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

2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)

THE RRRRRAIDAS!! (IN BERMAN VOICE)

For Day 15 of my 2013 NFL Prediction i will be breaking down the OAKLAND RAIDERS!

The Oakland Raiders were terrible last year behind QB Carson Palmer, injuries riddled the team, RB Darren McFadden never really got used to the Zone Blocking scheme and one of Oakland's best receivers was undrafted Rookie Rod Streater... yeah that's right. The Raider defense was one of the worst in the NFL last year especially as pass protecting and pass rushing. New GM Reggie McKenzie has done a lot this year to widdle out heavy contracts that are just hurting this organization, but with that Oakland has lost a lot of their best players. Oakland traded QB Carson Palmer to Arizona, and acquired QB Matt Flynn from Seattle. One of the best pickups by McKenzie was grabbing ILB Nick Roach from Chicago, Roach has already become a leader on the defense and the players look up to him as the quarterback of the defense. DB's Charles Woodson, Tracy Porter, Mike Jenkins, and Usama Young come in to try to tighten down a terrible defensive backfield, while DT's Pat Sims and Vance Walker come in to try to help plug up lanes against the run. The Raiders also did some work in the draft this year... Lets see who they selected.

ROUND 1: D.J. Hayden CB (Houston)

ROUND 2: Menelik Watson OT (Florida State)

ROUND 3: Sio Moore OLB (Connecticut)

ROUND 4: Tyler Wilson QB (Arkansas)

ROUND 6: Nick Kasa TE (Colorado)

ROUND 6: Latavius Murray RB (Central Florida)

ROUND 6: Mychal Rivera TE (Tennessee)

ROUND 6: Stacy McGee DT (Oklahoma)

ROUND 7: Brice Butler WR (San Diego State)

ROUND 7: David Bass DE (Missouri Western)

The Raiders surprised a lot of people by drafting CB Hayden after trading back, because of Hayden's recent injury history that almost took his life. However, Hayden was widely considered the best CB coming out of college before his injury so who knows, this pick could pan out very well. OT Watson was kind of a head-scratcher because Oakland needs players to play now and Watson is very raw, lucky for him however he will end up playing RT instead of more critical LT. The next five picks i absolutely love, Sio Moore will be a contributor this year along with TE's Kasa and Rivera. QB Tyler Wilson has already been pushing Matt Flynn for the starting spot, and RB Latavius Murray will more than likely be used as a change of pace back to complement McFadden. What was really good to see was the direction that GM McKenzie is taking this organization. With that said however, will it be enough to help them out this year? Let's take a look see... 

OPPONENTS                                   W/L

@ INDIANAPOLIS                               L

JACKSONVILLE                                 W 

@ DENVER (MONDAY)                     L

WASHINGTON                                   L

SAN DIEGO                                       W

@ KANSAS CITY                               L

BYE WEEK

PITTSBURGH                                    L

PHILADELPHIA                                 W

@ NEW YORK GIANTS                    L

@ HOUSTON                                     L

TENNESSEE                                      L

@ DALLAS (THURSDAY)                  L

@ NEW YORK JETS                       W

KANSAS CITY                                   L

@ SAN DIEGO                                  L

DENVER                                            L

FINAL RECORD                             4 - 12

To answer my own question..... NO..... i don't think it will be enough to help them this year. This team needs a lot of work, but i do see them heading in the right direction and solid QB play will be huge for the future years. There are way to many question marks on defense and not enough consistency on offense to be a contender. What I've seen is Raider's fans are more than happy to see this kind of record this year because they know contending for the division is on the horizon. 

Agree? Disagree? let me know what you think. And thanks for reading!

2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)

LOOKS GREAT, BUT WHO ARE THE CHEFS?

For Day 14 of my 2013 NFL Predictions i will break down the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS!

Last year, with all the uncertainty concerning QB Peyton Manning in Denver, many NFL Experts pegged the Kansas City Chiefs as the "easy" choice to win the AFC West. And how could you blame them? With all the  playmakers on offense and defense like RB Jamaal Charles, TE Tony Moeaki, and S Eric Berry coming off early season-ending injuries the previous year, i had the Chiefs as the clear cut favorite as well. What really hurt this team last year was QB play. Matt Cassel just didn't pan out, and backup Brady Quinn showed us all what we already knew... that he isn't an NFL QB. This offseason has been huge for the Chiefs, first acquiring HC Andy Reid from Philadelphia, then picking up free agents like CB Sean Smith, CB Dunta Robinson to play opposite already solid CB Brandon Flowers. Tamba Hali should have a great year along with LB Derrick Johnson. DT Dontari Poe will try to get things going with fellow DL Tyson Jackson. OT Brandon Albert is still with the team after many thought he would've been traded by now. Plus it doesn't hurt to have WR Dwayne Bowe on your team with newly acquired receiver Donny Avery and TE Anthony Fasano. The biggest splash came when basically all QB's from last years team were cut (except Ricky Stanzi) and the Chiefs acquired Alex Smith from the 49ers, he is obviously the favorite to start. Now before i get too crazy on this team. Lets take at peek at their draft class.

