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(No Repeat
Performance)
The
season is fast approaching go time. Up and
down the conferences all I can see is hope.
Pre-injury and pre-losing streak, each team
thinks they can win. Let me tell you, I'm
with them. Well, most of them (sorry San
Fran, Chicago, Fins, Brownies). All over
the sheets I have improvements, meaningful
re-signings, and draft help. I've been watching
glimpses of greatness all throughout the
preseason. Soon (September 8th) we'll get
to see the real deal. Until then, I've got
some insight on how the season might just
turn out. Want a hint? Don't count on repeat
performances from too many teams. I wouldn't
be surprised if the NFL had more than one
worst to first, and there'll be a plethora
of playoff teams that finished the season
early a year ago. Here we go, 'hope you
ate your Wheaties.
AFC
East
- Don't be baffled when the mighty Patriots
take a tumble off their great wall. Injuries,
retirements, a depleted coaching staff,
and broken chemistry are just a few reasons
why their stumble to mediocrity shouldn't
surprise. But it will. When the Pats are
batting .500 halfway through the season,
everyone and their brother will be talking
about how they might not make the playoffs,
and how stunned they are because of it.
I'll be the guy with the shit poked grin
on his face, laughing I told you so. Am
I saying they won't make the playoffs? I
guarantee that, but I am saying they won't
come out of this division with the best
record. Leave that job to the Jets. The
Jets have made the right moves to get them
over the top, and this is the year. The
big wigs in New York got together and played
their off season cards just right. Coles
is back with Pennington. Both will return
to the greatness they were destined for
before the split. Ty Law will resurrect
himself as the best big game corner in the
land, in the process bringing a young and
talented Jets defense to his level. Don't
count out the Bills either. Buffalo might
have a first year hurler, but he's no slouch.
JP Losman had ample opportunity to learn
what not to do by watching Drew Bledsoe
take snaps and throw interceptions every
game last year. He'll be an addition to
a fast improving squad. The Dolphins live
in the cellar, but don't be surprised if
Nick Saban pulls a rabbit out from a helmet
or two. Whoever loses to the Dolphins will
not make it out of the East.
North
- Both the Bengals and the Ravens will give
the Steelers more problems than they mustered
a year ago, but unlike the Patriots, I expect
the Steel Show to come out on top of the
North. It won't be the 15-1 ease they had
last fall, but they'll make it. Big Ben
will be solid in his second season. The
Bus will be back for his last go, and he
won't leave anyone questioning his skills,
or his heart. The loss of Plaxico won't
have the impact many are predicting; he's
no Hines Ward. Randel El and Wilson will
team up to make a dent in Plaxico's touchdown
production, and rookie Heath Miller will
play a roll in Roethlisberger's red zone
numbers. All being said, the defense won't
be as stout as it was during last years
run. This will bring Cowher's boys back
to reality. The Ravens will make their bid
for a playoff year and maybe even a North
Division title. There is no team with a
more improved passing attack than the Ravens.
This will be Boller's last shot. If he can't
make this machine to work, he'll have to
get another job. Derrick Mason has been
one of the most underrated receivers over
the last three years. Steve McNair will
miss him desperately in Tennessee. Mark
Clayton will do exactly what Baltimore drafted
him to do, catch everything that comes his
way. Jamal Lewis could be the deciding factor
in the Ravens post-season hopes. If Jamal
starts every game for the Ravens, I predict
Baltimore wins the division. The Bengals
aren't too far behind either of the top
two teams in this division. Their defense
will be much improved, and Carson Palmer
has another year under his belt. That means
big things and big numbers for the Bengal
offense. Look for Rudi to get more room
to roam on Sundays. The Browns cut all the
crap off of their team, so yes; they'll
struggle to win games this year. But they
won't be a pushover. They have a solid running
attack, and Trent Dilfer won't make mistakes
to lose games. Six or Seven wins wouldn't
surprise me. Not bad for a rebuilding year.
South
- The Colts will be the top team in the
AFC. Their defense should be better than
ever with a jumble of good athletes manning
the secondary. Speaking of manning, Peyton
Manning still runs the show in Indy, meaning
their offense will be amongst the leagues
best again. Marvin Harrison will come back
from his down year and once again surpass
the 100-catch plateau. Edgerrin James will
have his best year as a pro. Without much
depth on the defensive line, the Colts will
once again take part in more than a few
offensive spectaculars. Don't be surprised
if they get caught off guard by a few good
defensive teams (like the Jags) making them
feel human once again. Those Jags should
be improved as well. Byron Leftwich has
all the talent to succeed, and now he has
an offense that uses his abilities to throw
accurately down field. Fred Taylor will
surprise the world this year by playing
a great role in all 16 games. If this prediction
holds true, there is no question in my mind
that the Jaguars hop, skip, and jump right
in to the playoffs. If Taylor's body crumbles
again, don't blink, because the Texans will
flash to second place in this division.
David Carr is a solid signal caller, and
his young offensive line will finally do
what they need to do to protect their maturing
leader. Davis will be the consistent ground
attack he's always been, and Andre Johnson
will become one of the best receivers in
the game. Defensive signings should pan
out, making this division extremely tough.
