EDITORIAL: Adrian Peterson

"Jackson takes the snap, hand-off Adrian Peterson, stops, cuts back to to the left, he's got some blockers...makes one man miss, cuts back across the field and ADRIAN PETERSON IS GONE! 30! 20! 10! TOUCHDOWWWWWWN ADRIAN PETERSON!"

Those were the words of Vikings radio announcer Paul Allen this past Sunday. Now, like all NFL radio commentators, Allen is a TREMENDOUS homer. He acts like he just won the lottery whenever the Vikes score, but if an opponent scores, he has as much enthusiasm as a guy who realized he just stepped in dog crap. But when he called each of Adrian Peterson's three long touchdown runs, there was something extra in his voice. A bit more fervor. Why? Because he, along with every other long-suffering Vikes fan, realized they were witnessing something special watching Peterson dash down the field into the end zone. We now have a bona fide superstar. A reason to have hope in a team that's given us more than a fair share of heartbreak and disappointment over the years. The Next Great Back.

Watching Peterson run rampant through the Bears defense, Vikes fans couldn't help but think of that wet Monday night in Lambeau field just over a decade ago when Randy Moss burst onto the scene in his rookie year catching bomb after bomb thrown by Randal Cunningham while totally obliterating the Packers' secondary. He was unlike any receiver the league had ever seen. He had that WOW factor that only a true superstar could provide. Peterson brings that same element to the table. He has the physical appearance of Eric Dickerson with the mentality of Earl Campbell. A whirling dervish of size, strength, speed and nastiness. A rare combination. As the game wore on, you could see that the Bears' DBs wanted no part of tackling Peterson one-on-one. They didn't want to take the punishment. As a Vikes fan, it was a thing of beauty to watch; seeing him break through the first level, then the second, and then just kick it into another gear and literally run away from the defense on his way to the endzone. It was like seeing a prized thoroughbred break away from the pack down the stretch and win a race by ten lengths.

With Peterson, me and my fellow Vikings fans know that we have a chance. No more waking up Sunday mornings filled with pessimism and dread. No more thinking, "Unless the defense plays lights out, turns the ball over two or three times and scores a touchdown, we can't win today." There's a sense of hope again. And it's a good feeling.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Week 4)

Justin here with my week 4 installment of invaluable fantasy football knowledge. Ok so I only hit on 50% of my picks in this column last week, but this week will be better.

START 'EM
Matt Schaub, QB, Texans. He returns to Atlanta where the sound of the Falcons' front office staff smacking themselves in the forehead can still be heard. Oh, and the Falcons are really bad.
Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills. That's 2 straight moving from the previous week's Sit 'Em to this week's Start 'Em. The Bills have a tradition of tearing up the Jets with the run game. Willis McGahee had only two 100 yard rushing games last season. Guess who they were against.
Colts Defense. The game is in the dome. Peyton Manning owns the Broncos. Jay Cutler has a bum ankle.
John Kitna, QB, Lions. Had a 446 yard passing day on the road last week in a loss. Now the Lions come home and face a Bears defense that clearly isn't as good as it was a year ago.
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers. This could be a high-scoring affair. Mike Tomlin knows Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm want to win this game in the worst way. He'll be ready.

SIT 'EM
Lee Evans, WR, Bills. The dude has 5 catches for less than 30 yards through THREE GAMES! Average that out and you get the stats of a typical 3rd string tight end.
Marc Bulger, QB, Rams. As if his play thus far wasn't enough for you to make this decision yourself, he's now without Steven Jackson. Oh, and he's playing the best team in the NFC...on the road.
Jamal Lewis, RB, Browns. This is a tempting start because you know he really wants to stick it to the Ravens, but I'd use him only if you start a 3rd RB or a flex player.
Edgerrin James, RB, Cardinals. Second straight tough defense to face. Second straight week on the Sit 'Em list. I can't believe there's actually people who get paid money to write columns like this.
Rudi Johnson, RB, Bengals. His hammie is hurting. Plus the Bengals figure to do a lot of throwing because A) They're the Bengals, B) They're going against the so-crazy-good-it's-disgusting Patriots, C) By virtue of reason B, they will be playing from behind.


Until next week...

