Posts About ‘preview’

Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: Week 4

Thursday, September 27th, 2012

Let’s put my personal record aside for a moment. How can I pick games properly when the replacement refs are clearly affecting the outcome? You might not think so, and I don’t fully blame the replacements as they are doing their best in a very tough situation, but the NFL has to realize that their product is being devalued right? They do, they just don’t care because we’re not going to stop watching. No matter how many coaches and players complain (mostly on the losing end) the NFL isn’t going to just give in to the refs, because there is money involved.

Here’s the deal, not only is the quality of the game being affected by blown calls and terrible pacing, but the players and coaches are getting a bit out of control. The replacements are unable to control the game, from keeping the pace to keeping the players and coaches in line. It’s a cluster fuck. Monday nights game was the tipping point for a lot of players and fans. There is a harsh truth about that Packers loss, that doesn’t fall solely on the backs of the refs. More on that in a minute.

So what can be done to fix this problem? Even if an agreement is reached, getting the refs back into the game would take at least two weeks with uniform re-fits and standard medical testing. But the NFL needs these guys back in the game now to keep this season from becoming one big joke. Again, the NFL really doesn’t give a shit unless revenue is affected. Do I think the real refs deserve everything they are asking for, like a pension plan? No, I don’t. They aren’t subject to the same physical punishment as the players. They don’t need a pension. Do I think the NFL should cave and give them whatever they want to maintain the integrity of the game? Hell yes. Let’s end this fuckery and get the NFL back. It’s bad enough we may not have any hockey as well.

As of this writing there are conflicting reports about the refs coming to a tentative agreement with the NFL owners. I don’t buy it, but we’ll see if something comes of it. The money of this should come to note, as apparently each owner would have to cough up around 100k to make this deal happen. I don’t know if that’s true, or if that’s a per season cost but I can’t imagine it’s much more than that anyway. I’d love to see the refs back on Thursday night, since you know that game is going to suck anyway. Even if they strike a deal tonight there is no way that they’ll be ready in time since the league switched from Reebok to Nike and fielding refs in Reebok gear would probably violate some other money making agreement, regardless of the safety issues. To the NFL, money is much more important than player safety. I think they’ve made that much clear.

UPDATE: They struck a deal. Regular refs will be back starting with tonight’s game. About fucking time.

Cleveland at Baltimore -12.5
There was one moment last week where I thought the Browns could pull it off and win against the Bills. That moment quickly passed and I wrote it off as gas. The Ravens finally got some revenge against the Patriots, but how much did the refs really have to do with that win? Well, there were some blown calls, some time management issues and yeah, the Ravens had some help. Regardless, they stayed close enough to beat out the Pats in the end. Ravens to win this week with relative ease.

Carolina at Atlanta -6.0
Only six points? The Falcons offense is shredding opponents. Last week my boy Ryan (my fantasy starter) went for 275 passing yards and three TD’s against the Chargers. Ok, the Chargers aren’t that great on defense. Whatever. The point is, the Falcons are probably the best in the NFC right now, and could face the undefeated Cardinals later this year. Carolina is tons of meh. Teams figured out Newton pretty damn quick and exposed him for the poor pocket passer he is. Falcons at home.

New England at Buffalo +4.5
The Patriots own the Bills. I mean, like property. The Bills have no chance, any season, no matter how good they are on offense. With Spiller out, there is no way Tashard Choice carries this team the rest of the way. I’m putting a fork in them. Their rushing game was all they had. Just skating by the Browns isn’t bolstering any confidence in the rest of the offense. Pats to win.

Minnesota at Detroit -0.0
When the Vikings went for it on 4th down early in the game I smelled upset. Sure, I picked the Niners to win – who didn’t? And that upset brewed and was served up nice and delicious. Sucks for the Niners. The Vikings suddenly looked like a playoff caliber team, even if Ponder was still a bit shaky and relied mostly on pitches and the running game. The Detroit defense is just as tough as the Niner defense, but are more likely to show up this week after a heartbreaking loss in over time last week to the Titans. I’m taking Detroit at home.

San Diego at Kansas City +1.0
Yeah, I’m not sold on the Chargers this year. They started off a little bit hot, then certainly fizzled. The Chiefs have done the opposite of that, starting off with two losses then a crazy overtime win against the falling Saints. The Chargers have not found a good running game, while the Chiefs have found a really good running game. I don’t think the Chargers fare well this week and I’m taking the Chiefs to surprise them.

Seattle at St. Louis +3.0
This has been one batshit crazy season hasn’t it? Last week was one of my worst ever for picks, with three overtime games that I got wrong. Not to mention games are 15% longer due to the crappy officiating. One thing is for sure though, the Seahawks are surprising the crap out of everyone. That was a shit win, but a win nonetheless and the Seahawks are looking to take the division lead. They’ll have to pray Arizona loses first. This week, they face a Rams team that isn’t ready to give up, even though they got whipped by Chicago. There is a lot of parity in the league this year, and I’m taking the Rams to rebound this week and put the Hawks in their place.

