NFL Preview: Best of the Rest

The Best of the Rest

Chicago Bears- For the Bears, the arrival of Julius Peppers and the return of Brian Urlacher should bolster the defense to a Top 10 caliber. They are adequate in the secondary and LB Lance Briggs is every bit the beast Urlacher is. Look for rookie FS Major Wright to be productive in the secondary. On offense, Mike Martz attempts to do what no one has done before, get Jay Cutler to stop whining. Cutler is physically, the second most gifted QB in the league behind only Peyton Manning, but he hasn’t figured out how to be a QB yet and he’s still a thrower. If Martz can reel him in, the Bears could contend for the wild card.

New Orleans Saints- Normally, I’m not big on superstition or curses but when I look at the history behind being on the cover of Madden, it’s hard to argue its legitimacy. Drew Brees’ is an elite NFL QB but I can’t help wondering if he’ll make it halfway through the season before he goes down. If he’s healthy, the Saints are a Top 5 team, but I think that’s a BIG if and they can’t win running the ball 40 times a game. On defense, look for them to once again be opportunistic and talented at taking possession for the opposing offense. It all rides on Brees’ body! If he’s healthy, they win the division but if not…they’ll be drafting high this year.

Houston Texans- It seems that every year the Texans are on the brink of being great. Last season they finally got over the hump of having a winning season and finished 9-7. Now they just have to improve on their abysmal conference record (1-5 in 2009). Look for QB Matt Schaub to force his name into the conversation of elite QBs in the league and for WR Andre Johnson to continue being considered the best WR in the league (Yes, I put him above Fitzgerald). On defense, DE Mario Williams has proven the Texan brass geniuses by outperforming Reggie Bush in every season of their careers thus far. LB Demeco Ryans is highly underrated and when Cushing returns from his suspension, they should have a stellar unit in Houston.

Washington Redskins- Well the Albert Haynesworth drama is officially over and I expect the Skins to finish second in the NFC East. New QB Donovan McNabb doesn’t have a plethora of options at receiver but WR Santana Moss is better than the options McNabb had for the majority of his career so he’ll be fine. If the O-Line holds up, I expect RB Clinton Portis will return to form in Coach Shanahan’s zone blocking system. Defensively, they Skins are excellent on the D-line and at Linebacker. If the Secondary shows up, they could have a Top 5 defense.

Arizona Cardinals- The Cardinals had one of the most perplexing off-seasons of any team in memory. The loss of QB Kurt Warner couldn’t be helped but to lose four (Karlos Dansby, Anquan Boldin, Antrell Rolle, Warner) of your best six players in one off-season is a tad ridiculous. WR Larry Fitzgerald must hope that new QB Matt Leinhart proves he can do the job or Fitzgerald may fade into the obscurity the Cards have mired in for so long. G Alan Faneca should improve the O-Line drastically allowing RB Beanie Wells to flourish. On Defense, I don’t really know what to say. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is an exceptional corner, and DT Darnell Dockett is exceptional as well but there isn’t much else there.

Denver Broncos- The Broncos are team in transition. In two years Coach Josh McDaniels has jettisoned his two best players in Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall. Who fills Marshall’s shoes from a production standpoint I don’t know. Rookie WR Demaryius Thomas isn’t polished enough to take on that responsibility. Kyle Orton did a respectable job managing the offense last season, but they have to take more chances to be truly successful. The loss of DE Elvis Dumervil for the season will hurt immensely and it’s doubtful their pass rush will recover.

Carolina Panthers- It’s hard to say that starting a new QB could actually make a team better, but when the old QB completes more passes to the opposition than his own receivers you can get away with it. QB Matt Moore will likely be looking over his shoulder all season with QB Jimmy Clausen waiting in the wings. However he does have RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart behind him to hand the ball off to so he should be safe. The O-Line is one of the best in the league and WR Steve Smith is still a stud. On defense, Coach John Fox has his work cut out for him. The loss of Julius Peppers will undoubtedly hurt I don’t see a quality replacement on their roster. The LB corps is a bright spot however as Jon Beason is the second only to Pat Willis when it comes to ranking the game’s best young LBs.

Tennessee Titans- Let’s put this to bed right now, Chris Johnson is the best RB in the NFL. PERIOD! Johnson will once again be the focal point of the Titan offense and if QB Vince Young emerges into a credible passing threat, the sky will be the limit of what Johnson accomplishes. WR Kenny Britt had a stellar rookie season and should only further his development this year. Many people wonder at the Titans defensive collapse last season, I for one am not one of them. During Albert Haynesworth tenure in Tennessee, the Titans had a losing record and were significantly more lax defensively in game Haynesworth did not play in. So it stands to reason the same will be true when he leaves town. Unfortunately for the Titans, they are now without LB Keith Bulluck who was a staple of that defense. The secondary is average at best and must regroup if the Titan have any playoff aspirations.

Philadelphia Eagles- The road to NFL purgatory is littered with backup QBs who had a few good games and got handed starting jobs (Rob Johnson, Scott Mitchell, Jake Delhomme to name a few). The Eagles are banking on that fate not befalling QB Kevin Kolb. I for one, think it will. For years Donovan McNabb performed miracle after miracle with no weapons to speak of and when the Eagles finally got weapons, they sent him to a division rival. Eagles fans may be reminded exactly why the terms “be careful what you wish for” and “the grass isn’t always greener” exist. RB appears to be a positive for the Eagles but unless Coach Andy Reid commits to the run, RB LeSean McCoy will be a disappointment. Defensively, the Eagles second year without legendary Jim Johnson at the helm may be a dismal one. The Eagles aren’t particularly good rushing the QB or defending the run so they may give up a lot of points. The Eagles draft was a perplexing one for me. A versatile safety is the linchpin of the Eagles’ defensive scheme and they traded up into a position to grab one and instead chose a DE who would’ve been available in their original position. For their sake, that DE (Brandon Graham) had better prove worth it.

Oakland Raiders- The Raiders look to be returning to respectability with the acquisition of QB Jason Campbell. Last season, two of Al Davis’ latest draft disasters had terrible seasons as expected. Darrius Heyward-Bey did not display the talent of a No. 7 pick, but that’s mostly because he doesn’t have the talent of a No. 7 pick. Heyward-Bey is the speedster every QB dreams of, with the hands every WR has nightmares about. If he can somehow turn it around and become a decent target, Campbell’s life will be easier. As for Campbell, in his sleep he’s an upgrade over disaster #2 JaMarcus Russell. While he may not be prolific, Campbell rarely makes the big mistake of say Jay Cutler. RB Darren McFadden may be the flashier choice, but Michael Bush is a sleeper who could surprise people. Defensively the Raiders should be much improved if for no other reason than they don’t have to worry about Russell throwing an INT every 22 passing attempts. That kind of worry couldn’t have been good for their psyche and the security of being competitive on offense should help them immensely.