The NFL is a rough place. Just ask Tom Brady. Brady, who is attempting a comeback after a major injury last year, was injured on Friday in a preseason matchup. Worse still, it was to his throwing shoulder. The Patriots are far from feeling comfortable after trading away the primary backup to the Chiefs. Matt Cassell was a pretty good back up, so Brady recovering is a huge must for Patriots fans.
The Carolina Panthers have been bitten by the injury bug as well. They have seen DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Keomatu, and now Godfrey go down with injuries. Even Steve Smith has been hurt and inactive in the preseason though he seems fit and ready to go now. Perhaps the most damaging injury is to Jon Beason, the middle linebacker that anchors that Panther defense. Still, the Panthers look to shake it off. Teams can only shake off so much.
On a related note, yours truly found himself down and out this week as well. I have been sick with a cold for darn near a week, and so have missed the week three predictions. My apologies to those that were looking for them. I will be back up and running this week, however, and will be back to normal game posting schedules. Thanks for the support guys. Opening day is right around the corner!
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:
Tom Brady
Well, my fantasy draft is over and I could not be more pleased. I got pretty much everything that I wanted, including my target running backs and depth. It looks like this is going to be a banner year for my fantasy football team. Here is a look at the NFL players I drafted, along with some quick thoughts as to why I did:
Tom Brady - Brady is coming off major injury, so I am not sure what to expect. I know that whatever the case he will be a quality option, and early reports are very good on him being fully recovered. Also, I got him much cheaper than I thought I would.
DeAngelo Williams- This was my primary target for this draft as Williams is one of the better running backs that still gets little respect. I expect he will have another huge year. (I sure hope so)
Brian Westbrook - Westbrook is also dropping in fantasy circles due to injury and age, and I got him for a cup of coffee. Tons of upside here, and I have plenty of back up if he falters. It is always good to have a couple of picks like this that could potentially put you over the top if they have comeback years.
Pierre Thomas - Speaking of back up, this kid looked awesome last year. This year he should get lots of carries.
Dwayne Bowe - Bowe is going to be getting much better looks from Matt Cassell than he is used to. I expect a huge year from him.
Vincent Jackson – Jackson is going to benefit from having a healthy LT on the field. That will open up the passing lanes.
John Carlson – Carlson will break out this season as a fantasy star. He was right on the edge last year, and this year Hasselback is healthy.
Titans D/ST - Even with the losses on defense, the Titans are still super strong.
Nate Kaeding – One of the best kickers in the NFL.
Chad Ochocinco – Ocho is far from one of my favorite players, but I had to take him when he dropped to the bottom of the barrell. Again, a player that has tons of upside and a healthy Carson Palmer.
Julius Jones – Another fine back up running back just in case of emergency. Jones could end up among the better running backs in the NFC.
Donnie Avery – High impact speedster over in St. Louis. He had some head turning plays last year and I got him very cheap. With Holt gone, he could blossom.
Matt Hasselbeck – Solid, dependable back up quarterback that might be due another great year.
Zach Miller – Back up tight end with plenty of upside.
Panthers D/ST – Good solid back up defense.
Chris Chambers – The steal of my draft. Chambers finds ways to get into the end zone, and I expect this season will be no different.
Overall, my team is balanced and solid. I see plenty of room for the wins to flow, and I hope this NFL fantasy football season is as good as I think it will be. I will update you each week on my progress throughout the NFL football season.
Peyton Manning
Trying to come up with the top NFL quarterbacks of all time is kind of like trying to pick the best movie of all time. It really depends on your personal taste. Some people put a premium on NFL records, and others put a premium on NFL championships. Still others simply go with their personal favorites. These are my personal picks of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time, and I would love to hear what you agree/disagree with.
Number 5 – Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) – Many people will argue that Dan does not deserve this spot because of his lack of a championship. Personally, I think that his accomplishments on the field and in the NFL record books are more than enough to place him at number five. Some could even argue that he deserves to be higher up the list, but a lack of championships does have some say in this list.
Number 4- Tom Brady (New England Patriots) - Being a Carolina Panther fan and an old St Louis Rams fan, it is tough to concede this pick. Brady is simply phenomenal when it comes to winning. He is right on the edge of moving into Montana territory with the incredible skills and championships. Tom Brady will likely be near the top of most any “best of” quarterback list.
Number 3- Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts) – One of the guys that I think would be a huge winner in today’s game as well. This guy was so much better than the guys around him it was not even funny. I love watching old film of him and he is as solid as they came.
Number 2 – Peyton Manning (Indiannapolis Colts) - Yet another man that will certainly go down as one of the greatest, I see him as a solid number two already. His incredible passing skills, along with his ability to bring out the best in everyone around him makes Peyton Manning a solid pick at number two. When it is all said and done, I feel he will be number one on this list.
Number 1 – Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers) - How can you put Joe any lower than number one? He was the consummate pro, and the best quarterback of all time when it comes to winning football games. Even when the Niners were not very good, he still pushed and made them better. The Niners would never have been that good without Joe Montana.
Every NFL football fan has dreamed of one day owning their own franchise. Monday morning quarterbacks around the world throw their nerf balls at the screen while sharing all the advice in the world as to how to improve their favorite teams. They know it all. They are the single greatest NFL football minds on the planet.
Here is the chance to prove it.
If you could pick only one player to start off an NFL football team in today’s NFL, who would it be? Would you go with a hot young NFL draft pick? A seasoned, proven veteran? Running Back? Quarterback?
For me, that answer is fairly simple.
I would certainly have to draft a quarterback. It would have to be someone that has shown they are capable of running an NFL franchise. (see Ryan Leaf, etc) It would have to be a good leader as well. Someone that could not only lead my franchise, but also groom the next in line.
Who among today’s NFL quarterbacks would I choose?
I might just gag as I say this but it would have to be Tom Brady. Brady is still very much in his prime, and very much everything I just described. The reason it is tough to say such a thing is because I am a huge Panthers and Rams fan. (both victims of his Super Bowl prowess)
Tom Brady is simply flawless at his position, and he has the demeanor to bring along a young quarterback as well.
Who do you think would make a great first pick?