San Francisco at NY Jets +3.0
In probably one of the cleanest games (as far as officiating is concerned) this weekend, the Jets pulled out an overtime win. That’s because both the Jets and Dolphins sucked for 4 1/2 quarters. I thought it was going to be a tie. The Jets kept trotting out Tebow like some fucking novelty, which never paid off. C’mon, just start him at tight end already. The Niners shouldn’t have too much of an issue with the Jets terrible offense, even though their defense showed some major holes last week. Niners to win.

Tennessee at Houston -10.5
The Titans got their first win of the season, 44 points and Jake Locker was their leading rusher. That speaks more to how much the Lions were sucking it rather than the Titans being awesome. This week, at Houston, who is scary dominant and undefeated the Titans will see if Schaub still remembers how to pass after the whack he took last week. Regardless, even if he’s forgotten, they can just give the ball to Foster all day. Texans to win.

Oakland at Denver -5.5 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
Who ever thought that Peyton would be in a game I’m calling a crapfest? He’s been terrible this year, and it’s his fault. Here’s why – he expects his Denver line to play just like his Colts line did all those years. But that relationship took time to develop, with all his quirks. He won’t get that synergy with this line. So he’ll continue to be terrible. The Raiders are coming off their most violent game of the season, so that should make this one fun to watch. Denver to win.

Miami at Arizona -6.0
I can’t see the Dolphins winning much more than a bowling trophy this year. The Cardinals are coming off another huge win, Kolb cock smacking Andy Reid and the Eagles like a bitch. The undefeated Cardinals are going to punish the Dolphins right in the blowhole. Cards to win.

Cincinnati at Jacksonville +1.0
I think by some stroke of luck, the Jags got lucky. Oh wait, they did. Wait, that sentence is redundant. Either way, a nice game ending 80 yard pass to who-dat Cecil Shorts was all the Jags needed to win their first game of the season. The Bengals, well, they shoved the Redskins around like playground bullies, on defense and offense. Bengals to win.

New Orleans at Green Bay -5.0
Headlines are blaming the refs for the Packers loss at Seattle, in which the Packers scored a terrible 12 points. Rodgers averages 28 points per game, highest of any QB and you are going to blame the refs? If the Packers were up by 30 the last play of the game wouldn’t matter, that would have been a garbage touchdown. Sure, that call at the end was crap, but so fucking what? The Packers offense was stinking the whole game. Blame the offense. Blame McCarthy for playing like a pussy with a 12-6 lead for most of the game. Blame the Packers receivers for not getting open. After the game Rodgers said “We shouldn’t have been in that position.” Damn straight. You should have been up by 3 TD’s at that point. Plus, that was bad defense by the Packers. A pass up in the end zone like that – you knock it down. You don’t try to catch. Knock it down! Yes, the refs missed a clear offensive pass interference call, but it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is to that point, the Packers played like shit on offense and didn’t deserve to win that game. Had Jennings punched that ball out of the air, or Tate’s reach instead of fighting for the catch, we wouldn’t even be having this convo. Or if the refs had flagged Tate for shoving Shields to the ground. Regardless, bad call or not, the Packers played like shit the whole game and deserve to be 1-2. Regardless, the 0-3 Saints are lost, drifting like non-pressure treated wood in the aftermath of Katrina. Too soon? Packers to win.

Washington at Tampa Bay -3.0
The city of Tampa sports bobbleheads think because the Bucs held Romo in check most of the game last week that they are ready to bust out of their shell and become a quality team. Whatever. The Bucs are not going to blast off into the playoffs. But they are going to beat the Redskins, who are struggling to figure out if they have a running game outside of RG3, who is going to get killed this week. Bucs to win.

New York at Philadelphia -1.0 GAME OF THE WEEK!!
This is the game of the week, to me, because I think this is the game where the Eagles get put away for good this season. Sure, it would only drop them to 2-2, but they were exposed for the shit offense they are last week as the Cardinals just tore them up. Vick is a fraud and will be either out injured or benched after this game. Giants to win.

Chicago at Dallas -3.5 UPSET SPECIAL!!
Sure the Bears are on the road, but the Cowboys are nothing spectacular right now. The Bears can halt the run with relative ease and Culter is finding great rhythm with his receivers. I’ve got the Bears mauling the Cowboys, even if the game is in that monstrosity of a stadium in Dallas.

Indianapolis at Bye Week
The Colts have got to work on getting Luck to not overthrow his receivers. That’s some rookie shit that he’s got to overcome.

Pittsburgh at Bye Week
The Steelers are getting old. That is all.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: AFC West Preview

Thursday, August 30th, 2012

More importantly, the Jets are gonna suck… oh hello. Didn’t notice you there. Yeah, I took Tebow as my last pick in my fantasy draft. Yep. That happened. Other than that my team is Matt Ryan, Calvin Johnson, Andrew Luck, Falcons D, Peyton Hillis, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, a random kicker (cause who cares) and the highest ranked TE when I got around to it. I have some other receivers too, I don’t remember who. The other league I’m in, no Johnson, but that one required me to pick all the defensive players too. That was 28 rounds. Went pretty quick though.

