NFL fans! Rate your team.

[burn_baby_burn]

How do you think your team will do in the upcoming season? Give reasons why you think they will be good. Also give reasons or concerns about why they might be bad.

[burn_baby_burn]

Kansas City Chiefs.

The Good: Defense, under Herm Edwards the defense has done a 180. The corners are getting old. But they are experienced. The defense kept the Chiefs in game last year.

The Bad: Offensive Line, they seemed to pull it together last year. But if starting LT MacIntosh does not recover from injury? It could be a long season.

Prediction: 8-8

[troutman]

Patriots - will win the Superbowl.

Brady finally has good receivers. The defence is stronger. Best coaching.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by troutman

Patriots - will win the Superbowl.

Brady finally has good receivers. The defence is stronger. Best coaching.

I thought you were a Browns fan?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I thought you were a Browns fan?

Both actually. Pats fan since the 1970s. Browns fan since the Brian Sipe era.

Browns might go 6-10.

[Lurch]

The Bengals: great QB, WR and RB, good OL. Terrible defense and chemistry. 9-7.

Rams: good QB, great WR and RB, mediocre OL. Defense mediocre to bad. Special teams terrible, as usual (Dante Hall is washed up). However, one of the easiest schedules in the league allows them to go 9-7 or 10-6 and get into the playoffs.

[Bobblehead]

49ers - Still a year away from a wildcard.

Gore has shown he can carry the load and rack up yards, this will allow Alex Smith to take the next step. A year of Vernon Davis will give Smith an outlet to pass to, and Davis is also figuring out how to fit in better with his teammates (he ruffled a few feathers in training camp). The secondary should be better after throwing a huge contract at Nate Clemons

On the down side, the WR corps is unproven. The D is still figuring out the 3-4, and the changes are going to require time to gel. This is a team that over-achieved last year, but was still in the lower parts of the league on offenses and defense.

This year they won't surprise anyone, but will also do better at beating the teams they should.

If they can go into the bye week at 3-2, I think they will have a better 2nd half and a chance at a WC. The only way they win the NFC West is if Seattle and St.Louis struggle.

[Sylvanfan]

Kansas City:

Defence is a bend but don't break type model. They're not dominant in that they don't get a good consistant pass rush and teams can run against them. Also they don't create turnovers like the real elite defences do. They give up yards but tend to play pretty tough in the red zone and not allow too many touch downs which generally means they won't surrender more than 20 points most games.

Offence:
Well nothing like it used to be. The offensive line is a shadow of the units Al Saunders had when the Chiefs were the best scoring and gaining team in the NFL. The line is really sketchy right now and that will impact both the running and passing games. Damon Huard will start as QB and it's unlikely he'll be able to play like he did last year where he was incredibly efficient. Also it will be interesting to see how LJ does after being used so much last year and missing the first half of camp.

Ultimately the Chiefs start out with 3 of their first 4 on the road and they haven't been a good road team for a long time. Two of those games are in Chicago and San Diego against teams who are arguably the top teams in their conference. IMO the Chiefs need to win in Houston and come out of the first 4 weeks with a 2-2 record. If they do that they have a chance to go 10-6 or 9-7 if things come together and they can be a dominant home team. But if they don't even 8-8 will be a stretch.

I'm thinking that it will be another year of mediocrity in KC, but the team that caught every break it needed in the final two weeks last year to make the playoffs won't do so this year and finish 7-9.

[OILFAN #81]

Defending Superbowl Champion Indianapolis Colts

Well we took a hit in the offseason. Cato June, Nick Harper were big losses on our defense. Brandon Stokley departed on the recieving core and our running back Dominic Rhodes went to the Raiders.

Strengths: Offense. We still have the best quarterback in the league running the show. If you need to put quick points up on the board, Peyton is your man. Harrison, Wayne, Clark, Utecht lead the way with the offense again. Stokley is gone meaning Anthony Gonzalez will get some recieving time. On the ground game Joseph Addai is the #1. I'm not worried about him at all and feel he will be a great RB in the league.
Special Teams: Have one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history in Adam Vinatieri taking care of field goals and a reliable Hunter Smith on the punts.

Weaknesses: Defense. The Colts defense wasn't strong to begin with and losing guys like June and Harper just weakened it more. Still got some great players in Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Bob Sanders, Raheem Brock and Marlin Jackson, but alot of new faces on defense will have to quickly step up and i'm not sure if they can do that.

Prediction:

Win the AFC South with a 12-4 record.

[Clever_Iggy]

Raiders -

Went back to what has served the Raiders best - young coaching. Kiffen's energy was needed and has made a big difference so far.

The Good: (1) Getting rid of Moss - not only is he over the hill, but he hasnt cared about football in 3 years. (2) Getting rid of Shell - work coaching hiring ever; Kiffen is young, energetic and imaginative. (3) Maintaining the defense - did amazing last year, considering it was on the field 3/4 of the game.