Start 'Em & Sit 'Em (Week 3)

Yeah so I forgot to write a Start 'Em & Sit 'Em for week 2. Big whoop, wanna fight about it? Didn't think so. Here you go.

START 'EM
Vince Young, QB, Titans. The Saints' defense has been a bar skank thus far. Translation: they're letting everybody score regardless of whether they have game or not. Vince Young's got game.
Jason Campbell, QB, Redskins. He's played well, if not spectacularly, the first two weeks against good defenses. Now he gets a bad Giants secondary to throw at.
Matt Hasselbeck, Deion Branch, Bobby Engram, Seahawks. The Bengals defense that made Derek Anderson look like Dan Marino comes to the Pacific Northwest.
Ronald Curry, Jerry Porter, WR, Raiders. The Cleveland Browns are coming to town. And that's good news for any offense.
Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings. He's the only offense this team has and he's running against a Chiefs team that's giving up more than 100 yards rushing per game thus far.

SIT 'EM
Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills. The rook has played well, but now he travels to Foxboro.
Edgerrin James, RB, Cardinals. Everybody is glad to see Edge running the ball like he did back in his Colts days, especially those who stole him in the 4th round of their draft. But this week might be a good time to sit him down against the Ravens D.
Matt Schaub, QB, Texans. His #1 target, Andre Johnson, is not playing against the Colts. Do you know who the Texans' #2 receiver is? Me neither.
Brett Favre, QB, Packers. This is the week the Packers come back to earth against the visiting Chargers.
Plaxico Burress, WR, Giants. Jared Lorenzen is starting at QB. Repeat. Jared Lorenzen.

Rankings (are rad) QB Version

I'm still trying to figure out what the right amount of each spot to rank is, so let me know if you have an opinion. This is also taking longer than I thought, so hopefully everything gets finished before deadlines to set rosters tomorrow. Onto the QBs.

Quarterbacks
1. Alex Smith - SF (Arizona): Another Niner takes the top spot. Arizona had one of the worst pass defenses in the league last season. We'll see if they did anything to improve it right out of the gate as Smith, with another year under his belt, starts the season with D-Jax, Gore, and Davis all ready to go.
2. Tony Romo - Dal (New York Giants): At home on Sunday night against a suspect NYG secondary. No Glenn? No worries.
3. Ben Roethlisberger - Pit (Cleveland): New offense comes out firing.
4. Matt Leinart - Ari (San Francisco): I could probably throw 2 TDs a game by accident playing with this offense. Factor in that this should be a shootout and Leinart should match my production at the very least.
5. Donovan McNabb - Phi (Green Bay): Always seems to put up top 5 numbers no matter who he plays against.
6. Eli Manning - NYG (Dallas): I figure they'll be losing most of this game so Manning will be throwing with success against a so-so secondary.
7. Matt Schaub - Hou (Kansas City): Sure we really don't know much about him as a starter, but he should be a hot waiver wire pickup after making his Texans debut against the Chiefs whose defense is led by, uh, that guy. You know the one.
8. Matt Hasselbeck - Sea (Tampa Bay): Yes, Tampa Bay is going to be awful, but the Seahawks probably won't have to air it out too much so Hasselbeck's numbers shouldn't be out of this world.
9. Steve McNair - Bal (Cincinnati): Play him while he's still alive and especially when he's playing against Cincy and their stellar defense.
10. Carson Palmer - Cincy (Baltimore): I really don't know why I'm ranking him so low this week; it's just one of those feelings I guess as this is a tough match up.
11. Tom Brady - NE (New York Jets): It was hard ranking him here with all the new weapons. The Pats will probably come out firing and then markedly slow the game down with the run.
12. David Garrard - Jax (Tennessee): You can count on at least one passing TD and a good chance at a rushing TD as well. Playing against Ten should mean this is the minimum you'll get.

Rankings (are rad) RB Version

For the first time in, well probably ever, I have been busy. Therefore, no AFC Studs, Duds, and Sleepers. Sorry, I know you were on the edge of your seat checking the site every day for those can't miss picks.

Anyway, since we already have a solid Start 'Em/Sit 'Em from Justin, I guess I'll give this week's top 15 RBs, WRs, QBs, TEs, and DEFs. This will obviously be omitting any Indy and New Orleans players.