So only two more divisions to look at before we get to the week one predictions. I know some of my season predictions have been a little wild, but I think except for the record they are pretty accurate. Who the hell knows? You could say I write this column with a grain of salt, a ton of knowledge and a cynical view of some teams, especially the Browns. Ugh.

So how about those replacement refs huh? This is going to be freaking awesome. There is so much that they haven’t seen in preseason, the rules have changed a lot since a lot of these guys have seen action. There are going to be huge mistakes, bad calls and games are going to drag on because of it. Thankfully, that’s why we have NFL RedZone. There’s going to be no point watching a game on CBS or FOX this season, as those broadcasts are going to be long, boring and full of standing around – which means more commercials. Fun. I hope the NFL reaches an agreement with the real Refs as soon as possible.

AFC West

Denver Broncos
Lets see, what has changed in Denver? Not too much I think. Wide Receivers Andre Caldwell, Bandon Stokley join Eric Decker on the offense. Some secondary help in safety Mike Adams and corner Tracy Porter. Tebow is gone, I mean, all he did was lead them to the playoffs. Brady Quinn is also out. What else? I can’t think of anything else that has changed in Denver. Oh yeah – Jack Del Rio comes in as defensive coordinator.

There is something else… what is it. Well, anyway, new offensive coordinator Peyton Manning is oddly enough playing quarterback too, who does that? Really though, the Broncos have a coordinator, but you know damn well that Manning is going to be running the offense. Peyton has already taken a few hits in the preseason and frankly, he looks good so far. I did say that he wouldn’t be physically up to it, but it looks like I might be wrong. His neck is holding up well, and his arm and aim look as good as ever before. This should be interesting to see Manning play for a new team. Really though, it won’t matter. The Colts were only as good as they were because of Manning. The Broncos will get the same effect.

Because, and this bit is important, of the defense. With Von Miller still coming off the edge, and an improved secondary, the Broncos should be good against the rush and the pass. Really, it comes down to pass protection and if Manning can get enough time to get those razor sharp passes off. As for Willis McGahee, well, I think he’s still got a bit left in the tank. Considering the Broncos won the division with a shaky, but impressive leader in Tebow, they’ll definitely win the division with Manning. Er, Manning will win the division with the Broncos backing him up.

Projected Finish: 12-4

Kansas City Chiefs
Palko and Orton have made way for Quinn to back up Matt Cassell, who couldn’t carry the offense by himself last year. That was partly to Jamaal Charles not making it through the first few games. Charles needs to be on his game in order for the Chiefs offense to work correctly. Though, the Chiefs are not sitting on their hands on this on, they brought in Peyton Hillis to be the one hitting the line hard to take the brunt of the hits. If there is one running back in the league who can crush it at the line, it’s Hillis.

The big talk on the Chiefs though is first round draft pick Dontari Poe, defensive tackle out of Memphis. If this guy can deliver, he can impact the defense like Von Miller or Mario Williams. A guy who plays hard and pushes the rest of the defense to his level. However, if he is a super bust as some are saying he might be, then the Chiefs might have a problem. Also, I’m hoping Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson improve a bit over last year, cause those two high draft picks could also make an impression.

The Chiefs are one of those teams that either surprise their opponents, or just be a complete bust. Crennel coaches well under pressure, and he’s under pressure. He’s gotta know that if he doesn’t hit the playoffs or get close, he could be out of a head coaching job. I think that the Chiefs will do well this year, spring out some interesting wins, but they won’t top Manning and the Broncos.

Projected Finish: 10-6

Oakland Raiders
Who follows the Raiders and wants to write this bit for me? If there is one team in the NFL I could really give a shit about, it’s the Raiders. Lets see, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart some other players, new GM, new approach to playing football – oh yeah, Al Davis is dead. Well, that should change things in Raider country for sure.

The Raiders haven’t had a winning season since 2002. Darren McFadden hasn’t impressed like Arian Foster has, which might change with new coordinator Greg Knapp who coached Foster with the Texans. The Raiders have had a lethargic offense the past few years, mostly because they try to be as pass heavy as possible. With putting more focus on the rushing game though, that might help them win a few games.

I think we are going to see some crazy shit on defense though. Multiple fronts, wild schemes and zone coverages thrown in for good measure. The Raiders are looking to shake things up with the way this franchise is run, on and off the field and while it may not pay dividends this year, it might next year.

Projected Finish: 8-8

San Diego Chargers
This has got to be the last chance for Norv Turner right? I mean this guy can’t hang on any longer if he can’t lead this team through the darkness of the second half of the season and reach the playoffs right? The Chargers always seem to start off hot, then Rivers fizzles near the end of the year. Meanwhile, his draft buddy Eli has won two Superbowls. That has got to sting just a little bit.

Well, premier receiver Vincent Jackson is gone but the Chargers worked pretty hard to replace him. They’ve brought in Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal and Roscoe Parrish to give some depth to the WR position. Then they brought in Le’Ron McClain and Ronnie Brown to help out Matthews in the backfield. None of these guys really screams top-flight running back to me, but the three of them together should get the job done. Really though, the tandem to watch for again is Rivers to Gates.

