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PREVIEW
The NFL season kicks off with a rematch of last seasons thrilling NFC Championship game. The Saints went on to become the NFL Champions and will have their banner raised to the rafters tonight (as if Favre needs more motivation to start his 20th season). The plan for the Drew Brees led Saints is to repeat — but the road is always tougher the second time around. Being the defending champs automatically puts a target on the team.
The Saints had a storybook season giving a city that was down a major lift. Drew Brees was in every conversation when talking about the best QB’s in the league. They ran up the scoreboard weekly with their aerial attack mixed in with the ground game. Opposing team defenses had fits while the Saints defensive unit got stronger with each passing week. Darrenn Sharper played with youthful abandon alongside Tracy Porter who eventually sealed the win for New Orleans in the Superbowl. This is a young team that has all the tools to get it done but as you know you still gotta play all 16!
The Vikings are faced with the kiss of death — playing the Superbowl Champions on the night they get their banner in front of a loud home crowd. That is not the only thing working against them. Receiver Sidney Rice is sidelined with an injury so the Vikings will need Bernard Berrian to start earning that contract. While the patchwork passing game will be on display, Minnesota will have to rely heavily on their bread and butter, Adrian Peterson. Peterson is one of best at his position and should be able to find some room against the Saints. The running room will become limited in a hurry if Favre can’t connect with some of his receivers to balance things out.
This game has all the makings for a great one but the Saints may be too much to handle in the end. With the adrenaline rushing, I expect them to get it done.
My Prediction: Minnesota Vikings 20 – New Orleans Saints 34
Each year around this time, everyone has a prediction about how things are going to turn out in the NFL. Winners and losers aside, there are always a bunch of great storylines that unfold over the course of the season and these are just a few to look forward to…
- Batman and Robin Show
They are both used to being the stars of their own show. How will they handle sharing the spotlight? Carson Palmer has his work cut out for him in order to keep both TO and Ochocinco happy -- Afterall, there are only so many touches to go around.
- Don't call it a comeback
He just won't go away. The Favre watch continues as he tries to break/set more records in the NFL all the while becoming the most mocked athlete in sports. Say what you want about the guy, he can still play and now he is set to prove that for the 20th straight season.
- Repeat?
Drew Brees set himself up as one of the best in the business when he led the unlikely New Orleans Saints to an NFL Championship earlier this year. With other teams upping their game, will the Saints be able to repeat or go back to being the 'AINTS?
- Big Ben's Big Mess
The Steelers and their fans must be getting used to all the drama surrounding their QB -- hardly something to be happy about. While Ben got a lowered suspension, he will miss the first 4 weeks of the season. The team missed the playoffs last season by a hair but if the same comes true this year the winds of change should be rolling through steeltown come January.
- Are the Jets and Ravens for real?
Will good on paper translate to good on the field? Young quarterbacks Flacco and Sanchez have gained veteran receivers to throw to. The defense has always been there for both teams, now it's just a matter of the offense catching up.
- And the NFC East belongs to…
If all goes as planned, the Cowboys will be playing in the Superbowl on home turf. One problem, they still have to get by the other NFC East teams. Is Romo the man for the job? Will McNabb work out for the Skins? Will Kolb be able to handle the pressure of being the #1? Can Eli put together a Peyton like season? The watch is on...
- End of an Era?
2 years removed from surgery, Tom Brady is back trying to show us he still has it. Heading into this season, for the first time in a long time, I don't have these two guys as my definitive top 2 QB's. Are Peyton and Tom on the decline or are they still at the top of the MVP list at the end of the season?
- Baptism by NFL
Kyle Orton signed a substantial 1 yr contract setting himself up as the #1 guy for the Broncos leaving college poster boy Tim Tebow on the sidelines. He may have to do most of his work by watching Orton going to work but with more and more wildcat plays, I expect to see him get some touches as the season goes on. The question is when does Tim Tebow really ARRIVE in the NFL?
- Offense over Defense?
They say defense wins Championships... But why do teams spend all summer shoring up their offense? Aside from the Revis storyline, everthing was about QB's, WR's and RB's. All these young, gifted, explosive players in the league -- they are the ones who get people in the seats. When all is said and done though, can offense be relied on to win it all?
- Coaching Carousels
Rex Ryan has gone on record saying his team will win the Superbowl. Andy Reid is starting life after McNabb. Pete Carroll has taken his coaching act to the big leagues with the Seahawks. Mike Tomlin will try to get it done without Big Ben. The big question -- who gets fired first?
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PREVIEW
The Minnesota Vikings are just one win away from clinching the NFC North. Brett Favre has had a season to remember but there is still a ways to go before this fairytale ends. A step towards the final goal comes tonight as the Vikings go on the road to face the defending NFC Champion Cardinals.
