Image Credited to Wikipedia user Jauerback
First of all they are playing a team that is incredibly talented. The Falcons are showing that they are going to be major players come playoff time, and the Bears know it. More importantly, it is very likely that the Bears will be competing with these Falcons, among others for the wildcards. Minnesota is looking like they might have a stranglehold in the standings, and so does New Orleans in the South. Either way, this game could end up being important down the road.
Another key reason this game is so vital is because the Bears are heading on the road and playing on prime time television. This is the chance they have to make a statement to the rest of the NFC.
If the Bears can go into Atlanta and pick up the win, they have to feel good about their chances moving forward. They need one of those “statement” wins this year as they have been up and down so far.
Atlanta is in a similar position, but they seem to be on cruise control right now. They have every part of their game rolling with the passing game and the running game. Even the defense looked good this past week.
The game should be a doozy, and I expect it will be a huge game for the ratings.
Will Favre Be Smiling?
The truth of the matter is that when Favre retired, he retired as a Green Bay Packer. His signing with the Jets was no big deal really in Green Bay. It stunk. It made Green Bay mad. It was odd on every level. Favre signing with arguably the Packer’s worst on field enemy is another story all together. The fact that the Vikings are serious contenders in the Packers own division is just icing on the cake. The Packers are going to be in for the fight of their life to ward off the Vikings this season. Brett Favre could very well be the reason that Green Bay does not make the playoffs this year. What crime could he commit that would be any worse to a Green Bay fan?
Watching this game on Monday night will be like nothing else in recent memory as sports go. The Packers are going to be playing against Brett Favre. No matter how many times you say it, it still has to sound strange. What will it look like? The real question is, will the Green Bay players have it in for Favre? Regardless of the niceties that are sure to be thrown around on Monday night’s pregame, you can bet that the Packers are going to be a little pissed in the back of their minds. They will be coming after Favre hard and fast.
To tell you the truth, I see that as being their ultimate downfall. They are going to be looking for Favre all night long, and Adrian Peterson is going to be running by them while they do. The real weapon in Minnesota is not Brett Favre. He is the decoy now. The real weapon is Adrian Peterson. Given this, the Vikings would do well to sling some shots down the field early against Green Bay. They should get all eyes squarely on Favre. Once they focus in, then they should smash them in the mouth with a steady dose of Adrian. The worse thing they could do is get into a passing game with the Packers.
Aaron Rodgers is actually the better quarterback at this stage of their careers. Physically he is just more put together than Favre. Favre has the experience and the mojo over Rodgers, however. If Favre is going to beat Rodgers, it will have to be between the ears. He will have to shelve his ego, and let the strengths of his team lead the way. To Favre’s credit, he has done so this year so far. This is why the Vikings are 3-0. It remains to be seen if he can do the same against the Packers.
Pull up a chair, and enjoy the ride. This should be a good one.
The AFC East in recent years has been pretty much all about the Patriots for the last several seasons with the lone exception of last year. In a very odd 2008 NFL football season, the mighty Patriots lost superstar quarterback Tom Brady and dropped to second place behind Miami via a tie breaker. This season, Brady is back but does that mean that the AFC East is a gimme once again? Let’s look into the crystal ball for 2009, and see what stares back at us.
New England Patriots
While the Patriots are not the powerhouse they have been in previous seasons, they are still awfully good. This version of the Patriots has just as strong of a chance in winning the division as any, and I expect that Brady will return to form quickly and decidedly. Randy Moss, Brady, newcomer Fred Taylor, and many others will keep the Patriots near the top of the standings all season long. I expect them to reclaim the AFC East crown.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins sprung from nowhere to take the playoff spot in the AFC East last season and they will not sneak up on anyone this year. The Dolphins are a solid football team but they do have some question marks. Will Ronnie Brown be able to hold up this season? Will the wildcat be effective again? Can the Tuna work some more magic? I see second place in this talented division.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are one of those teams that is really hard to figure out. They have some serious talent and that new guy…. Terrell Owens. They have a quarterback that might just explode now that the Bills have more than just Lee Evans to throw to. It should be fun to watch. The Bills will come in a strong third, and would not surprise me at all to go higher.
New York Jets
The Jets will struggle this season because they seem committed to rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. He is a fantastic talent and I do see him succeeding in his rookie year, but there will be growing pains for sure. Expect that Sanchez will play alot, and the Jets will win a little. This will be a good thing in the long run for the Jets.
Make sure to check out my other predictions for the league found below:
The NFC East has a long and storied history, so it seems appropriate that they be the first division that I predict. NFL picks and predictions specializes in picking NFL football games, but we would be remiss without predicting the NFL’s season as a whole. Since this is the case, I will be predicting each of the divisions day by day, and will finish it off with an overall pick for the year’s conferences and playoffs as well.
The NFC East is going to be very interesting this year. No less than three of the four teams have a legitimate shot at winning the division, and the Redskins could even surprise if the stars align right. You never know with the NFC East. Here are the four teams, and the order I think they will finish in during the NFC regular season:
The Dallas Cowboys – Dallas is far from my favorite team and they are entering a year that will be interesting to watch. They have some questions to be answered, such as their secondary and replacing the ever present Terrell Owens. They also have one of the finest running back tandems in the league. Tashard Choice, Marion Barber, and Felix Jones is a load for any team. I think Dallas will put it together this season, and Romo will have his finest season. Dallas goes as the running game goes, and they can not seem to miss with this group.
The Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles are the en vogue pick this year in the NFC East, but the truth is they are still a bit unpredictable. The reason? Superstar running back Brian Westbrook is breaking down. He is just too fragile at this point to put them in the upper echelon. If the Eagles get a ton of production from him, however, this might send the Eagles to the top.
The New York Giants - Plaxico leaving the Giants will hurt much more than Giant’s fans had hoped. They are without a doubt a talented group, but they will be in trouble in the passing game. There is always that chance that they bring in someone, or somebody steps up on the roster, but I do not see it happening.
The Washington Redskins – Washington still suffers from the quarterback position and Clinton Portis has got to slow down. Portis amazes every year, and he certainly could do so again this season. Campbell is just not going to take the Redskins any further than he already has. He has some great qualities, but the inconsistant nature is killing the Skins. Defense is suspect in DC this year as well.