ROUND 1: Eric Fisher OT (Central Michigan)

ROUND 3: Travis Kelce TE (Cincinnati)

ROUND 3: Knile Davis RB (Arkansas)

ROUND 4: Nico Johnson ILB (Alabama)

ROUND 5: Sanders Commings CB (Georgia)

ROUND 6: Eric Kush C (California PA)

ROUND 6: Braden Wilson FB (Kansas State)

ROUND 7: Mike Catapano DE (Princeton)

I like that the Chiefs went with Fisher #1 overall, he will probably start at RT while Brandon Albert will be at LT, C Eric Kush will probably be a situation player. TE Travis Kelce could vie for playing time in a possible two TE set (especially with Moeaki's health concerns). Against popular opinion i really like the pickup of RB Knile Davis, i think he will turn a lot of heads that are focused on other rookie running backs. Also LB Nico Johnson could very well be brought into some games on certain situations this year. With all that said lets take a look at how i predict this years Chiefs team will perform.

OPPONENTS                                           W/L

@ JACKSONVILLE                                    W

DALLAS                                                       L

@ PHILADELPHIA (THURSDAY)              W

NEW YORK GIANTS                                  L

@ TENNESSEE                                         W

OAKLAND                                                  W

HOUSTON                                                  L

CLEVELAND                                             W

@ BUFFALO                                             W

BYE WEEK

@ DENVER                                                L

SAN DIEGO                                               W

DENVER                                                    W

@ WASHINGTON                                      L

@ OAKLAND                                            W 

INDIANAPOLIS                                          L

@ SAN DIEGO                                          W

FINAL RECORD                                    10 - 6

Don't worry, your eyes are not freaking out, what you see is actually true and will happen. I am on the believer bandwagon that QB Alex Smith has put his worst years behind him. Jamaal Charles is set to have a great year, and this Chief Defense will be much improved compared to last year. I hear you saying there's no way that a team can bounce back high so quickly but just look at last years Colts team. All some teams need is just a piece or two to turn things around, plus is doesn't hurt to have a coach like Andy Reid on your sideline. I have the Chiefs making the Wild Card round to face the Steelers for Pete's Sake! 

Am i crazy to think this way? Let me know in the comments section below. 

And thanks for reading. Your brain may need a rest now.

Locals in the NFL (Casey)

Here are all the local college players currently on a roster for a team in the AFC South.


Jacksonville Jaguars:
There are no current local players on there roster at this time.

Houston Texans: 

                  Names                Pos         H             W             Exp           College

• #21 Brice McCain        CB        5'9"         184             4             Utah

Indianapolis Colts:

                     Names                Pos         H             W             Exp           College

• #37 Kerwynn Williams      RB         5'8"         195             R            Utah State

Tennessee Titans:

                     Names                Pos         H             W             Exp           College

• #19 Diondre Borel          WR        6'0"         199            1          Utah State
• #32 Robert Johnson        DB        6'2"         206             3          Utah  

 

  

2013 NFL PREDICTIONS!!! (TYLER)

THE DENVER PEYTON MANNINGS!

For Day 13 of my 2013 NFL Predictions we will break down the DENVER BRONCOS.

Last year began for the Broncos began in uncertainty... Peyton Manning had joined the team after several neck surgeries and nobody really knew how he would fare on game day. Let's just say he is fine, good enough to lead his team to the playoffs where they lost to the soon to be champion Ravens. The Broncos return several key players like QB Peyton Manning, RB Willis McGahee, LB Von Miller, and CB Champ Bailey. The Broncos lost DL Elvis Dumervil in probably the weirdest way when he was actually all set to join the team after a contract had finally been worked out, but his paperwork was faxed in after the deadline thus making his contract void. Let's now take a look at how the Broncos drafted this year.

ROUND 1: Sylvester Williams DT (North Carolina)

ROUND 2: Montee Ball RB (Wisconsin)

ROUND 3: Kayvon Webster CB (South Florida)

ROUND 5: Quanterus Smith DE (Western Kentucky)

ROUND 5: Tavarres King WR (Georgia)

ROUND 6: Vinston Painter OT (Virginia Tech)

ROUND 7: Zac Dysert QB (Miami OH)

Sylvester Williams will push to get solid playing time in place of the departed Dumervil, RB Montee Ball is probably the leader of this draft class to get heavy playing time this year and possibly even starting. Everything i've seen says that he will be the #1 RB on roster considering Knowshon Moreno's heath and Willis McGahee's age. Even though the Broncos have QB Brock Osweiler on roster i still like the pickup of Zac Dysert in the 7th round, he will push Osweiler every year to be better til the time comes that he needs to start in place of Manning. 

Now that that's taken care of, lets look at how i predict the Broncos season playing out.

OPPONENTS                                    W/L

BALTIMORE (THURSDAY)                W

@ NEW YORK GIANTS                   W

OAKLAND (MONDAY)                     W 

PHILADELPHIA                                W

@ DALLAS                                        W

JACKSONVILLE                                W

@ INDIANAPOLIS                            W

WASHINGTON                                 W

BYE WEEK

@ SAN DIEGO                                  W

KANSAS CITY                                  W

@ NEW ENGLAND                           L

@ KANSAS CITY                               L

TENNESSEE                                     W

SAN DIEGO (THURSDAY)               W

@ HOUSTON                                      L

@ OAKLAND                                     W

FINAL RECORD                            13 - 3

Analysis: I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw how easy the Broncos schedule is set up. Granted they have two tough road games late in the season against New England and Houston, but seriously? Division rivals Oakland and San Diego shouldn't pose many problems. I have them splitting series with Kansas City based on what i will tell you tomorrow about Kansas City. This team is good enough to be a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl and they very well may make it there. The AFC has some solid teams at the top and Denver is one of them. 

Do you agree or disagree with my prediction/analysis? Let me hear why in the comments section.