2013 St. Louis Rams Preview

2013 St. Louis Rams

With all the success the 49ers and Seahawks had last year with their flashy young quarterbacks, people forget about how good this Rams team was. Do you know which NFC West team had the best divisional record last season? At 4-1-1, it was the St. Louis Rams. Remember, they did not lose to San Francisco, defeating them once and tying them in the other. They beat up the Cardinals twice, and were .500 against the Seahawks, their lone loss in the division. Their defense ranked in the top ten in several categories, and have added numerous weapons to help out the offense. Jeff Fisher is a veteran head coach who knows how to win, and will find ways to get the most production out of his young players. Sam Bradford has had a tough career to say the least, but this season will be his best opportunity to succeed, if he himself is able to step and and join the upper echelon of quarterbacks. Steven Jackson, after many dutiful years of service for a bad team, has moved on, which means that the Rams will turn to a committee of young backs, led by Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead. Their number one receiver last year, Danny Amendola, is gone as well, but St. Louis has plenty of young pass catchers to fill his void. Chris Givens, Austin Pettis, and Brian Quick will return, and in the first round, the Rams drafted exciting wide out Tavon Austin out of West Virginia. None of these receivers have had much success in the NFL so far, but all have breakout ability if things go right. They also added Jared Cook, a tight end who has supposed to have broken out for the last four years, and also Jake Long, a fantastic left tackle to help solidify the offensive line. The defense, as previously mentioned, are top of the line. They pressure the quarterback all game long, with Chris Long and Robert Quinn racing around the edges. Their linebackers are forceful; James Laurinaitis has been a Pro Bowler multiple times, Jo-Lonn Dunbar is becoming a household name, and rookie Alec Ogletree is a playmaker who can be dynamic. At corner, Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins aren’t the most model citizens, but they are frantic and don’t back down from a challenge. The Rams’ stock is going up, and they’ll be competitive sooner rather than later. Some people like the Cardinals to be the surprise of the NFC West, but if either team has a chance of cracking the top two, I believe that the Rams have the ability to make that jump. For the final time, let’s look at the schedule.

Schedule

Week 1: W vs ARI

Week 2: L at ATL

Week 3: W at DAL

Week 4: W vs SF

Week 5: W vs JAC

Week 6: L at HOU

Week 7: L at CAR

Week 8: W vs SEA
Week 9: W vs TEN

Week 10: L at IND

Week 11: Bye

Week 12: W vs CHI

Week 13: L at SF

Week 14: L at ARI

Week 15: L vs NO

Week 16: W vs TB

Week 17: L at SEA

I believe that the Rams will get off to a very fast start, to the tune of a 6-3 record. They will be in position to make the playoffs, until they hit that stretch after their bye which is murderous. They have all three road games against their divisional opponents, to go along with home contests against the Bears, Saints, and Buccaneers, who should all be fighting for playoff spots as well. After finishing the year 2-5, I believe the Rams will be another team who will be at 8-8, just a game or two away from postseason contention. While I still think other average teams in the NFC are better than St. Louis right now (Bears, Panthers, Bucs, etc.), the Rams are on their way to success, and could make the playoffs as soon as this year depending on the play of Sam Bradford. This concludes my team previews, and in a day or two I’ll have my official season predictions up and ready to be seen. This will include final standings, all the playoff games, smart bets to make, fantasy rankings, and, of course, a Super Bowl Champion. As of right now, because I still don’t know which teams I officially have in the playoffs from this conference, here is what my NFC playoff picture looks like, in seed order: SEA, ATL, GB, NYG, SF, DAL. However, that isn’t locked in, because right now I’m a bit down on the Giants, and because of tiebreakers, if they don’t win the NFC East, they will not make the playoffs, freeing up a space for a Carolina, Tampa Bay, Chicago, etc. Or maybe Dallas won’t make the playoffs, and another spot could be available. Plus, Atlanta, Green Bay, and Seattle are all 11-5, and the seeding tiebreaker is crazy, so those seeds might change as well. I’ll know for sure when my official predictions come out, because whatever I feel will be locked in. So, after a bold prediction, my official predictions will be out soon, followed by my Week One predictions with the point spreads. There’s nothing like the start of a new football season.

