NFL Divisional Playoffs

The NFL playoffs are in full swing.  It is a wonderful time of year, but sad at the same time because we know the glorious game of football is coming to an end for the year.  To make matters even worse there is that pesky issue of the CBA which has next season up for grabs.  Well, I guess none of us can control what the NFL does in the off season.  Obviously we hope it is the two sides playing nice and coming to terms.  But, if they don’t it is going to be a long time until we see football again.  SOOOOO, let’s enjoy the hell out of these playoffs.

NFC

The miracle Seahawks v. the Jekyl and Hyde Bears.  This should be a better game than most people think.  The Bears came off of a flat game against Green Bay in their finally while the S’Hawks are on a roll with wins over St. Louis and New Orleans.  Seattle is mostly healthy.  Matt is back at QB and Marshawn is running like Earl Campbell.  All of those things do work in the S’Hawks favor.  What doesn’t is the brutal weather expected for Chicago.  Snow showers and a high of 14 degrees.  Now Tom Brady torched the Bears a month ago in similar weather but that was Tom Brady and the Patriots.  They’re awesome and Brady plays ridiculously well in poor weather.  The S’Hawks are used to the moderate climate of Seattle.  So, what other than the weather is against the S’Hawks?  How about the Bears staunch run defense.  They are among the league leaders and if Seattle can’t run, Seattle won’t win.  For Chicago not to blow this game on offense is simple.  They have to NOT turn over the football and convert on 3rd Downs.  If they can do this than it will be an uphill battle for the S’Hawks.  PREDICTION – Chicago 24 Seattle 14

The Green Bay Packers are on fire.  They beat the big, bad Bears in a brutal defensive game and then the GB defense whooped up on Vick and Philly.  On the downside they are entering the Georgia Dome to face Matt Ryan and the Falcons.  Simply put they don’t lose much at home.  Actually, they have only lost once there so the odds are against GB right out of the gate.  Both QBs are great so they cancel each other out.  Green Bays defense is good and ATLs is underrated so they cancel each other out.  That leaves special teams, receivers and runners.  ATL wins each of those battles.  Weems should be able to give ATL great field position all day.  Michael “the Burner” Turner is better than, well, just about anything Green Bay has.  Finally GB does have some good receivers but ATL gets the edge with TE Tony Gonzalez.  Other intangibles?  Can’t see any really.  It should be a close game with the home team squeaking out a win.  PREDICTION – Atlanta 20 Green Bay 17

AFC

This is going to be a hate fest from the word GO!  Rex Ryan has his boys playing well.  They have a chip on their shoulder and they’re daring just about anybody to knock it off.  The J E T S are talking smack, especially Cromartie who called Brady an “asshole”.  Wow!  That is some hate.  Now, I like confidence.  Heck, the 85′ Chicago Bears were as brash as they came but they NEVER disrespected another player and they always backed up their talk.  Now the J E T S might want to pipe down a bit because Brady and company are healthy and rested.  Why do I get the feeling, if I may make this analogy, the NY Jets are the Japanese after Pearl Harbor and the Patriots are the sleeping giant.  I so have this feeling Brady will tear up that NYJ defense and the Patriot defense will treat Sanchez like their bitch.  PREDICTION – New England 35 NY Jets 10

This should be the game of the weekend.  I have gone back and forth on this matchup.  Baltimore looked spectacular against the Chiefs last week.  The defense looked like the Ravens defense we recognize.  Flacco and company are efficient.  They run and pass and last week made it look easy.  However, their opponent this week is just a little bit tougher in Pittsburgh.  The Steelers haven’t done any one thing superbly this season but they have been so solid all around since Ben’s return.  RB Rashard Mendenhall is a key guy for the Steelers.  He can wear down the aging Raven defenders with his physical in-between the tackles running and take pressure off of Big Ben.  If however the Ravens are able to contain Mendenhall they will begin teeing off on Ben.  The Steeler D should be able to keep Baltimore in check.  Once again it isn’t a great defense but they do everything very well.  They don’t make too many mistakes.  The final stat if you will is that Pittsburgh has a 6 game winning streak over the Ravens.  That may be something too difficult for this Ravens group to overcome.  PREDICTION – Pittsburgh 21 Baltimore 16