The Bad: (1) Not having Russell signed - I wanted him to grab the clipboard and stand on the sideline for a season ala Carson Palmer. With him not in camp and not ready for the season, his development is being severely ######ed. (2) QB's in general - Im happy that we have a stable of QB's that can take a beating until the Oline gels so Russell can step in behind a better unit, but Culpepper, McCown and Walters makes me uneasy. (3) Skeletor still meddling - apparently he's staying out of Kiffen's business, but he cant do that for a whole season - I wish he would just stay in his cryogenic chamber year round and stay away from the team.

The Skinny - if the defense can play the way they did last year and the Kiffen can kickstart the offense, Raiders fans can hope that the draft choice is double digits. The offense cant get any worse so I have hopes that this is the beginning of rebuilding...finally.

Prediction: 6-10 ; Hoping for - 7-9

[transplant99]

Packers.

The defense will be the rise or downfall of this club this season. Unlike past years the offense will be looking for an indentity, though with the gunslinger back there it will likely lean towards a pass first mentality. A running game will have to come from one of the newcomers and right now it looks like Jackson's to lose.

The D may surprise many this year as they look much more solid than in the past 3 seasons with an emerging AJ Hawke leading a solid LB corp and a much improved front 4 led by KGB. The one area that is a question mark is the corners. UFA signee Frank Walker will help though along with a healthy Charles Woodson.

Hard to predict their record as they have a brutal first 5 weeks....Eagles, Giants, Chargers, Vikings and the Bears. If they can come out of that no worse than 3-2, then they can go 10-6 and a shot at the division or the WC.

[flames_1987]

Colts

Manning will have his best season to date this year. Without the weight of the world on his shoulders to win that ring, the guy is going to reach an even higher level. He has a healthy slot receiver this year in Gonzalez, to go along with Wayne, Harrison, Clark, Addai.

The defense is going to be a work in process again, although there is much more depth at every position. To go along with a weak defense and arguablly the toughest schedule in the league it's defintley going to be tough. Last year the Colts kind've slipped into the playoffs with very little attention compared to years past, and going into this season with how many players the Colts lost, everything the Patriots did this offseason and how good the Chargers are being set up to be, the Colts are in the same position.

I think the Colts win there divison, which has a lot to do with the other teams in it. The Texans will be a better team all around but still not ready to contend. I think Vince Young is going to be a heck of a pro, but I think he's gonna have some growing pains this year (not to mention the Madden Curse) The Jaguars don't scare me at all.

10-6 AFC South Champions

[Super-Rye]

Titans

The Good: Vince Young. Kids an absolute monster and I expect him to play better then last season. Should be good to watch. Also Jeff Fischer, great coach right there.

The Bad: Very young team, not many experianced impact players on the team and that could be their downfall.

If Vince Young does infact improve on last season and the team doesn't show their youth they can be a very dangerous team. If not they'll be bottomfeeders.
Prediction: 10-6 and a playoff birth!

[HOOT]

Arizona Cardinals - Suck!

Thats about all I have to say about my team

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Arizona Cardinals - Suck!

Thats about all I have to say about my team

I have a good friend who is a Cards fan. He is pretty optimistic this season. Are you going to the game in Seattle?

[Trojan97]

Houston Texans:

Easily the best team on paper that they have ever assembled. For the first time in Texans history they actually have tough cuts to make in camp and competition is never a bad thing. Players have looked hungry for most of camp and the mood seems to have changed from "we'll see what happens" to "we expect to make the playoffs". David Carr being gone helps significantly as well. He's definitely got talent but the whole situation in Houston had gotten to a point where both side desperately needed a new beginning. With Matt Schaub the Texans get a smarter talent with alot of potential. He may not break out this year but I look for him to do big things in 08/09.

The WR's look decent provided Jacoby Jones can continue to build on his hot start. With Andre Johnson, Kevin Walters & Jacoby Jones in the fold they won't dominate anyone but they could be an efficient trio. Tight End Owen Daniels fits in here as well as he looks poised to step into the spotlight as an elite pass catching TE. With luck he could challenge the 10 TD mark.

The O-line is going to be weak. The one thing that gives me hope though is they seem to be further along in their zone blocking scheme then they were last season. The loss of Charles Spencer continues to hurt as he looked to be the LT they've been looking for since the Tony Boselli disaster. The only chance this group has of being passable is if they can stay healthy and continue to gain comfort with their blocking scheme. If they can do that, Ahman Green has the vision to find the holes and pick up enough yardage to slowly move the chains.

RBs. Ahman Green gives the Texans the best RB they've ever had. Despite getting older he is still a quality back and they will likely have Ron Dayne on short yardage (scary thought) so Green shouldn't take too bad of a pounding.

Defense:
DBs. Welcome to Dunta Robinson & Friends. Robinson is easily the leader of the secondary and that isn't saying alot because the rest are not great. They have a couple of decent young guys who should be players in a few years but for now they will be hard pressed to defend teams with any kind of depth at WR.

LBs. The strength of the defense. Led by DROY Demeco Ryans this is a group that was at times the only thing stopping Offenses from TDs every time they touched the ball. Ryans anchors the D inside while Morlon Greenwood & Charlie Anderson/Danny Clark roam the outside. Greenwood has been consistent and reliable since coming to Houston while Anderson has had a great camp and Clark looks like he badly wants to finally become a starter. Shantee Orr and Shawn Barber come off the bench.