Bold Prediction: The Rams D/ST will finish as a top five fantasy option, and Alec Ogletree will be the Defensive Rookie of the Year.

2013 Seattle Seahawks Preview

2013 Seattle Seahawks

As discussed in my previous preview, I have taken my side in the arms race that is the NFC West, and my loyalties lie with the Seattle Seahawks. I love everything about this team, except for their repeated insisting of their players to get four-game substance abuse suspensions. I’m all in on Russell Wilson as a future Super Bowl-winning quarterback (and by future, I mean possibly as soon as this year...), even at his less-than-preferred size. I think that when all of these young quarterbacks have come and gone, Wilson will have had the second-best career out of any of them, behind Andrew Luck. He is incredibly smart, has great instincts, and is a worthy leader. He is quick, but does not rely on rushing, and he is very accurate and efficient throwing the ball. Marshawn Lynch is the definition of Beast Mode, and I am also a bit of a fan of the long term prospects of rookie running back Christine Michael. They should be a top five rushing offense in the league this year without trouble. The obvious flaw on their offensive lies with their receivers, as there is no real star among them unless Percy Harvin makes a miraculous return at the end of the season. Sidney Rice and Golden Tate are decent complimentary receivers, but I doubt any of them can become a true stud on the outside. I’ve heard a good amount of experts speak about Tate as a golden find at the end of fantasy drafts (see what I did there?); the Seahawks are going to put points on the board, and someone has to emerge as a star, don’t they? So maybe we see Golden Tate become the top target in this offense, but I would bank on Wilson simply spreading the ball around, giving everyone respectable numbers. The Seattle offense took off at the end of last year, posting scores of 58, 50, and 42 (against the 49ers!) in December. The Seahawks’ defense is arguably the most daunting in the whole league, with studs at every level. Bobby Wagner, their young middle linebacker, will have a huge season, and the secondary as a whole is impenetrable. Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas (my personal favorite) are the stars of the best secondary in the league, and it’s really not that close. There’s no reason why this unit should not be among the top three defenses in the NFL, which would ensure the Seahawks be a true Super Bowl contender, after falling short last season in Atlanta. Seattle has, perhaps, the best home crowd environment in the league (I think they do, over New Orleans), which should help guarantee them at least seven wins out of eight home games. The Hawks will only be able to achieve their ultimate goal, however, if they can take care of business on the road.

Schedule

The Seahawks went 11-5 last season, which was good enough for a Wild Card spot. They were 6-5 before running off five wins in a row to end the season, in dominating fashion (I already talked about their point totals earlier). After defeating the Washington Redskins in the Wild Card round (forever to be known as the RG-knee Game), they fell to the Falcons, after getting crushed by them, and then coming all the way back, only to out-choke Atlanta, snatching defeat from the jaws of miraculous victory. As with all the other teams with sophomore quarterbacks, the world will be watching to see whether Wilson will progress upon his fabulous rookie season, or whether he will fall into the trap of the sophomore slump. Their schedule is fierce, but Seattle is the most physical team in the league, and if they are defeated, it won’t be because of any lack in effort.

Week 1: L at CAR (classic hype letdown game)

Week 2: W vs SF

Week 3: W vs JAC

Week 4: L at HOU

Week 5: W at IND

Week 6: W vs TEN

Week 7: L at ARI

Week 8: L at STL

Week 9: W vs TB

Week 10: W at ATL (again...REVENGE!!!!!!!!!!)

Week 11: W vs MIN

Week 12: Bye

Week 13: W vs NO

Week 14: L at SF

Week 15: W at NYG (changed prediction)

Week 16: W vs ARI

Week 17: W vs STL

After a surprisingly slow start and a 4-4 record, I think Seattle will find their groove, and go 7-1 the rest of the way, finishing 11-5 and winning the NFC West by one game over their rival Niners. I believe that the NFC is Seattle’s conference to lose, for what that’s worth, even though there are many other suitable teams who can rise up and make the Super Bowl. They are ferocious, talented everywhere, and ready to win.