NFL Draft Wrap Up – NFC West

1 – Arizona Cardinals (B)

Overall the Cards had a very nice draft.  DT Dan Williams should become a very solid defensive nose tackle in their system.  They certainly fortified their front line.  Then they nabbed the fastest LB in the draft in Daryl Washington.  I don’t think he has the overall skills to develop into a Pro-Bowler but he is solid and should contribute right away.  WR Andre Roberts lacks size but not speed or ability.  He should end up in the receiving corps and contribute immediately.  Another intriguing pick was QB John Skelton.  The Cards aren’t high on the QBs they have and John is the QB of the future.  He possesses great size and ability and could be the steal of the draft.   TE Jim Dray is vastly underrated and land a spot on the roster.

2 – San Francisco 49ers (B+)

You need line help and you come away with OT Anthony Davis and G Mike Iupati.  That is outstanding.  They should start right away and help protect their QB.  S Taylor Mays was a value pick.  He lacks top end speed but has wonderful instincts.  He reminds me of former Bears S Doug Plank which might be why Mike Singletary took him.  LB Navorro Bowman is a pretty good linebacker.  He might have some off-field issues but has the talent to contribute.  Alert NFC, the Niners are going to run the ball down your throat so says the addition of another bruising back in Anthony Dixon and blocking TE Nate Byham.

3 – St. Louis Rams (A)

The Rams had 11 picks and filled most of their needs.  First off they landed a future Pro-Bowl QB in Sam Bradford.  Most were wowed by his stats and workouts.  He reminds me of Troy Aikman.  Protecting their new stud is another OT in Rodger Saffold.  He is a very athletic player who should start at RT.  CB Jerome Murphy was taken next.  He was considered one of the best cover CBs in the draft.  He should compete for a starting job.  They needed to add a new playmaking WR for their new QB and did so adding Mardy Gilyard.  He was a consistent producer on one of the NCAA’s top offenses.  He will also be a contributor on special teams.  The Rams also got two DEs who I like a lot in Hall Davis and George Selvie.  Davis is an athletic beast who can stop the run and defend against the pass.  George, if healthy, will develop into a pass rushing specialist.

4 – Seattle Seahawks (A)

Seattle had a wonderful draft.  OT Russell Okung slips to them at #6.  He should anchor that left side for a long time.  S Earl Thomas was probably the best strong safety available.  He is very quick with wonderful instincts.  WR Golden Tate, another player who slipped, could start opposite T.J.  He is also a good punt and kick off return specialist.  He can also play behind center in the Wildcat.  Late pick S Kam Chancellor was a wonderful pick.  He has the talent to contribute immediately in certain packages.  TE Anthony McCoy also slipped due to off-field issues but he has the talent to be a solid TE in the NFL.

NFL DRAFT REVIEW – NFC

NORTH
Chicago – This draft was about Jay Cutler. For that alone they can’t earn a low grade. DT Gilbert will probably rotate in on passing downs and WR Iglesias will be the Bears primary slot receiver. CB D.J. Moore means Vasher will probably get traded before the season starts. Little known WR Johnny Knox has a shot to make the team based on his 4.3 speed alone. What could turn out to be the best pick of all was Ohio State OLB Marcus Freeman in Round 5. Weak-side backer Hillenmeyer has lost a step and Freeman will probably replace him as starter in 2010. S Al Afalava will compete for playing time but will be significant addition as a special teamer. Melton, Louis and Kinder will have a hard time making the team. FINAL GRADE B-

Green Bay – The Packers had a great draft. D-Coach Dom Capers is switching the Pack over to a 3-4 defensive scheme so they needed guys to fill significant roles with this change. NT B.J. Raji was the only true nose tackle in the whole draft. He is also and awesome player. They followed that with the selection of LB Clay Matthews. Both will help the defense improve against the run. They also added O-Line depth with the selection of Lang and Meredith. The sleeper was Cincy CB Brandon Underwood who will be the primary nickel/dime back in the defensive backfield. He will eventually become a starter in the NFL. FINAL GRADE B+

