NFC West prediction 2012

by | Sep 2, 2012 | 2012 season

NFC West

No contest here. The 49ers went 13-3 last season and finished a fumbled punt short of the Super Bowl. The offense is better and the defense is just as good as it was. The rest of the division is in catch-up mode for the time being.

San Francisco 49ers: All I needed to see to pick San Francisco to win this division was the return of all 11 starters from a defense that was as solid and fundamentally sound as any I have seen in years. The offense doesn’t need to do much, but will also be improved with the additions of Mario Manningham and a supposedly motivated Randy Moss. The 49ers will compete for the NFC’s top seed.

St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford’s healthier, Steven Jackson has a top-notch understudy in Isaiah Pead and Jeff Fisher is a top-notch coach. I’m not expecting playoffs from this team but they’ll be better. That’ll be enough to move them up a couple notches in the division.

Seattle Seahawks: The bottom three spots in this division are a bit of a tossup in my eyes. In Russell Wilson and Matt Flynn, Seattle has improved dramatically at the quarterback position, which should help take some of the focus away from Marshawn Lynch and the run game too. If the offensive line can keep Wilson upright, I could see the Seahawks sneaking into second place.

Arizona Cardinals: The offensive line is brutal, the run game is unsettled and the quarterback position is in disarray. I feel for Larry Fitzgerald, one of the top couple receivers in the game, because he’s stuck catching passes from John Skelton and Kevin Kolb, both of whom are hampered both in talent and protection. I see a long year in the desert.

NFC South prediction 2012

by | Sep 1, 2012 | 2012 season

NFC South

This division will also be quite competitive but it’s more of a two-team race. At least this year I expect the two teams that fought for the crown last year to be back on top again with two younger teams fighting to make their way into the upper-half of the division.

Atlanta Falcons: I’m a believer. With a more aggressive offense and a year under the belt of burgeoning stud Julio Jones, coupled with the penalties the Saints are paying for their BountyGate Scandal, I think this is the year Matt Ryan takes a step forward and the Falcons make a move deeper into the playoffs.

New Orleans Saints: They’re missing much of the coaching staff and a couple players off the defense, but the Saints still have Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles, Marques Colston and others. They’ll have to score a lot of points to win games but I don’t think that’s going to be an issue.

Carolina Panthers: Even if Cam Newton’s numbers decline from those he put up in 2011 it wouldn’t necessarily mean he isn’t improving as a quarterback. But there still is a matter of the talent around him, which I do think is improving but not quite enough yet to start challenging for the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: There’s some talent on this team but the group as a whole rolled over like dogs the second half of last season. There’s a new coaching staff that won’t put up with that, but it’ll take some time. I like Doug Martin at running back. Josh Freeman took several steps backward last year. Does he step forward? Or is 2011 more an indication of what he really is? I’ll believe in this team when I see them do something on the field.

NFC North prediction 2012

by | Aug 31, 2012 | 2012 season

NFC North

The NFC North might have sent three teams to the playoffs last season if not for an injury to Jay Cutler in Chicago. I think those same three teams will be in the mix this year in arguably the league’s most competitive division. I think the Packers keep the regular season crown, but there won’t be as big a gap as there was in 2011 and I don’t expect another Super Bowl run for the green and gold either.

Green Bay Packers: I don’t think Green Bay matches its 15-1 mark from a year ago and I’m not sure I even feel it for a dominant run. The Packers still have some gaping holes in the defensive backfield and I’m surprised the front office didn’t do more in the offseason to address a non-existent run game (Cedric Benson is a stopgap, not an answer). But the passing game is amazing and it’ll be enough to propel the Pack to a division championship.

Chicago Bears: I have been all over Detroit the last two seasons and I still think the Lions have more upside than this year’s Bears. But I love the Cutler-to-Marshall combo and the defense, while aging in some key spots, is still pretty good. This is a veteran team built to win now and it is a playoff team.

Detroit Lions: This still up-and-coming team has some fantastic offensive weapons and I think over the next couple years the Lions will mature into a team that can compete for division championships and playoff runs for several years to come. The offseason police blotter screams immaturity to me and I think those issues will help cause Detroit to fall back to around the .500 mark for one season. There is playoff upside here, but I’m guessing they finish one notch out.

Minnesota Vikings: I like the Vikings’ draft and most of what the team did in the offseason, particularly in putting one person in charge of personnel decisions. That said, this team is still suffering the fallout of going all-in on 2009. While there are some interesting young pieces in place, Minnesota is still the fourth best team in the NFC North and it isn’t close. If the Vikings win six games this year and show improvement it will be a good season.

NFC East prediction 2012

by | Aug 30, 2012 | 2012 season

NFC East

None of the four teams in the East strike me as flawless, but the top three are as tight as any division grouping. The division games are always tricky to pick, but they’ll be key in deciding a championship that likely will come down to the wire again.

New York Giants: It seems like Eli Manning has taken his game to the next level. The offensive skill talent is top notch with Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz and I’m hugely curious to see what David Wilson can add to the run game. I don’t love this pick, but coming off the huge Super Bowl run I say stick with them until they give you a reason not to.

Philadelphia Eagles: Last year was a disappointment but I tend to think the talent will come together this year. If Philly can keep Michael Vick healthy they’ll stick right with the Giants if not overtake them. The defense has to improve. This is one of the harder teams in the NFC to read. I could see them being as good as anyone in the conference or completely imploding again. I’ll start with them here for now.

Dallas Cowboys: In a division as tight as the East, it’s unfortunate that Dallas isn’t going into the season at full strength. Jason Witten likely won’t play in what could be a key game in the opener Wednesday against New York. The wideouts have been hurt. The offensive line is a mess. I think Dallas will get better as the season goes along, but if they start with a couple losses it could be hard to make that up.

Washington Redskins: I am a fan of Robert Griffin and of the team’s move to trade up and get him. Everything I’ve read indicates this team is set at quarterback for a decade. That said, there’s still a talent shortage at other positions. They’re now heading in the right direction but it’ll be another year or two before they are ready to compete for the division.

2012 overvalued fantasy draft picks

by | Aug 29, 2012 | 2012 season, Fantasy Football

We’re in the heart of fantasy football draft week and the countdown to kickoff has begun. My brother and I kicked off our fantasy football draft season last weekend with a 12-team auction and I have my first solo draft of the season tomorrow night.

So I was doing some studying this morning and in doing so, I came across a few postings at Fantasy Football Sportal.com that inspired me to throw together a couple of my own lists. In this one, I look at a handful-or-so of guys I think are being drafted too high. Do you agree? Or am I out of my mind? Let me know your thoughts.

Matt Forte (ADP: 1.10 in 12-team leagues) (more…)