2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)

DAAAAAA BEARS!

For Day 21 of my 2013 NFL Predictions i will be breaking down the CHICAGO BEARS!

To me the Chicago Bears are a very intriguing team. They have weapons on offense, play-makers on defense, and good special teams. But last year Chicago started 6-0 before ending on a 2-8 skid which proved to be the downfall of Head Coach Lovie Smith's reign in Chicago. New Head Coach Marc Trestman has some solid pieces to work with like QB Jay Cutler, WR Brandon Marshall, RB's Matt Forte and Michael Bush, TE Martellus Bennett on offense. DE Julius Peppers and Shea McClellin, LB Lance Briggs solidifies the linebackers that are missing star Brian Urlacher, and CBs Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings. Sadly the Bears have had a glaring weakness for years now that hasn't improved or really been addressed heavily and that if Offensive Line, QB Jay Cutler would be a very good quarterback in my opinion if he could get a second or two more in the pocket, but he rarely get's any time to even think much less make a play. Did the Bears see the light and address their O-Line needs in the draft? Let's take a look see shall we?

ROUND 1: Kyle Long OG (Oregon)

ROUND 2: Jon Bostic ILB (Florida)

ROUND 4: Khaseem Green OLB (Rutgers)

ROUND 5: Jordan Mills OT (Louisiana Tech)

ROUND 6: Cornelius Washington OLB (Georgia)

ROUND 7: Marquess Wilson WR (Washington State)

Overall i like the draft from the Bears, Kyle Long and Jordan Mills i could see fighting to start right away on the offensive line. Jon Bostic will get some looks at middle linebacker. But my favorite pick was 7th round pick of WR Marquess Wilson, 7TH ROUND are you kidding me? this kid has some freakish athleticism and will turn some heads this year mark my words. He dropped down draft boards because of "character issues" when he got into trouble with Washington State head coach Mike Leach, but heck who wouldn't be on edge all the time playing for Washington State? Jay Cutlet is going to love having this kid to throw to along with Brandon Marshall. Do i think the Bears have improved enough to fight for the division crown? This division is pretty freaking tough all around. Take a glance at my predictions for the Bears.

OPPONENTS                                             W/L
CINCINNATI                                                  W
MINNESOTA                                                 W
@ PITTSBURGH                                           L
@ DETROIT                                                  L
NEW ORLEANS                                          W
NEW YORK GIANTS (THURSDAY)            L
@ WASHINGTON                                        W
BYE WEEK
@ GREEN BAY (MONDAY)                         W
DETROIT                                                      L
BALTIMORE                                                W
@ ST. LOUIS                                                L
@ MINNESOTA                                          W
DALLAS (MONDAY)                                   W
@ CLEVELAND                                          W
@ PHILADELPHIA                                      W
GREEN BAY                                               W

FINAL RECORD                                    11 - 5

Analysis: I see good things under Marc Trestman if you didn't notice that already. In my opinion the Bears improved the O-Line enough with Kyle Long on the interior to give QB Jay Cutler that little extra time necessary to make the plays he needs and to open up holes for RB Matt Forte. The Bears defense last year was stout, and even though Brian Urlacher is gone now i don't see much of a drop off from last years defense. I think the Bears have the tools necessary to win the division.

What do you think faithful readers? Let me know in the comments section. Don't be shy.

Locals in the NFL! (Casey)

 

Here is a list of all the local college football players that are currently on rosters of teams in the NFC East;

Dallas Cowboys:

There are no local Players on there current roster at this time.

New York Giants:

There are no Local Players on there current roster at this time.   

Washington Redskins:

                   Name                    Pos            H            W           EXP        College   

• #53 Bryan Kehl              LB             6'2"         243          5            BYU
• #58 Vic So'oto               LB             6'3"         263          2            BYU
• #62 Tevita Stevens         OL             6'3"         300          R           Utah

*DaVonte Christopher signed a free agent deal with the Redskins but does not show up on there roster at this time.


