The first nine weeks of the NFL season seem like a limited run for a movie. But those great reviews are about to turn into a wide-release blockbuster. There were lots of outstanding happenings in the first half of the season, but there is so much more great stuff coming over the next eight weeks. The weather's getting worse, the days are getting shorter, the football will be getting better. Perfect.
One great thing, and I think I speak for all pro football fans here, is that there are no more byes. Full 16-game weekends and the weekends start on Thursday and run till Monday night starting on Thanksgiving. Football, football and more football. And ain't it grand?
So what do we expect over the last eight weeks? What do you expect?
Here's my list of 10. You are encouraged to add yours.
1--GIANTS: I'll get the most painful offering out of the way first. The Big Blue Team of Destiny has too many injuries and not enough deep depth to overcome them. The team says Strahan could be back in two weeks; he's not so confident. It's a reversal of the usual but I believe him and am not too hopeful. Our guys have the Bears this Sunday night at home and we greatly anticipate it. In fact, we think they'll win that. Because the rest of the NFC East is pretty bad, the Giants should make the playoffs. (Watch the Eagles, though.) But it's one and out for Big Blue.
2--COLTS: I'm tired of all the Peyton Manning minimizers. QB is the most important position in pro sports, we can agree, but the QB is not alone out there in case you hadn't noticed. OK. If he wins a Super Bowl this season is he then Elway, and if he doesn't do you keep calling him Marino? Up to you. I'm thinking he's Miami-bound this season but he's not going there undefeated. Where's the loss? Not this week, but soon.
3--BEARS: If the QB is the most important position in sports, then the Bears cannot win. Rex Grossman's too uncertain, he's Tiger Pitching balls all over the place and the injuries are making an impact. So playoffs yes, Super Bowl, no.
4--SAINTS: Wouldn't it be nice? How much fun do you think it is playing for the Saints this season? This is not only a surprise team, it's a pretty good team--all with Reggie Bush not quite doing what was hoped for. But Drew Brees is a perfect fit and the rest of the pieces look good. Hey, NFL and NBC how about finding a way to get the Saints on national TV at least one more time, preferably in the Dome? Those are your marching orders, you figure out the details.
5--PATRIOTS: What was going on with the Pats on Sunday night against the Colts? Something seemed missing (yes, I know good wideouts for one) but they just seemed off. Brady threw four INTs and it all seemed wrong. Maroney was almost wonderful but he wasn't. The D stopped stopping at all the wrong times. Rodney Harrison is gone and things can't be great in Foxboro. Funny, this was such a sorry franchise for so long and has been so outstanding now you expect it all to work with these guys. But the Pats only have to really hold off the Jets to win the Division and that seems too easy. The playoffs won't be.
6--CHARGERS: Here's a team that let one outstanding QB go in Brees and managed to make it work with Philip Rivers in his place. It doesn't hurt one bit to have LaDainian Tomlinson running for them. You have to talk LT when you talk MVP and if his next eight are close to the last two, watch out. But Shawne Merriman's suspension for three more games (and the reason for that suspension) is sure to have a major impact on these guys and that impact won't be a good one.
7--STEELERS: Not everyone on this list is going to the playoffs. The Super Bowl champs are going through just an awful season. We've already given our advice to Bill Cowher and we still think he should take it. (Yes to all: I know how many yards Ben has the last two weeks. I also know how many INTs.) I wonder if Cowher would be looking at the Roethlisberger question in the same light if he was going to be the Steelers coach for the next 15 years instead of the last 15. Unfair? Maybe. Sit Ben is my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
8--CARDINALS: Well, any list that has the Cardinals on it is obviously not all about playoff teams. This sorry group could be looking at a historic 1-15 finish. But they do play the awful 49ers one more time. But here's what we expect: Our man Denny Green will manage to lose ‘em all and leave behind the little bits of a team (and a few microphones) destroyed. I hope Matt Leinart has a long, long career with the Cardinals; he's going to need it to get himself a winner.
9--RAVENS: There are two teams that I think are real good and getting better. This is one definitely. McNair's been good at QB and he better stay healthy. But the D is awesome with Ray Lewis and Adalius Thomas, Ed Reed, Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister. Fun to watch. Super Bowl? Not this season.
10--PANTHERS: This is the other team that's real good and getting better. Julius Peppers is having a Player of the Year season and the team has kept fairly injury free (sorry Panther fans for putting the mark on them). And Steve Smith is one of the few outspoken players who are as good as he thinks he is. The NFC Super Bowl team plays in Carolina.
That's it: my new Super Bowl picks are Colts and Panthers. (I started the season with the Bucs and Bengals so what do I know?) Who you got?
Deanna Clover
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Comments (8) Add A Comment
Forgive for saying it, but it seems someone is taking a few shots at me here...but i could be wrong, as I do tend to think the world revolves around me a little too much.