As for the defense, John Pagano takes over for Greg Manusky and he’s got first round pick Melvin Ingram, second round pick Kendall Reyes and third rounder Brandon Taylor. The hope here is that these rookies, along with the current defense, will help the Chargers late in the season when Rivers needs it the most. This team rests on the shoulders of Rivers and Turner, hopefully they can work together to get it done this year.

Projected Finish: 11-5

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: AFC East Preview

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012

I’m getting tired of watching Sportscenter and Merrill Hoge and his giant fucking tie blasting Tim Tebow. Hoge has been one of the biggest Tebow detractors since he entered the league, and makes sure to kick him whenever he makes a mistake. On Sunday, Tebow had a couple scrambles and threw an interception, and Hoge was sure to blast him for that. Not praise him for extending plays, or running for a first down. In fact, he used that run for a first down as an example of why Tebow sucks. The whole Jets team sucks. Up to this point, they haven’t scored a fucking touchdown at all this preseason.

Yeah yeah, we all know that I’m a Tim Tebow honk. I can’t help it. The guy is exciting to watch. Sure, he’s got a shit ton of fundamental problems that would have knocked any other pocket passer or non-exciting QB out of the league by now, but that won’t happen to Tebow. You can’t help but like the the guy and I hope that the Jets and Rex Ryan can figure out how to use him properly this season.

So, as the season approaches we’re now going to take a look at the AFC East, and then the AFC West later this week. We’ll finish up with the AFC South next Tuesday which will lead into my first regular Thursday column of the season, the week one preview. I know, you can’t freaking wait. Keep your pants on kids, the season is just about here for realz.

AFC East

New England Patriots
While I was rooting against them, losing in the Superbowl last year after another good season was kind of a travesty. Of course, their defense was the real travesty. The offense just had to score more points than the defense allowed. That worked ouf for them 13 times. This year, the defense should be a little bit better as they spent most of their draft picks on defensive players and added some free agents like Will Allen and Steve Gregory.

The most notable departure was BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but Joseph Addai joins the team to fill that vacancy along with 2011 draft pick Stevan Ridley, and both will fill it well. In fact, check out these additions on offense – Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Jake Ballard and Bo Scaife. They picked up Donte Stallworth too, but then cut him. Tack them onto the already stacked offense and you have a team that is going to be hard to outscore. In fact, I don’t really see any team outscoring the Patriots this year in total cumulative points. There’s no way. Also, Josh McDaniels returns as offensive coordinator and Matt Patricia was named defensive coordinator, replacing Bellchick who has been running the near last ranked defense since 2009. He just doesn’t have the time.

I guess the only real question with the Patriots is how Brady handles his favorite target in Wes Welker, and all the other receivers. Welker is known as a slot guy and doesn’t get the respect that he deserves as one of the leagues best receivers. Hopefully McDaniels realizes this and doesn’t sideline him too much because he’s a fucking winner. This whole team is a winner. Pending some strange disaster, the Patriots are definitely Superbowl bound.

Projected Finish: 16-0

Buffalo Bills
Vince Young was already cut by the Bills as they brought in Tavaris Jackson in a trade. There’s a big whoopdie-doo. Fitzpatrick is still the starter, and as proven last year, the kid can take a hit and still keep on chugging. He’ll have to this year, as I don’t see any superior improvements on the offensive line that would suggest he won’t be scrambling. I like the tandem of Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller in the backfield again this year, as both players can run and run short routes for passes if needed. Jackson won’t last forever though, which is why the Bills signed Dorin Dickerson.

Sadly, I don’t think this team can win under Chan Gailey, I mean, not win the division. They’ll get some wins, like they did last year but his play calling late in games is way too conservative. This team has to be aggressive. Speaking of aggressive, giving new defensive coordinator Wannstedt Mario Williams to control is just crazy. They spent mad money on Williams in order to hopefully throttle Tom Brady a few times this year, but I don’t think that it’s going to pay off like they think it will. Sure, Mario is a game changer but the fact is that the rest of the team has to be playing at that level too.

After their terrible finish last year, one can hope that the young players on the Bills team had some time to acclimate to playing in the NFL and mght step it up this year. That’s optimistic to say the least, and this won’t be the worst team in the league, the AFC or even the division, I just don’t think they won’t be contenders.

Projected Finish: 7-9

Miami Dolphins

Reminder for dolphins section of your preview. Use words like ‘rebuilding’ and ‘potential’ in place of ‘shitty’, ‘forgettable’ – @levimills

Well, this shitty team has already settled on rookie Ryan Tannehill to lead this team, rather than Matt Moore or the displaced David Garrard. In this forthcoming forgettable season they have named Regis… er.. Joe Philbin, former Packers offensive coordinator, head coach. At least he won’t have to worry about trying to keep Brandon Marshall’s attitude in check, as he’s already been shown the door.

I liked the Dolphins defense last year, but they’ll have a new coordinator this year which means that once again a team will have to adjust to a new scheme instead of advancing on what they’ve already learned to get better. Teams just like to set themselves up for failure year after year when it comes to coaching and bringing in new plays to learn after only a year with the old ones. A couple rookies on the defensive line should add a little spark to the run defense, but in the AFC East, that’s not the biggest concern. The biggest concern is the secondary and the offense. Kevin Coyle, new D-coordinator, did well in Cincinnati with the defense, so we’ll see if he can whip the secondary into shape.

