Alive and still kicking

2008-12-19T18:17:03-05:00

2008-09-11T10:50:51-04:00

2008-09-12T11:58:41-04:00

Quone

Deptford 39597

30 Belichick is 42-58 without Brady starting. 2726632

2008-09-12T11:50:09-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/204/856/thumb/David_Garrard.jpg 60 FL

copperfiend

Jacksonville 205156

29 He's right about the Seahawks. The Jaguars rolled the Seahawks in the opening game of 2005. The Seahawks season ended with them losing a close Super Bowl to Pittsburgh. 2726470

2008-09-12T11:42:24-04:00

Lock22

Syracuse 523669

28 Smoke and mirrors? More like cameras and lenses 2726361

2008-09-12T11:41:51-04:00

Lock22

Syracuse 523669

27 Smoke and mirrors? More like Cameras and Lenses 2726335

2008-09-12T04:23:45-04:00

AP2

Sinajana 413385

25 Don't sleep on the Falcons this year. You most definitely heard this hear first, well then again maybe not. :) Sure they played the hapless Lioness', but if they can keep pounding the ground game the way they did and the rook can play a bit above average, they might just squeeze their way into a wild-card spot...or win the NFC South?!?! If they can knock off TampaBay this weekend, things will be looking decent as they will have won as many games as a lot of these so called experts expected them to win all year. 2723341

2008-09-12T00:07:10-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/350/580/thumb/7683e05a-1b89-4981-8006-8191587c40c1.jpg 9 WA

sliprock

Tacoma 351000

24 You don't have to write off Seattle if they have the Niners at home. 2722693

2008-09-11T23:07:50-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/522/445/thumb/20090808crosby3_330.jpg 13 IL

Dodaramas

Chicago 522885

23 The Pats are finished. This isn't 2001. Cheating is no longer tolerated! 2722419

2008-09-11T21:01:58-04:00

MMQB1234

Carlsbad 477550

22 No doubt. The scheduled was in the Pats favor this season to go undefeated again so even though Brady is out, they are still a very solid team. Besides, as long as they have Randy Moss to throw to, they will always have a chance at winning. Check out this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydpSdaxFDnA 2721677

2008-09-11T14:36:24-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/498/982/thumb/Tree.jpg 1 RI

Chris Engelhard

Jamestown 499422

14 The Patriots should benefit greatly from their surprisingly easy schedule (considering they played in the SB last year). So assuming Cassel learned a thing or two in his 4 years backing up Brady (and his years backing up Palmer and Leinart) they should be fine and win between 9 and 11 games... If the reason he hasn't started in nine years is more because of his talents, and not that he was backing up 3 great QBs in a row, then the Patriots are in trouble this year. Also, as a Pats fan, I hate to admit it, but he is right about the colts. Peyton not playing in the preseason hurt their timing (being a finess offense, that is key), so starting either next week or week 3... they should start playing up to their potential... unless the center replacing Saturday lets them down big time. 2718015

2008-09-11T20:36:17-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/120/817/thumb/homer_icon.jpg 3 MA

steve_bevacqua

Saugus 121117

The Patriots should benefit greatly from their surprisingly easy schedule (considering they played in the SB last year).

21 The strength of schedule thing changed when the NFL realigned the divisions a few (I don't know - 5, 6?) years ago. These days, each team only plays 2 games per season that are based on the previous year's finish. Here's the breakdown for the AFC East this year: 6 games against the division 4 games against the AFC West 4 games against the NFC West That's 14 of 16 total games that are written in stone each year for each team in the division. The 2 games the Pats play this year that ARE based on last year are: Steelers (AFC North division winner) Colts (AFC South division winner) So really, a team's strength of schedule is much more random now than it used to be. -Steve 2721561

2008-09-11T18:58:06-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/207/036/thumb/IMAG0104.jpg 8 UT