Bold Prediction: Russell Wilson will total 4,000 yards and 33 touchdowns.

2013 San Francisco 49ers Preview

2013 San Francisco 49ers

It is known that I do not think with my head when it comes to the 49ers, but with my heart. And my heart tells me that I want them to be crushed. It was never my intention to have this hatred, but the last half of 2012 changed that. I repeatedly established myself as anti-Kaepernick, and I have no intention of backing down now. He came dangerously close to winning a Super Bowl last year, which would have devastated me. I don’t root for people, no matter how talented, who lack intangibles. Also, last year the Seahawks took off with Russell Wilson at the helm, and the Seattle-San Francisco rivalry was born. Both teams will be great, and they both will be fighting for a championship. A side has to be picked, and I made my choice. Kaepernick obviously has a world of talent, and if I were to deny that it would just be ignorant. However, I think that teams will utilize the tape on him to figure out a way to try to contain his running. If that happens, I think he will struggle, because I don’t think that Kaep has enough throwing ability (yet) to match his peers, such as RGIII, Wilson, or even Cam Newton. He also doesn’t have many quality receivers to throw to; Vernon Davis is a good tight end, but Anquan Boldin, as much love as I have for him, cannot be a true number one receiver. After him, unless Michael Crabtree returns, are the likes of Kyle Williams and Lavelle Hawkins. Frank Gore is aging but still a handful to take down, and LaMichael James might get more action this season, with his dynamic quickness. The 49ers offense, in my opinion, has the biggest ceiling of any offense  of the top teams in the NFL, but also maybe the lowest floor. As far as the defense, not much needs to be said. NaVorro Bowman looks like he has taken over the top linebacker spot from Patrick Willis, but both are still very intimidating. Meanwhile, the “Smith Brothers” Aldon and Justin (unrelated) are still a devastating combination. The one area of concern is the secondary, where they can be exposed if the pass rush doesn’t reach the quarterback in a sufficient manner. Generally, though, that’s not an issue. This is a top five defense even in a down year, so barring an extreme injury, they should have no problem getting back into the playoffs.

Schedule

Week 1: L vs GB (probable win, but I’m banking on GB learning the read option)

Week 2: L at SEA (possibly the most intense game in the NFL all season)

Week 3: W vs IND

Week 4: L at STL

Week 5: W vs HOU

Week 6: W vs ARI
Week 7: W at TEN

Week 8: W at JAC

Week 9: Bye

Week 10: W vs CAR

Week 11: W at NO (another change)

Week 12: L at WAS

Week 13: W vs STL

Week 14: W vs SEA

Week 15: L at TB

Week 16: W vs ATL

Week 17: L at ARI

Originally I had the 49ers losing that game to New Orleans Week 11, which would make them 9-7, but they can’t lose that many games, can they? I don’t think so. I changed the Saints game, but that extra win could come against Green Bay, St. Louis, Arizona, Tampa Bay, Washington...there are many games that San Francisco could potentially win. So I think it’s fair to peg the Niners in for ten wins, which, at this rate, would be enough to get them a playoff spot as well. Even though I would love to see San Francisco fail, at least for this year, it is clear that they are one of the top five teams in the league, and will absolutely compete for a Super Bowl. We’ll just have to see what happens, and hopefully they will be defeated by the team in my next preview.

Bold Prediction: Colin Kaepernick will throw for less than 3,500 yards and 20 TDs, but will rush for at least 500 yards, and 5 TDs.