As for the offense, what do you want me to say here? Reggie Bush and Chad Johnson? You’ve got Bess and Hartline at the top of the depth chart for receivers. I mean, I like Hartline but he’s no Wes Welker. I love watching the Dolphins pay for that move every time they play the Patriots. Listen, Dolphin fans, I feel your pain. I think a few wins against the Bills and Jets will help the Fins to a winning season, but ok, fine – this is a rebuilding year.

Projected Finish: 9-7

NY Jets
Fucking laughable. No preseason touchdowns, Tony Sparano as offensive coordinator, this team is in serious disarray. Outside of Plaxico Burress getting the boot, they are still going to rely on the running game, this year Greene and McKnight will be the featured backs, in order to score. I mean, they still have Holmes and brought in Chaz Schilens from Oakland, and retained Dustin Keller, but it doesn’t matter cause Mark Sanchez sucks donkey balls. He’s like Tony Romo light, but never banged Jessica Simpson.

Is Revis going to play? That’s the big question on defense. Another holdout situation. If not, the secondary is shit. The run defense is also something to be very worried about. Should just put Tim Tebow in at linebacker. Apparently Rex Ryan is thinking about moving to a 4-3 instead of a 3-4 which would probably be a move in the right direction, but against the Bills and Patriots it won’t matter. Their runners are too good to be bottled up by a mediocre Jets defense.

I might be selling the Jets short, I mean they have had a very high ranked defense the last couple of years, but they still have been losing games. That’s what really matters. Of course, most of that is on the lethargic offense and Sanchez, who still struggles with accuracy and decision making. I don’t get how he still has a starting job. Whatever. Either way, I see the Jets being the goat of the AFC East this year.

Projected Finish: 6-10

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: AFC North Preview

Thursday, August 23rd, 2012

I have an update on a previous column, when I was talking about how Mike Vick is a fragile little flower and the Eagles are stupid for keeping him on the team. Well, since that column (which was last week) he’s suffered a rib injury. Nothing season ending, and they are just bruised, but did you see the hit? The hit was about as hard as Ben Rothlesburger wipes his ass. It was nothing. It was a solid core tackle with nothing dirty and no spearing. And he walked off with a rib injury. Eagles – Mike Vick is fucking garbage! Get rid of him now!

In other news, did you hear that LeBron James shoes may cost upwards of $315. Are you kidding me? Are they magic? Do you suddenly get his swagger and prowess with the ladies if you wear them? Nike, fuck you. This is disgusting. I get it, James is a huge star, but he can wither and die in Miami. Nike is up-ticking a pair of shoes that probably cost what, eight bucks to make, to over 300. The thing is, while they wring their hands and cackle, people will be buying those shoes. I guarantee you. What a joke.

Anyway, today I’m taking a look at my favorite division, the AFC North. The reason this is my favorite division is because of course, sadly, I am a member of the Dawg Pound. A card carrying member in fact. Being a Browns fan has its benefits… wait, no it doesn’t. I’m thinking of becoming a Ravens fan by proxy cause I haven’t seriously been able to root for the Browns since… well, ever. Sigh.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens
I like the addition of Jacoby Jones at WR and Curtis Painter as backup QB. So, that’s all I’m going to say about the Ravens. Ok, seriously, those are good moves but the most important thing for the Ravens is going to be keeping the offensive line going for the whole game. Last year, Flacco had some problems closing games because he was under constant pressure. They still have one of the best secondaries in the league though, with Ed Reed back there still making plays and Ladarius Webb and Jimmy Smith at the corners. Tall, strong secondary players can change the game.

So I guess the Ravens are gonna have to step it up on offense if they expect to win the AFC North. It’s a tough division and frankly, I hate to see them win for obvious reasons. Boldin is probably one of the most explosive receivers in the league, and it was good to see Torrey Smith come alive later in the year. Let’s be clear, this defense wins games. While the Ray Lewis era might be coming to a close, I’m hoping that the Ray Rice era will begin on the other side of the ball. That kid can run.

I’m not going to sugar coat this Ravens fans, Reed and Lewis are getting old. With those two, this year might be the last chance for the Ravens to make it back to the big game. Of course, that was a long, long time ago. So to recap; fix the offensive line problems late in the game, keep the defense healthy, give the ball to Ray Rice.

Projected Finish: 9-7

Pittsburgh Steelers
Hines Ward retired, Wallace is holding out until the season starts and this might be the last year for James Harrison. Add that to Polamalu’s mediocre season last year and you have to wonder if the Steelers losing to the traveling Tebow show last year was the last time we’d see this team in the playoffs for a while. Plus, how much more punishment can Big Ben take before he has to actually take a sick day?

I think the offensive line is looking a lot tougher, so that might help Ben stay healthy. I like the defense, even though it’s getting a little bit on the old side, this is still the cornerstone of this team and has been the mainstay for the Steelers since the 70′s. Here’s the deal with the defense though, the key to it all – Dick LeBeau. No wild defensive pick-ups in the draft, but I guarantee that whomever is waiting in the wings or in the practice squad is a future pro-bowler ready to be made.