Philadelphia Eagles:

                    Name              Pos              H             W           EXP        College  

• #73 Joe Kruger        DE/LB        6'6"          269           R            Utah
• #31 Curtis Marsh      CB             6'1"          197           3             Utah State
• #16 Nick Miller        WR            5'9"           180          4             SUU
• #66 Dallas Reynolds   C             6'4"            320          2             BYU    

2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)

THE HOGS ARE BACK!

For Day 20 of my 2013 NFL Predictions i will be breaking down the WASHINGTON REDSKINS!

For years the Washington Redskins have kinda been down in the dumps with losing season after losing season... the hogs were sad. Then came the emergence of QB Robert Griffin III. He has brought new life to this 'Skins team along with fellow youngster RB Alfred Morris. There is a renewed hope and excitement in D.C. The Redskins did bring in WRs Pierre Garcon and Devery Henderson to work along side Santana Moss to help the young Griffin. However good the offense is, the defense on this team is more suspect. After CB DeAngelo Hall there really aren't any big name defenders. There are up and comers like LB Ryan Kerrigan but i'm not overly impressed with the defense. QB Robert Griffin is coming off of an injury and nobody really knows how he is going to perform this year when he does get back on the field. I for one am confident he will be back to form without signs of regress. Before i go a little too crazy on my wordage let's take a look at who the Redskins drafted this year.

ROUND 2: David Amerson CB (N.C. State)

ROUND 3: Jordan Reed TE (Florida)

ROUND 4: Philip Thomas SS (Fresno State)

ROUND 5: Chris Thompson RB (Florida State)

ROUND 6: Brandon Jenkins DE (Florida State)

ROUND 6: Bacarri Rambo SS (Georgia)

ROUND 7: Jawan Jamison RB (Rutgers)

If you are thinking the same thing i am, then you are thinking that this coaching staff knows that their secondary isn't the greatest, and they went fairly heavy on it this draft picking up CB David Amerson in the 2nd round, along with Safeties Philip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo to help shore up the defensive backfield. Add in a pair of running backs, a tight end, and a defensive end to polish up this draft doesn't really stand out as an outstanding draft, but adding depth in necessary places never hurts. Washington went 10-6 last year before losing to Seattle in the playoffs. How will they fare this year? Better or Worse? Let's take a look.

OPPONENTS                                         W/L
PHILADELPHIA (MONDAY)                      W
@ GREEN BAY                                         L
DETROIT                                                  W
@ OAKLAND                                            W
BYE WEEK
@ DALLAS                                               W
CHICAGO                                                  L
@ DENVER                                              L
SAN DIEGO                                              W
@ MINNESOTA (THURSDAY)                 W
@ PHILADELPHIA                                   W
SAN FRANCISCO (MONDAY)                W
NEW YORK GIANTS                              W
KANSAS CITY                                         W
@ ATLANTA                                             L
DALLAS                                                    W
@ NEW YORK GIANTS                           L

FINAL RECORD                                   11 - 5

Analysis: I actually have the Redskins finishing slightly better than last year. The main areas i see them struggling in are tough road environments like Green Bay, Denver, Atlanta, and NY Giants. I struggled giving them the win against San Fran on a Monday night, but decided to give them the game due to San Fran just finishing a tough road game against New Orleans the week before. Of course i am putting a lot into the fact that i think RG3 will be healthy and not miss a beat from last year, however i do feel that backup QB Kirk Cousins is more than able to lead the offense in his stead if Griffin should be unavailable.

These are my predictions... what are yours?

2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)

WAR EAGLE! WAIT NEVERMIND...

For Day 19 of my 2013 NFL Predictions, i will break down the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES.

