2013 Chicago Bears Preview

2013 Chicago Bears

The 2012 Chicago Bears, if you remember, was a team that I was very excited about. I picked them to win the NFC North, and to make the NFC Championship Game. I correctly called a monster season by Brandon Marshall, and the defense was as ferocious as ever. They shot out of the gate to a 7-1 start, and looked like true Super Bowl contenders halfway through the season. Then they promptly lost five out of their next six  games, and although they still won ten contests last year, the Bears fell short of the playoffs. Lovie Smith was fired for Marc Trestman, former Canadian Football League offensive guru. Some believe that with better scoring ability, Chicago will be a new and improved threat in the NFC. Matt Forte so far has looked like a force of nature, and the weapons surrounding Jay Cutler have never been better. Alshon Jeffery looks like a major breakout candidate with his huge frame, and tight end Martellus Bennett will create a receiving threat in the middle of the field. Marshall, obviously, is still the go-to man in the passing game, and should still catch about 100 balls this season. Although Brian Urlacher has retired, the Bears’ historically vaunted D is still dangerous, and can create a turnover on literally any play. Charles “Peanut” Tillman, Lance Briggs, and Julius Peppers will make sure that the defense does not yield. However, it looked like this team was for real last preseason as well, and they found a way to let us down. This is the time for Jay Cutler to show us who he is; in an age where franchise quarterbacks are getting huge extensions for proving themselves, Cutler is playing for a new contract this year. There are no more excuses for him, as he has a healthy cast of weapons, and now has an offensive coach to utilize their talents. Chicago will absolutely compete again, but with the rise of Minnesota last year and the possible roaring back of the Lions this year (see what I did there?), can the Bears stay afloat in their own division?

Schedule

Week 1: W vs CIN

Week 2: L vs MIN

Week 3: W at PIT

Week 4: L at DET

Week 5: W vs NO

Week 6: L vs NYG

Week 7: W at WAS

Week 8: Bye

Week 9: L at GB

Week 10: W vs DET

Week 11: L vs BAL

Week 12: L at STL

Week 13: W at MIN
Week 14: W vs DAL

Week 15: L at CLE

Week 16: W at PHI

Week 17: L vs GB

Like the Washington Redskins, I think the Bears will be a little bit of a disappointment this season. Like the Washington Redskins, I think the Bears will finish at 8-8. They face an extremely physical schedule, as in addition to their own division, they play the AFC North, the NFC East, and the underrated St. Louis Rams (they play the Saints, too, but they are about as physical as a teddy bear). Could the Bears break out, win the North, and make a playoff run? Absolutely. I don’t have it in the cards, but I do think that they have a lower floor and higher ceiling than other second-tier teams. If in fact Chicago does falter, I still don’t think they finish below seven wins.

Bold Prediction: Jay Cutler will throw for 3,500 yards and 25 TDs, but also lead the league in INTs with 17. Unless Geno Smith plays 16 games for the Jets, in which case Smith will throw 21.

2013 Washington Redskins Preview

2013 Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins are the fourth and final team in the NFC East, the division of which they are the defending champions. It took one season for Robert Griffin the Third to turn into a superstar, and if he wants to build on his success, he will have to do so coming back from a torn ACL that he suffered in January. RGIII has become larger than life in the city of Washington and is revered in the mainstream media. He took the league by storm with his late season run to lead the Redskins to the playoffs, and seems ready to handle the enormous expectations that are being thrust his way. However, it is yet to be seen if his team will be as up to the task as their quarterback. Alfred Morris had a truly shocking rookie season, posting top-flight running back numbers while providing plenty of relief for RGIII. I’m afraid that only one season into his career, we’ve probably already seen the best of him. Pierre Garcon is their lone real receiving threat, albeit oft-injured and slightly unreliable. He does have, though, undeniable chemistry with Griffin, so if Garcon is on the field, he has a chance to put up huge numbers. Griffin III was lethal running the football, but his designed runs will have to be hampered in order to spare his knee some wear and tear. This will force him to pass the ball more, and while he is a very talented quarterback, I think that he will not be as successful throwing the ball as some of his peers (Luck, Romo, Newton, etc.). The defense is a huge question mark, especially in the passing game. The entire defense is average, except for a very talented linebacking core. Brian Orakpo is back from injury, and Ryan Kerrigan will line up opposite from him to create a dangerous pass rush duo. They are still (STILL!) led by possibly the most underrated athlete of the last fifteen years, middle linebacker London Fletcher. This team seems ready to take the next step, but with so many expectations, and continuous discontent between RGIII and Mike Shanahan, the Redskins could be another Washington team that crumbles under the hype. Sorry, Nationals fans.

