NFC West 2012 Predictions

San Francisco 49ers
This is the team that took everyone by surprise last year. Though they won’t sneak up on anyone this year, they won’t lose a step, especially in a division that is notoriously weak. Harbarugh did what no other coach has been able to do – understand Alex Smith. That made all the difference. Great teams are the ones that understand their strengths and use them to their advantage. The 49ers wrote the book on this last year. Now with the addition of Randy Moss, they have a proven big play receiver besides Vernon Davis. All of the defensive starters return—an unheard of phenomenon in today’s age of free agency. With Patrick Willis in the center, leading this unit, look for them to continue their dominance.

Arizona Cardinals
I’m putting the Cardinals above the Seahawks here because of their schedule. I also believe they’re a huge sleeper team. John Skelton will be the quarterback here—he has earned it. He has Larry Fitzgerald and Todd Heap to throw to, as well as Beanie Wells (RB), who has continued to develop. The defense was middle of the pack—literally, they were ranked 18th. But that doesn’t mean they lack for talent. Darnell Docket, Patrick Peterson, Adrian Wilson, William Gay and Calais Campbell are the heart of this defense. They needed a year to adjust to the 3-4, but should be more confident now. They’re my sleeper pick for the playoffs. Playoffs?!?!

Seattle Seahawks
I have never been sold on Pete Carroll and his methods. I don’t like Russell Wilson, even though he is from Wisconsin, as a rookie starting quarterback, especially over Matt Flynn. We’ll see if he doesn’t get benched for Flynn at some point. This team lacks a big receiver. Yes, they have Sidney Rice, but he hasn’t had a big year since he played with Brett Favre. Marshawn Lynch is a beast but he can’t carry this team through this schedule by himself. The defense is stronger than most people think (ranked 9th last year), but can’t hold up against Green Bay, Carolina, New England, Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco (twice). They’ve got an exceptional pair of CBs but that’s about it on the defensive side.

St. Louis Rams
The poor Rams. Sam Bradford needs to develop, or finish developing. He just kind of stalled last year. Steven Jackson is once again back to help and truly be the offense. They’ve added Steve Smith and tried to bolster the offensive line. They’ve also revamped the defense by adding six new starters, Michael Brockers, Kendall Langford, Mario Haggan, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins. With Jeff Fisher at the helm now, you never know. My prediction is that in TWO years, the Rams might contend seriously for a division title again. But Fisher was thrown for a little bit of a loop when he lost his defensive coordinator in Greg Williams. But Fisher knows how to turn around bad teams—give him time, he’ll get there with these guys too.

NFC South 2012 Predictions

New Orleans Saints
Yes, “bounty-gate” happened to the Saints. Yes, Sean Payton is gone for the season. But let’s be honest with ourselves here. The Saints are one of those teams that pretty much can handle itself. There’s a reason that Drew Brees is the most prolific quarterback in the league over the last five years he’s been in New Orleans. The offense has all its parts returning. The defense will be improved, with Steve Spagnuolo at the helm. Don’t be fooled by his tough stint in St. Louis – New Orleans is full of much more talent that St. Louis was. Curtis Lofton was brought in to replace Jonathan Vilma—he has the ability to do so. Don’t count New Orleans out – if a team can respond well to adversity, it’s this one.

Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta for me is a team that can get close, but never step through the door. The offense is pretty good, lead by Matt Ryan, who is always consistent. Michael Turner is a good back who has also been consistent. But that’s the thing about Atlanta—they’re consistent, not innovative. Even when they gave up their entire draft for Julio Jones two years ago, they didn’t turn his acquisition into an innovation, or even big plays. All of this doesn’t make Atlanta a bad team, they are to me the definition of a good vanilla team. Which makes them easy for a good coach to take apart, such as Spagnuolo or Tom Coughlin. Asante Samuel gives them a good chance to containing Brees and Newton—they could contend for the title here, but I can’t see them keeping up with New Orleans, though they have a favorable schedule.

Carolina Panthers
I was very vocal last year about how I wasn’t sold on Cam Newton. I’m still not convinced that I was 100% wrong, because only time will really tell how good he can be. But he was good. However, he was almost all of their offense last year. Deangelo Williams didn’t really show up like he has before, but part of that may have been Newton’s own running ability. Steve Smith is a solid receiver and the offense has plenty of firepower potential. What sunk this team last year was the defense. They sucked—28th in the league. The return of injured linebacker, and captain, Jon Beason should help, as well as the first round addition of Luke Kuechly. But I’m not sure they can make the leap to shut down in just a year—even the year before with Beason intact they weren’t stellar. In this division, you’ve got to be able to play defense as well as score points.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa, you’re back to your losing ways. And it looks like you’re going to stay there for a while. While everyone else in your division has strived to make progress, you’ve actually gone backwards. Josh Freeman, after a surprisingly good rookie season, regressed in a major way in his second year. However, I like the replacement of Raheem Morris, who was just too relaxed. Players need some gentle discipline, and Greg Schiano should provide that. If Freeman and Williams can return to form and integrate Vincent Jackson, they might have some offense. But it will take time for the complete mental change that needs to take place here. The defensive line needs to play up to its potential, though the secondary is anchored by Aqib Talib and the ever young Ronde Barber. The team has taken a step in the right direction for the future, but for right now, the going will be slow and rough.