Minnesota – I think WR Percy Harvin is going to be fabulous opposite Bernard Berrian. He should have a long, solid career. OT Phil Loadholt from Oklahoma was the 2nd pick. I think you could have got him 10 to 15 picks down the line and acquired a few extra picks by moving down. He will anchor that right side of the offensive line for a long time. The rest of the picks were just OK. They only had 5 picks in total and did not address their need for defensive line or center help. FINAL GRADE C+

Detroit – The Lions had a great draft. Yep, I admit it. Stafford will be a very good QB in the NFL and TE Brandon Pettigrew will be one of the top TEs in football. Picking up Delmas in the late 2nd Round was a steal. He is one of the best safeties in the draft. Wisconsin OLB is a serviceable player who will probably start on this talent deprived team. WR Derrick Williams is one of the better slot receivers in the draft. DT Sammie Lee Hill could be a great pick too. He’s from a small school but he is huge and can dominate the interior line. 7th Round pick LB Zach Follett could be the Zach Thomas of this draft. He was under-appreciated. He isn’t a “combine” guy but you can’t deny his heart and production. He will be a special team in year one and could develop into a solid weak side linebacker. FINAL GRADE B+

SOUTH
Atlanta – DT Peria Jerry is a work horse. He won’t be a pro-bowl caliber DT but he is solid and should start immediately. S Will Moore is also someone who fits that bill. He struggles at times but he is a big hitter and an aggressive ball hawk. Richmond product
DE Lawrence Sidbury is a good pick in Round 4 but they needed an every down DE. Lawrence is a pass rushing DE and that’s about it. The Falcons draft two CBs, Owens and Middleton, but I am not super excited about either one. They will probably both stick but as reserves. The 7th Round pick of Vance Walker could turn out to be a pleasant surprise. Injuries slowed him down at all-star games and combine. When healthy he is a very solid interior lineman. They get 5th Round value in the 7th Round. FINAL GRADE C

Tampa Bay – Tampa had 4 QBs on the roster and now they have 5 with the drafting of Kansas State’s Josh Freeman. They moved up in the 1st Round to get him. I am not sure why? He is big with a strong arm but I’ve seen him play live and I wasn’t too impressed. He makes lots of mistakes and misses wide open receivers. To me Josh is a career back up. The second pick of DT Roy Miller wasn’t bad. I think he was picked a bit high but he is a physical run stuffer. He will enter the DT rotation immediately. The rest of the draft I wasn’t too impressed with. Kyle Moore is so-so and 5th Rounder Xavier Fulton projected a 7th Rounder / Free Agent. The bottom line is they needed a RB and OLBs and failed to get them. FINAL GRADE D

Carolina – Picking up 1st Round talent DE Everett Brown in Round 2 was a steal. He will eventually replace Peppers when they can find a taker for him. CB/S Sherrod Martin was also a good value in Round 2. DT Corey Irvin was also a good pick. He is a talented run plug in the middle. My favorite pick has to be RB Mike Goodson in Round 4. He is a very strong receiver and should compliment D. Williams in a two-headed ground attack. They also get FB Tony Fiametta with the following pick. Simply put, the best fullback in the draft. He should help big time in the short yardage game. In the 5th Round they get OT Duke Robinson. I had him as a 3rd Round talent. He should anchor the right side as the OT or G in Carolina for a long time. Finally, they get CB Captain Munnerlyn in the last round. He is a great value here. Munnerlyn should compete for the nickel backer slot on this team. He is also a special teams contributor. The Panthers did fail to land an impact WR and back up QB in the draft. FINAL GRADE B+

New Orleans – The Saints were terrible against the pass last year and they landed CB Malcolm Jenkins and S Chip Vaughn. I think very highly of both players. They should start immediately. However, a poor front 7 is also to blame for a bad passing defense. The only player they took in the front 7 was LB Stan Arnoux who is nothing more than a back up and special teamer. They needed a punter and got a pretty good punter. They also needed offensive line help and a compliment to Pierre and Bush. They failed in that respect. FINAL GRADE C+

