NFL 2013 SEASON

[crash]

Haha...anyone would think ol' crash wrote that article for ESPN...wait, wut?

Seriously, I don't think it's going to be that wide open. I don't think anyone's giving the Eagles credit for a bit of ticker..

[Duchess]

I've never worried about the Redskins until they got RG3. He truly is an awesome QB. My only consolation right now is that he is coming off a very serious injury and he hasn't played any pre-season ball at all.

I can't even get a feel for my own team right now with this new coach. I really do like this no huddle offense though.

[crash]

I can't even get a feel for my own team right now with this new coach.

Pre season jitters..

Griffin is special alright; a QB with freakish athleticism that has the ability to read the game and organise his team doesn't come along that often..

..but then when they do, everyone seems to overthink it a bit instead of just letting the dude out there to play his natural game. The injury only compounds that. I'd nearly bet the spy guys left nut that the 'skins had some boffin doing the financial risk sums of letting him back from injury this early. All that pressure does add up..

Addit: But then again, wtf do I know about the NFL..haha

[Midwest Spy]

I've never worried about the Redskins until they got RG3. He truly is an awesome QB. My only consolation right now is that he is coming off a very serious injury and he hasn't played any pre-season ball at all.

Up until last year, doubting someone in RGIII's position would be logical.

Consider that's what Adrian Peterson was facing beginning last year's season.

Serious injury and no training camp/pre-season games.

He then went on to rush for 2,093 yards (11 yards short of the record).

I too, tend to doubt that RGIII will be as physically able as he was last year, but, I'd hate to bet against him.

[Duchess]

He then went on to rush for 2,093 yards (11 yards short of the record).

He's so much fun to watch, MS, it's just like watching the ballet to me. I was rooting for him to break the record. I saw him interviewed recently & while I think many of these guys put on their interview "face" I thought what I saw from him was sincere, he seems like a genuinely good guy.

[Midwest Spy]

AP is just a down home, good old Southern boy, with values that parents with young kids appreciate.

He's all about working hard and putting in an honest days effort.

He's admired around here, and quite frankly, all around the League.

Says he wants to rush for 2500 yds this year.

My first reaction is to chuckle, but I won't put anything past him.

[Maggot]

Giants .....hmmmph. Tebow is just starting to get started........I hope.

[Duchess]

Giants .....hmmmph.

That's how I feel too. You could replace Giants with Jets :(

Most teams only played a few, if any, starters but I read the Giants played all their first string. Don't you find that odd?

[Maggot]

Their first string is everyone elses 2^nd.

[Duchess]

I just read that Kevin Kolb suffered a career ending concussion. I don't think he's the greatest QB but I hate to see that kind of thing happen.

[Midwest Spy]

The calendar has flipped to September, the defending Super Bowl champs (Baltimore Ravens) kick off the season on Thursday night in Denver, and ESPN just released their NFL Power Rankings for Week #1 (and I feel like barfing).

Here they are:

2013 Power Rankings: Week 1
RANK TEAM / RECORD TRENDING COMMENTS
1 Seahawks
11-5 --
Last Week: 1 Russell Wilson and a dominant defense get headlines, but Marshawn Lynch and rookie Christine Michael will give the Seahawks balance. It's Super Bowl or bust in Seattle.

2 Falcons
13-3 2
Last Week: 4 The best offensive skill players in the league won't matter if the offensive line struggles. The departures of Todd McClure and Tyson Clabo leave big holes to fill up front.

3 49ers
11-4-1 1
Last Week: 2 No Michael Crabtree hurts, but Anquan Boldin and rookie Quinton Patton look ready. As for the defense, rookie Eric Reid, Glenn Dorsey and Nnamdi Asomugha join an already fearsome unit.

4 Broncos
13-3 1
Last Week: 3 Missing Von Miller for six games will hurt, especially with Elvis Dumervil in Baltimore. At least the Broncos' offense looks more than capable of picking up the slack.

