NFL Preview Part One Plus Madden and School Returns!

This article originally appeared August 24, 2009 on Vype.com

Say It Ain’t So…

NOOOO! It seems like just yesterday when summer began, Brett Favre was relaxing in his wrangler jeans, and school was a thing of the past. Now, just two months later, it’s time for school yet again, and Brett Favre has managed to rip off another team for ten to twelve million dollars. I fully expect him to return in 2010 as well, this time for another NFC North squad, the Detroit Lions (or maybe Jay Cutler will have demanded a trade and Brett can suit it up for Chicago too).

It’s Football Season!

As promised, today marks the start of my 2009 NFL preview. I’ll do two or three divisions a week, leading up to a summary of my picks plus playoff predictions. May the best team win…

AFC East Preview

1. New England Patriots

Predicted Record: 12-4

Adding what appears to be a healthy Tom Brady to a team that managed to finish 11-5 last season means a division title and a playoff run is in the cards for the Patriots. Fred Taylor might be older, but he can help carry the load if Laurence Maroney struggles yet again this season. I have some concerns about whether or not Randy Moss might start to wear down at age 32, but with Wes Welker and new guy Joey Galloway lining up next to him, that shouldn’t matter. The Pats D should be one of the league’s best, especially their linebacking corps (minus Mike Vrabel, who apparently might be cut from the team). If I had to pinpoint a weakness, it would have to be in the secondary. As a Redskins fan, I saw Shawn Springs appear to be burnt out by the end of last season, and the rest of the back four is solid but less than spectacular with the loss of Asante Samuel. Even if the secondary struggles though, expect New England to be Super Bowl contenders in 2009.

1. New York Jets

Predicted Record: 9-7

Let the surprises begin! Yes, the Jets are inexperienced at QB, but they have a super deep and talented defense plus a solid cast of playmakers for whoever does end up leading the offense. I have a feeling that Mark Sanchez will have a Joe Flacco-like efficient year, and help establish Chansi Stuckey and Dustin Keller as fantasy studs at their respective positions. I fully expect the Dolphins to fall off from last year, and the Bills still aren’t great even with T.O., so the Jets could definitely compete for the last wild card spot.

1. Buffalo Bills

Predicted Record: 8-8

So, what exactly will T.O. do for the Bills? He’ll add one win and a whole lot of extra attention to a team that most people normally don’t care about. Buffalo’s D is sub par at best, their QB is barely average, and Marshawn Lynch is suspended for the first three games. Oh, and the guy filling in for him, Fred Jackson, has a career path that includes a trip to the NIFL (National Indoor Football League, I joke you not). A strong special teams unit and a great one-two punch at WR will be enough for the Bills to win some ball games, but don’t expect a run to the playoffs.

1. Miami Dolphins

Predicted Record: 6-10

The honeymoon is over for Dolphins fans. Wildcat is not going to catch anyone off guard in year two of its experimental usage, and I fully expect it to die off by year’s end. Chad Pennington could put up the same stats as he did in 2008, but I highly doubt it. Ronnie Brown can’t carry this team alone, and unfortunately, he probably will have to. Ted Ginn Jr.’s make or break time is now, so he could be in store for a nice year. The Dolphins D should be in the top half of the NFL, but it simply doesn’t stand out enough to stop the passing games Buffalo and New England will throw out at them. Jason Taylor’s return to Miami is an underrated storyline, as just a season before Bill Parcells shunned him for being on “Dancing with the Stars.” Since then, he’s played in an injury-filled season with Washington, followed by a refusal to return to D.C. because he didn’t want to participate in most of the off-season tasks. Apparently, however, Parcells had a bizarre change of heart, because Taylor is back.

AFC North Preview

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

Predicted Record: 12-4

The defending champion Steelers didn’t make many off-season moves, but they also didn’t lose much. Rashard Mendenhall can finally make his true debut and should challenge Willie Parker for some of the carries. Santonio Holmes is slowly emerging as a superstar receiver; hopefully he won’t suffer the Plaxico Burress effect of off-the-field issues now that his ego has probably increased even larger than it already was. The Steelers D will once again be top three in the NFL, and since they play in such a weak division, it wouldn’t a surprise to see them get a first round bye in the playoffs.

1. Baltimore Ravens

Predicted Record: 9-7

The Ravens will probably be a bubble playoff team fighting for their lives by season’s end, but you will have to wait until I finish all my previews to see if they will actually make the postseason (oh, the suspense). I know Joe Flacco is in year two and so is Ray Rice, but when your best receiver retired earlier in the off-season before deciding to return, you have to question the depth of your receiving corps. Plus, Bart Scott is gone, Ray Lewis is a year older, and so is Ed Reed (who is also playing with a pinched nerve in his neck). If Rice or Flacco can truly have a breakout season, and I’m talking a trip to the Pro Bowl, Baltimore will be a shoe-in for a trip to the postseason. If they only barely improve from year one, it will be very, very close.

1. Cincinnati Bengals

Predicted Record: 7-9

Believe it or not, I don’t think the Bengals will be that awful in 2009. Chad Ochocinco will return to about 85% of his playing abilities from pre-2008, and Laveranues Coles is a solid possession receiver to replace T.J. Houshmanzadeh. The x-factor will be Chris Henry, who I fully expect to break out this year. Carson Palmer has raved about Henry’s improvement this off-season, and with his legal troubles behind him, watch out. A weak running game and poor defense will keep the Bengals from qualifying for the playoffs, but they will have an exciting offense.

1. Cleveland Browns

Predicted Record: 3-13

Man oh man, where to begin? The Browns are simply a mess from top to bottom. They are playing a dangerous game with their quarterback situation, and whomever they choose will be without two of their main targets from the past two seasons (Kellen Winslow Jr. and Donte Stallworth). Jamal Lewis is entering his tenth NFL season, which is when a running back usually starts to falter. If he does, there’s no dependable backup in sight, which will only hinder the Browns’ offense even more. And don’t even get me started on Braylon Edwards, whom I had the displeasure of owning on my fantasy team in 2008. On defense, Cleveland should be a bottom feeder in practically every major category. Shaun Rodgers will be solid, as will D’Qwell Jackson plus Kamerion Wimbley, but after that there’s a huge drop off in talent.

Madden Update

My record now stands at an impressive 24-15 online. I’m even ranked 9500 in the world, although that will end once school starts and homework consumes my life. Online franchise is extremely fun, to the point where everyone demands a player’s game to be simulated if they haven’t logged in for one full day, because, really now, who wouldn’t want to play XBOX for an unthinkable 24 hours? If you have XBOX Live and ever want to challenge me, send a game invite to Cheezewize (don’t ask about the name).