Schedule

I’ve already expressed some reservations I have about this Washington Redskins team. I don’t hate this team by any means, and I think that Robert Griffin III will be an incredible player (and future MVP) in years to come. I just don’t think that they can live up to the pressure of being crowned prematurely. Remember, before this team won the division last year, they were 3-6 and struggling to find their way. Griffin’s numbers will regress (slightly), as will Morris’s, and the defense is still vulnerable. This year, there is tape on RGIII, they play a relatively harder schedule (their divisional teams are improved, and they have to play the other first place teams in the NFC), and teams, fairly or not, will target Griffin’s knee. I’m not expecting any Adrian Peterson heroics from him. The Redskins will be competitive in 2013, but can they return to the playoffs and beyond?

Week 1: L vs PHI

Week 2: L at GB

Week 3: W vs DET

Week 4: W at OAK

Week 5: Bye

Week 6: W at DAL

Week 7: L vs CHI

Week 8: L at DEN

Week 9: W vs SD

Week 10: W at MIN

Week 11: L at PHI

Week 12: W vs SF

Week 13: W vs NYG

Week 14: W vs KC
Week 15: L at ATL

Week 16: L vs DAL

Week 17: L at NYG

I always thought that I would pen the Redskins in at 8-8, but I feel bad now that I have them losing the last three games to choke away the division. ESPN is going to have a field day with that. Anyway, I think that Washington will finish with a .500 record, which will be considered a massive disappointment to them and people around the league. I think that I probably will be wrong about at least one of the teams in the NFC East, because I don’t think that all of them will finish at least .500, but I’ll take care of that another day. For now, I have the New York Giants winning the NFC East, with the Dallas Cowboys as a contender for a wild card spot. Truly, though, anything could happen in this division. The one prediction that I will hold on to, though, is that the Washington Redskins will disappoint in 2013.

Bold Prediction: Robert Griffin III will pass for fewer than 3,000 yards and 20 TDs, and Alfred Morris will rush for less than 1,200 yards. On a happier note, Brian Orakpo will have at least 15 sacks.

2013 Philadelphia Eagles Preview

2013 Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are the biggest mystery in the NFL this year. They will look very different on the sidelines, as longtime coach Andy Reid was let go, and collegiate offensive mastermind Chip Kelly was brought in from the University of Oregon. His relentless attack is based around speed, which refers to both his players and style of play-calling. Although there are 40 seconds on the play clock, Kelly will try to run a play once every 20-25 seconds, becoming the NFL’s version of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Philly definitely has the horses to run this speed show. Michael Vick could have the best season of his career if he stays on the field and doesn’t turn the ball over, which would be an impressive feat on its own. LeSean McCoy really struggled last year, but had 20 touchdowns the year before, and even if he doesn’t have the same burst, Shady should still have a monster year based on the sheer volume of runs that Kelly will call for. The loss of Jeremy Maclin will loom large, as I don’t think DeSean Jackson is a good enough receiver to carry the passing attack. Their defense will need major improvement,  which will be difficult to manage. Because the offense, theoretically, is supposed to move at a hundred miles an hour, whether they score or not doesn’t matter, since the defense is going to be on the field A LOT no matter what. This team can feasibly finish the season at 13-3 or 3-13, and neither would greatly surprise me. One thing is certain, though: after a 4-12 season, there is new life in Philadelphia, and there’s nowhere to go but up.

Schedule

The Eagles, because they finished in last place, will face a very favorable schedule. They will face fellow bottomfeeders 

Tampa Bay and Arizona (both of whom, admittedly, are much improved), as well as the AFC West and NFC North, which are very navigable. They will play four of their final six games at home, and one of the away games is in Dallas for Week 17, which is basically a guaranteed win. Philly only won four games last year, after starting out 3-1. They quit on Andy Reid and were 1-11 in their final 12 games. Out of the four games the Eagles won, two were by a margin of one point, and the other two were by two points. I don’t think such a promising team has ever come closer to finishing 0-16. Perhaps this year, with the unknown potential surrounding Chip Kelly and his offense, they can take the league by storm (kind of like the read-option last year) and put together a run in an open NFC East to get back to the playoffs.