Opponents are in parenthesis.

Running Backs
1. Frank Gore - SF (Arizona): Love the match up, not worried about the hand.
2. Larry Johnson - KC (Houston): Enjoy it while he and his line are healthy.
3. Shaun Alexander - Seattle (Tampa Bay): At home against a mediocre rush defense. Love it.
4. LaDainian Tomlinson - SD (Chicago): I really couldn't rank him any lower even if I wanted to. I agree with Justin and think this won't be close.
5. Lamont Jordan - Oak (Detroit): Yes, this says Lamont Jordan. I mean it IS Detroit and Jordan has looked good so far.
6. Steven Jackson - StL (Carolina): Don't expect a monster game against a solid D, but should still get you some solid points.
7. Travis Henry - Den (Buffalo): Love any RB in the Denver machine.
8. DeShaun Foster - Car (St. Louis): I know there's a chance he splits time with Williams, but it's still one of the worst run defenses in the game. Foster is the starter so he gets this spot.
9. Willis McGahee - Bal (Cincinnati): Another awful defense. McNair isn't going to light it up, so look for McGahee to make his Ravens debut in a big way.
10. Willie Parker - Pit (Cleveland): Another terrible run defense. I'm expecting a lot from the Pittsburgh offense, but think this week will see the majority of their points come from the air.
11. Brian Westbrook - Phi (Green Bay): Can do it all, but is facing a solid defense this week.
12. Ahman Green - Hou (KC): I'll roll with him while healthy. Facing a poor, at best, team so Houston should be running plenty.
13. Edgerrin James - Ari (San Francisco): Is he done or is there still some of that elite back left in him? I say done, but if there's any week to trick us it's this one. Should be a high scoring game.
14. Thomas Jones - NYJ (New England): Would be a few spots higher since the Pats will be without Seymour and Harrison, but there's still questions regarding his health.
15. Cadillac Williams - TB (Seattle): I'm not as sold on Cadillac as a lot of people seem to be this year, but I like the match up. Until Seattle goes up by 20 and TB tries to pass every down.

Will be back with WR, QB, TE, and DEF.

Week 1 Start 'em & Sit 'em

Well, since Joe has decided he was "too busy" moving into a new apartment and starting graduate school to contribute to a trivial fantasy football blog, you'll just have to choose your own AFC fantasy studs, duds and sleepers. Way to let the faithful blog readership down, Joe.

Anyway, I'm gonna do my best to provide some advice for the opening slate of games. The first few weeks of the season are always hard to predict in in the NFL because it's such an up and down league. But I'm going to let you know who to start and who to sit in the first week of the fantasy season. Of course, I am not going to go through every single player. It doesn't take someone like me to tell you that if you have Peyton Manning on your team, you should start him every week. What I'm trying to do here is provide you with some advice on players whom you are debating whether to insert into your starting lineup.

START 'EM
1. Vikings Defense. They should shut down the Falcons running game, which means Joey Harrington will have to beat them.
2. Brett Favre, Packers. Opening up a new season at Lambeau against a Philly defense that struggles against the pass.
3. Travis Henry, Broncos. Two things here. He's going against the team that gave up on him, and the Bills have a bad defense.
4. Fred Taylor, Jaguars. Will be playing like he has something to prove. And he's going against the Titans' front seven.
5. Eli Manning, Giants. The Dallas secondary wasn't a very good unit before Terrence Newman got banged up.

SIT 'EM
1. Warrick Dunn/Jerious Norwood, Falcons. They'll be going against the league's best run defense from a year ago.
2. Panthers Defense. Opening up on the road in a dome against the high-powered Rams.
3. Clinton Portis, Redskins. Going against the Dolphins, who can actually play some defense.
4. Vince Young, Titans. The Jaguars will make his life miserable all afternoon.
5. Cedric Benson, Bears. This game will really show the talent disparity between the AFC and NFC. San Diego in a blowout. Grossman will be in the fetal position crying and peeing himself by the end of the first quarter.