Todd Haley comes in at offensive coordinator, which should be interesting. Haley has been around the last couple of years, but he’s one of those guys that is better in a coordinator role. He’s a get in your face kind of coach, and we know that Ben kind of runs the team in a sense, so there might be some conflict there – but in a good way. Since the Steelers are my only real hope for the AFC North, and provided they don’t have to play Tebow again, I’d have to give them the division.

Projected Finish: 10-6

Cincinnati Bengals
So Carson Palmer had a pretty good year last year… just kidding. How’d that work out for you bro? Andy Dalton and A.J. Greene. Fucking put that tandem in your fantasy draft. Wow. They were fun to watch. Who saw that coming? The Bengals made the playoffs, but overall were 0-8 against playoff teams. Andy is not big game Andy just yet, and frankly he’s not going to be this year. He’s still got some time before he’s really leading a winning team.

And, as good as the no-name defense was last year, they still went 0-4 against the Steelers and Ravens, giving up a shit ton of points. They have to win against those two teams, at least once, but I don’t even see them doing that this year. Marvin Lewis is a coach who really doesn’t take chances, and seems to be complacent to just let whatever happen, happen. Carson Palmer, to do what he did at the pinnacle of his career, had to have seen something going on that we didn’t see.

Cedric Benson is gone, but BenJarvus Green-Ellis replaces him and I think he’ll be a great addition to the team. And here’s your hidden gem in the draft – Dan Herron in the 6th round. The RB out of Ohio State is going to have a chance with this team, better than he’d have with another team thanks to Benson leaving. Also in the draft, 5th round pick Marvin Jones, WR out of Cal. I think another young target for Dalton might be just the trick.

Projected Finish: 9-7

Cleveland Browns
So yesterday, Haden, probably the best secondary player on the team, got booted from practice for being a dick. Basically. Apparently he was over an hour late, claimed he was taking a shit or something, then got into it with Shurmur. Whatever. Shurmur brought in Childress as offensive coordinator and boy, does he have his job cut out for him. Let’s see, rookie Brandon Wheedon is the starting QB, yet Colt McCoy still wants his job back and Seneca Wallace is still hanging around. The offense is terrible, was terrible and will be terrible.

CBS Sports has this team projected to win one game this season, and frankly, I can’t see myself disagreeing too much. There is no way Holmgren, who is 9-23 since taking over as GM, can last the year. He’ll step down. For me, there is a fantasy pick if you have a deep league that rewards special teams and that is Josh Cribbs. This guy plays hard no matter what and is that fun, unpredictable player to watch. But he can’t win every game himself. The defense is crap, the offense is crap… ugh.

So Trent Richardson. Ok. He’s in for a treat. By the time he gets the ball in his hands, the offensive line will have collapsed and he’ll be crushed for a loss. It is really hard being a Browns fan right now. How did they not take a WR in the draft? What the hell? This team isn’t great on the run, proving it last year by under utilizing Hillis. They specialize on moving the chains with short passes… you know what – fuck it.

Projected Finish: 2-14

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: NFC North Preview

Thursday, August 16th, 2012

So there still is a fight going on between the networks and fans. Which is better? Getting all the games on DirectTV or watching NFL RedZone? I’d have to go with NFL RedZone as you don’t get any of the players standing around. It’s all action, all the time. I’d rather watch that than flip back and forth between games.

Anyway, we’re in the second week of Preseason and two things are absolutely clear right now. I don’t give a shit about the Jets and Peyton Manning. We get it. Tebow plays for the Jets now and Peyton Manning plays for the Broncos. There are other teams out there. Thirty other teams to be exact. So let’s talk about them too.

Since I am now in three fantasy leagues I’m starting to think about who I’d pick for the important offensive positions, though one league also has defensive players as well. Who are the underdogs that are going to blow up this season? How about Cedric Benson? He’s playing for the Packers now, who have been terrible in the backfield. How about Peyton Hillis over on the Chiefs? Dude can run. Regardless, finding that hidden gem in the draft is going to be fun. Today however, we’re talking about the NFC North.

NFC North

Detroit Lions
Ok, not to give too much away but Calvin Johnson is my #1 fantasy pick. How can he not be? The Stafford to Johnson connection was brutally awesome last year, and looks to continue this year. The trick for the Lions though, is finishing games, and that’s on the defense. They need to get Suh back to 2010 strength, killing offensive lines.

I do worry about the Lions in the backfield though. Due to Javid Best suffering a billion fucking concussions (he should really just retire before he dies) I don’t see him playing a full career of football. It’s too bad, he was a great runner. Meanwhile Mikel Leshoure gets a second chance at a rookie season after being injured all last year. I’m surprised the Lions didn’t make a serious move for Benson, or pick up a RB late in the draft.

So where does that leave the Lions? It leaves them between a Green place and a Bears place, that’s where it leaves them. As of this moment in time, no matter how many touchdown connections there are between Stafford and Johnson I don’t see the Lions topping the Bears and Packers at all this season. I’d love to predict this team to hit the playoffs (as I did last year) but I’m degrading their manes to just a winning season at best.