Steve McNair appears to be as healthy and
fast as ever. Good. 'Cause he'll need some
quicks to elude the pressure he'll be facing
early on. Don't think for a second that
I'm crapping on the Titans chances. If any
team in this league overlooks Tennessee
they'll pay the price. If young guns can
step in to big roles early, this team could
surprise some folks.
West
- The Chargers will make a play at repeating
their West Division title, but they'll get
outmaneuvered by the much improved Chief
defensive unit. Everyone in the league knows
the Chiefs possess the most consistent offense
in the league, but this year their defense
will follow. A Surtain secondary will be
a much better unit. Sammy Knight and Kendrell
Bell will shore up a unit that needed to
get better fast. Priest Holmes will dominate
the show as long as he's on the field, and
Trent Green will produce just enough to
get the Chiefs to the top spot in the West.
The Chargers will have to deal with a constant
competition between Drew Brees (proven)
and Phillip Rivers (not) all year long.
This will be just enough to allow the Chiefs
to speed by them on their way to the top.
Brees will eventually put all those questions
to rest by outperforming his stats from
a year ago, leading Ladainian Tomlinson
and the rest of the Chargers back to the
playoffs. This will be the second year two
teams come from the West. The Broncos' defense
will play better this year, but their offense
will struggle enough to keep Denver around
.500 and just out of a playoff spot. Jake
Plummer won't have as many interceptions
as he did last year, but the running game
won't be there to correct his mistakes.
Will this be the first year in forever the
Broncos' running game doesn't possess a
1000-yard back? The Raiders will be much
better on both sides of the ball, but then
again how could they not be? Lamont Jordan
and Randy Moss will both live up to their
preseason hype, but will it be enough to
get them where they want to be? No. The
Chargers and Chiefs will be too good for
Oakland. Kerry Collins will have real nice
numbers, but he'll make too many crucial
mistakes early on and more importantly,
down the stretch.
Lucky's
Crazy Predictions
AFC
Conference Champs: Jets, Steelers, Colts,
Chiefs
AFC Wild Cards: Chargers, Jaguars
Just Out: Patriots, Ravens, Raiders, Texans
NFC
East
- The Eagles should once again rule this
division. Injuries and a mouthy wide receiver
could cost the Eagles a game or two, but
even then they'll finish 11-5, easily taking
the East. McNabb is underrated for what
he does for his team, and Brian Westbrook
might be the most important bullet in Donovan's
arsenal. The Eagle defense can only be better
than the fine performance they had a year
ago. Their corners have another year on
their resume, which is essential because
they were so young last year. Javon Kearse
is a freak. Brian Dawkins is the best safety
in the league. The Giants, Cowboys, and
Redskins should all be within a game or
two from their records last year. So at
best they'll be 8-8. The Giants will struggle
with Eli Manning at the helm, especially
if he's injured often like he is right now.
Tiki Barbar might have flashbacks to his
days of too many fumbles and really cause
the Giants some concern. The Cowboys have
the best chance to be the other team that
makes it out of this division, but the addition
of Molasses Man, Drew Bledsoe, will backfire
when Tony Romo takes his starting spot.
The Dallas defense should be much improved,
though they'll still find a way to make
the big error. Either way, mistakes will
find the Cowboys too often to get them to
the post season. The Redskins should have
plenty of chances to stay in games with
one of the best defenses in football. I'm
worried about LaVar Arrington, because he's
been all humble, saying stuff like, "Maybe
I am washed up," and other cautionary
quotes. My guess, he'll tear it up. Unfortunately
for the people in the Nations capital, the
Hogs will stumble under the leadership of
Patrick Ramsey. Many will try to give up
on Patrick, but he's still the best option
Washington has. Santana Moss won't have
a good year in Washington, but Clinton Portis
will be better in his second season with
the team. When all is said and done, one
real good record and three sub par seasons
will emerge from the East.
North - This is the year the Minnesota
Vikings finally play well for more than
3/4 of the season. Each and every year the
Vikes seem to piss all over their opponents.
But over a long period of time, the toilet
gets dirty, and they never have the audacity
to get out the little scrubber under the
sink and clean their toilet. The water gets
murky, and soon they have no idea what happened
to their 6-0 start. This year they won't
end 8-8; in fact they'll trounce this division
with an Eagle-like record. Daunte Culpepper
will prove why he is and always was the
most valuable player in Minnesota. Mike
Tice will keep his job, and maybe, just
maybe, he won't have the chance to scalp
his Super Bowl tickets this year, because
he'll be on the sideline. The Packers will
just miss the playoffs in what will be Brett's
final year. I'd say they end up 9-7. Brett's
good for 9 wins, but without a defense and
a makeshift offensive line, the Packers
hopes for a frozen tundra post season seem
out of the question. The Lions are at least
as good as the Packers, but they don't possess
a Brett Favre on their lineup. They do,
however, own the rights to oodles of offensive
weaponry. Roy Williams, Mike Williams, Charlie
Rogers, and Kevin Jones will do big things
on their way to a season where they end
up over .500 for the first time in a long
while. Joey Harrington might just follow
the new "fourth year plan" laid
out by Drew Brees last year. If Mariucci
can get Joey to save himself from interceptions,
the Lions might creep into the playoff picture.