5 Packers
11-5 --
Last Week: 5 The Packers haven't had a 100-yard rusher in 43 straight regular-season games, more than twice as long as any other team. Is Eddie Lacy or Johnathan Franklin the answer?

6 Patriots
12-4 --
Last Week: 6 With Gronk's injury and Wes Welker gone, the Pats' offense rests on Tom Brady's chemistry with undrafted rookies Zach Sudfeld and Kenbrell Thompkins.

7 Texans
12-4 --
Last Week: 7 How healthy is Arian Foster? Foster's 15 rushing touchdowns led the league last season, but his yards-per-rush average has dropped each year since 2010.

8 Ravens
10-6 --
Last Week: 8 Baltimore lost six Super Bowl starters and Paul Kruger on defense, but quietly reloaded. A defensive draft, plus Elvis Dumervil and Daryl Smith, will keep the Ravens' D formidable.

9 Bengals
10-6 --
Last Week: 9 Andy Dalton has to handle the blitz better to win in the AFC North. Dalton was sacked a league-high 20 times facing at least five rushers last season.

10 Redskins
10-6 1
Last Week: 11 Will the Redskins change their offense to protect RG III? Griffin was hit 101 times between sacks and rushes last season, second to Cam Newton among quarterbacks.

11 Colts
11-5 1
Last Week: 10 New offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton established the run at Stanford to open up his tight ends in the passing game. Expect big things from Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener.

12 Giants
9-7 --
Last Week: 12 As injuries pile up for Big Blue, no unit has been hit harder than the offensive line. Playing without center David Baas and tackle David Diehl will be tough.

13 Saints
7-9 1
Last Week: 14 Rob Ryan wants to bring the blitz back to New Orleans. The Saints sent added pressure on half of drop-backs from 2009-11, most in the league.

14 Bears
10-6 1
Last Week: 13 New offensive-minded head coach Marc Trestman has work to do. The Bears' offense has finished above the bottom 10 in total yards once in the past 11 years.

15 Rams
7-8-1 --
Last Week: 15 With upgrades at tackle, tight end and hopefully wide receiver, how long is Sam Bradford's leash? Bradford has never finished a season above 21^st in Total QBR.

16 Steelers
8-8 --
Last Week: 16 Guy Whimper is the only offseason addition for the Steelers' offensive line, which produced a league-worst 1.7 yards before contact per rush last season.

17 Vikings
10-6 --
Last Week: 17 Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record survived Adrian Peterson's onslaught by 8 yards last year. In 2013, it might not be so lucky.

18 Cowboys
8-8 2
Last Week: 20 The defense ranked last in QBR allowed on throws deeper than 10 yards downfield last season. Monte Kiffin's Tampa 2 will help cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne.

19 Chiefs
2-14 3
Last Week: 22 Andy Reid's Chiefs are more talented than last year's 2-14 record indicates. Top pick Eric Fisher, Alex Smith, Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe provide a foundation for offensive improvement.

20 Dolphins
7-9 2
Last Week: 18 Ryan Tannehill has a new toy. No player has more receiving touchdowns at least 20 yards downfield since 2009 than new Dolphins wideout Mike Wallace.

21 Lions
4-12 3
Last Week: 24 Get in the end zone! Lions receivers were tackled 23 times at or inside the 5-yard line, at least five more than anyone else.

22 Buccaneers
7-9 3
Last Week: 19 In a division with Brees, Ryan and Newton, it's no surprise the Bucs upgraded defensive backs. Darrelle Revis, Dashon Goldson and Johnthan Banks will fortify the secondary.

23 Panthers
7-9 2
Last Week: 21 Panthers running backs are the sixth-most expensive unit in the league, yet QB Cam Newton led the team in rush yards and touchdowns. Carolina needs more from its rushing unit.

24 Chargers
7-9 1
Last Week: 23 With limited offensive weapons and seven defensive starters gone from Week 1 last season, new coach Mike McCoy faces a transition year.

