.3) and he only threw six interceptions. The glaring weaknesses along the stat line were 13 touchdowns he threw.

With Portis and Betts continuing to carry the running game and Santana Moss, Chris Cooley, and second-year pros Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly receiving, Campbell has to get his TD total to at least around 22 or the Redskins could soon be looking elsewhere.

Will Albert Haynesworth stay motivated now that he's been paid?

That was the main concern expressed by many—that once Haynesworth earns his contract, he will slump into mediocrity and carelessness.

I would assume that Haynesworth heard these comments enough to be motivated by them at least for the first season.

He's joined on the line by the likes of Andre Carter and Cornelius Griffin, and if those components all stay healthy it could mean a huge rookie season for Orakpo.

Will somebody establish themselves opposite Moss?

I mentioned Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly earlier. Both were second round picks last year, but neither had particularly good years.

They combined for 18 catches and 138 yards, and Thomas was responsible for most of that.

The smart money would be on Thomas to eclipse Kelly's performance, but will he be good enough this year to provide Campbell with that added receiving weapon?

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Cleveland Browns

Pigskin Heaven — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:00:25 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Cleveland Browns. Click on a team to read their preview.

Editors Note: All opinions and information were expressed prior to the news that Donte Stallworth would be suspended for the entire 2009 season.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s new?

One of several teams that took an unexpected turn in the opposite direction last season. While for some, like Miami and Baltimore, that turn was upward.

For Cleveland it wasn’t quite so, dropping six games in the standings, from 10-6 to 4-12. Of course, a drop in record that drastic almost always brings repercussions, and head coach Romeo Crennel was not retained, replaced instead by another suddenly out of work coach, Eric Mangini.

On the field departures in the off-season include safety Sean Jones and linebacker Andra Davis, while the Browns added guys like former Bills tight end Robert Royal, linebacker Eric Barton and guard Floyd Womack.

The draft was good for Cleveland, as they thought they would be strapped with the fifth overall pick. Instead, the fifth became the 17th, which became the 19th, which finally became the 21st and center Alex Mack.

The Browns added two additional second round selections and found more offensive help with the selections of receivers Brian Robiskie and Mohammad Massaquoi as well as DE David Veikune.

One more draft pick I want to mention was the sixth round possible steal of CB Coye Francies.

Three burning questions

Will the offensive line return to 2007 form?

After the 2007 season and Cleveland’s fairly surprising run to 10 wins, the Browns’ offensive line was quickly toasted as the best in football.

Four wins and a new coach later, and that temperament has cooled a little.

Now anchored by 2007 rookie Joe Thomas and the new center coming to town, can Cleveland reclaim their spot near the top of the league?

Where’s the defense?

Division rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore were first and second in defense last season, and Cincinnati was a respectable 12th.

Cleveland? 26th, though they did fare better in scoring defense, even bettering the Bengals in that department.

The problem with 26th, however, was the effort the Browns made last season to better the defense, namely adding Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers and mortgaging last year’s draft for them.

With a new philosophy and year in Cleveland under their belts, I think Rogers Williams will anchor a better unit this season.

Who gets a job on the deep WR core?

Braylon Edwards 2007: 16 TD’s. Braylon Edwards 2008: 16 Drops.

The Browns added several players to the WR group, likely to avoid an over reliance on Edwards, if his decrease in form continues.

Joe Jurivicius is gone, in his place comes virtual clone Mike Furrey. I already mentioned the rookies Robiskie and Massaquoi.

Donte Stallworth is still on the roster and hoping for a spot on the field at some point this season.

And perhaps the most intriguing member of the group, Josh Cribbs. Remember, once upon a time Steve Smith was thought of only as a premier kick returner. Could Cribbs follow Smith’s example and become a premier receiver as well?

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.

NFL Team Previews: Dallas Cowboys

Pigskin Heaven — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:03:51 -0400

Pigskin Heaven's Sascha Bartels is breaking down every single team in the NFL prior to the season. Here is his analysis and forecast for the Dallas Cowboys. Click on a team to read their preview.

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT

AFC South: IND | HOU | JAX | TEN

AFC West: DEN | KAN | OAK | SDG

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GBA | MIN

NFC South: ATL | CAR | NOL | TBA

NFC West: ARI | STL | SFO | SEA

What’s new?

It's out with the old in "Big D."

Gone is Terrell Owens, gone is Roy Williams (the safety), Anthony Henry, Chris Canty, and Greg Ellis.

Who's in? Well, Jon Kitna provides a decent backup to Tony Romo, while Keith Brooking, Gerald Sensabaugh, and Stephen Bowen are there to boost the defense.

I'm not sure if the Cowboys are better off now than they were at the beginning of the offseason. And without a draft pick on the first day, the Cowboys had to make due with what they had left, leading to third-round selections Jason Williams and Robert Brewster.

The Cowboys are probably well off by getting rid of a few of the malcontents and stalwarts like Owens and Williams, but it just doesn't look like they restocked the cupboard up to usual Cowboy standards.

The biggest headlines surrounding the team this season are not about the players, but about the new stadium and it's gigantic video board.

Three burning questions

Will Roy Williams (the receiver) fill Terrell Owens shoes?

You can say many things about Terrell Owens, but you can't deny his production.

Owens surpassed 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons in Dallas. Surely that's something Williams can duplicate.

However, Owens also led all receivers over those three years with 38 TD receptions, a stat that may be too tall a task for Williams to live up to.

Roy hasn't been counted on as the guy on a playoff-caliber team throughout his career, and while he did produce in Detroit, will he be able to do the same in the highly-competitive NFC East?

Can the pass rush repeat last year's success?

While it's easy to say DeMarcus Ware is the sole reason for Dallas' success in the pass rush, the Cowboys had three other players with eight sacks last season, including the departing Ellis.

As Ware's totals are almost guaranteed to take a small hit, will the supporting cast continue its play from last season?

Jay Ratliff is a nose-tackle who had eight sacks last season, and he's unlikely to do that again. Same goes for Bradie James.

But the Cowboys do have the likes of Igor Olshansky and Marcus Spears to try to take some of the load off Ware and company. I still believe the pass rush will not be near as effective as last year.

Can the offensive line stay intact all season?

Last season, during my Dallas preview, I called the Cowboys one of the most dominant lines in the league.

Well, they still look pretty dominant, but all of the projected starters are over 30 years old, and I'm not a fan of their depth.

Dallas is likely to employ a run-heavy offense this season. With Barber, Choice and Jones sharing the load, will the offensive line hold up?

Prognosis

For the prognosis and final record, read the originally posted article here.

This is an original article by Pigskin Heaven Staffer, Sascha Bartels. You can read it, more of Sascha's articles, and more from the Pigskin Heaven staff here.