2013 Arizona Cardinals Preview

2013 Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are a very popular dark horse to make some noise not only in the West, but in the NFC in general. They were a measly 5-11 last year, but had basically the worst quarterback play in the league. Most people don’t remember that they actually started off the year 4-0, with their first two victories coming against the Seahawks, and the Patriots IN NEW ENGLAND. They promptly collapsed after that, mainly because of the offense. Their defense was top-notch, finishing in the top half of the league in points per game allowed, yards per game allowed, interceptions (2nd), sacks, and fumble receptions. They have a wealth of talent, including Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett, Karlos Dansby, Daryl Washington, Patrick Peterson, and Tyrann Mathieu, the last of whom could make a great impact depending on the amount of playing time he gets. Washington will serve a four-game suspension, but he was fantastic last year, with nine sacks from the middle linebacker position. Peterson, meanwhile, is, in my opinion, the second best corner in the league behind a healthy Darrelle Revis, and has amazing playmaking ability. This is a top twelve defense at worst, and could end up being the best defense in that division (unlikely, but still). The doubts from this team stem from the offensive side of the ball, and like Chicago, they now have an offensive head coach that should help put points on the board. Bruce Arians is now the head coach of the Cardinals, as reward for the tremendous job he did with the Colts last year. His style revolves around the deep ball, and Arizona now has veteran Carson Palmer to run the show. Both of these acquisitions will greatly satisfy Larry Fitzgerald, who FINALLY has a competent quarterback to throw him the ball once again. The lost years of Fitzgerald’s prime will remain a deep disappointment, but I believe that this year he will return to form like the All-Pro that he is, reminding us of what could have been. Palmer should bring some of the firepower to Arizona that they have been lacking, but I’m not as high on him as others. The best years of the former USC quarterback are behind him, but he should be, with a few quality receivers around him, good enough to win a couple of games with this arm. Rashard Mendenhall looks like he is in line for the starting running back job which could lead to big dividends, as his most successful season came with Arians calling the plays in Pittsburgh. This Cardinals team has a lot of potential, but will be held back because of the division they play in. If Arizona was in the AFC East or West, they would be the second best team, but in the NFC West, I believe the highest they can reach is third. And that would be if they finish higher than the Rams, who I am a fan of this year, so...the Cardinals could surprise the country and make the playoffs, and if they do, they will make me look bad.

Schedule

The NFC West is basically a slugfest, as all four defenses in the division could finish in the top ten in the league. Each and every divisional matchup will be a bloodbath, and I wouldn’t be surprised if every team finished 3-3 against each other. As far as the other games, the West will face off versus the NFC South and the AFC South, and Arizona will also play Detroit and Philadelphia, who are each much improved. So, how will the Cardinals fare with such a nasty schedule?

Week 1: L at STL

Week 2: W vs DET

Week 3: L at NO

Week 4: L at TB

Week 5: W vs CAR

Week 6: L at SF
Week 7: W vs SEA

Week 8: L vs ATL

Week 9: Bye

Week 10: L vs HOU

Week 11: L at JAC

Week 12: L vs IND

Week 13: W at PHI

Week 14: W vs STL

Week 15: W at TEN

Week 16: L at SEA

Week 17: W vs SF

After a nice run to end the season, I think the 2013 Arizona Cardinals will have a 7-9 record, which is the best record I can project for them. While their defense is a quality unit, there are just too many questions regarding the offense, especially with that atrocious offensive line, for me to give them more than seven wins. That side of the ball only has one star, and that is...

Bold Prediction: Larry Fitzgerald will be a top 10 fantasy receiver (I have him at #6), with 90 catches, 1,300 yards, and 9 TDs.