25 Eagles
4-12 --
Last Week: 25 The Chip Kelly experiment begins with Michael Vick under center. Kelly's Oregon team averaged 20.9 seconds per play last season, four seconds faster than the NFL's fastest team (Patriots).

26 Cardinals
5-11 --
Last Week: 26 Not a good start for the revamped offensive line. Guard Jonathan Cooper, Arizona's seventh overall pick in April, will miss the season with a broken leg.

27 Titans
6-10 --
Last Week: 27 Chance Warmack and Andy Levitre will beef up the Titans' offensive line, but consistency under center is a problem. Jake Locker has never played 12 games in a season.

28 Browns
5-11 --
Last Week: 28 Brandon Weeden had the fifth-worst Total QBR on throws at least 15 yards downfield last year, but new offensive coordinator Norv Turner isn't shy about throwing deep.

29 Jaguars
2-14 2
Last Week: 31 The Jaguars ranked 28^th in Total QBR and last in QBR allowed last year. Luke Joeckel is a building block for a team with plenty of room for improvement.

30 Bills
6-10 --
Last Week: 30 Jeff Tuel is the starter (for now). Tuel ranked 64^th in FBS in opponent-adjusted Total QBR last season at Washington State and gets the Pats in Week 1.

31 Raiders
4-12 2
Last Week: 29 The Raiders' defense had a league-low 12 sacks with four or fewer rushers last season. That's just one problem of many on both sides of the ball.

32 Jets
6-10 --
Last Week: 32 Muhammad Wilkerson is a bright spot for Gang Green. Wilkerson's 70 tackles last year trailed only J.J. Watt among defensive linemen. Other than that, it's not pretty.

I think it's interesting that ESPN's voters have the 6 worst teams all coming from the AFC.

I'll be posting my pre-season predictions and Week 1 picks soon.

[Duchess]

Hmmph!

Looking forward to your picks, MS.

[Midwest Spy]

Hmmph!

Looking forward to your picks, MS.

I love football.

My 6 year old is frickin nuts over it (pretty cute to see him get his Vikes gear on for game-day).

He's also got the little plastic helmets for all the teams and he sets them up on Sundays based on who's playing each other.

As for the ESPN rankings, they're pretty much going off of last year's standings and didn't really make any bold statements (i.e., surprise teams, etc.).

I don't think more than 6 of the teams in Week 1's poll will end up in Week 17's poll.

[Duchess]

I love football.

Me too!

...but it makes me rabid though & sometimes no better than a 3 yr. old when things don't go my way.

[Midwest Spy]

Let's start with the Conference that matters (to me, Duchess and many others here, at least).

NFC Predictions.

East- Dallas, Washington, NY Giants, Philadelphia
South- Atlanta, Carolina*, New Orleans, Tampa Bay
North- Detroit, Green Bay*, Minnesota, Chicago
West- San Francisco, St.Louis, Seattle, Arizona

*-Denotes Wild Card berth

Notes- (East) I think Dallas breaks through this year. I love RGIII, but I don't feel he'll be the same player as last year. The Giants are having issues with their O-Line and Philly needs another year before they're relevant.

(South) Atlanta is stacked once again. Carolina makes some noise and gets 1 of the Wild Card berths. The Saints, even with the return of their coach, miss the post-season. Tampa improved their defense, and if they played in the AFC, they'd probably make the playoffs.

(North) Surprise, surprise! The year of the Lion. They go from worst to first in the North. Pack slips to second, but still grabs a Wild Card slot. Vikes end up 8-8, but never really threaten to make the post-season. Da Bears are disappointing.

(West) San Fran is the real deal. I forsee a 13-3 campaign. St.Louis makes great strides, but at 9-7, they just miss out on a playoff spot. The Seahawks turn out to be the busts of 2013. Arizona is pretty miserable.


NFC Playoffs:

Wild Card Round:

Carolina at Dallas. Romo gets over the hump and wins a post-season game and they move on to play the Falcons.