Week 1: W at WAS (Big upset, ruining the return of RGIII)

Week 2: W vs SD

Week 3: W vs KC (Whoa! 3-0!)

Week 4: L at DEN
Week 5: W at NYG
Week 6: L at TB

Week 7: L vs DAL

Week 8: L vs NYG (so much for that hot start)

Week 9: W at OAK

Week 10: L at GB

Week 11: W vs WAS

Week 12: Bye

Week 13: L vs ARI

Week 14: L vs DET

Week 15: W at MIN

Week 16: L vs CHI

Week 17: W at DAL

I think that the Philadelphia Eagles will have an up-and-down season in 2013, and after a hot start, they will stumble a little the rest of the way and finish the year at 8-8. Unfortunately, this would not be a good enough record for them to make the playoffs in a loaded NFC. Of course, in the first year of a new regime following a four-win season, eight wins is normally considered a success. Unless, of course, you have a 33-year-old quarterback nearing the end of his career. If the Eagles want to finally make a Super Bowl with Chip Kelly at the helm, I think it would have to be with a different man under center.

Bold Prediction: LeSean McCoy will lead the team in rushing yards (1,322), rushing touchdowns (9), and receptions (62).

2013 New York Giants Preview

2013 New York Giants

This one is very close to my heart, and although I grew up a Colts fan, I still have massive love for the New York teams. Of course, one of those clubs is not worth the same amount of attention I would give moldy cheddar cheese, so I’m all in on the Giants bandwagon this year. They really failed to defend their Super Bowl title, but look poised for a bounce back season. Eli Manning should be better, if only even just because he’ll have better weapons around him; Hakeem Nicks is back and healthy (relatively), Brandon Myers was brought in to be a solid tight end, and David Wilson is a popular breakout candidate at RB. The defense has to shape up, especially that defensive line which is supposed to be ferocious and terrifying. With the ever-present unfulfulled talent of the Cowboys looming, the possible surge of the Eagles coming under Chip Kelly, and the meteoric rise of Robert Griffin the Third in Washington, albeit coming off a torn ACL, it looks like the definitive window of opportunity the Giants have to swoop in and take charge of the NFC East is this year only. There isn’t really much left to say about the G-Men, because they only have one thought in mind this year. Just win, baby.

Schedule

Big Blue made a lot of Giants fans feel blue last season, as they are another team in this division who can fluctuate from year to year; the only difference between them and teams like Dallas is, New York already has a proven track record of winning, as seen from their two Super Bowls with Eli Manning. They only finished 9-7 last year, and spent the last two months of the season either blowing teams out, or getting blown out. The margins of victory or defeat in six of their last seven games were as follows: 18 (L), 28 (W), 25 (W), 34 (L), 19 (L), 35 (W). That’s about as inconsistent as you can get, and they still won nine games. Also, if you have any doubt of how multi-talented Eli is, watch this video now, and tell me with a straight face that you wouldn’t trust this man with your life: http://youtu.be/jn5zytfm9No. Let’s see how the New York Giants will fare this season.

Week 1: L at DAL

Week 2: W vs DEN (Manning Bowl!)

Week 3: L at CAR

Week 4: W at KC

Week 5: L vs PHI

Week 6: W at CHI

Week 7: W vs MIN

Week 8: W at PHI

Week 9: Bye

Week 10: W vs OAK

Week 11: W vs GB

Week 12: W vs DAL

Week 13: L at WAS

Week 14: W at SD

Week 15: L vs SEA

Week 16: L at DET

Week 17: W vs WAS

If all goes smoothly, the New York Giants should rebound with a nice 10-6 season, presumably enough to win this hell of a division, but you never know. I really think they can go on that beautiful run in the middle months, to improve from 2-3 to 8-3, but just when you think they are dominant, the Giants will lose three of their last five games. I also think they will beat the Packers, which is important in case that game has seeding implications for the playoffs. After my bold prediction, I’ll cover the Philadelphia Eagles. 10-6 for the New York Giants.

Bold Prediction: Brandon Myers will lead all TE in TDs with 11.

