2013 Jacksonville Jaguars Preview

2013 Jacksonville Jaguars

It’s been a long while since the Jaguars have been relevant in the AFC picture. Half a decade has passed since the glory days of Byron Leftwich/David Garrard and the two-headed rushing monster of Fred Taylor and a younger Maurice Jones-Drew actually came close to winning something. They have since spiraled into misery, and have not improved due to poor quarterback play and even worse drafting. The Jags finished 2012 with an embarrassing 2-14 record and were rewarded with a decent offensive lineman. Unfortunately, lineman don’t really affect win totals, so Jacksonville seems to be in line for another top five draft pick in 2014. Everything about this team is depressing, especially the attendance numbers. How is it that the city of Jacksonville still even has a team? Ignoring all the positives, however, 2013 could be the year the Jaguars finally start to make some progress. Gus Bradley received his first head coaching job after a stellar job in Seattle as defensive coordinator which should help start to shape up that side of the ball. Maurice Jones-Drew is finally not injured or holding out, so there might be a revival season coming from him. Cecil Shorts emerged last year as a competent receiver, and after a four game suspension, Justin Blackmon will join him to form a nice young receiving duo. If Blaine Gabbert improves at all (and really, how can he not?), then Jacksonville could see their win total double or even triple. This would still only give them five or six wins, of course, but at least it’s better than two, you know? Unfortunately, that still might be too many wins to hope for.

Schedule

Week 1: W vs KC

Week 2: L at OAK

Week 3: W at SEA (just kidding. big loss here.)

Week 4: L vs IND

Week 5: L at STL

Week 6: L at DEN

Week 7: W vs SD

Week 8: L vs SF

Week 9: Bye

Week 10: W at TEN

Week 11: W vs ARI

Week 12: L at HOU

Week 13: L at CLE

Week 14: L vs HOU

Week 15: L vs BUF

Week 16: W vs TEN

Week 17: L at IND

I think the Jaguars will go 5-11 in 2013. Maximum. I can’t believe I even have the total that high. The fact is the Jaguars are irrelevant. For now, anyway. The biggest question mark is Blaine Gabbert, but if he somehow morphs into a quality starter, then within three years this team could potentially be making a playoff push.

Bold Prediction: Maurice Jones-Drew will rush for a MAXIMUM of 850 yards and 7 TDs. I have him at 813 and 6, to be precise.

2013 Indianapolis Colts Preview

2013 Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are the jokers of the AFC. What I mean by that is, you could make an argument for Indy finishing with a 5-11 record or a 13-3 record, and I wouldn’t be really shocked by either one. Many people have made a case against the Colts this year: Luck will have regression; new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton (who coached Luck at Stanford) will be more conservative; they went an impossible 9-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less; teams won’t underestimate them...all valid points. However, there are more than a few reasons why Indianapolis might even improve off of an already amazing season. Andrew Luck could get even better with a year of experience under his belt and his comfort level with his new/old OC; more weapons were added on offense (Darrius Heyward-Bey, Ahmad Bradshaw); a full year for Chuck Pagano; they might find more ways to win where they won’t even have to get lucky in close games. I, personally, am an Andrew Luck fan, and I like him more than any of the other second year quarterbacks (including, if you want, Kaepernick, which is obvious if you’ve ever read anything I’ve written). Therefore, I’m inclined to say that while the Colts might not build on or even match their 2012 record of 11-5, they will be a better overall team and once again push for a playoff spot. For example, I think Luck will do a better job of finding different targets, rather than rely on Reggie Wayne every time a play breaks down. I really love TY Hilton this year, and many people are excited about tight end Dwayne Allen. Bradshaw and Ballard will share the running workload, and DHB can take the top off a defense. Speaking of defense, the Colts’ D will be improved, as Chuck Pagano will be on the sideline from the start. Robert Mathis is still there to lead the pass rush, and they will have two stud middle linebackers in Pat Angerer and Jerrel Freeman. Vontae Davis is their top corner, in a division where no one has more than one star receiver. The Colts may not be at the level of the top 4 teams in the AFC yet, but Andrew Luck will have them there soon.

