Heading into this new and exciting NFL season, there is alot of buzz around the NFL, mostly around a few select subjects. Everyone involved with sports has their own opinions on these subjects, so I thought I'd share mine to add another perspective to the mix.
Question #1 Are the Philadelphia Eagles for real this season after their aggressive off season?
Well, first off, I have to applaud this team and its front office for having a plan when the free agency period began, and for going out and making it happen seemingly effortlessly and in a very low key manner. Indeed, it wasn't until the 3 or 4th day that people started to notice how many proven talents were headed to Philly. I see a few tough games on their schedule this year, @ the Falcons in week 2, versus the Patriots in week 12 and the Jets in week 15. Talent wise, I think the Eagles have enough talent on this team to drub anyone else on their schedule. This past year, the Miami Heat already showed us that you can stack talent on a team and get to the Big Ticket game, and the Eagles have something the Heat didn't. A coach.
Question #2 Who starts the season at QB in Denver and who finishes the season at QB, barring injuries?
Statistically, I have to give the ball to Kyle Orton. The man threw for 3600 yards and 20 touchdowns with only 9 picks. His 60% pass completion percentage wasn't spectacular but he established good chemistry with receiver Brandon Lloyd. He went 3-10 as a starter last season, hardly spectacular consider the breakout season he had, statistically. Tebow, on the other hand, can do no wrong in the eyes of some Broncos fans, but if you take a look at his production, you'll see he only completed about 50% of his passes on his way to throwing 5 touchdowns and 3 picks. Look, I strongly believe in the phrase choose the lesser of two evils when it comes to NFL QB's, and when you don't have a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning around, you have to go with the next best thing. And in Denver, that's Kyle Orton. Orton will hold onto the starting job for a while, but if the team starts to underperform and fans start calling for Tebow, I don't think coach John Fox will wait long to put in the young buck, most likely for the remainder of the season.
Question #3 Which team will be the worst in the NFL this year?
Interestingly enough, there are a few possible contenders, but no clear cut favorite. I think there are a few teams that will do poorly, but none that I think have a good shot of going 2-14 or worse. If you've read my NFC prediction articles, I predicted a bad season for the Redskins due to their ineptitude at QB, and I think the Vikings, Titans and Panthers could also be quite bad. Detroit will NOT be on this list this year, as they have finally figured out how to rebuild and are moving up in the world. However, my pick for worst team this year goes to the hapless Bengals, who showed their immaturity several times during the lockout. Two player arrests and the abscence of anything decent at QB has me wishing that they had decided to trade disgruntled QB Carson Palmer away for something of value, instead of making him retire just to be stubborn. If I were a Bengals fan, I wouldn't go to the games this season. Any of them. I mean, why should the fans pay top dollar for tickets to see their team get creamed this year, when the front office could have tried to prevent it? I think the Bengals stumble through a few wins this season, get blown out a lot, and get shut out several times. Things are BLEAK in Cincy only two years after they swept their division. Talk about a turnaround.
Question #4 Does the streak of injuries in the Lions camp mean the same old Lions are coming back?
Look, there is no curse on the Lions. Everything they've gone through, all the failure they've dealt with, has all been on the team and the front office. This team has had a losing mentality for so long, they don't know how to win. They could do very well this year record wise and absolutely choke if they make it to the playoffs, and thats just because they don't know how to play at that level. The best thing they can do is take care of their bodies, stay healthy, stay rested, and play each game with the same level of intensity. These Lions players are well aware that they hold their destiny in the palm of their hands, and this opportunity is entirely what they make of it.
Question #5 Who is the breakout player of the year this season?
Plaxico Burress, one of the games best wideouts before his self inflicted gunshot wound brought a prison sentence and a stop to his career. Now, two years later, he is out of prison, back in football shape and ready to play football again. His 6'5" frame and good speed have made him a top wide receiver in the league when hes healthy and happy, which he is now, once again. I think Plaxico makes up for lost time this season in a big way, just as Michael Vick has done after his release from prison.
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