EAST
Dallas – The Cowboys hit the jackpot. They leveraged picks and players into 12 picks in this year’s draft. I won’t mention all the picks but here are the most influential. LB Jason Williams from Western Illinois should start immediately and contribute on special teams. OT Robert Brewster is huge and should compete for a starting Guard position on the line. DEs Victor Butler and Brandon Williams should both make the team and contribute on special teams. 5th Rounders CB DeAngelo Smith and S Mike Hamlin were absolute steals. Smith should play SS and Hamlin FS in the revamped Cowboy defensive backfield. Finally, finding CB Mike Mickens in Round 7 is a steal too. Not sure why he slid so far. He led the nation in interceptions. He should be the teams 3rd or 4th corner and play some nickel too. The only thing the Cowboys failed to do was draft a WR with the capability of starting. FINAL GRADE B+

New York – Excellent draft by the Giants. The big need was WR and they land Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden. Nicks should start immediately and Barden, at 6’6”, will be a nice red zone target. LB Clint Sintim should be an immediate contributor on and already good defense. Finding OT William Beatty at the end of Round 2 was a steal. He provides immediate depth and insurance in case one of the starting tackles goes down. TE Travis Beckum is a solid player. He should contribute right away as the second option off of the line and a special teamer. RB Andre Brown replaces Derrick Ward. I consider this an upgrade. Andre is a very good player. QB Rhett Bomar could become a starter in this league but for now projects as Eli’s understudy. The Giants addressed all of their need areas. FINAL GRADE A

Philadelphia – I project that Donovan McNabb will finally be happy. Who thinks Jeremy Maclin falls to #19? Philly was smart enough to grab him and now have a tough Jackson-Maclin combo for McNabb to throw to. But that wasn’t all. They also got RB LeSean McCoy and TE Cornelius Ingram. McCoy projects to share time with Westbrook and Ingram looks to be the pass catching option at TE. Donovan’s offense is now vastly better. CB Macho Harris in Round 5 was a great value pick. He is very versatile and should contribute immediately. WR Brandon Gibson was also a good pick. He should be able to land a spot as the teams 4th or 5th receiver. The also took an OLB and some interior linemen. FINAL GRADE B+

Washington – A top 5 talent at pick #13. Outstanding! Brian Orakpo now teamed with Haynesworth, should be fun to watch. Unfortunately for the Skins the rest of the picks weren’t much to write home about. CB Barnes is serviceable but not an immediate contributor, Glenn is a special teamer and Henson also projects to be nothing more than a special teamer. TE Eddie Williams and WR Marko Mitchell are the only offensive players to be drafted and they don’t project to make the team. FINAL GRADE C-

WEST
Arizona – The Cards needed to address the running game and did with the selection of Beanie Wells. Wells will be a good back for that team but I think their were better backs still on the board at the time. They could have even traded down 4 to 6 spots and acquired more picks. DE Cody Brown will play linebacker for the Cards. He should start right away. He is quick and hits hard. S Rashad Johnson should also be an immediate contributor. He is a smart guy and knows how to play the position. CB Toler from St. Paul’s was a reach as was OL Herman “Big Baby” Johnson from LSU. If Herman can get his weight down to about 330 and stay there he could be a starter in this league. DE Will Davis from Illinois is serviceable and RB Howling from Pitt should be a special teams returner. FINAL GRADE C+

San Fransisco – Crabtree at #10 is awesome. He will struggle initially as the 49ers develop their young players but he will develop into one of the top WRs in the game. RB Coffee was a little stretch in Round 2 but he is a big bruiser who should be able to take some carries away from Gore and Robinson. LB Scott McKillop in Round 5 is a steal and if there is anyone who knows something about interior linebackers, that would be Mike Singletary. McKillop isn’t a combine kind of guy but he was very productive and got things done. He may back up initially but I think he eventually starts in this league. QB Nate Davis in Round 5 is another steal. His size knocked him down the board but he has 2nd/3rd Round talent. Hill and Huard are your 1 and 2 but I think Davis battles Smith for the last roster spot. They also get a ton of value with picks TE Bear Pascoe, FS Curtis Taylor and DT Ricky Jean-Francois. I look for all of these guys to make the team and contribute. FINAL GRADE B+

