Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos
The Ravens were able to get a win in what was the final home game of linebacker Ray Lewis' career. Lewis has been the vocal and emotional leader of the Ravens since being drafted out of Miami (FL) in 1996, and his presence will be missed, not only on the field, but also in the locker room. Baltimore's passing game produced some big plays against the Colts, and will need to continue to do so in this game.
After their first-round bye, Denver should be well-rested and prepared, as the Broncos were the hottest team in the league, winning their last eleven games of the regular season. Peyton Manning hasn't had a lot of success in cold-weather playoff games, so the Broncos could use a heavy dose of Knowshon Moreno against a surprisingly pedestrian Ravens run defense.
The Broncos pass-rush, headed by Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller, will keep Flacco under pressure for a lot of the game. The Ravens will also be going up against the #2 total defense and #4 scoring defense in the league this past season, which is no small task. To make matters worse, they're playing a rested team that plays nearly a mile-above sea level, so the Broncos will likely run a lot of no-huddle to keep the Ravens from substituting. Barring a Manning letdown, the Broncos move on the AFC Championship game.
Prediction: Broncos 27, Ravens 17.
Showing posts with label Seattle Seahawks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seattle Seahawks. Show all posts
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
2012 NFL Predictions: Wild Card Round
Cincinnati Bengals 24, Houston Texans 20.
Green Bay Packers 30, Minnesota Vikings 17.
Baltimore Ravens 28, Indianapolis Colts 23.
Seattle Seahawks 28, Washington Redskins 20.
Last Week: 10-6 (.625)
Season: 149-91 (.621)
Green Bay Packers 30, Minnesota Vikings 17.
Baltimore Ravens 28, Indianapolis Colts 23.
Seattle Seahawks 28, Washington Redskins 20.
Last Week: 10-6 (.625)
Season: 149-91 (.621)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
NFC West Preview: Niners should hold off rising Seahawks in 2012
San Francisco 49ers
2011 Recap: The 49ers got off to a quick start in 2011, wrapping up the division in week thirteen on their way to a 13-3 record, making it all the way to the NFC Championship game. Oft-maligned quarterback Alex Smith did a great job of game-managing for first year coach Jim Harbaugh, and Vernon Davis staked his claim as one of the better tight ends in the league. The engine that made San Francisco run was their defense, which was #1 against the run, #2 in scoring defense and #4 in total yards allowed. The pass rush was also very strong, as DE Justin Smith and OLB Aldon Smith combined for 21.5 of the teams' 42 sacks. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman are one of the best linebacking corps in the league.
Key Additions
The front office was aggressive in trying to add play-makers to an offense that largely lacked explosiveness. With Frank Gore's injury history, the team added bruising back Brandon Jacobs through free agency, as well as burner LaMichael James in the second round to help in the passing and return game. A.J. Jenkins was a bit of a reach in the first round, but adds a big-play threat when the team spreads the field. Mario Manningham came over from the Giants and projects as a very solid third receiver. Randy Moss is not the long-term answer at receiver for the 49ers, but is a potential low-risk, high-reward player with a reasonable contract.
Key Losses
WR Josh Morgan (Redskins)
G Chilo Rachal (Bears)
G Adam Snyder (Cardinals)
2012 Outlook
San Francisco is returning just about every defensive player from last season's team, and added some potential weapons to the offense that will allow Jim Harbaugh to open up more of the playbook for quarterback Alex Smith. The team will have tough road games (Patriots, Packers, Saints), and could see some challenges from visiting teams (Lions, Bills, Giants, Bears). Ultimately, I don't think the 49ers will be able to replicate their 13-3 record from a season ago, but should be a better (and more well-balanced) team this season.
Predicted Record: 11-5
2011 Recap: The 49ers got off to a quick start in 2011, wrapping up the division in week thirteen on their way to a 13-3 record, making it all the way to the NFC Championship game. Oft-maligned quarterback Alex Smith did a great job of game-managing for first year coach Jim Harbaugh, and Vernon Davis staked his claim as one of the better tight ends in the league. The engine that made San Francisco run was their defense, which was #1 against the run, #2 in scoring defense and #4 in total yards allowed. The pass rush was also very strong, as DE Justin Smith and OLB Aldon Smith combined for 21.5 of the teams' 42 sacks. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman are one of the best linebacking corps in the league.