Fantasy Studs, Duds & Sleepers (NFC)

Well, I’m going to attempt to provide you with a tool instrumental to fantasy football glory. (Emphasis on attempt) This is my analysis of each team in the NFC. I’m going to give you one fantasy stud, dud, and sleeper from each squad. Some of these are blatantly obvious but whatever. You try and put one of these things together without a few “duh” picks. Not so easy, is it, tough guy. My colleague, Joe, will be handling the AFC.

Here we go…

BEARS
STUD: Cedric Benson, RB. He’s getting a lot of bad fantasy pub, but the guy is a load. He’ll be fine.
DUD: Rex Grossman, QB. “We Want Griese!” will be echoing through Soldier Field by week 4.
SLEEPER: Greg Olsen, TE. Has looked great in preseason. Could be gotten late in a deep TE crop.

CARDINALS
STUD: Anquan Boldin, WR. The former college QB will be running a few gadget plays a la Hines Ward in Ken Wisenhunt’s offense.
DUD: Edgerrin James, RB. Offensive line will be better, but not dramatically so. Don’t expect a big year.
SLEEPER: Leonard Pope, TE. The biggest TE in football (6’7”) with potential to be a dominant red zone target.

COWBOYS
STUD: Terrell Owens, WR. Yes, I hate his guts too, but Romo seems to love throwing to him.
DUD: Julius Jones, RB. Will probably go down with an injury sooner rather than later.
SLEEPER: Jason Witten, TE. Had a down year last year so you should be able to grab him late.

EAGLES
STUD: Donovan McNabb, QB. Only played in 10 games last season and still had the 6th most fantasy points among QBs.
DUD: Reggie Brown, WR. Have you ever heard somebody say, “Reggie Brown is pretty good”? Me neither.
SLEEPER: Tony Hunt, RB. Has potential to be to Brian Westbrook what Brandon Jacobs was to Tiki Barber last season.

FALCONS
STUD: Jerious Norwood, RB. If he stays healthy, look out. The guy is like Maurice Jones-Drew, minus the world’s largest thighs.
DUD: Joe Horn, WR. He has Joey Harrington throwing to him. He’s old. And he has Joey Harrington throwing to him.
SLEEPER: Jason Snelling, RB. Big bruising back. Could be a TD vulture.

49ERS
STUD: Frank Gore, RB. Just look at last season. He has an injury history, but whatever. You know? Whatever.
DUD: Alex Smith, QB. People are expecting him to take a big step forward. But he just lost his QB guru, Norv Turner.
SLEEPER: Arnaz Battle, WR. Believe it or not, he’s likely starting the season as the #1 WR. A steal in the late rounds…possibly.

GIANTS
STUD: Brandon Jacobs, WR. If you don’t draft this guy in the first 3 rounds, you’re nuts.
DUD: Eli Manning, QB. He doesn’t even inspire optimism in Giants fans. Stay away, especially if your league penalizes for INTs.
SLEEPER: Amani Toomer, WR. Has been having a great camp. Still very reliable after all these years.

LIONS
STUD: Roy Williams, WR. This is the year he makes the jump to the league’s top tier of receivers.
DUD: Tatum Bell, RB. Martz loves him in the offense, but he’s not running behind Denver’s offensive line anymore.
SLEEPER: John Kitna, QB. Kind of a “not really a sleeper” sleeper. Could be had in middle rounds and pay huge dividends.

PACKERS
STUD: Donald Driver, WR. Has quietly put up tremendous numbers over the past three seasons.
DUD: Brett Favre, QB. He’d be great if you got points for interceptions and stupid throws. But most leagues don’t count those.
SLEEPER: Brandon Jackson, RB. The rookie looks like he’s going to win the starting job.

PANTHERS
STUD: Steve Smith, WR. Duh.
DUD: Dwayne Jarrett, WR. You’ll be tempted to take a flier on him in the late rounds. Don’t.
SLEEPER: DeAngelo Williams, RB. The fact that DeShaun Foster didn’t suffer a serious injury last season means he’s due for one, possibly a career-ender, early this season.

RAMS
STUD: Steven Jackson, RB. Again, duh.
DUD: Isaac Bruce, WR. He’s turning 35 this year. Name me the last WR who was productive at 35.
SLEEPER: Randy McMichael, TE. Had some decent seasons in Miami with crappy QBs. Now he’s got Bulger.