For the last couple of years the Philadelphia Eagles have been the "dream team" in the minds of NFL experts because of all the "names" on the roster and yes i was one that thought that the Eagles were Super Bowl bound! Yeah that didn't happen, the team went to shambles, the coaching staff was removed, and now new Head Coach Chip Kelly has a project to deal with. Lucky for him there isn't the same amount of hype surrounding this team this year as in years past, and good thing too. QB Michael Vick hasn't been the same type of player he used to, RB LeSean McCoy is a stud running back, and WRs Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson are more than servicable. However will QB Mike Vick keep his job as the starter? He will be pushed by QB's Nick Foles and rookie Matt Barkley, and i could see Chip Kelly going with one of the youngsters to start a few years of re-building. The defense of the Eagles is suspect and will get beat in most games this year, however there are some new faces for Chip to work with, and they are... 

ROUND 1: Lane Johnson OT (Oklahoma)

ROUND 2: Zach Ertz TE (Stanford)

ROUND 3: Bennie Logan DT (LSU)

ROUND 4: Matt Barkley QB (USC)

ROUND 5: Earl Wolff SS (N.C. State)

ROUND 7: Joe Kruger DE (Utah)

ROUND 7: Jordan Poyer CB (Oregon State)

ROUND 7: David King DE (Oklahoma)

As a whole i like what the Eagles did in the draft. Everybody knew that the offensive and defensive line was terrible for the Eagles, so they brought in one of the best/most athletic tackles in Lane Johnson to protect whichever QB they choose to start, also TE Zach Ertz is a serviceable blocker that will be a passing threat for opposing defenses. I really like where the Eagles went on defense, picking up players like Earl Wolff and Jordan Poyer for secondary help. (I think Poyer was an absolute steal by the way). Also picking up the services of Bennie Logan, and Joe Kruger on the defensive line will go a long way to build up the trenches and add some sort of pass rush to this defense. With all that said lets analyze the schedule the Eagles have to deal with and how i predict their season going. 

OPPONENTS                                           W/L
@ WASHINGTON (MONDAY)                    L
SAN DIEGO                                                L
KANSAS CITY (THURSDAY)                     L
@ DENVER                                                L
@ NEW YORK GIANTS                             L
@ TAMPA BAY                                           L
DALLAS                                                     W
NEW YORK GIANTS                                 L
@ OAKLAND                                              L
@ GREEN BAY                                          L
WASHINGTON                                           L
BYE WEEK
ARIZONA                                                   W
DETROIT                                                    L
@ MINNESOTA                                          L
CHICAGO                                                   L
@ DALLAS                                                 L

FINAL RECORD                                   2 - 14

Analysis: I think the NFL scheduling department hates the Eagles, I mean back to back to back road games against Denver, NYG, and Tampa? followed by trips to Oakland (cross country) and then Green Bay? The only bright spot on this schedule is playing Arizona at home following their Bye Week. If not for that i'm not sure they would win any games. I do have them splitting the series with Dallas due to Dallas' schedule, but Dallas could possibly sweep the Eagles also. Who knows what Chip Kelly is going to do with this team, he definitely has some exciting tools to work with, but it's going to take a lot of work in my opinion. Rough year, but hey, the draft looks good early next year. (believe me i know)

What do you think about the new look Eagles? Am i right/wrong/close? I would love to hear your thoughts. There are no wrong opinions, just Happy Accidental Thought Processes ;)

2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)

THE FOOTBALL GIANTS!

For Day 18 of my 2013 NFL Predictions i will be breaking down the NEW YORK GIANTS!

The craziest thing about he Giants is that every year i think they are going to be down and yet they still contend for the division. Maybe it's the genius of Head Coach Tom Coughlin i don't know, just think about this with me... this team has QB Eli Manning who is an above average quarterback, but he can be a head case sometimes. RB's Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are gone leaving David Wilson as the starting back (who was benched last year for having "fumble-itis" early in the season). Receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks are still around, while TE Brandon Myers was picked up in free agency. Defensively Jason Pierre-Paul is still one of the top pass rushers in the game along side Justin Tuck while the defensive backfield boasts the services of Aaron Ross, Prince Amukamara, and Antrel Rolle. Along with the players listed, here is who the Giants drafted.