NAFSTAP

Spanish Fork 207336

20 Gintfan is a dope spitting nothing but sour grapes. He didn't even know that a previous column, listing big week one injuries, had them listed from the most recent, going backward over the years. He complained that Vinnie T was listed behind Brady. He/she should pay more attention. He/she is obviously obsessed with the recent (and I do mean recent) dominance of New England teams. I have great respect for what the Giants did last year but I think that everyone (almost) would agree that back in late November the Giants were all but written off for the year and that their surprising run to close the season and through the playoffs would have drawn huge odds in Vegas. I feel bad for him/her that the one Superbowl win will be the last end of season victory party he/she will celebrate for quite some time. BTW, I am both a Patriots fan and a Giants fan (AFC/NFC respectively). 2720723

<div class="photo_container image_center"> <div class="photo"><img title="Matt Cassel" src="http://i.cnn.net/si/fannation/cassel-training.jpg" alt="Matt Cassel" width="614" height="424" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align: right;">New England will depend on Matt Cassel (above) thanks to Tom Brady's injury -- but sleep on the Pats at your own risk. <br /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align: right;">Stew Milne/AP</div> </div> <p style="font-size: 12px;">The sky is falling throughout the league after Week 1, but be careful before you write off a good team after one lackluster game. These five teams will be better than lots of folks think after opening weekend setbacks.</p> <h3>New England Patriots<br /></h3> <p><br />The Vegas line on Sunday's Pats-Jets game shifted 11 points when <strong>Tom Brady</strong> went down. Is one player on the best team in the NFL really worth 11 points? Not when <strong>Bill Belichick</strong> is the coach. Brady's injury may even reinvigorate the NFL's evil genius and fire up the Patriots.<br /><br />New England will go back to its roots, winning 2001-style. The Pats will win a lot of games with what seems like smoke and mirrors. This season will prove the system is bigger than one player in Foxboro.</p> <h3>Washington Redskins<br /></h3> <p><br />The Redskins were a disaster last Thursday and were still sort of in the game late in the fourth quarter against the defending champions. But the Redskins have had a lot of ugly games in the <strong>Daniel Snyder</strong> era. When you count them out, all of a sudden they go on a roll and start beating good teams.</p> <p>Players will get more accustomed to coach <strong>Jim Zorn</strong>’s system as the season goes on and the Washington should have a good running game if its older O-line can hold on. The defense was iffy against the Giants, but also needs time to adjust to new coordinator <strong>Greg Blache</strong>.<br /></p> <h3>Indianapolis Colts<br /></h3> <p><br />Who was that playing quarterback for the Colts on Sunday night? It certainly wasn't <strong>Peyton Manning</strong>. He should show up in the next couple of weeks. Manning missed the entire preseason because of an infected bursa sac and the offensive line is banged up. Then he had to face a Bears defense most people had forgotten about, but is still able to create a lot of pressure on a quarterback.</p> <p>These issues will linger early in the season, but Indianapolis has enough talent and continuity on offense to recover. Manning will get back into his rythym and see the field much better moving forward.</p> <h3>Jacksonville Jaguars<br /></h3> <p><br />The Jaguars' vaunted running game disappeared in Week 1 while <strong>David Garrard </strong>was sacked seven times and threw two picks. The Titans' defense shut down Jacksonville's offense in last year's season opener as well, but the Jags recovered quickly.</p> <p>Jacksonville lost its two starting guards, but Jags fans hope interior linemen are replaceable in the short term. They face a string of tough defenses to start the season, but if they can get their Week 7 bye with a 3-3 record, they'll be poised to make a second-half run.</p> <h3>Seattle Seahawks<br /></h3> <p><br />Don't judge the Seahawks by how they do against an AFC team -- especially if that game is on the East Coast, where Seattle rarely plays well. The 'Hawks looked completely uninspired in their 34-10 loss to the Bills, but who needs inspiration when you're in the NFC West? The Week 1 disaster should be enough of a wake-up call. <strong>Mike Holmgren</strong> will figure out a way to protect <strong>Matt Hasselbeck</strong> and Seattle will finish 8-8 or 9-7 to once again capture the worst division in the NFL.</p> 3222 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/397/2/thumb/Perloff.jpg 540 NY

Andrew Perloff

New York 3992