Schedule

While each game on a team’s schedule carries the same weight, there is one game on the Indianapolis slate which stands out a little more than the rest: Week 7, which is Peyton Manning’s return to Indy with the Broncos. Peyton Manning is my favorite player ever in the NFL, and even though I was born and raised in New York, I grew up a Colts fan because of him. It will be a very emotional return, and I expect an absolute standing ovation for arguably the greatest quarterback of all time (statistically). The world will be watching on Sunday Night Football (Oct 20) for this game, and I expect it to be a thriller. It’s probably the game I’m looking forward to the most this year, outside of the annual Peyton-Brady showdown. And there’s only way that it can turn out.

Week 1: W vs OAK

Week 2: W vs MIA

Week 3: L at SF

Week 4: W at JAC

Week 5: L vs SEA

Week 6: W at SD

Week 7: L vs DEN (Peyton Manning will not lose this game. He’s still the King of Indy.)

Week 8: Bye

Week 9: L at HOU

Week 10: W vs STL

Week 11: L at TEN

Week 12: W at ARI

Week 13: W vs TEN

Week 14: W at CIN

Week 15: W vs HOU

Week 16: L at KC

Week 17: W vs JAC

My official prediction for the Indianapolis Colts is a 10-6 record and a playoff spot. If you remember, I think the Houston Texans will finish 10-6 as well,which means that this division will come right down to the very wire. By way of tiebreakers, though, the Texans will still take control of the South, via divisional record (that loss to Tennessee will sting the Colts in the end). Of course, this is all theory, so I do not actually think that this division race comes down to one game against the Titans, but the point is that Houston will beat out Indianapolis by a hair. I still do think that the Colts will be back in the playoffs when all is said and done.

Bold Prediction: Stat lines for the breakout offensive duo...

Luck: 4,209 yds, 29 TD, 13 INT

Hilton: 67 rec, 1,142 yds, 8 TD

2013 Houston Texans Preview

2013 Houston Texans

I’ll start and end this preview in one sentence: the Houston Texans cannot win a Super Bowl with Matt Schaub at quarterback. That is my opinion, and a championship is the only goal for Houston this year. They established themselves as a powerhouse last year by going 12-4, but you have to take that with an asterisk because they finished the season 1-3 and dropped all the way to the 3 seed in the AFC. After an ugly first round playoff win against Cincinnati, they got dominated by the Patriots, and the Texans were an afterthought. They have all the pieces needed to win a Super Bowl besides QB: an outstanding workhorse running back; a stellar offensive line; a beastly receiver; and a loaded defense. Arian Foster and Andre Johnson have carried this offense for a few years now, but the carries are starting to rack up for Foster, and age is setting in for Andre. They are hoping rookie DeAndre Hopkins will be able to take the torch and become the number one receiver in a few years, whilst having a significant impact immediately. Like I said, this defense is really loaded, with stars at all three levels. JJ Watt broke out last year with a historic season, Brian Cushing will look to return strong from his injury and lead the linebackers, and free agent signee Ed Reed will try to finish his career with another ring by playing his usual ball-hawk center field at safety. The only problem is Matt Schaub, who is basically an older version of Andy Dalton; he has limited arm strength and has spent his career mainly chucking it up to one stud receiver. Schaub is capable of winning games in this league, but we’ve seen him lose to the Bradys and the Mannings of the world far too often. If he can put it all together and have a career year, the Texans will be the best team in the AFC. I just don’t see it happening.

Schedule

Houston finished 12-4 after an 11-1 start in 2012, and even though I spent that first paragraph explaining why I don’t think they will win the Super Bowl, I still think that the Texans are plenty good enough to win this division again (although they are one Andre Johnson injury away from being atrocious in the passing game). They do have a pretty testing schedule that includes the rest of the first place teams from the AFC, but it is balanced out a bit because of the fact that the bottom two teams in the South are terrible. Here is how I think their 2013 season will play out:

Week 1: W at SD

Week 2: W vs TEN

Week 3: L at BAL

Week 4: W vs SEA

Week 5: L at SF

Week 6: W vs STL

Week 7: L at KC

Week 8: Bye

Week 9: W vs IND

Week 10: L at ARI

Week 11: W vs OAK

Week 12: W vs JAC

Week 13: L vs NE

Week 14: W vs JAC

Week 15: L at IND

Week 16: W vs DEN

Week 17: W at TEN

First of all, what the hell, schedule makers? How do you give anybody, no matter how tough the team, Seattle, San Francisco, and St. Louis all in a row, after traveling to Baltimore, no less? In the back end of the schedule, they get Indy twice, New England, and Denver, although at least three of those games are at home. I think Houston will finish 10-6, which should earn them the AFC South crown. But because I think they will lose to both Baltimore and New England, who I also think will finish 10-6, the Texans will presumably finish as the 4 seed in the conference (depending on how I think Denver will do). We’ll see if our next team, the Indianapolis Colts, has a chance of upsetting the Texans in my next preview.

Bold Prediction: JJ Watt and Ed Reed will combine for 20 sackceptions this season (sacks + interceptions, a stat I made up just now).

2013 Pittsburgh Steelers Preview

2013 Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are a proud franchise led by a great young coach in Mike Tomlin and a two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. They really struggled last year and did not make the playoffs, as they fell to third place in the AFC North. Their offense sputtered at times, as Mike Wallace missed some time (he will now be missing permanently, as he is with Miami), and they never got a ground game working. Their defense was stout and elite, as usual, but they really hurt themselves by not creating enough turnovers to bail out the offense. They are also another year older, but that has not stopped them before, and they replaced James Harrison with new outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, whom they selected in the first round of this past draft. The offense lost Heath Miller to a torn ACL in Week 16 last year, which is a truly devastating injury for them, as he was Big Ben’s security blanket. His only true weapons on the outside now are Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders, neither of whom have ever had that one true breakout year yet proving he is number one receiver material. I love the drafting of running back Le’Veon Bell, but as of right now it looks like he is down on the depth chart. If he ever gets the starting job, I’m really high on him. There are plenty of questions surrounding the Steelers: will Big Ben return to form? Can the defense continue to play at the same high level as years past? Which receiving threat will step up? Can the offensive line keep Roethlisberger upright? These are all valid concerns, and maybe too many for a team to make the playoffs.

Schedule

Week 1: W vs TEN (this will be something like 28-3)

Week 2: W at CIN

Week 3: L at CHI

Week 4: L at MIN

Week 5: Bye

Week 6: W at NYJ
Week 7: L vs BAL
Week 8: L at OAK

Week 9: W at NE

Week 10: W vs BUF

Week 11: L vs DET

Week 12: L at CLE

Week 13: L at BAL

Week 14: W vs MIA

Week 15: W vs CIN

Week 16: L at GB

Week 17: W vs CLE

WHOA. All throughout my divisional previews of the AFC North teams I’ve talked about how I expect three teams out of the four to make the playoffs. I literally changed my mind about that as I was going through the schedule. That’s how crazy the second tier of teams in the AFC is. So now, it looks like I have the 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers at 8-8, which is unlikely to grab that final wild card spot. Their lack of offensive weapons scares me a little bit, along with the fact that in this division, you need more than just a stud defense, because all four teams have that now. The question now becomes, who do I think will beat out the Steelers and make the playoffs come January? Maybe we’ll get our answer when I continue with the AFC South previews. Take a guess, you might get Lucky. Until next time.

Bold Prediction: Le’Veon Bell will be the Steelers’ leading rusher and score 10 touchdowns.

2013 Cleveland Browns Preview!!!!!!!

2013 Cleveland Browns

By the end of the season, it is this piece of writing you are reading right now that will label me either a genius or a clown. I am so excited for the Cleveland Browns this year. Which is especially hysterical to me for a few reasons: 1. God hates Cleveland; 2. Last year, it was me who picked the Browns to be the worst team in all of the NFL; 3. It requires me putting trust in Brandon Weeden; 4. As I’ve learned many times from my good friend (or more like man crush) Bill Simmons, God hates Cleveland. But I don’t care. I can make just enough of a good argument to make me believe that I’m not crazy. if Florida Gulf Coast can make the Sweet 16, then the 2013 Cleveland Browns can make the playoffs. Right? No? Okay. I’m proceeding anyway.