REDSKINS
STUD: Clinton Portis, RB. Not fully into this pick, but you try and find another fantasy stud on this team.
DUD: Santana Moss, WR. Faces uncertainty with a new QB at the helm.
SLEEPER: Jason Campbell, QB. Nobody really knows what to expect from him. Worth a late-round flier.

SAINTS
STUD: Reggie Bush, RB. Find me somebody who doesn’t think he’s going to bust out this season.
DUD: Marques Colston, WR. Defenses know about him now. He’s not going to surprise anybody.
SLEEPER: Devery Henderson, WR. Steps into the starting lineup for the first time.

SEAHAWKS
STUD: Shaun Alexander, RB. Fully healed and ready to return to prominence.
DUD: Deion Branch, WR. Not sure if he’ll put up typical numbers for a #1 WR.
SLEEPER: D.J. Hackett, WR. Getting a bit of buzz. Could put up good numbers with defenses concerned about Alexander and Branch.

VIKINGS
STUD: Adrian Peterson, RB. The closest thing this offense has to a star. Will get more goal line carries than Taylor.
DUD: Troy Williamson, WR. Going for the record for most years in a row dubbed as a fantasy dud.
SLEEPER: Sidney Rice, WR. A rookie with potential that will probably be starting by week 4.

2007 Predictions

Welcome to the site.

There will be two of us writing posts, myself and Justin. We'll mainly be writing about fantasy football, but don't want to limit ourselves to just that so you'll be seeing posts about whatever has us interested.

To start off, we'll both be posting our 2007 NFL predictions. These should be hilarious to look back at in February. After that, look for our team by team fantasy sleepers, studs, and busts.

So to kick things off, here are my picks for the upcoming season. As long as I can look back and say "Fuck you Mike Greenberg" in triumph then I win.

Oh and I guess it should be noted that I'm a Patriots fan but in no way is that going to influence my picks this year. It'll only look that way.

Playoff teams noted with an asterisk (*)
AFC

East
1. New England Patriots*
2. Buffalo Bills*
3. NY Jets
4. Miami Dolphins

Comments: So like I said, I'm a Pats fan. Fuck you, they're better than all these teams. I really like the Bills (playoff bound in my opinion; all you losers with nothing to do in Buffalo have something to look forward to) and think they'll be giving people a lot more trouble than they're ready for. Hell, I've even come around on JP Losman who I think will be totally solid for the first time ever besides that one year he was pogs champion in middle school. That was a sweet year for him. I still think the Jets are a good team, but I don't necessarily think they're gonna be as successful as they were last year. Mangini will really prove his worth if he can still out coach teams expecting the Jets to not suck. I think they'll be battling with the Bills all year for second, and a playoff spot, and Pennington's health will play a big factor in who wins out. Bold prediction there, right? The Dolphins are shit. End of story.

North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers*
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Cleveland Browns

Comments: I'm going with a healthy Roethlisberger carrying these guys back up to the top of the division. I really like the offense a lot and think Tomlin gets some great play of the defense. I don't see Baltimore staying consistent enough with a fading McNair and McGahee. Cincy has an awesome defense so I thought about picking them to win the division. By awesome I mean the Colts will score 75 on them. Unless Palmer can score 100 a game then see ya later Bengals. The Browns will be 0-6 going into their bye, name Brady Quinn the starter, and then finish 10-6. Or not.

South
1. Indianapolis Colts*
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Houston Texans

Comments: This is a weird division to me. First off, nobody is better than the Colts here, but it's after the Colts that this could be interesting. I'm gonna play it safe, but I'd like to point out that I think the Jaguars could end up being the worst team here. The Texans are bound to surprise people at some point and if they can protect Schaub AT ALL they might have a shot at doing so this year. The Titans won't be a laughing stock, but they also won't be very good for another season or two; however, they'll give people a closer game than they were expecting more times than not.

West
1. San Diego Chargers*
2. Denver Broncos*
3. Oakland Raiders
4. Kansas City Chiefs

Comments: The Chargers will steamroll through the AFC until Norv Turner has to coach in the playoffs. Then hilarity will ensue. I refuse to pick against the Broncos until they finally have a losing season. Plus, Jake the Snake is gone, how bad can they be? Are the Chiefs even in the NFL this year? Very good chance they're the worst team in the league.