ROUND 1: Justin Pugh OT (Syracuse)

ROUND 2: Johnathan Hankins DT (Ohio State)

ROUND 3: Damontre Moore DE (Texas A&M)

ROUND 4: Ryan Nassib QB (Syracuse)

ROUND 5: Cooper Taylor S (Richmond)

ROUND 7: Eric Herman G (Ohio)

ROUND 7: Michael Cox RB (Massachusetts)

I like the work that the Giants did on the offensive and defensive lines picking up solid players to protect Eli Manning and solidify the trenches on both sides. The most interesting pickup to me was QB Ryan Nassib, many experts thought that Nassib was a possibility for the Bills in the 1st Round! The Giants were able to get him in the 4th Round, he will be a serviceable backup for Manning. Now without further ado. My predictions.

OPPONENTS                                    W/L
@ DALLAS                                          W
DENVER                                              L
@ CAROLINA                                      L
@ KANSAS CITY                               W
PHILADELPHIA                                  W
@ CHICAGO (THURSDAY)               W
MINNESOTA (MONDAY)                    W
@ PHILADELPHIA                              W
BYE WEEK
OAKLAND                                          W
GREEN BAY                                        L
DALLAS                                               L
@ WASHINGTON                               L
@ SAN DIEGO                                   W
SEATTLE                                             L
@ DETROIT                                       W
WASHINGTON                                   W

FINAL RECORD                             10 - 6

Analysis: Yes i know what your thinking, i'm crazy to think that this team will reach ten wins. Nonetheless i see a fairly favorable schedule with fairly simple road games, the hardest being against Chicago in week 6 after little rest, lucky for the Giants they play the Eagles just before that game and they should blow them out to get a little rest for the starters before the game against the Bears. I like what Tom Coughlin does with this team and how he leads them.

I predict ten wins, but what do you think?

2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)

GET YER POPCORN READY, IT'S THE BOYS!

To begin the NFC portion of my 2013 NFL Predictions, i will break down the DALLAS COWBOYS.

The Cowboys are year-in and year-out the most confusing team in the NFL. Every year QB Tony Romo is going to get over the hump and lead his team to the playoffs and victories in the playoffs. Yet that doesn't happen. Why? I think Romo is a good quarterback that is decent outside of the pocket (since he's always running for his life). RB DeMarco Murray is a very good young back, this team has WR Miles Austin and WR Dez Bryant along with TE Jason Witten. The defense boasts one of the best pass rushers in Demarcus Ware. So why do they not live up to the media hype? I think the offensive line is terrible and who other than Ware do they have on defense? CB Brandon Carr is solid but not elite. This team needs help, lets see who they drafted to help.

ROUND 1: Travis Frederick C (Wisconsin)

ROUND 2: Gavin Escobar TE (San Diego State)

ROUND 3: Terrance Williams WR (Baylor)

ROUND 3: J.J. Wilcox FS (Georgia Southern)

ROUND 4: B.W. Webb CB (William & Mary)

ROUND 5: Joseph Randle RB (Oklahoma State)

ROUND 6: DeVonte Holloman OLB (South Carolina)

Can you say yawn fest? Dallas surprised everybody when they drafted C Frederick late in the first round, and then he was the only offensive lineman they drafted. They did get a couple players that are going to be good in the NFL in TE Escobar and CB Webb. Don't be surprised if both these players make an impact this year in their respective positions. Overall though i'm not impressed, to me this is Owner/GM Jerry Jones doing whatever he wants to do and not listening/taking advice from anybody (who probably knows better than him). Believe me i know how a senile Owner/GM can affect how a franchise operates negatively. 

How negatively you say? Let's take a look at my prediction for the Cowboys.