NFC East 2012 Predictions

New York Giants
Please stop discounting the current Super Bowl champions. Yes, we all laughed at Eli last year when he said he was as good as a Tom Brady. Turns out he’s better and that you can’t spell elite without Eli. Victor Cruz set a Giants receiving records last year and shows no signs of slowing down. The running game is a concern, with the departure of Brandon Jacobs. After watching the game tonight I am concerned about the defense, but know they will get it together for the rest of the season.

Philadelphia Eagles
I believe in the Eagles, but I’m not sure they can stay healthy. I think Michael Vick is a good QB, if he can stay healthy. That’s a huge if, even if his back up played well in the preseason. Preseason is not regular season. The receiving core is intact, refocused and was always above average. LeShawn McCoy is a brilliant running back who can handle a full load for the Eagles by himself. Despite the turnover problems that the offense and Vick had, the defense should have been a lot better than it was. Second year coordinator Juan Castillo should have things a little more together this season. Nnamdi Asomugha needs to come back to the form he had in Oakland. They should contend for this division title.

Dallas Cowboys
I’m not sure if I agree about the window for the Cowboys closing –only because I’m not sure how open it ever was. The NFC is much stronger than the AFC, and they play in one of the stronger divisions. Tony Romo is a good quarterback. Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are good receivers. DeMarco Murray Is a good running back. Health and off the field issues have hurt the offense. Tony Romo getting sacked has hurt the offense. Rob Ryan’s defense proved to be too much for last year’s players. Most of the players are returning, but a few key additions hope to try to shut down Eli and Vick. Those notable additions would be the two CBs, Brandon Carr and rookie Morris Claiborne. We’ll see if Dallas can make that leap to the playoffs, though  I’m not 100% sold on Jason Garrett as a head coach.

Washington Redskins
I do not believe in RGIII. I do not believe in Mike Shanahan. I do not believe in the Redskins. They have no offensive weapons. Santana Moss is old. Can you even name another receiver on that team? They cut Tim Hightower, which I believe was a mistake. Roy Helu at least needs a back-up, though I don’t believe he can carry the load of Mike Shanahan’s run focused offense. The defense has been consistently upper middle of the pack in the league. They just can’t score points. In a such a powerful division, even strong defensive players like London Fletcher, Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo can’t save this team from the basement.

NFC North Predictions

Green Bay Packers
How can anyone not have the Packers once again leading this division? We all know about the fire powered offense that almost no one could contain last year. All the main pieces are back, supplemented by the new additions of Jeff Saturday (C) and Cedric Benson (RB). What sunk this team last year was a defense that was in the bottom of the league. However, Tramon Williams is back from injury and they added another strong LB in Nick Perry in the draft to take some pressure off of Clay Matthews. They won’t be a top defense in the league, but they will be better.

Detroit Lions
Hey remember that year Matthew Stafford threw for 5,000 yards and didn’t make the Pro Bowl? Oh yeah that was last year. The league will not ignore Matthew Stafford this year. In his first fully healthy year, he proved why he deserved to be a number one overall pick. With Calvin Johnson to throw to, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be just as productive this year. Look for rookie Mikel Leshoure to possibly help a depleted running game here as well. But as the Packers, what killed this unit last year was the defense. The secondary couldn’t stop anyone. Anyone. Ever. I’m not sure the problem has been solved either. The release of Aaron Berry hurt this unit. We’ll have to see if Bill Benthley, the new rookie CB can help.

Chicago Bears
The Bears finally realized that they had no actual wide receivers. No Devin Hester, you don’t count. So they went out and got Brandon Marshall and drafted Alshon Jeffery. Marshall and Cutler appear to be glad to be back together once again and will help this offense generate more big plays and take some pressure off Matt Forte, who got paid this offseason. The offensive line must product Jay Cutler, though there is no front runner at left tackle. The defense is always pretty good, though hasn’t been notable in the last few years. An injury to Brain Urlacher is a concern, though he claims he’ll be back for the opener against Indy. Look for improvement, but there’s no way they can keep up with the Lions and the Packers. They might sneak into the playoffs as a wild card however.