St. Louis – The Rams hit back-to-back shots with OT Jason Smith and MLB James Laurintais. I look for both of them to start right away. Smith should anchor that line for a long, long time and Laurintais is the real deal in the middle. CB Fletcher was a little bit of a stretch with the next pick but he could play nickel/dime corner. WR Brooks Foster is big and physical. I look for him to get a lot of playing time with the departure of Torry Holt. DT Dorrell Scott and QB Keith Null were kind of a surprise. Not because they were drafted but because their were better players at those positions still on the board. 7th Round RB Chris Ogbonnaya could be a pleasant surprise for Coach Spagnuolo. At 6’0, 220lb he is a punishing back. FINAL GRADE B

Seattle – Linebacker wasn’t the top need but when Aaron Curry is there for the taking you have to do it. He is a once in a decade kind of linebacker. They also hit a home run with the pick they got from the Bears. They got C Max Unger from Oregon. He is far and away the best center in the class. QB Mike Teel was a very interesting pick. Rutgers had a bit of a down year so he wasn’t considered amongst the top QBs. He is very good though and has a lot of potential. The 4 other picks were so-so. They could make the team as backup players. They could have also used a CB and failed to draft one. FINAL GRADE B

NFC and AFC West PREVIEW

NFC WEST – The West is still all about the Seattle Seahawks.  With key off-season additions they are the class of the division.  Arizona is slowly creeping up on them but may finally have enough talent to contend for a playoff spot.  San Francisco and St. Louis are dismal and bring up the rear.

1. Seattle Seahawks 12-4

Seattle has been a good team for years.  They were really good last year and they are even better this season.  The additions of RBs Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett should help balance out the offense this season.  Despite the injury to WR Bobby Engram, QB Matt Hasselbeck still has Burleson and Branch to throw to.  The defense is going to be very good as well this season.  The front seven are led by LB Julian Petersen and DE Patrick Kerney.  Seattle also has to of the best corners in the NFL in Trufant and Jennings.  The only weak spot I can see are at the safety postion.  The project starters are both rookies.

2. Arizona Cardinals 9-7

Yes girls, plenty to smile about regarding your Arizona Cardinals.  This could be the year they hit the playoff pay dirt.  One of the biggest keys is the success of young QB Matt Leinart.  He has shown some brilliance early on but has been hurt.  He is back now and has one of the best WR duos to throw to in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.   The RB duo of Edgerrin James and James Arrington won’t be intimidating by any stretch but it will be effective.  The Arizona defense could be the real surprise this season.  DE Bertrand Berry, LB Chike Okeafor, LB Karlos Dansby and S Antrel Rolle are the leaders of the youngest, quickest defense in the NFL.  They are going to be flying around the ball, sacking QBs and intercepting passes.  They could use a little more depth in the linebacking and DB corp but they are one of the more entertaining units in football.

3. San Francisco 49ers 6-10

The 49ers are doomed.  They have a #1 draft pick QB in Alex Smith that has had 4 coordinators in 4 years.  There are times he looks completely lost on the field and I don’t necessarily blame him.  The bright spot on a poor offense is RB Frank Gore.  He needs to be healthy and rush for over 1,500 yards if San Fran has any hope of reaching the .500 mark.  The 49ers are a little better on defense led by one of the best young LBs in the league, Patrick Willis.  The defensive line was helped a bit when they took Kentwan Balmer in the draft.  The defense is a work in project and should improve as the season progresses.