NFC

East
1. Washington Redskins*
2. Dallas Cowboys*
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. NY Giants

Comments: Wade Phillips is not winning anything. The Eagles are the Done For The Season All Stars . Plus Jeff Garcia is gone, who's gonna lead them to a winning record? The Manning family sold their souls so Peyton could win the Super Bowl hence Eli will never win anything. That was debatable before said transaction anyway though. The healthy Redskins will win this division. Easily.

North
1. Green Bay Packers*
2. Detroit Lions
3. Chicago Bears
4. Minnesota Vikings

Comments: Favre is going out in a blaze of glory, baby! He probably won't but I'd love to see it. The Defense isn't bad so why not? The Lions will be not awful for the first time in recent memory, but will need someone other than Kitna to actually get them to the playoffs. I think the Sex Cannon starts firing blanks and hurts the Bears more than he helps them. I'm pretty interested in the Vikings since, really, they don't have the makings for a bad team at all. Of course I'll be Johnny Obvious and say that their season rests solely on Jackon's back.

South
1. Carolina Panthers*
2. New Orleans Saints*
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Atlanta Falcons

Comments: I think the healthy Panthers rebound nicely this season and contend for the spot most people had them pegged for last season. I'm not a big Delhomme fan, but he's proven he can take a team the the Big Game, so I'll give him enough credit to win a division. I still love the Saints but think they drop down to reality a little more after that highly emotional, and rad, season. The Bucs? Eh, whatever. And the Falcons probably can't wait for this season to be over already. I do hope Harrington becomes awesome out of nowhere though, it would make things way more enjoyable.

West
1. Seattle Seahawks*
2. St. Louis Rams
3. San Francisco Forty Niners
4. Arizona Cardinals

Comments: This division was by far the hardest for me to predict. My heart says the Seahawks won't win it, but my head tells me to just stick with them. I like the Kerney addition a lot but I don't see anything great in their WR group. Still, they have one of the best RBs in the game, so I'm not going to pick against them. The Niners will probably need another year until they're playoff ready. The Cardinals maybe two more and a running back not named Edgerrin James. The Rams could be the team to win this division, but I'm going to assume Orlando Pace gets hurt again somewhere along the line.

Super Bowl
New England Patriots defeat the New Orleans Saints

Predictions for 2007

Justin here. These are my predictions for the upcoming season. Like Joe mentioned above, these picks will probably make for some great comedy material come February (especially my Rookie of the Year and MVP picks). But until then, I'm gonna do my best prognosticating.

(Keep in mind that I've never been good at this. For instance, last year I predicted a Bengals vs. Panthers Super Bowl. Translation: I wouldn't make any monetary wagers based on this information.)

AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Buffalo Bills
4. Miami Dolphins

Comments: Barring the team plane being the target of a terrorist attack or Tom Brady being arrested for the murder of Bridget Moynahan, the Pats will run away with the division. The only real argument here, as far as I'm concerned, is whether Miami or Buffalo will finish last. Buffalo is a chic sleeper pick, but I'm not buying it. The defense lost their leader and best player (Takeo Spikes) and J.P. Losman is J.P. Losman. As for the Dolphins, they used the #9 overall pick on a brittle kick returner and are pinning their hopes on a 37 year old quarterback. I considered the Jets as a wild card team until I saw Chad Pennington play in the preseason.


AFC NORTH
1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Cincinnatti Bengals*
3. Cleveland Browns
4. Pittsburgh Steelers

Comments: I'd like to pick the Bengals to win the division but Baltimore improved a team that finished with 13 wins last year while the Bengals did next to nothing to upgrade their league-worst pass defense. Cincy takes the wild card. The Browns finish out of last for the first time in years. I have no valid reason for making that prediction. I love Mike Tomlin, but I think Roethlisberger shot his loan during his rookie year.