I’ll get to the Brandon Weeden thing in a little bit. For now, I want to focus on the coaching staff. Rob Chudzinski will take over as head coach, and he has a great track record. He coached at the University of Miami (the U!), which is my favorite NCAAF team. He was the offensive coordinator of the Browns the year Derek Anderson (Derek Anderson!) went to the Pro Bowl. He was the tight ends coach in San Diego while Antonio Gates was in his prime. He was the offensive coordinator in Carolina for Cam Newton and helped mold him into a star. He has a last name that sounds like an incredible fast food cheeseburger. I’m all in on this guy. Norv Turner is their new offensive coordinator, and even though he was suspect as the lead man, he won’t be making those same key decisions anymore, and heaven knows, he can coach the hell out of an offense. Ray Horton will be the defensive coordinator, the same guy who used the 3-4 scheme in Arizona and turned the Cardinals into a top 10 defense. His personnel in Cleveland is arguably better. Phil Taylor will be the monster nose tackle in the middle, and the pass rush will be revitalized, too. Horton loves to attack, and the Browns signed Paul Kruger away from Baltimore and drafted Barkevious Mingo to do just that. Joe Haden will be the Patrick Peterson of this defense, and if you want to know how good D’Qwell Jackson can be at middle linebacker, go look up what Daryl Washington’s numbers were with the Cardinals last year under Horton. Plus, his name is D’Qwell; he’s got to be the defensive captain of the all-name team, to join Anquan Boldin (captain of the offense). Trent Richardson, if he could stay healthy (PLEASE!!!!!!), will be the “beast mode” of the AFC, with respect to Marshawn Lynch. He could total 2,000 total yards from scrimmage and rack up 15 touchdowns if everything breaks right (that’s a stretch, but as a ceiling, that isn’t inconceivable, is it?). It all comes down to the passing game, but like I said before, they have the right coaches to get it done. Josh Gordon will be suspended for two games, but when he’s back, he will be their main downfield threat; Davone Bess is a poor man’s Amendola-type slot receiver; maybe Greg Little will arrive (maybe? no again?); and some people are on the Jordan Cameron bandwagon, as, given his coaches, he could see some opportunity to put up Antonio Gates-like production (I know, he won’t be that good, but it’s the increased targets that matter). If, by some miracle, Brandon Weeden and his geezer-for-a-second-year-player-but-maybe-that-means-he-will-learn-faster self can make some sort of stride, then Cleveland will be the shocker of the NFL and finally start to win something. If he’s Brandon Weeden like we saw him last year, and any shred of credibility I hypothetically have will be gone before I have a chance to get any. That’s a big prayer, but you have to admit, is it really that much of a stretch of the imagination? Maybe this next part will convince you.

Schedule

In 2012, the Cleveland Browns finished 5-11 with crappy coaching, an inexperienced team, and bad luck, as they lost seven of those games by ten points or less. They will be much more competitive this year, and as they finished in last place in 2012, they will have a relatively easier schedule. I’m going to go game by game to show you how Cleveland can become a playoff team.

Week 1: W vs MIA

Week 2: W at BAL (they will win one of the Baltimore games no matter what)

Week 3: L at MIN (possible win)

Week 4: W vs CIN

Week 5: W vs BUF (look at that, 4-1!)

Week 6: L vs DET (another possible win)

Week 7: L at GB

Week 8: W at KC

Week 9: L vs BAL

Week 10: Bye (5-4 at the bye? very possible)

Week 11: L at CIN

Week 12: W vs PIT

Week 13: W vs JAC

Week 14: L at NE

Week 15: W vs CHI

Week 16: W at NYJ

Week 17: L at PIT

Let’s look at this again. I have the 2013 Cleveland Brown finishing 9-7. They will go 3-3 in the division, 1-3 (if not better) against the NFC North, 3-1 vs the weak AFC East, and 2-0 in their two games against fellow bottomfeeders KC and JAC. Tell me which part of that is outlandish. I’ll wait. They might make me look bad, but I am all in on this Cleveland Browns team to win at least nine games. I said in my NFL preview, there are always teams 6-10 or worse who make the jump to the postseason the following year. The Browns have new pieces, both on the field and in leadership positions; they have a manageable schedule and are under the radar; they have a workhorse to base their offense around (Richardson); and they have a fan base who will relish the opportunity to be good again, kind of like with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA last year. Look out for the Browns.