2013 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview

2013 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If you remember from my original NFL preview for this season that I posted about a month ago, I had predicted the Bucs to challenge the Falcons for the NFC South crown. I don’t know what has changed in the past couple of weeks, but I’m not as high on them as I once was. Maybe it’s that I’ve been more optimistic about the Falcons and Panthers, or maybe it’s seeing Josh Freeman absolutely suck this preseason, but either way, even as I’m typing this right now, I don’t know how Tampa Bay will fit into the NFC picture. If you disregard Freeman for a moment, this team has lots of talent. Doug Martin took the NFL by storm last year, bursting onto the scene with a tremendous season. The Buccaneers have two playmaking wide outs in Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, and a very good offensive line now that guards Carl Nicks and Davin Joseph are back and healthy. The defense has made some major improvements, especially in the secondary. Tampa had the fewest rushing yards per game allowed in the entire league because of guys like Mason Foster, Adrian Clayborne, and rookie Lavonte David. However, they consequently had the worst pass defense in the entire league as well, giving up almost 300 yards a game through the air. Safety Mark Barron will be much improved now that he has experience, and will start alongside free agent acquisition Dashon Goldson from San Francisco. And, of course, the Bucs also happened to bring in a pretty good corner named Darrelle Revis, who I watched as a Jet all the time. He really is the best corner in the game, and if he comes back strong from his ACL injury, Tampa could see their pass defense transform from league-worst to above average in one year. So really, the only question mark is Josh Freeman, and that question mark is basically in size 48 font. He has had so many ups and downs, and is still so young, that it is impossible to predict how Freeman will perform this upcoming season. If he maximizes his talents, then Tampa Bay could be looking at a 13-3 season with the top seed in the conference; unfortunately, he also has enough power to drag this team down to 5-11 as well. If he plays poorly, then the Bucs can let him walk after the season, and turn to Mike Glennon as their starting quarterback of the future. They have a pretty navigable schedule and have already proven that they can play with and beat any of their divisional opponents.

Schedule

Tampa Bay was 6-4 through ten games last season, riding a four game winning streak, and was in position to make a run for a wild card spot. They promptly lost their next five games before pulling out a win Week 17 to finish at 7-9, all playoff hopes gone. Let’s see how they will do this year.

Week 1: W at NYJ (Geno Smith, meet Darrelle Revis. 27-3)

Week 2: W vs NO

Week 3: L at NE (changing this pick from the NE preview)

Week 4: W vs ARI

Week 5: Bye

Week 6: W vs PHI (4-1 start, very realistic)

Week 7: L at ATL

Week 8: W vs CAR

Week 9: L at SEA

Week 10: W vs MIA

Week 11: W vs ATL

Week 12: L at DET

Week 13: L at CAR

Week 14: W vs BUF

Week 15: W vs SF

Week 16: L at STL

Week 17: L at NO

What the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ season comes down to is I don’t think you can trust Josh Freeman to win one of those last two games on the road to get to ten wins and a probable wild card spot. At 9-7, as it is, the Bucs should be competing with teams like the Cowboys, Lions, Bears, Panthers, and the teams out west for the two wild card spots. I would have given Tampa ten wins, but I changed the Patriots game to a loss, because although preseason stats don’t matter, I trust the eye test, and the Bucs just don’t look like a team that can go into New England and win. Maybe by the time I do my final prediction piece, I’ll make a definitive decision on Tampa Bay, but for right now, they are hovering around playoff position, and the South firmly belongs to Atlanta.

Bold Prediction: Since teams have to throw on Tampa Bay, and they have to at least test out how an ACL is healing, Darrelle Revis will lead the NFL in interceptions this season, including EITHER: two against the Jets in Week One, or one against them that gets returned to the house.

2013 New Orleans Saints Preview

2013 New Orleans Saints

Where do we begin with New Orleans Saints? They were 7-9 last season without Sean Payton leading the team and calling the offense, even though Drew Brees had another monster year. Most people expect that with Payton on the sidelines, the Saints will be in F-U mode and score 30+ a game on their way to winning double digit games again. I disagree with these people. While they will undoubtedly be torturous on offense, I think that Brees will continue to throw an uncharacteristic amount of interceptions, and they will be too one-dimensional. The New Orleans defense is simply atrocious, and even though the Saints will be able to win a couple of games by just outscoring people, I will guarantee they will also lose a couple because they won’t be able to stop their opponent from putting points on the board. The defenses in the NFC are fantastic, and New Orleans has to face the NFC West, which should put all four defensive units inside the top ten in the NFL. They have to play in Chicago, and face Tampa Bay twice with their new acquisition, Darrelle Revis. This team will be exposed, and I think Sean Payton will be on such a mission to try to light up the scoreboard that sometimes it will cloud his judgment. One thing is certain, though, on this team: as long as Drew Brees is healthy, there’s no reason why he won’t throw for about 5,000 and 35 TDs.