Green Bay at Detroit. Detroit silences the doubters and shuts down Rodgers.


Divisional Round:

Dallas at Atlanta. Big 'D' shines on the road and beats the Falcons (doesn't everybody in the playoffs?).

Detroit at San Francisco. Niners are too deep and Kaepernick is too good. Niners advance.


NFC Championship:

Dallas at San Francisco. Dream game. Romo is reminding Cowboy fans of Staubach and Aikman, but, in a thriller, Niners get back to the Super Bowl.

[Midwest Spy]

There's really not one AFC team that I like (though I don't mind the Steelers. I always admired Bill Cowher).

AFC Predictions:

East- Miami, New England, Buffalo, NY Jets
South- Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Jacksonville
North- Cincinnati, Cleveland*, Baltimore, Pittsburgh
West- Denver, Kansas City*, San Diego, Oakland

*- Denotes Wild Card berth

Notes- (East) Yes, the Fish make waves and supplant you-know-who. Without his favorite targets, Brady & Co., do NOT find ways to win shootouts this year. Another crappy year in NY for the Bills and Jets.

(South) Texans are the best of this bunch. Indy (& Luck) suffer sophomore slump. Tennessee is treading water and Jacksonville... I mean who knows anything about that bunch?

(North) Historically, the best division in the AFC in recent years. The Bengals have AJ Green, and a nice RB they picked up in the draft. They'll win the North this year. The Browns are another surprise club. Trent Richardson will have people comparing him to AP. They get a Wild Card berth. The Ravens lost too many pieces from last year, and Flacco slumps. Steelers are trying to re-load.

(West) The Broncos get the division, but will be challenged by Andy Reid and the Chiefs (who claim the other Wild Card spot). The Chargers hold off the Raiders for 3^rd.

AFC Playoffs:

Wild Card Round:

Cleveland at Miami- Watch out for the Browns. An amazing story.

Kansas City at Cincinnati- Bengals finally win a playoff game!


Divisional Round:

Cleveland at Houston- Exciting times in Texas, as the Texans advance.

Cincinnati at Denver- Another Peyton Manning disappointment. Cincy knocks him out.


AFC Championship-

Cincinnati at Houston- Neither team from the Lone Star State advances to the Super Bowl. The Bengals win rather easily.


Super Bowl:

Cincinnati vs. San Francisco- Unbelievably, this matchup now ties Dallas/Pittsburgh as the most played in Super Bowl history (3 times).


If I were a Bengals fan, I'd be wishing to see just about anybody BUT the Niners.

However, this time things will be different. The Bengals defeat SF 27-22, and send Jim Harbaugh fuming off the field once again.

[Duchess]

The Bengals? Is that the team that wears the helmets that look like Tony The Tiger?

I know we have a new coach & many new players but I'm really not prepared to have another crappy season. I want to feel excited about my team so I'm just going to lalalalalala whenever anyone gives me any shit.

[crash]

You be lalalalain' more tha Kylie Minogue this year then..

*ducks*

[Midwest Spy]

Just to clarify for the not so savvy NFL minds:

You don't just step in and play any position in the NFL (no matter how easy it sounds), without having had some experience somewhere in the past (high school, college, etc).

Now, could Tebow go play tight end in the Sunday recreational flag football league? Probably.

I just don't see him suddenly becoming an NFL tight end.

That myth can officially be debunked.

Just dug this baby up.

Sometimes my arm really does get sore from patting myself on the back so much.

Hahaha!

[Duchess]

Aha! You know enough to duck.

I'm not listening to you naysaying, buzzkillers. We are going to dazzle the entire NFL viewership. Coach's scheme is going to leave the opposition gasping for air on the field. That's exactly how I'm envisioning it, I daydream about it.

We play the 'Skins in primetime, Monday night football - that has been my train of thought for days now. Every football fan in America will be tuned in. I'm starting to feel the craziness seep in, it will only accelerate in the coming days. Ugh. Why do I look forward to this.