Bold Prediction: Josh Gordon will have 1,100 yards and 8 receiving TDs. More importantly, though, the Cleveland Browns will make the playoffs!!!!!!!! (I have them right now as a wild card team).

2013 Cincinnati Bengals Preview

2013 Cincinnati Bengals

I’m sick of the Bengals. For two years now, we’ve seen a struggling, one-dimensional offense (throw it up to AJ Green), trying to keep up with an aggressive, hard-nosed defense. For two years, we’ve seen the Bengals barely sneak into the playoffs as a wild card. For two years, we’ve had to sit through an atrocity of their opening playoff game because neither they nor Houston could move the ball on each other. No more. I will not pick the Bengals to make the playoffs only for them to make everyone fall asleep. Their division is loaded and I have already confessed my love for the Browns this year. I have also already predicted the Ravens to finish 10-6. As of right now, I do think the AFC North will provide three playoff teams (the division winner plus two wild cards); the question is, will the final team in be the Bengals or Steelers? Hint: not the Bengals, I hope to God. Well, the Football Gods, anyway.

Of course, this could also be the year that Cincinnati actually finds some offense, in which case, watch out, AFC! The Bengals’ defense is already championship caliber with a vicious defensive line headlined by Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson, that dude with the crazy hair, and of course, Geno Atkins, the best defensive tackle in the NFL not named JJ Watt. They now will add James Harrison to their already terrifying pass rush. The reason the Bengals have not been able to get over the hump is because of the offense, notably the limitations of Andy Dalton at quarterback. Now, he is still growing, but it is hard to put faith in a quarterback who has no soul (allegedly). The good news for him is, he finally has some competent weapons besides AJ Green. Green, already, is a top four (or better) receiver in the league; the Bengals hope that Mohamed Sanu will turn into a legit number two man, and that Jermaine Gresham will become a top tight end. Cincy also drafted tight end Tyler Eifert and running back Giovani Bernard (who I really like) with their first two selections this past year. With multiple suitable bodies to throw out on the field, Cincinnati has no excuses to not make the playoffs again this year. Except, you know, an injury to AJ Green. Or unless Andy Dalton has Mark Sanchez syndrome and completely sucks ass after two successful years.

Schedule

This schedule is no joke, and the Bengals got no favors; in addition to not having a bye until Week 12, Cincinnati has to play on the road four times in five weeks during a stretch at the end of October. Last year they finished 10-6, but miraculously won seven of their final eight games of the season to get there, with their one loss coming to Dallas by one point. I don’t see them repeating that run; I think they will get swallowed up in the gauntlet of the AFC North, where their rivals will take away Green by any cost and make someone else beat them. Maybe, however, they’ll prove me wrong. Let’s see.

Week 1: L at CHI

Week 2: L vs PIT

Week 3: W vs GB (GB o-line sucks, CIN D-line doesn’t. I’m guaranteeing this one.)

Week 4: L at CLE

Week 5: W vs NE (they will swallow up Brady. gut call.)

Week 6: L at BUF

Week 7: W at DET

Week 8: W vs NYJ
Week 9: W at MIA

Week 10: L at BAL

Week 11: W vs CLE

Week 12: Bye

Week 13: L at SD
Week 14: L vs IND (this one will be decided in the final two minutes)

Week 15: L at PIT

Week 16: W vs MIN

Week 17: W vs BAL

Wow. Even though I wanted to have one team in the AFC North struggle to balance out the records, I still have the Bengals going 8-8. I guess I’m just really high on this division this year. The 2013 Cincinnati Bengals have some promise, and will be a strong contender to make the playoffs again, but hey, someone has to struggle from that division, and I really hope it isn’t the team of my next preview...