DL. Jason Babin, Travis Johnson, Mario Williams, Amobi Akoye. Who are they? they are the Houston Texans first round draft picks from the past four years...and neither of them have yet to stand out in the NFL. Babin and Johnson have had good camps tho and Babin looks to be positioning himself in the starting lineup opposite Mario Williams with Anthony Weaver out with an injury. If Babin & Johnson can show flashes of why they were picked in the first round, Williams can stay healthy/motivated and continue to become a force at DE & Okoye can give them any kind of pass rush up middle they have a chance to become a very good defense. After all,they were a top 10 D in the second half of last season.

Prediction. The D hasn't lost anyone of note and has added some pieces in Okoye, Clark, Barber. The offense replaced Carr with Schaub, added Ahman Green, Jacoby Jones (could bust but so far,so good) and some veteran experience on the O-line. The attiude Gary Kubiak has brought to this team seems to be infectious and they finally seem to be tired of being doormats for the rest of the league. While there is definite lack of talent in a few different positions the Texans are a team on the rise and are now capable of going up against any franchise and stealing a W.

I think this team could quite possibly surprise and go 9-7 and be in the thick of things until the final week or so of the season. At worst, I think a 7-9 or 8-8 season would be an outstanding success and would continue the franchises upward trend.

***Forgive me for the length of the post but hey, preseason hope is often all a fan of the Texans has.

[HalifaxDrunk]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Kansas City:

Defence is a bend but don't break type model. They're not dominant in that they don't get a good consistant pass rush and teams can run against them. Also they don't create turnovers like the real elite defences do. They give up yards but tend to play pretty tough in the red zone and not allow too many touch downs which generally means they won't surrender more than 20 points most games.

Offence:
Well nothing like it used to be. The offensive line is a shadow of the units Al Saunders had when the Chiefs were the best scoring and gaining team in the NFL. The line is really sketchy right now and that will impact both the running and passing games. Damon Huard will start as QB and it's unlikely he'll be able to play like he did last year where he was incredibly efficient. Also it will be interesting to see how LJ does after being used so much last year and missing the first half of camp.

Ultimately the Chiefs start out with 3 of their first 4 on the road and they haven't been a good road team for a long time. Two of those games are in Chicago and San Diego against teams who are arguably the top teams in their conference. IMO the Chiefs need to win in Houston and come out of the first 4 weeks with a 2-2 record. If they do that they have a chance to go 10-6 or 9-7 if things come together and they can be a dominant home team. But if they don't even 8-8 will be a stretch.

I'm thinking that it will be another year of mediocrity in KC, but the team that caught every break it needed in the final two weeks last year to make the playoffs won't do so this year and finish 7-9.

Thats pretty bang on Syl, I'm a Chiefs fan as well. I think Huard will be OK, he won't have the 2nd best QB rating behind Payton but will still get the job done. I'll just change the record to 9-7 and a playoff birth. *crosses fingers*

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I have a good friend who is a Cards fan. He is pretty optimistic this season. Are you going to the game in Seattle?

No things are definetly looking up as a Cards fan, however I don't think this is the year to make it into the playoffs. All I am looking for as a fan is for them to improve on their 5 wins. 7 or 8(dreamin') would make me very happy and would make me very interested what they do in the offseason for the 2008 season to hopefully break into the playoffs.

I am looking to go, however not too many of my friends are football fans so it will be tough to get them down there with travel, hotel, tickets and so on. A friend of my dad's actually has season tickets in the club section and told me he would sell them to me for like $200 if I wanted to go to that game.

My plan or what I was hoping to do was to Fly to Arizona to see any game and hopefully the Flames would be in town, however the Flames don't play the Coyotes until January so it doesn't work out. Maybe next year!

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by HalifaxDrunk

Thats pretty bang on Syl, I'm a Chiefs fan as well. I think Huard will be OK, he won't have the 2nd best QB rating behind Payton but will still get the job done. I'll just change the record to 9-7 and a playoff birth. *crosses fingers*

The Chiefs will be cautous on offense. Huard will be looked upon to not turn the ball over. This won't be an offense that can afford to get down in a game. Field position will be crutial.

A point of concern is the accuracy of rookie field goal kicker Justin Medlock. The Chiefs say he is the man despite his struggles this preseason. For a team that will rely heavily on the defense to create turnovers and give the offense good field position. And for an offense that could have troubles moving the chains. The Chiefs can't afford to be missing field goals and extra points.

[Sylvanfan]

Huard is that he is a guy who plays more towards that not turn the ball over and take your oppurtunities when you get them. It's landed him a career as a backup, but he hasn't had a lot of starting oppurtunities. But when he has played he's been effective, and he's won more than he's lost. If the Chiefs can survive those first 4 weeks at .500 than things could come together and they could go on to have a very good season. In fact it could work in their favor having a more rested LJ and their line in sync after those first four games. Herm Edwards record seems to indicate that his teams either make the playoffs...or things just don't go well at all. Hopefully it's a playoff season.