AFC SOUTH
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Jacksonville Jaguars*
3. Houston Texans
4. Tennessee Titans

Comments: This division will come down the the last week or two of the season. If the Jags play consistently on offense, they could overtake the Colts. They have the best running game and by far the best defense of the four teams. Of course, consistency is tough to maintain when Byron Leftwich is your quarterback, but I still think they make the playoffs. The Texans could make some noise, but I hate their offensive line, their ground game and their secondary. I've had a man-crush on Vince Young ever since he put on that performance for the ages in the Rose Bowl, but the Titans are still a year away.


AFC WEST
1. San Diego Chargers
2. Denver Broncos
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland Raiders

Comments: Not even Norv Turner can squander this opportunity. At least I don't think he can. The Chargers have the most talent in the league and will win at least 12 games. They actually should win 15 or 16 games, but you can count on Norv to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory a handfull of times. The Broncos contend, but end up as the odd man out in the wild card race. The Chiefs are the "blah-est" team in the league. And the Raiders. I see them finishing either second or last in the division. They played excellend defense last year (no I'm not making that up, check the stats) but there has been no improvement to the woeful offense other than the all-or-nothing acquisition of Daunte Culpepper. If he even comes close to resembling his 2004 self, the Raiders could win a bunch of 17-13 games and sniff a wild card spot.


NFC EAST
1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Dallas Cowboys*
3. Washington Redskins
4. New York Giants

Comments: Donovan McNabb's health is the deciding factor here. If plays all season, the Eagles win the division. If not, then it's probably the Cowboys, provided Tony Romo is fully recovered from perhaps the worst playoff choke job since Gary Anderson wide left. My co-writer above likes the 'Skins, but I don't know about Jason Campbell. But they do have a good O-line, solid running game and a great secondary, so they have a shot to make some noise. Then you have the Giants, who have questions on both lines, a first-time starter at RB, a QB facing a make-or-break season, and a lame duck coach. Not exactly a recipe for a playoff run.


NFC NORTH
1. Detroit Lions
2. Chicago Bears
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Green Bay Packers

Comments: Arguably the worst division in football. Minus the arguably part. But I'm drinking the Detroit Kool Aid this year, even though they have "2005 and 2006 Arizona Cardinals" written all over them. The offense will be even better in Mike Martz's second year and they do have one of the best front sevens in the league, led by a defensive line that's both big in the middle and can rush the passer from the outside. John Kitna will be in the thick of the MVP running. I can't believe I just said that, either. The Bears are due to regress. My beloved Vikings will fight to stay out of last place, which is frustrating because they are a solid team everywhere except for the quarterback position. As goes T-Jack, so go the Vikes. The Packers did nothing to improve their team in the off-season (whiffing on Randy Moss, awful draft). But when you have Brett Favre, you always have a chance...to turn the ball over a lot and put a lot of pressure on your mediocre defense.


NFC SOUTH
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Atlanta Falcons

Comments: I'm going with the Saints by default because I don't like any of the other teams in this division to have good years. Plus, Reggie Bush may set a record for most "HOLY CRAP HE DID NOT JUST DO THAT!" plays this season. I think that Jeff Garcia will actually have a good season in Tampa, but not THAT good of a season. The Panthers let me down tremendously last season and I have no reason to have faith in them this season. The interesting subplot to keep an eye on will be Falcons coach Bobby Petrino possibly deciding to tank the season after a 1-4 start to ensure he gets the number one pick in the draft to select his old QB from Louisville, Brian Brohm.


NFC WEST
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Arizona Cardinals*
3. St. Louis Rams
4. San Fransisco 49ers

Comments: I'm not buying the 49ers hype. Not even a bit. The Rams intrigue me, but I'm not sold on their defense or their offensive line. Seattle still has the core of a team one year removed from the Super Bowl intact (Hasselbeck, Alexander, Walter Jones, Tatupu, Holmgren), plus a great homefield advantage. And I do fully believe that the Cardinals will make the playoffs. The offense will be top 10 in the league and the defense will be good enough to win 9 games.


COACH OF THE YEAR
Ken Whisenhunt. Arizona Cardinals

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Jarvis Moss. Defensive End, Denver Broncos

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Chris Henry. Running Back, Tennessee Titans

MVP
1. Donovan McNabb
2. Peyton Manning
3. LaDanian Tomlinson
4. John Kitna

SUPERBOWL
Colts over Seahawks