Schedule

Week 1: L vs ATL

Week 2: L at TB

Week 3: W vs ARI

Week 4: W vs MIA

Week 5: L at CHI

Week 6: L at NE

Week 7: Bye

Week 8: W vs BUF

Week 9: W at NYJ

Week 10: L vs DAL (Jones torches them in Week 1, now it’s Dez’s turn)

Week 11: W vs SF

Week 12: L at ATL

Week 13: L at SEA

Week 14: L vs CAR

Week 15: W at STL

Week 16:  W at CAR

Week 17: W vs TB

So I have the New Orleans Saints going 8-8 in 2013, and that’s only if they win their last three games, with two of them against quality opponents on the road. Bottom line: I do not think the New Orleans Saints will make the playoffs this season. I don’t think they will be horrible either, obviously, because they still have too much firepower to struggle that much.

Bold Prediction: Kenny Stills will finish the season as the second best wide receiver on the Saints, behind Colston.

2013 Carolina Panthers Preview

2013 Carolina Panthers

It feels like Cam Newton has been in the league for longer than two years, but he’s still young and developing. He has put up some incredible numbers both passing and running, and is now a strong contender to be a top five fantasy quarterback every year. The one problem he’s had (besides having a lack of skill position talent around him) is being able to win games and be a better “real-life quarterback”. He’s like the opposite of Joe Flacco or Eli Manning, who are not top 10 fantasy quarterbacks but have the knack for winning games late. So in his third season, Newton is going to have to improve upon the little things: mechanics, progressions, making smarter decisions, making big throws in the fourth quarter, etc. He has all the talent in the world, so if he matures into an even better passer...watch out. The rest of the team is good enough to make a playoff push, but not great enough to win a championship yet. DeAngelo Williams looks like he is a one-year wonder, and at age 30, he might have one more productive season in his legs. Someone has to step up in the receiving corps to deflect attention away from the ever-aging Steve Smith. Odds are it will have to be Brandon LaFell, entering his fourth season, or veteran tight end Greg Olsen, who was marvelous towards the end of last season. The defense has a surprising amount of talent, especially in the front seven. Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy are quality defensive ends, and the Panthers may have found the (maybe already?) future best linebacker in the NFL, Luke Kuechly. Carolina finished 10th in yards per game allowed last season which is very good, but were only 18th in points per game allowed. Their secondary also struggled, only capturing 11 interceptions which ranked in the lower third of the league. There is talent here to be utilized, but Carolina has not been able to put all the pieces together yet, and I don’t know if they will ever be able to do so with Ron Rivera as head coach.

Schedule

The Carolina Panthers were 7-9 last year, but there are a couple of things that jump out when examining their schedule: they won five of their last six games (with the loss coming to the two-win Chiefs), and seven of the nine games they lost were by six points or less. This team easily could have won ten games but just couldn’t quite get there. Even though they were competitive in a lot of contests, the fact that they lost seven one-possession games proves my point that Cam needs to learn how to win in the fourth quarter. Let’s see if he can finally get the Panthers to the postseason.

Week 1: W vs SEA (UPSET ALERT BABY)

Week 2: L at BUF

Week 3: W vs NYG

Week 4: Bye

Week 5: L at ARI

Week 6: W at MIN

Week 7: W vs STL

Week 8: L at TB

Week 9: W vs ATL

Week 10: L at SF

Week 11: L vs NE (great MNF matchup)

Week 12: W vs MIA

Week 13: W vs TB

Week 14: W at NO

Week 15: W vs NYJ

Week 16: L vs NO

Week 17: L at ATL

If my predictions hold, the Carolina Panthers will have a 9-7 record in 2013 and push for a playoff spot. That December slate is devastating, with four divisional games surrounding what should be an easy win against the Jets. I do think that Cam will have another spectacular statistical season, and will also be better at closing at games, but I still think that this team is one dynamic offensive player away from joining the elite clubs in the NFC.

Bold Prediction: Greg Olsen will be a top 3 tight end, and Cam Newton will be a top 3 QB (fantasy-wise).