4. St. Louis Rams 4-12

The once proud St. Louis Rams franchise is the joke of the NFC.  QB Marc Bulger has taken a beating the last two seasons and may take a beating again this season.  Star RB Steve Jackson has also taken a beating and is holding out in hopes of securing more money up front.  He may also be praying for a trade.  The other star on offense is WR Tory Holt.  With Isaac Bruce gone look for Tory to draw a lot more double team coverage.  The defense got a hell of a lot better when they drafted DE Chris Long to go along with Glover, Little and Carriker.  Chris is an aggressive, play maker and should be a fixture on that line for years to come.  The rest of the defense is a question mark.  They have a few playmakers but not too many.  Quality QBs should have no problem picking apart the linebackers and DBs.

AFC WEST – San Diego remains the class of a good AFC West but Denver and Kansas City are fast approaching.  Oakland, while still in the rebuilding phase, looks to be the class of the division in the next few years.  The AFC West was always an entertaining division of fast paced, high scoring games.  That has lacked the last few years but I feel the West is back and only getting better.

1. San Diego Chargers 12-4

How could you pass up a photo of Kendra when talking about the San Diego Chargers?  The Chargers should be the best in the West without a doubt this year.  QB Philip Rivers will again enjoy having LT in the backfield to take most of the pressure off of him.  He also has a whole season with WR Chris Chambers.   In the draft they also addes LSU FB Jacob Hester and with Pinnock hurt he is going to make huge contributions to the short yardage game.  On defense there really isn’t a whole lot to say.  It is pretty much the same group entact from last season.  They were solid last year and should continue to beat on teams this season.  I loved the addition of CB Antione Cason in the draft.  He will contribute to the special teams nicely.

2. Denver Broncos 9-7

Denver has been the bride-to-be in this division for the last couple of years.  They can’t seem to get past San Diego and when they do get in the playoffs they have been cannon fodder for their first round opponent.  I hate to say it but look for more of the same this season.  QB Jay Cutler is going to be a solid NFL QB but he isn’t quite yet and it really isn’t his fault.  The RB situation in Denver is probably the main reason for his struggles.  They have a team full of young backs like Selvin Young and the injured Ryan Torain and it appears none of them wants the starting job.  They have all been very vanilla.  The WR corp is significantly better with last year’s stud Brandon Marshall and TE Tony Scheffler being joined by off-season acquisitions Brandon Stokley, Darrell Jackson and Keary Colbert.  If Denver can run the ball at all Jay will have the time to spread the ball around to these WRs.  The defense is a bit of a concern.  S John Lynch has walked away from the team leaving a hole in the defensive backfield.  The front seven has a couple of new faces in DT Dewayne Robertson, LB  Niko Koutouvides and LB Boss Bailey.  It will take time for the defense to gel into a good unit. 

3. Kansas City Cheifs 8-8

 

Kansas City is very close to breaking through.  This year I classify them as my dark horse but it probably won’t be until next season when they hit the double digit win mark.  QB Brodie Croyle is going to be a very good QB.  He has a rifle for an arm and has that Terry Bradshaw / Brett Favre Southern gunslinger attitude.  He also has WR Dwayne Bowe, TE Tony G and a healthy Larry Johnson so that helps too.  They do need that stud 2nd WR to take pressure off of Bowe but I am not sure Devard Darling is that guy.  The defense got much better in the off-season by drafting DT Glenn Dorsey.  Their linebacking group is very talented and should do a much better job against the run this season.  The weakness may still be their young, inexperienced DBs.  They have one veteran in Patrick Surtain and he is not the same player he was 5 years ago.

4. Oakland Raiders 5-11

The Oakland Raiders have gone from annual playoff team to annual doormat in a matter of about 5 years.  It may be time for Al Davis to relinquish some power or perhaps he just needs to get a quality coach and stick with him for 4 or 5 years.  The last couple of draft classes have brought Oakland QB Jamarcus Russell and RB Darren McFadden.  They are the future of the franchise.  However, the offensive line is merely adequate and the WRs are underwhelming.  The defense is not ver impressive.  In fact I would go on a limb to say that this rag tag bunch isn’t going to stop too many people.  Acquiring S DeAngelo Hall was a step in the right direction but they didn’t have many draft picks to work with in 2008 and have virtually the same cast of characters they did last year.