Key Additions
The front office was aggressive in trying to add play-makers to an offense that largely lacked explosiveness. With Frank Gore's injury history, the team added bruising back Brandon Jacobs through free agency, as well as burner LaMichael James in the second round to help in the passing and return game. A.J. Jenkins was a bit of a reach in the first round, but adds a big-play threat when the team spreads the field. Mario Manningham came over from the Giants and projects as a very solid third receiver. Randy Moss is not the long-term answer at receiver for the 49ers, but is a potential low-risk, high-reward player with a reasonable contract.
Key Losses
WR Josh Morgan (Redskins)
G Chilo Rachal (Bears)
G Adam Snyder (Cardinals)
2012 Outlook
San Francisco is returning just about every defensive player from last season's team, and added some potential weapons to the offense that will allow Jim Harbaugh to open up more of the playbook for quarterback Alex Smith. The team will have tough road games (Patriots, Packers, Saints), and could see some challenges from visiting teams (Lions, Bills, Giants, Bears). Ultimately, I don't think the 49ers will be able to replicate their 13-3 record from a season ago, but should be a better (and more well-balanced) team this season.
Predicted Record: 11-5
Monday, February 13, 2012
Grading the 2008 NFL Draft: NFC West
It often takes up to four seasons in order to gauge how well an NFL team drafted. With that in mind, I'll be grading each of the 32 NFL teams drafts in an eight part, divison-by-division series. For the first installment, we'll be discussing how the teams from the NFC West fared.
Arizona Cardinals
1(16) - CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
2(50) - DE Calais Campbell, Miami (FL)
3(81) - WR Early Doucet, LSU
4(116) - DE Kenny Iwebema, Iowa
5(149) - RB Tim Hightower, Richmond
6(185) - DE Chris Harrington, Texas A&M
7(225) - OT Brandon Keith, Northern Iowa
Thoughts: Calais Campbell has been one of the premiere 3-4 defensive ends in the league the last three years, and has averaged 60 tackles and 7.0 sacks per season in that span. Rodgers-Cromartie was part of the Kevin Kolb trade, and is a solid nickel cornerback for the Eagles. Doucet struggled in his first three years in the league, but had a solid season in 2011 (689 yards, 5 TD). Hightower was having a solid first year with Washington before tearing his ACL in week seven. Keith has started 20 of the 26 games he's played in, but is much better suited as a swing tackle than a starter. Iwebema played three nondescript years for the Cardinals, and was a preseason roster cut before this past season. Harrington was cut in training camp as a rookie, and last appeared in an NFL game for the Jaguars in 2009. Overall, the Cardinals found value in almost every pick, and Campbell in particular is bordering on elite.
Final Grade: B+
Arizona Cardinals
1(16) - CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
2(50) - DE Calais Campbell, Miami (FL)
3(81) - WR Early Doucet, LSU
4(116) - DE Kenny Iwebema, Iowa
5(149) - RB Tim Hightower, Richmond
6(185) - DE Chris Harrington, Texas A&M
7(225) - OT Brandon Keith, Northern Iowa
Thoughts: Calais Campbell has been one of the premiere 3-4 defensive ends in the league the last three years, and has averaged 60 tackles and 7.0 sacks per season in that span. Rodgers-Cromartie was part of the Kevin Kolb trade, and is a solid nickel cornerback for the Eagles. Doucet struggled in his first three years in the league, but had a solid season in 2011 (689 yards, 5 TD). Hightower was having a solid first year with Washington before tearing his ACL in week seven. Keith has started 20 of the 26 games he's played in, but is much better suited as a swing tackle than a starter. Iwebema played three nondescript years for the Cardinals, and was a preseason roster cut before this past season. Harrington was cut in training camp as a rookie, and last appeared in an NFL game for the Jaguars in 2009. Overall, the Cardinals found value in almost every pick, and Campbell in particular is bordering on elite.
Final Grade: B+
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Potential Destinations for Peyton Manning
With March 8th looming, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is in an unenviable position. His franchise quarterback Peyton Manning is still trying to recover from three neck surgeries in the last two years, the most recent procedure costing him the entire 2011 season. Without Manning, the Colts floundered, losing their first 13 games of the season, and ending up in a tie with St. Louis for the worst record in the league.