Minnesota Vikings
Vikings fans, there’s a lot that needs fixing here. Christain Ponder will improve in his second year, there is no doubt of that. It is his first year as the outright starter and all reports from training camp say that he has more confidence and poise, not to mention a greater knowledge of the offense. It helps that Adrian Peterson is back from his torn ACL/MCL and will be in the back field to help him. The addition of Jerome Simpson, best known for his leap in Week 16 last year, will help his awkward receiving core. The defense has been mediocre, middle of the pack, with the exception of Jared Allen who is one of the best defensive players in the league. Still, this division is too high powered for Minnesota to have a chance.

Let's Build a Bridge -- 2012 Season Opener

The Giants will win this game. The last thirteen Super Bowl winners have won their season openers. They are playing the Cowboys. In New York. They will win. Let's briefly state why, no matter what Jerry Jones thinks, the Giants will win this game.
Eli Manning is better than Tony Romo. Besides the obvious reasons of two Super Bowl rings, Eli is clutch. Romo has shown that he can be (see the 49ers game last season), but he has also proven many times that he has a tendency to fall apart (see the Lions game last season). As far as other offense weapons, the Cowboys have a better running back in DeMarco Murray, but the Giants have better receiving options. They also have a stronger offensive line, which will be key in protecting Eli from DeMarcus Ware. Not only do the Giants have an edge on offense, but also on defense.
The Cowboys' scheme is so complex that most of the players couldn't even pick it up successfully last year. A second year in the system will do wonderfully for the players that are returning, but the Cowboys have also added several new pieces, notably Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, to the secondary. These will probably be good moves in the long run, but they both have only had an off season to pick up Ryan's scheme and one is a rookie. Eli may have a field day, but I don't expect him to run all over them. But almost all of New York's defense is returning from that Super Bowl team, which is unusual (many players are normally lost to free agency after winning a Super Bowl). The whole defensive line is intact which has always been the strongest part of this unit. They will take advantage of the Cowboys suspect offensive line and have Tony Romo running all night.

Overall, the Giants are a stronger, more complete team. I'm not saying all of this means they will repeat as Super Bowl champions, but I do believe it means that they will beat the Cowboys tonight. Their slogan for the season is "Build the Bridge." The first brick falls tonight.

New Coach, New Uniforms

Will Bill Parcells coach the Saints in Payton's absence?

People are hailing it as a bad decision for all parties involved, but I'm not as sold. He's close to Payton--he won't come in a try to usurp Payton's hopeful return in 2013. He can get a taste of coaching Brees and an elite team, without having to worry about the long term. He's shown in the past that he can turn a team into a winner quickly -- what would he do with a team that's already elite? Bringing in a completely random outside hire, or even promoting an assistant coach, could throw the team off. It could disrupt everything that that Saints have worked for since Brees and Payton got there. (Speaking of which, they better hurry up and sign Brees.)
I really think this wouldn't be a terrible idea, despite what the media and bloggers are saying. It in a strange way could be a stabilizing factor for a team in distress.  Payton's suspension won't be overturned this week. Not a chance, with the new audio of Williams telling his players to go out and get Frank Gore in January.
(Check out a summery of the limited audio available here Williams' Speech Details.)
Moreover, who else is there? Who else comes to mind who would want to be a head coach for a year and then give it up willingly? Who else is close to Payton and understands how his team runs? Who else's hand is strong enough to hold the team, without a GM, and keep everyone in line? Does it matter for the legacy? Only if he screws it up.

New Nike Uniforms
Well, they came out. Turns out all the uniforms that the world was panicking about online were fakes, or rejects. Who knows if they were old ideas that Nike floated out to see what everyone thought? If that is in fact the case, I'm glad they listened. Because they were awful. But I digress back into reality.
Here they are. Details about all 32 new uniforms (and pictures).
Nothing has majorly changed for most teams, with the notable exception of the Seahawks. But let's be honest, the Seahwaks' uniforms have never been particularly stunning. Nike was just trying to improve on a bad situation. Not sure they quite did, but it was an attempt. Other teams, such as the Panthers, have words on the inside of the collar. For the Panthers, it's "Keep Pounding", words uttered by cancer victim LB Sam Mills.
But Nike is really trying to tote them as state of the art. New fabric, new design, brighter colors. They say that the new uniforms will prevent holding, slip back into form easily after contact. All that film we see of players sticking their shoulder pads back into their jerseys will be gone. New V-shaped neck line, which appears looser but isn't. (That's a good thing.) Players are excited, or at least seem to be. The new uniforms are supposed to encourage a greater range of motion, be lighter and drier (good luck!).
However, the Packers are rejecting the new uniforms. They have requested that their uniforms remain the same in every way, fabric, colors, look and feel. The only change will be the Nike logo. Full Article on Packers' Decision. Overall, for a franchise steeped in history, it's not surprising. They might change their tune, but who cares? They're the Green Bay Packers, who basically invented football. They have said they are open to revisiting the idea after this season, but I'm glad for one that they aren't jumping on the Nike bandwagon. Because of my work, I've had a great deal of experience with Nike football gear. Nothing has ever jumped out at me as being better by far than the other equipment. That being said, I don't have the privilege of using most of it, but I do talk to the guys about it. I'll be interested to hear what the players say as the season gets under way.
Here's a complete break down team by team of the changes (or lack thereof.) Team By Team Breakdown.