Projected Finish: 9-7

Green Bay Packers
Good for Matt Flynn. Kid had a huge game at the end of last season and was able to land a nice contract for a starting job that probably won’t last. Can anyone say Matt Cassell? Anywho, it looks like Rodgers is backed up by who-dat Graham Harrell, out of Texas Tech and draft pick #243 B.J. Coleman out of Tennessee-Chattanooga. The reason I mention this, is for all of Green Bay’s pluses on offense, Rodgers was sacked a lot last year and may need a break at some point later in the season due to minor injury. He’s no Rothlesburger.

The major change is that Ryan Grant is out at running back and Cedric Benson is getting another shot to be the man. I dunno. I’m thinking James Starks will end up being the major player here when it comes to the run game, which ranked 27th overall last year. That sucks for a team that won so many games and once again went to the NFC Championship. Though they say defense wins championships, so what about the defense?

Clay Matthews. Need I say more? Ok, how about adding USC DE Nick Perry? That dude is a monster and will surely compliment Matthews on the line. The sad thing about defense is that Charles Woodson is still the go-to corner. The guy is one of the greats, but doesn’t have the speed some of the younger guys do. Basically, if the Packers come out strong on defense this year, they’ll easily coast to the playoffs. I’m a little wary of the defense at this point though, so I’m knocking them down a couple wins because of that.

Projected Finish: 13-3

Chicago Bears
Backup QB Jason Campbell, RB Michael Bush and WR Brandon Marshall join a Bears offense that never seems to find its stride when they need it. Mike Martz is gone as offensive coordinator, replaced by the slightly more aggressive Mike Tice. Tice, once head coach of the Vikings, has a style much unlike Martz, you know, simpler. Martz and his overcomplicated offensive schemes with little room for improvisation will not be missed by Bears faithful. Last year, even I was yelling at the television when he made some of the strangest and ill timed play calls, that even if they had been successful would still have failed.

Urlacher will be ready for the season, and Peppers is still one of the best defensive players in the game, but the question on defense is that of secondary play. Basically, are they good enough to beat the Packers offense? I don’t think so. I like the drafting of safety Brandon Hardin out of Oregon State, but rarely do rookies at that position become game changers. Who knows?

The real issue with the Bears though, is going to be Brandon Marshall. That guy can either be the best or the most destructive in the club house. I’m thinking that when the Bears start losing, and they will, he’ll lead the self implosion and Lovie Smith doesn’t have the heart to smack his guys around. The Bears are in for another roller coaster season as they teams around them continue to improve.

Projected Finish: 8-8

Minnesota Vikings
First, the good news. Christian Ponder is the QB of the future for this team. Last season he showed great poise and pocket presence, only breaking down late in games. That kind of behavior can be taught out of him, and I think adding another young receiver like Jerome Simpson is a good move to give Ponder some solid targets. Also, like Hester in Chicago, Percy Harvin remains a wild-card on offense and special teams. He can turn around the tempo of a game in a heartbeat.

That’s it for the good news. The bad news is that Adrian Peterson is coming off an ACL and MCL injury, so if you are thinking of drafting him first in your fantasy league, think again. I’m guessing with the way that the Vikings offensive line is looking (bad) he’ll be taking way too many hits behind the line of scrimmage. Then there is the departure of probably the best kicker in the league, Ryan Longwell. He’ll be replaced with a rookie. Interesting how valuable kickers are when you miss them.

As for the defense, the Vikings drafted three secondary players if that tells you anything. Their secondary is a mess and I don’t think rookies are going to be the ones to fix it. The Vikings defense is going to be a huge sore point, especially in a division with three other teams with explosive offenses. That’s at least six losses right there. Yeah, I’m not smelling good scents for this team.

Projected Finish: 3-13

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: NFC East Preview

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012

This week we’re going to take a look at the NFC East and NFC West, or North. We’ll see where I’m at on Thursday. Before we get to that though, did you see Andrew Luck the other day? I said it last year, this kid is going to be amazing. He’s a true passer and he’s got that star QB mentality needed to lead a team and get the wins. I would almost think about drafting him in my fantasy league, just in case I don’t get Eli.

This year I’m playing for the first time in a fantasy league that uses all defensive players, as well as coach. Coach! So I guess draft the coach who you think will have the winningnest season? I suppose so. Needless to say, I won’t be drafting Shanahan. I’m going with Mike Smith in Atlanta. Oh, and I’m totally drafting Tebow. And Josh Cribbs. Anyway, we’re talking about the NFC today, and not fantasy.

So what’s new in the NFC East? Not too much really. All four teams are smelling about the same except the addition of RG3 in Washington, that’s the biggie. Meanwhile, somehow that Vick guy is still in football. It’s only a matter of time before karma kicks him right the fuck out. On with the NFC East!

NFC East

New York Giants
What do I start off here with? The fact that the Giants have another Superbowl win under Eli? How about former receiver Amani Toomer saying that Romo is a better QB than Manning? Huh? How many rings does Romo have? Hell, how many rings does Peyton have, Brees? Matt Ryan? All these elite guys and Eli is sitting with two rings and there is no way he is done yet. And the thing is, on both those runs the Giants came in improbable underdogs and somehow pulled it off. A testament to coaching? Improbable luck? Who the hell knows.