Manning is due a $28 million roster bonus in less than a month, and while both sides have said they'd like to find a way to keep Peyton with the Colts, the writing appears to be on the wall. Whether it was their back-and-forth during Super Bowl week about the environment at the Colts facilities, or the fact that ownership has said they're going to draft a quarterback with the #1 overall pick this season, the odds of Manning staying in Indianapolis seems to shrink by the day. Should he hit the free agent market, here are some of the teams that could be interested in his services.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins were simply putrid at the quarterback position, as Rex Grossman (16 TD, 20 INT, 72.4 quarterback rating) and John Beck (2 TD, 4 INT, 72.1 quarterback rating) seemed horribly out of place as an NFL starter. Owner Daniel Snyder has never been shy in doling out big contracts, and Mike Shanahan hasn't had an elite level quarterback since John Elway was under center for the Broncos in the late 1990's. The receiving corps needs an upgrade, but if the fron office is able to retain tight end Fred Davis, it would give Manning his next potential Dallas Clark.
Fit: Poor
For my money, I have a hard time seeing Manning going to an offense whose line was largely mediocre in pass protection (41 sacks allowed), and the lack of a solid running game or true #1 receiver. If Manning were to play in Washington, it would either have to be because he wants to play for Mike Shanahan, or he really likes what Daniel Snyder has to offer (money).
Manning is due a $28 million roster bonus in less than a month, and while both sides have said they'd like to find a way to keep Peyton with the Colts, the writing appears to be on the wall. Whether it was their back-and-forth during Super Bowl week about the environment at the Colts facilities, or the fact that ownership has said they're going to draft a quarterback with the #1 overall pick this season, the odds of Manning staying in Indianapolis seems to shrink by the day. Should he hit the free agent market, here are some of the teams that could be interested in his services.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins were simply putrid at the quarterback position, as Rex Grossman (16 TD, 20 INT, 72.4 quarterback rating) and John Beck (2 TD, 4 INT, 72.1 quarterback rating) seemed horribly out of place as an NFL starter. Owner Daniel Snyder has never been shy in doling out big contracts, and Mike Shanahan hasn't had an elite level quarterback since John Elway was under center for the Broncos in the late 1990's. The receiving corps needs an upgrade, but if the fron office is able to retain tight end Fred Davis, it would give Manning his next potential Dallas Clark.
Fit: Poor
For my money, I have a hard time seeing Manning going to an offense whose line was largely mediocre in pass protection (41 sacks allowed), and the lack of a solid running game or true #1 receiver. If Manning were to play in Washington, it would either have to be because he wants to play for Mike Shanahan, or he really likes what Daniel Snyder has to offer (money).
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Seahawks can't afford to NOT re-sign Lynch
The Seahawks won the NFC West last season, and also knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions in the Wild Card round last season, and Marshawn Lynch had one of the most famous runs in NFL postseason history. Things started off poorly this season, as Seattle started off the season 2-6, essentially knocking themselves out of a spot in the postseason halfway through the year. As the season wore on though, a funny thing happened. Marshawn Lynch, after posting a total of 117 yards and no touchdowns through the season's first three games (in which Seattle went 1-2), Lynch started to regain his "Beast Mode" form that led him to the Pro Bowl for the Buffalo Bills.
Starting in their week four game against the Falcons, Lynch has scored a touchdown in every contest he's played in (the sole exception being the team's week seven loss to Cleveland, which he missed due to injury), a streak that now stands at eleven games. Lynch now holds the Seahawks franchise record for consecutive games with a touchdown, breaking the record held previously by former All-Pro Shaun Alexander. In those past eleven games, Lynch has rushed for 1,001 yards (91.0 yards per game), has scored a total of 13 touchdowns, and eclipsed the 100 yard mark six times. The Seahawks in that time frame are 6-6, and have losses of three points to the Browns (at Cleveland, without Lynch), and a pair of two point losses to San Francisco (who is 12-3) and Atlanta (9-6).
Lynch will be hitting free agency this summer, and with some of the contracts that were handed out after the new collective bargaining agreement was signed, Lynch will be in line for a pretty significant contract. I don't think he's going to get Adrian Peterson (7 years, $100 million) or Chris Johnson (6 years, $55 million) type money, due to the fact he's not the dynamic play-maker that those two players are. Then again, Carolina gave DeAngelo Williams a 5 year, $44 million contract, and Frank Gore received $26 million over four years. If I had to hazard a guess as to what he's worth, Lynch should get a contract that will be worth in the neighborhood of 4 years, $30 million.