Bold Prediction: Giovani Bernard will have 1,300 yards from scrimmage this year but not more than 5 touchdowns.

2013 Baltimore Ravens Preview

2013 Baltimore Ravens

MANDATORY SELF-PROMOTING FIRST SENTENCE BECAUSE I PICKED THE BALTIMORE RAVENS TO WIN THE 2012 SUPER BOWL IN MY PRESEASON PREDICTIONS. That’s the last I’ll bring that up, don’t worry (in this piece, anyway). The Baltimore Ravens did, of course, hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of last season by defeating the San Francisco 49ers in a wild Harbaugh Bowl. Since then, however, they have undergone somewhat of a face lift. On offense, Joe Flacco received a monstrous contract extension (which I think he deserves), but Anquan Boldin went to join the red and gold out West, while emerging star tight end Dennis Pitta will be out for the year with an injury. This means that Torrey Smith will be the lone focal point of the passing offense, and could mean an increased role for backup running back Bernard Pierce (who I’ve loved since last year). Defensively, they are an entirely new team, after the departures of key leaders Ray Lewis (retirement) and Ed Reed (Houston). Bernard Pollard is gone, Paul Kruger vaulted to Cleveland, while Dannell Ellerbe took a nice deal with the Dolphins. However, Baltimore has reloaded tremendously and shouldn’t miss a beat. Ozzie Newsome once again did a great job at bringing in free agents to go along with their two top draft picks, Arthur Brown and Matt Elam. Chris Canty is a nice addition to the defensive line; Daryl Smith has been a very underrated linebacker for a few years because he was stuck in Jacksonville; Michael Huff will help sure up the safety position; and Elvis Dumervil came over from Denver to lead the pass rush. Couple them with the fact that Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Courtney Upshaw, and the returning LaDarius Webb are still in black and purple, and you’ve got a mighty defensive unit. Even though the Ravens took care of business last year to win the AFC North, the division is even stronger this year, and, since Cleveland improved handily, any of the four teams could come out on top. This is undoubtedly the toughest and the best defensive division in the AFC (and the NFL, along with the NFC West), so a few injuries, missed field goals, or costly turnovers could go a long way in determining who makes the playoffs out of the North. Of course, all these teams are good, so maybe two or even three clubs will get to the postseason. With that said, the road to the playoffs goes through Baltimore, so let’s see how the Ravens will follow up their championship run.

Schedule

The Ravens weirdly open up the season on the road, in Denver of all places, which hardly seems fair. They have an absolutely brutal first two months of the season, but once the calendar turns to November, we could see a major surge.

Week 1: L at DEN

Week 2: L vs CLE (a classic Ravens game that they should win but don’t)

Week 3: W vs HOU (Ed Reed returns)

Week 4: W at BUF

Week 5: L at MIA

Week 6: L vs GB

Week 7: W at PIT

Week 8: Bye

Week 9: W at CLE

Week 10: W vs CIN

Week 11: W at CHI

Week 12: W vs NYJ

Week 13: W vs PIT (Thanksgiving Throwdown!)

Week 14: W vs MIN

Week 15: L at DET

Week 16: W vs NE (no Pollard makes me sad but they still win)

Week 17: L at CIN

Even though I think the Ravens will stumble into the playoffs somewhat, I still think that they will finish 2013 with a solid 10-6 record, presumably good enough to repeat as AFC North Champions. Remember, this would tie them with the Patriots, but since I have Baltimore beating New England in their Week 16 matchup, the Ravens would receive a higher seed (I also have them beating Houston which could prove vital down the road as well). A lot of pressure will be put on Joe Flacco to produce, since he signed that mammoth deal (roughly 6 years, $120,000,000), but I think he will perform well, as evidenced by that run after the bye week. Many people expect the 2013 Baltimore Ravens to stumble, but I say buy their stock, because they aren’t going anywhere. Another ten wins and a playoff berth for Baltimore.

Bold Prediction: Bernard Pierce will lead the Ravens in rushing yards with 955 and TDs with 9.