This year, the defense is going to be better than ever. Jason Pierre-Paul is a monster, and Tuck is back from an injury as well. I expect that the linebackers will be at their best. The key is staying healthy, of course. And the thing is, there were no real big changes on defense or on offense. This is basically the same team as last year besides Jacobs, Manningham and Ballard taking the walk. I think Nicks and Cruz can easily fill the Manningham void, and Jacobs was just getting slow. Bradshaw could have a banner year, but I expect rookie David Wilson out of Va. Tech to get some good action.

The way I see it, there are only two teams in this division worth giving a shit about. The Eagles are saddled with continued bad karma (more on that in a second) and the Redskins are still saddled with Dan Synder. I don’t even want to write about them. Anyway, the Giants and Cowboys are going to be fighting for the division the whole year, but I think that Eli is going to deny Romo another shot at the NFC Conference championship. Giants and Packers or Falcons fighting for the Superbowl spot.

Projected Finish: 13-3

Washington Redskins
Finally stepping out of the GM role, Dan Synder was unable to make a shit ton of ridiculous decisions that would ultimately doom the Redskins. That’s not saying that every decision that has been made since are great ones, just that he’s not making as many stupid ones. The drafting of Robert Griffin III was the big deal and it’ll be interesting to see how the Redskins coaching staff handles him. You see, RG3 isn’t a Cam Newton type player, he’s more of an Aaron Rodgers type pocket passer. I think though, there is this misconception that he’s a tough runner, he just knows how to escape. If the Redskins offensive coaches put him on the run, it’ll backfire.

In other Redskins news, Shanahan continues to lead the team (11-21 over two seasons) and is joined by Raheem Morris as defensive backs coach. It’ll be one season before Morris is the head coach and Shanahan is out. I like the addition of Piere Garcon, and London Fletcher will still be trying to lead the defense to make up for a rookie QB’s mistakes, but the Redskins have their work cut out for them. They are still in one of the toughest divisions in football and they get the Steelers, Ravens and Panthers this year. The Browns should be a couple wins.

I think that in a pure and perfect environment, RG3 could succeed and lead his team to a winning season. In this environment, with a coach that only found success when Elway gave it to him, RG3 will face a lot of disappointment. Of course, I could be wrong and he could have a Cam Newton like breakout season, but I don’t think so. I’m predicting more sadness for the D.C. faithful.

Projected Finish: 4-12

Dallas Cowboys
Not too many changes here at all. The Cowboys are looking like pretty much the same team as last year, you know, all the offensive weapons and none of the heart. They seems to just go fucking limp in the lead-up to the playoffs, and if you are a Cowboys fan I don’t know how you can still put your Romo jersey on without feeling a tiny bit of shame. To me, Romo is one of the most overrated quarterbacks in the league today. Sure, he makes some great plays every once in a while, but his fuck-ups are epic and when it comes down to the wire, the high pressure situations, he’s mentally already in the fucking offseason banging blond chicks.

Which is why I’m already calling for Kyle Orton to get the start. Orton, has landed in Dallas, knowing full well that he isn’t done playing yet and still has something to prove. I think what the Cowboys have been missing the past couple years is a competent back-up QB that can step in, energize the team and get some wins. Maybe Romo will break a finger or something, nothing major, to give someone else a shot at putting some blood in the dick of this team.

The good news, especially for fantasy owners who saw a deal last year, is that DeMarco Murray will probably rush for well over 1,000 yards this year. Easily. Hell, he’ll probably do that against the Redskins and Eagles alone. And the NFC East plays the AFC North this year, so you can add another 1,000 yards against the Browns. Unless that ankle doesn’t hold up. In which case, nevermind. I’d like to predict good things for the Cowboys, but I just can’t see myself doing that. A winning season is all I can give them.

Projected Finish: 10-6

Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles remind me of that video with those girls, and that cup. It starts out innocently enough, you think this could be good, then everyone starts eating shit. That was the Eagles last year and that will be the Eagles this year. Andy Reid has lost his mojo and as long as he insists on starting Vick, hell, keeping him on the team, they will not find the success on the field as they should have. I am a strong believer in football karma and the Eagles are saddled with a shit ton of bad karma.

Thankfully for them, Vick was injured in pre-season, though it was a finger injury and he’ll be back on the field. Do they really want to start this guy at QB? Fucking put him at receiver, nah, he’d get snapped in half. He’s too fragile and the Eagles offensive line has not been able to protect him at all. Bam. Bam. Bam. Vick hasn’t played 16 games in a season since 2006. May as well just start that kid Nick Foles out of Arizona, give him an early shot and rebuild this team offensively.

Defensively, meh. They are saying that they have a fixed defense, but I highly doubt that. Their scheme should be about the same, give up five yards at a time and hope they don’t run for more. What a way to contain guys. Go Eagles. I’ll give them the extra wins just cause they are playing the Browns.

Projected Finish: 8-8

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