2013 Dallas Cowboys Preview

2013 Dallas Cowboys

Welcome to the NFC East, the division where everything is made up and the points don’t matter! Obviously, the points do matter in football, but the first part of that Whose Line reference rings true: everything is made up from season to season. There is no telling what these teams will do on a yearly basis, and you could make a case for ANY of the four teams to win the division, all of which are very possible. The Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, and Redskins are all worthy and able to be crowned champions of the NFC East, because they are all so inconsistent not only year to year, but from GAME to GAME. It’s maddening. We’ll get to all the other teams in this division in due time, but the first team on our slate is the Dallas Cowboys, who bring all that inconsistency I was just talking about to life. Every year it seems like they have enough talent to go far in the playoffs, but time and time again they find a way to finish 8-8. Tony Romo, statistically, is one of the best fourth quarter QBs ever, but he’s labeled as a choker because he’s only won one playoff game and finds a way to mess up the most important moments. The Cowboys are right in the hunt for the division every year at the end of December, and they find ways to lose Week 17 every year to knock themselves out of the playoffs. Just last year, they were 8-6 before losing to New Orleans and Washington in their final two games to finish at 8-8, and out of the playoffs. Once again, like every year, the NFC East is wide open for the taking, and winning this division is more important than ever. The entire NFC is completely loaded, and every single team could feasibly win at least seven games. Seattle and San Francisco are in an arms race out West; the Saints, Panthers, and Bucs are all improved and ready to challenge the Falcons in the South; and the gap between the Packers and everyone else in the North is as small as ever. Odds are that the East is only going to get one team in the playoffs this year, so Dallas is going to have to be strong from start to finish if they want to be a contender. All the pieces are there: Tony Romo is a good enough quarterback to win the Super Bowl, theoretically; if healthy, DeMarco Murray can be productive; Dez Bryant is going to be an absolute monster this year (more on this later) to complement Witten who will man the middle of the field. The defense needs work but has individual talent with DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, and Morris Claiborne. The Dallas Cowboys are the most frustrating team in the NFL...is this the year that they learn how to win?

Schedule

As I said, the Cowboys were about to win this division last year until they lost their final two games and finished 8-8. Their schedule is not too crazy, as they only have to play (outside the division) the NFC North and the AFC West as their inter-conference games, along with St. Louis and Chicago. Dallas has a bunch of primetime games, so you better get used to seeing them. They start off against the Giants on Sunday Night Football in Week 1, then travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs. Last year they beat Big Blue to open the season and lost on the road the following week to an underrated Seattle team. I sense a little deja vu. The Cowboys are impossible to predict, so, naturally, I’m going to give it a shot right now.

Week 1: W vs NYG (don’t worry, there will be revenge)

Week 2: L at KC (classic Cowboys letdown game after a big win)

Week 3: L vs STL (bad Romo game)

Week 4: W at SD

Week 5: W vs DEN (crazy Romo game)

Week 6: L vs WAS (RGIII)

Week 7: W at PHI
Week 8: L at DET

Week 9: W vs MIN
Week 10: W at NO (big win going into bye week)

Week 11: Bye

Week 12: L at NYG (big loss coming out of bye week)

Week 13: W vs OAK

Week 14: L at CHI (Bears’ D has Romo’s number)

Week 15: W vs GB

Week 16: W at WAS (clutch win)

Week 17: L vs PHI (Week 17 at home? What else would happen?)

After all those ups and downs, I think the Dallas Cowboys will finish the season 9-7, a fair prediction, and a more faithful one than what most people are giving them. Whether this record is good enough to get them in the playoffs or not will be seen. Here’s a little teaser, though: I do think they finish somewhere in the top two spots in their division. The next team preview up will be that of New York Giants, where the homer bias will come into play almost never. For those wondering how I could think so highly of the Cowboys, a lot of it has to do with this guy right here...

Bold Prediction: Dez Bryant will have 94 rec, 1,504 yards, 14 TDs, and finish as the #1 fantasy WR.