Tebow, Saints, Manning oh my!

So much has happened in the football world in the last few days that I've hardly have had time to catch my breath. But let's see if we can break this down.
Starting with the Saints. 
Punishment handed down by the NFL:

• Greg Williams suspended indefinitely. 
• Sean Payton suspended for a year. 
• Mickey Loomis (Saints GM) suspended for 8 games. 
• Joe Vitt (assistant Head Coach of the Saints) suspended for 6 games. 
• Fined $500,000.
• Lose second round picks for the next two years. 
• Players' punishments not released yet.

These punishments are deserved for the bounties. Let's start with Greg Williams. He was the mastermind of this, the instigator, and the source. Without him this probably wouldn't have happened, or would have at least stopped when the league warned them. He needed to rightfully bear the brunt of this and clearly will. He's probably feeling it right now, but even Jeff Fisher said the punishment was deserved. Williams is probably kicking himself for this, but it's not like no one saw this coming. Besides, his suspension doesn't affect the Saints currently -- he had left them at the end of the season regardless.
Sean Payton's suspension is a concern for the Saints. Not only does the team not have Drew Brees under contract, but these punishments won't help him come back. Sean Payton is the mastermind behind the whole team, the revival, the championship. He and Brees are on the same page and are one of the great head coach tandums in the league. This will hurt the Saints more than anything else, even the fine and the other suspensions. If I'm the Saints, I'm hating this right now and am concerned about next years' season.
Mickey Loomis and Joe Vitt are minor players in this. Though Loomis is high level management, which makes it a bigger deal, they are both still bit players. Their suspensions are to emphasize that no one in any way involved with this (as far as upper level management and coaches) will go unpunished. No one is immune.
The money and the draft picks would hurt more if the Saints were a franchise in a bad place, like Jacksonville or Carolina. But they should bounce back from those and continue to thrive. The Saints are a team much like New England was after spygate -- they are a good team at the core and have an identity and a strong fan base. What makes them different from the Spygate New England team is the fact that they will lose their head coach. We'll see if they can have a good year next year without Sean Payton. And if he comes back to the Saints after that.

Now, to Peyton. Manning that is. 
He signed with the Broncos, which I didn't think was the best choice (I was rooting for the 49ers), but I understand why he did it. A great young defense, John Elway over his shoulder and a team that made a playoff run with a bad (sorry) quarterback. There's a lot of hope in Denver and the coaching staff will give him plenty of room to be in charge of the offense. Their offense was structured around Tebow, though all that really amounts to is no structure at all. Peyton will bring that stability. As much as I hate to see him in orange, there are so many worse places he could have ended up. He'll hopefully do well in Denver and finally give that city what they haven't had since Elway. They deserve it and all the other teams in that division want to die. The Texans are jumping for joy. Tom Brady just wishes he could have gone out of the conference. Could you imagine a Peyton v. Brady Super Bowl?
Also, he didn't go to the Dolphins so he didn't have to play Brady twice a year. You can't tell me that wasn't part of it. Can you blame him?

Finally, to the ever continuing Tebow show. 
Listen. He's not a great quarterback. He's an icon. But as far as actually being a great quarterback, he's far from that. He could learn a lot sitting behind Manning. A lot. If I'm Tim Tebow, I don't necessarily want to be traded quite yet. This would be an invaluable experience for him. His trade value would be very high if he sat   behind Manning for a year.
Secondly, the Jets? Really? Really? You consented to go to the Jets? Though I'm pretty sure you had no choice in the matter. Mark Sanchez is about to run back off to California. He's tired of this. The last thing he wants is Tebow coming to his show. Not only do the fans already hate him, they would be shouting for Tebow right away. He's never had any real competition behind him, so this would be a change. Not sure he can handle the pressure, or that he wants it. So far he hasn't done a great job of performing under pressure.
But if you're Tebow, I can't see this being a good thing. The Jets are the biggest show in the NFL, and not in a good way. It's not the kind of atmosphere that you want to be around. After all that's been said about that locker room, it's hard to believe that Tebow would actively want to go there. However, rumor has it he picked them over the Jags, which I can understand. But he's not going to start -- he'll probably sit behind Sanchez. Why not just sit behind Peyton? It would be better, not worse, for him. Infinitely better. This trade makes little sense from either side to me -- unless the Jets think he can be a calming presence in their locker room. I could easily see the Jets dealing Tebow again.