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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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