The Bears season was over when they drafted
another running back when they needed much,
much more. Then as if that wasn't enough,
Rex Grossman was injured again... and once
again, he's out for the season. If you're
telling me Chad Hutchinson will emerge as
a good enough starting quarterback to lead
the Bears into the promise land, you must
be on crack. Jeff Blake could end up starting
in Chicago, but even then, Chicago's hope
for post-season football is way out of the
question.
South - The Falcons will struggle
if they try to keep Mike Vick tossing rockets
from the pocket. That's not his bag. I'm
a strong believer in allowing amazing athletes
to do what they do best, and God knows his
biggest asset isn't his precision passing.
Just play the Falcons on Madden 2006. On
the other hand, Mike will be Vick enough
to send his Falcons into the playoffs as
a wild card team. Warrick Dunn and TJ Duckett
are too good as thunder and lightning, and
the Falcon defense should be improved with
maturing second year players like DeAngelo
Hall and a few decent off season signees.
The South Division Champs will be the Panthers.
Deshaun Foster will finally play more than
10 games, showing the NFL how good he can
be. Jake Dehomme has his favorite target
back in Steve Smith. On the other side of
the ball, Carolina has the best defense
in the league. New addition Ken Lucas is
as good as it gets at defending the pass
and the run, and with Kris Jenkins back,
and Julius Peppers on the field, this Carolina
team looks to bum rush this division. The
Saints have infinite upside, but they've
yet to prove themselves. Last year they
made a huge push late to end 8-8, and just
out of the playoffs. Weird. Story of Jim
Haslett's life. Aaron Brooks is still riddled
by his own inconsistency, but a healthy
and confident Deuce McAllister will keep
the Saints in the race. Unfortunately, a
late season slump might end the chances
of this team that will be thinking playoffs
all year long. Haslett is one hell of a
coach, though, and if anyone can get these
guys to finally realize their own potential,
its him. The Buccaneers should be better
if Brian Griese plays the full year. If
Carnell Williams lands on his feet early,
this could make for a very competitive division.
Chucky has his boys primed for a breakout
season after two seasons falling in the
sub par category. Tampa's defense will be
forever stingy, but the loss of Dwight Smith
might hurt more than they anticipated.
West - The Seahawks won't repeat
their West Division Title. They'll be right
up there, and I think they'll make a place
for themselves in the playoffs, but the
mighty Cardinals will dethrone them. Okay,
maybe the Cardinal isn't such a mighty mascot,
but Dennis Green has his team ready to take
over the weak West. This is only Greens
second year in Arizona, and already he's
done enough damage to turn a perennial 4-win
team into a playoff player. Green always
has done well with old school quarterbacks
whom everyone else touted as "washed
up," (see Randall Cunningham and Jeff
George amongst others). This time around
is no different. Kurt Warner was on his
way to leading the Giants into the post
season until he got pulled for youngster
Eli Manning. This year, there's no youngster
biting at the bit, and there's plenty of
receiving options for Kurt to work with.
Rookie JJ Arrington might have the best
rookie season of all the running backs.
Look for the Cardinal D to do just enough
to keep them in games, which their offense
will win. The Hawks signed all three of
their key guys, and their wide receivers
are actually pretty good. Young and inexperienced,
but good. If the Seahawks would've kept
Chad Brown around I'd give them the nod
over the Cards, but they wouldn't take that
chance on a guy that's been injured since
he got to Seattle. I can't say I blame them,
but I can say it'll hurt them. When Chad
Brown plays like a soldier all year with
the Patriots, all of football will be laughing
at the linebacker-less Hawks. Hasselbeck
will play up to his '03 potential, and Shaun
Alexander will duck and dodge his way toward
the rushing title and a grip of touchdowns.
The Hawks won't be hurt by the departure
of Ken Lucas because they picked up Andre
Dyson and Kelly Herndon... both are young
and extremely talented. The Rams will slip
out of contention if Mike Martz continues
to misuse his running backs, and he will.
Steven Jackson needs to get the piggy 25
times a game for the hornless rams to have
a chance. Instead Martz will show his impatience
for a balanced attack and hurl deep ball
after deep ball into the eye of the opposing
defenses storm. Bulger gets 22 touchdowns
and almost as many picks, and the Rams stumble
under .500. The 49ers are terrible. Kevan
Barlow should have a better season with
a better offensive line in front of him.
If Julian Peterson can stay healthy, the
Niners might have a few good defensive plays
throughout the year, maybe even a highlight
or two on Sports Center where they are the
team being highlighted? Who knows? As for
their record... Worst in football, bar none.
Lucky's
Crazy Predictions
NFC
Conference Champs: Eagles, Vikings, Panthers,
Cardinals
NFC Wild Cards: Seahawks, Falcons
Just Out: Packers, Lions, Rams, Saints
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