OPPONENTS                                  W/L
NEW YORK GIANTS                         L
@ KANSAS CITY                              W
ST. LOUIS                                         W
@ SAN DIEGO                                  L
WASHINGTON                                  L
@ PHILADELPHIA                             L
@ DETROIT                                       L
MINNESOTA                                     W
@ NEW ORLEANS                           L
BYE WEEK
@ NEW YORK GIANTS                    W
OAKLAND (THURSDAY)                  W
@ CHICAGO (MONDAY)                   L
GREEN BAY                                       L
@ WASHINGTON                              L
PHILADELPHIA                                 W

FINAL RECORD                             6 - 10

Analysis: I don't have high hopes for the Cowboys. They will catch a couple wins early in the year like they always do, then struggle until their bye. After they Bye taking a couple wins again before hitting another losing streak. Let's just say it's not a good year for the Cowboys to play the NFC North. Head Coach Jason Garrett will get fired after this year, and the hunt for the new puppet begins. I can see good things happening with all this team has to offer especially on offense if only Jerry Jones would actually let the coaching staff he hired do their jobs the way they know how. Unfortunately i don't see that happening for a while.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments section below. Thanks for reading.

2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)

CHARGE UP THE BOLTS!

For Day 16 of my 2013 NFL Predictions, and finishing off the AFC, i will break down the SAN DIEGO CHARGERS.

For years under QB Philip Rivers, the Chargers were the team to beat in the AFC West, RB LaDanian  Tomlinson was a beast to deal with and WR Vincent Jackson along with TE Antonia Gates were unstoppable. Not to mention a defense lead by LB Shawn Merriman rounded out a team that many predicted was Super Bowl bound. That did not happen however, last year the Charger fired Head Coach Norv Turner and their General Manager A.J. Smith bringing a fresh look to the coaching staff. RB Tomlinson is no longer with the team, along with Jackson, and Merriman. And Antonio Gates has declined over the last couple of seasons. The Chargers did bring in new faces via the draft this year, lets take a quick glance at who they drafted.

ROUND 1: D.J. Fluker OT (Alabama)

ROUND 2: Manti Te'o ILB (Notre Dame)

ROUND 3: Keenan Allen WR (California)

ROUND 5: Steve Williams CB (California)

ROUND 6: Tourek Williams DE (Florida International)

ROUND 7: Brad Sorensen QB (Southern Utah)

The Chargers did some nice things in the draft, i would have liked to see them address the offensive line needs more because they are terrible. QB Philip Rivers breathed a sigh of relief when the Chargers drafted OT Fluker and then grinned when they gave him a weapon like Keenan Allen. The Chargers took a chance on LB Manti Te'o according to the experts, i don't agree, Te'o but in a solid body of work during 99% of his career at Notre Dame and most people dogged on him because of his performance in the National Championship game against Alabama and at the combine. I see him as a star on the defense for the Chargers. I give the Chargers a "good not great" draft. How much will the draft help the Chargers you say? Lets take a look now at my prediction.

OPPONENTS                                     W/L
HOUSTON (MONDAY)                         L
@ PHILADELPHIA                               W
@ TENNESSEE                                    L
DALLAS                                               W
@ OAKLAND                                       L
INDIANAPOLIS (MONDAY)                  L
@ JACKSONVILLE                              W
BYE WEEK
@ WASHINGTON                                 L
DENVER                                                L
@ MIAMI                                                L
@ KANSAS CITY                                  L
CINCINNATI                                          L
NEW YORK GIANTS                            L
@ DENVER (THURSDAY)                   L
OAKLAND                                          W
KANSAS CITY                                     L

FINAL RECORD                               4 - 12

Analysis: No i don't see them getting enough help through the draft and free agency to contend in the division. I think it's going to take more help on the Offensive Line to keep QB Philip Rivers upright and open up lanes for RB Ryan Matthews. Watch for WR Vincent Brown to become the star of the offense this year though and Rivers' favorite target. Unfortunately i see the end of the career of one of the great TE in the game this year, my feeling is Antonio Gates retires after this year. Who knows though, with new coaches and a new GM the Chargers could potentially turn the clock back in the next couple of years to being contenders once again in the AFC West. Just not this year.

These are my thought and opinions. Whats yours? Thanks for Reading