2013 San Diego Chargers Preview

2013 San Diego Chargers

The Chargers will wrap up the AFC side of the previews, and if you’ve been paying attention at all, you know that my six playoff teams are set already, and should look like this (in seed order): Denver, Baltimore, New England, Houston, Indianapolis, Cleveland. However that does not mean that you shouldn’t read this preview, as it will be short and sweet. I don’t like the Chargers. I used to in the glory days of the mid-2000’s, when Philip Rivers wasn’t an atrocity, and LT and Gates were in their primes. That success is long gone now, and this is now a team struggling to stay relevant. Mike McCoy is in at head coach, taking a promotion from Denver’s offensive coordinator position. I don’t think it will matter. Rivers is on the decline of his career, Ryan Mathews lives in the hospital, and they don’t have any threatening receivers. The defense was pretty solid last year but it is unknown if they can continue that success. Vincent Brown is a strong breakout candidate, but I don’t think his season will live up to the hype (maybe like 800 yards, 5 TDs). The one guy who could be quite productive is Danny Woodhead, the utility scatback who came over from New England. Thank goodness we are done talking about the Manti Te’o fake girlfriend story, which in my opinion was a waste of time. The Chargers have lost their luster, and I think they will be closer to the bottom of the AFC West standings this year. Love the powder blues, though.

Schedule

So I was looking through San Diego’s schedule and I realized that I had them losing almost every game, without even 

really meaning it. I mean, this team still has some talent and dignity left, enough so that they don’t put together a 4-12 season. Here are my predictions for the Chargers, and forgive me if the games don’t all match up to those of the previous teams’ schedules. It’s the final record that matters.

Week 1: L vs HOU

Week 2: L at PHI

Week 3: W at TEN

Week 4: L vs DAL

Week 5: L at OAK

Week 6: W vs IND

Week 7: L at JAC

Week 8: Bye

Week 9: W at WAS

Week 10: L vs DEN

Week 11: L at MIA

Week 12: L at KC
Week 13: W vs CIN

Week 14: L vs NYG

Week 15: L at DEN

Week 16: W vs OAK

Week 17: W vs KC

The 2013 San Diego Chargers will finish 6-10, which will be third in the AFC West. I can’t see them doing better than 

that, although I may be a little too down on the team in general. Do not put any stock in the individual game results for the Chargers, because I have no idea when and where the wins will come; all I know is, they are in a tier above the awful teams in the conference, but below the serious playoff contenders, kind of like the Buffalo Bills. The only difference is, the Bills are on their way up, but the Chargers are falling down, and I think that the Philip Rivers window has officially closed.

Bold Prediction: Danny Woodhead will lead the team in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Ryan Mathews will not break 400 rushing yards.

2013 Oakland Raiders Preview

2013 Oakland Raiders

Surprise, surprise, the Oakland Raiders still suck. The black and silver have been a laughingstock pretty much ever since they were in the Super Bowl in 2002. They have undergone a quarterback and coaching carousel, each successive regime failing just like the last. The defense perennially is near the bottom of the league, and the lone bright spot on offense, Darren McFadden, has never played a full 16 game season in his whole career. Matt Flynn was brought in to run the offense, but if he struggles, it will be interesting how long he will keep the starting quarterback job over Terrelle Pryor, who has shown some flashes of ability. To me, there is only one guy on this team worth a fantasy roster spot, and that is wide receiver Denarius Moore if he is still available around round 12 or so. There isn’t really anything else to say about this team, other than the fact that they have the best-named kicker in the league: Sebastian Janikowski. So that’s it. Another bad season for the Raiders. Let’s see just how bad they will be.

Schedule

Week 1: L at IND

Week 2: W vs JAC

Week 3: L at DEN

Week 4: L vs WAS

Week 5: W vs SD

Week 6: L at KC

Week 7: Bye

Week 8: W vs PIT

Week 9: L vs PHI

Week 10: L at NYG

Week 11: L at HOU

Week 12: W vs TEN

Week 13: L at DAL

Week 14: L at NYJ

Week 15: L vs KC

Week 16: L at SD

Week 17: L vs DEN (could be win if DEN starters are rested)

That’s four, maybe five wins for Oakland this year, which means they will be bad again, but not pathetic like the Jets (even though they will lose to New York anyway). I do have a horrible feeling that they might upset the Giants in Week 10, because that’s just the kind of mid-year game the G-Men lose. So let’s settle on a 5-11 record for Oakland and leave it right there.

Bold Prediction: Denarius Moore will catch 1,000 yards OR 10 TDs.