I won't believe the Colts until they have to come up big the Playoffs. Just can't pull the trigger on them.
I still like the Pats to come out of the AFC, I just think they'll be ready come playoff time.
As for the NFC, you're right, Rex is a little unnerving out there...but deep in my heart, I still believe the Bears are going to the big game. And I can't stop believing that.
The Panthers would scare me more is anyone on their D was actually playing besides Peppers.
And I don't see the hawks on your list...don't count them out...they'll be getting healthy and should round into shape right around playoff time...they'll be a load to deal with as well.
Josh
Total Comments (5870)
Josh: List can't be perfect! consider the source. Shots at you my sun, I mean my son? Well, if the bullet hits, fear it.
Arthur Pincus
Total Comments (783)
I demand perfection Arthur!
After the Bears roll through your G-men this weekend...I'll let you revise your picks.
And yes, I'm compensating for a seed of doubt by being more arrogant about the Bears...think it's more fun this way.
Josh
Total Comments (5870)
If arrogance by the fans would win Super Bowls, the Redskins would be there just about every year. Sorry, that's not gonna help the Bears on Sunday. Bears have two straight at the Meadowlands. No fun for them even if one's against the Jets
Arthur Pincus
Total Comments (783)
Enjoyed the list and while I'll formulate my own at a later time
I wanted to add a little about the Panther's woes. Starting off the season as many of the pundits Super Bowl pick made me easy, Carolina just doesn't seem to be a team that responds well to being in the spotlight. Whatever the reason is for that is beyond me. The John Fox era has been one of the better coaching jobs in our brief history, however this year is creating some doubters. I don't really doubt Fox's ability to coach in the X's and O's sense, but my displeasure comes from his loyalty to injury plagued players and an over conservative style of play. Enter Mike Trgo, defensive coordinator and Dan Henning, on the other side of the ball. Now, my football knowledge is fairly limited, I can't break defenses down or draw up intricate plays on offense, but I do have the ability to identify plays that aren't working and a game plan that is too vanilla to make a very talented team ineffective.
For me it all goes back to the basics, if the opponents have an obvious weakness then you should try to exploit it. Take the Cincinatti game for example, Cincy is known for having a weak O-line and and porous run defense. The first half of the game went well, the Panthers were able to get good pressure on Carson Palmer and keep him from getting any kind of rhythm with his receivers, but in the second half we scaled back on the blitzes and allowed Palmer to pick our injured secondary apart. On the other side of the ball we decided to bail on the run game and only ran the ball four or five times in the entire half...with the lead no less. As our passing offense sputtered, due in part to being grossly predictable, our defense wasn't getting any rest and were exposed going down the stretch in the game.
Now, you take another aspect of the basics that was overlooked and you have the other reason the Panthers allowed the Bengals to steal the game in the second half. Dropped passes, missed blocks, dropped interceptions, poor tackling, inability to cover tight ends and a lack of heart. Lack of heart is speculation of course, but the rest can be seen on the game tape.
Atlanta demolished the Panthers in week one and that was the only game where it was the opponents who beat the Panthers, the other three losses came at the hands of...themselves. By all acounts the Panthers should be sitting atop the NFC South at 7-1, instead they crawl into the bye at 4-4 with dimming hopes of making a playoff run. In Minnesota it was a botched special teams play with the lead that gave that game away, in Cinci it was abandoning the game plan, failing to make adjustments and only playing the second half that lost that game AND the game against Dallas in the heat of the national spotlight.
In conclussion, I honestly hope the Panthers have taken as honest a look at their progress, or lack thereof, on the bye week and are ready to return to the basic and re-establish themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. With the talent on this team anything less than a play off birth is simply inexcusable.
Prediction, 10-6, clinching the NFC South title due to breakdowns on behalf of the Saints and Falcons.
John Watson
Salisbury, NC
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Hey John, great comments thanks. But here's one thing: When you start saying, 'we are 4-4 but we should be 7-1' you're sounding unfortunately like one Dennis Green and half of his sorry Arizona Cardinals. So, John, it's 4-4 and they'll do better in the second half, ok?
Arthur Pincus
Total Comments (783)
Understood, I was only trying to convey that we gave three games away at the last minute, we are playing well below our potential and not finishing games, thus the reason for the dreaded 4-4 record at the midway point. I will avoid such statements in the future, thanks for the insight.
John Watson
Salisbury, NC
Total Comments (36)
Hey dude, thanks again for your nice comments about my posts. I'm sorry I think the Bears will beat the Giants. If they actually win, then I owe you a few picks in their favor! I like Eli, i really do, but I don't ever like New York teams. it must be because of my Boston heritage. At least I dont HATE NY teams like some Bostonians.
Skf9485
Springfield, MA
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