The fact of the matter is, management NEEDS to keep Lynch in Seattle, as there is no other back on the roster that can produce despite playing behind a young offensive line, and should still have at least four more productive years in his body. Ultimately, the decision to re-sign Lynch rests with Seahawks general manager John Schneider and owner Paul Allen, though I don't believe there's much of a decision to make. Lynch needs to be a Seahawk.
Starting in their week four game against the Falcons, Lynch has scored a touchdown in every contest he's played in (the sole exception being the team's week seven loss to Cleveland, which he missed due to injury), a streak that now stands at eleven games. Lynch now holds the Seahawks franchise record for consecutive games with a touchdown, breaking the record held previously by former All-Pro Shaun Alexander. In those past eleven games, Lynch has rushed for 1,001 yards (91.0 yards per game), has scored a total of 13 touchdowns, and eclipsed the 100 yard mark six times. The Seahawks in that time frame are 6-6, and have losses of three points to the Browns (at Cleveland, without Lynch), and a pair of two point losses to San Francisco (who is 12-3) and Atlanta (9-6).
Lynch will be hitting free agency this summer, and with some of the contracts that were handed out after the new collective bargaining agreement was signed, Lynch will be in line for a pretty significant contract. I don't think he's going to get Adrian Peterson (7 years, $100 million) or Chris Johnson (6 years, $55 million) type money, due to the fact he's not the dynamic play-maker that those two players are. Then again, Carolina gave DeAngelo Williams a 5 year, $44 million contract, and Frank Gore received $26 million over four years. If I had to hazard a guess as to what he's worth, Lynch should get a contract that will be worth in the neighborhood of 4 years, $30 million.
The fact of the matter is, management NEEDS to keep Lynch in Seattle, as there is no other back on the roster that can produce despite playing behind a young offensive line, and should still have at least four more productive years in his body. Ultimately, the decision to re-sign Lynch rests with Seahawks general manager John Schneider and owner Paul Allen, though I don't believe there's much of a decision to make. Lynch needs to be a Seahawk.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
5 NFL teams that might be feeling "Luck-y" in April
With the season one-fourth over, I thought it'd be a good time to do some research on the teams that might finish the season towards the bottom of the standings. I have five teams here that are either 1-3 or 0-4 that will probably: a) finish under six wins, and; b) at least contemplate drafting Andrew Luck.
Indianapolis Colts - Without Peyton Manning, this team can't utilize their biggest strengths (great receivers, pass rush). This defense is not one that's built to stop the run, and without Manning racking up points, there will be less opportunity for Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney to pressure opposing quarterbacks. Should Peyton not be able to return following three neck procedures in the past 18 months, then they'll no doubt need to look for a new franchise quarterback. Luck has top notch instincts and feel for the game, as well as uncanny accuracy and mobility both inside the pocket and out, which would probably be necessary as the Colts offensive line isn't great either.
Reason they could draft first: No Peyton Manning will definitely hurt, as neither Curtis Painter or Kerry Collins are really starting caliber NFL quarterbacks. The division could be construed as down, though I'd argue its more balanced than lacking talent.
Remaining Schedule -
Home: Chiefs, Falcons, Jaguars, Panthers, Titans, Texans
Away: Buccaneers, Bengals, Saints, Titans, Patriots, Ravens, Jaguars
Projected Record: 4-12. The Colts will be out of the playoff picture by week 10, so don't expect Peyton to play in 2011.
Indianapolis Colts - Without Peyton Manning, this team can't utilize their biggest strengths (great receivers, pass rush). This defense is not one that's built to stop the run, and without Manning racking up points, there will be less opportunity for Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney to pressure opposing quarterbacks. Should Peyton not be able to return following three neck procedures in the past 18 months, then they'll no doubt need to look for a new franchise quarterback. Luck has top notch instincts and feel for the game, as well as uncanny accuracy and mobility both inside the pocket and out, which would probably be necessary as the Colts offensive line isn't great either.
Reason they could draft first: No Peyton Manning will definitely hurt, as neither Curtis Painter or Kerry Collins are really starting caliber NFL quarterbacks. The division could be construed as down, though I'd argue its more balanced than lacking talent.
Remaining Schedule -
Home: Chiefs, Falcons, Jaguars, Panthers, Titans, Texans
Away: Buccaneers, Bengals, Saints, Titans, Patriots, Ravens, Jaguars
Projected Record: 4-12. The Colts will be out of the playoff picture by week 10, so don't expect Peyton to play in 2011.
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