Brett Favre v/s Kurt Warner is the underlying story in this one. The two veteran leaders in the game. Warner sat out the loss last week as he was recovering from a concussion but the Cardinals have won 6 of their last 8 games. Their offense is still among the most dangerous in the league and they can load up the points in a hurry. Boldin has stepped up in recent weeks racking up 261 yards over the last 3 games to form a 1-2 punch with Larry Fitzgerald (75 catches, 826 yards, 9 TDs). If both these guys can get going tonight then it will be a long night for the Vikings.
The Arizona offense should be okay and the end result will unfold based on how their defense holds up. It is no easy task to stop one of the NFL’s most balanced offenses. A heavy dose of Adrian Peterson added on to the task of defending Farve connecting with Sidney Rice. Thus far, no team has had an answer for the Vikings when they are rolling with all their weapons. Rice has been phenomenal over the last 6 games and ranks 3rd in the NFL with 964 receiving yards to go along with 4 TD’s. Farve is statistically having one of the best season of his entire career. (crazy eh??) He has completed 70% of his passes for 2,874 yards with 23 touchdowns and just 3 picks with a QB rating of 112.1. I haven’t even touched on what Adrian Peterson does for this team but basically it becomes a pick your poison situation for opposing teams.
Arizona has played down to weaker opponents this year and stepped up for this big games. Tonight is one of those big games and the Cardinals should come out fired up. Though they have home field and a nice streak in their favor, Minnesota may just be too much for them to handle on this night.
My Prediction: Minnesota Vikings 34 – Arizona Cardinals 31
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PREVIEW
We are gearing up for what might be one of the most watched MNF games of all time as the NFL’s top offenses go head to head at the Louisiana Superdome tonight. The New Orleans Saints put their potent scoring and unbeaten record (10-0) on the line against the New England Patriots (7-3) who have become a measuring stick for success in the NFL. This may well be a possible Super Bowl preview to boot. Speaking of Super Bowls… this is the first time the Patriots are playing at the Superdome since they won it all in 2002 against the Rams on a last second Vinateri FG.
The Saints drive for a perfect season is about to face its toughest test… that is the only other team to accomplish that feat. They enter this game with the NFL’s #1 attack (420.5 YPG). Drew Brees, leads the league in TD passes (22) and 12 different players for the Saints have scored TD’s for the team coming in at a league-best 36.9 ppg. The Saints are on pace to score 590 points with would better the mark set just two years ago by tonight’s opponent (589 points).
The Patriots offense is nothing to scoff at. If there is one blemish it is the red zone offense (rank 24th in TD %). Settling for FG’s is not going to cut it against the potent Saints offense. To add fuel to this, the Saints rank 5th when it comes to red zone defense. If the Patriots find a way to crack this they should be able to put a stain on what has been a perfect season thus far.
No team has more takeaways than the Saints (29). Darren Sharper, playing out of his mind, leads the team with 7 picks. On the flip side, only one team has coughed the ball up less than the Patriots. After all is said and done tonight, that may just be the difference.
My Prediction: Patriots 31 – Saints 24
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PREVIEW
We are just past the half way mark of the season and the legit teams start separating themselves from the pack. The Steelers stumbled out of the gates and dealt with early injuries while the Bronco’s remained the cinderella story of the first half. It may seem early but this could very well be the matchup for the AFC championship game a few months down the road.
The Steelers are coming off their bye week and have been on a roll since they got back their defensive captain, safety Troy Polamalu. QB Ben Roethlisberger has his work cut out for himself going up against the #1 ranked defense in the NFL. He is going to need to spread the ball around and this game may well turn out to be an aerial attack from both sides. A major plus would be if Rashard Mendenhall can give the Steelers a boost by helping to balance the attack. With the pressure coming from Broncos star defensive end and AFC sack leader Elvis Dumervil, Ben will have to make quick decisions and trust his teammates to do their job.
The Broncos (6-1), are hoping to rebound from their first loss of the season. What better stage to do it on than in front of a national audience, under the lights on their home field. The offense has done just enough to win this year. They play it safe but get the job done. Kyle Orton has already won the hearts and respect of the Broncos fans. He is not the guy who will make the big plays but he has found success with his style of play throwing to some great receivers. The running game has been consistent and provides a good balance for this team. Knowshon Moreno has put together a nice rookie campaign and ex-Eagle Correll Buckhalter is proving to be a pleasant surprise. The Broncos O Line clashed with a rough defense last week at Baltimore. Like the Ravens, the Steelers play a tough, physical game. How this Denver team responds should paint a clearer picture of what kind of team they will be in the post season.
The Steelers have not won a regular season game in Denver since 1990 and that streak may not be ending tonight.
Prediction: Steelers 17 – Broncos 20
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