Tag Archives: Alex Smith

September 23, 2011 · 10:55 pm

NFL Week 3 Preview

It’s a little late, but here’s my Week 3 Preview for the NFL. Without further ado – here we go!

Houston Texans @ New Orleans Saints: I’m a big fan of the changes that Wade Phillips has made on the defense. I have stated before that the AFC South goes through Houston. Matt Schaub is playing mediocre football so far, and if he and Andre Johnson can turn it on, I think this team might be able to contend for an AFC Championship. That doesn’t even take into account that Ben Tate is running the football very well and Arian Foster will be coming back soon. If they can figure out how to use those two together, this team is dangerous. That being said, Drew Brees has gotten off to an uncharacteristically fast start and he’s playing really well. I think the difference here will be the running games though, and I don’t think Mark Ingram  is ready to take that step.

Pick : Texans

New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles: This game isn’t even hard to predict. The Giants have been decimated by injuries and I can’t foresee them overcoming them. Especially since Michael Vick is playing and seems to be at full strength. The only thing that could turn this game against Philly would be if the Giants defensive line can penetrate and get to Vick early – but the Eagles O-Line has really stepped up amid criticism that they couldn’t protect Vick.

Pick: Eagles

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Carolina Panthers: I don’t know if you’ve heard about Cam Newton and the historic rate that he’s putting up passing numbers or not, but he’s pretty good. Jacksonville doesn’t exactly inspire a ton of confidence in pass defense and I think Newton will easily put up at least 300 yards on this defense.  Blaine Gabbert will likely be making his first start, and while the Panthers defense isn’t that good, it’s good enough.

Pick: Panther

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills: If you would have told me in the preseason that the Bills and Patriots would both be 2-0 when they played each other in Week 3, I would have had a hard time believing it. Well, I would have had a hard time believing that the Bills would be 2-0. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the undrafted wonder Fred Jackson have made this team dual threat. I like the Bills to contend for a playoff spot, but Tom Brady has been absolutely phenomenal, and the Bills defense might not be able to hang.

Pick: Patriots

Miami Dolphins @ Cleveland Browns: The Dolphins have lost to two good teams (Patriots and Texans). The Browns haven’t been great. Peyton Hillis seems to be weighed down by the Madden Curse (or an injury) and Colt McCoy is still a year or so away from breaking through. So, to make a long post longer – this game will probably be ugly. Chad Henne needs a win if he doesn’t want to get run out of town and McCoy could use one for his confidence…and McCoy will get it.

Pick: Browns

San Francisco 49ers @ Cincinnati Bengals: The 49ers should be 2-0, but they let one slip away against Dallas. The Bengals should be too. I’ve said before that I think Alex Smith will finally prove himself to be a legitimate QB, and I think he’s doing that. I think Andy Dalton has proved that being a winner in college translates well to the NFL. This is a big game for both teams. For the 49ers, because they need to get at least eight wins to guarantee an NFC West crown. For the Bengals, because the confidence would go a long way to getting them back on track.

Pick: 49ers…Bengals….no….49ers.

Denver Broncos @ Tennessee Titans: Does Matt Hasselbeck still have something left in the tank? Or was Baltimore just hungover from their big win in Pittsburgh? I think it was a combination of the two.  The Broncos are a pretty dysfunctional franchise right now, and while they’re trying to fix it, they haven’t yet. Tennessee will probably come out on top, unless Kyle Orton goes off…and he won’t.

Pick: Tennessee

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings: Matt Stafford hasn’t been sacked yet this season, and as I’ve said before, him staying healthy makes this a team that can contend for the NFC North. If they can keep him upright (they can), they’ll be good. Minnesota hasn’t  unleashed Donovan McNabb and let him prove that he can still play QB. I don’t see that changing anytime soon, and Adrian Peterson can’t win by himself.

Pick: Lions

Baltimore Ravens @ St. Louis Rams: The Rams are a surprising 0-2 and a visit from the angry Ravens is not the medicine this team needs. The Ravens will be back to focusing after a tough loss and should give Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson (if he plays) a lot of trouble.

Pick: Ravens

New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders: Darren McFadden and Jason Campbell aren’t having bad statistical years to this point in the season. That sentence would mean a lot more if it were Week 9, but it’s not. It’s Week 3, and the supporting cast is, at best, mediocre. The Jets, on the other hand, look to have Mark Sanchez playing QB for the first time in his career, Dustin Keller is playing great football at TE. If Shonne Green can get the running game off the ground, watch out. Oh, and their defense is pretty good too. Revis Island, you might have heard of it. A football game? Yes. A close one? Nope.

Pick: Jets

Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers: A few key stats that only I may be interested in:

Kansas City is averaging 110.5 passing yards per game (32nd in the league).

Kansas City is averaging 129.5 rushing yards per game…oh wait. Jamaal Charles just went on the IR, so that should change.

Kansas City is allowing 387.5 yards per game…against Buffalo and Detroit.

San Diego is averaging 351 passing yards per game.

San Diego is allowing 219.0 passing yards per game (including that monster they gave up to Brady).

Kansas City doesn’t stand a chance. This season is going to be a long one.

Pick: Chargers

Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks: Kevin Kolb has played relatively good football in his bid to prove he could be a starting QB. What’s that? The NFC West is terrible? Oh right. Never mind…moving on.

Pick: Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Atlanta is coming off an electric win against the Eagles in which Matt Ryan may have finally kicked the monkey out of the house it built on his back. (If the Falcons turn into the team a lot of us thought they were gonna be and start to destroy their opponents, the final scoring drive of that game will be remembered as Ryan’s “I TOLD YOU I COULD DO IT!” moment.). The Buccaneers are coming off a win against a mediocre Vikings team that they barely squeaked out. Josh Freeman doesn’t appear to have lost anything. I can’t say the same for the rest of the team, especially LeGarrette Blount, who have seemingly folded under raised expectations. Luckily for the Bucs, after losing this game, they have several winnable games coming up.

Pick: Falcons

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears: Who are the Chicago Bears? They’re 27th in the league in rushing offense per game and 17th in passing.

Who are the Green Bay Packers? They are dead last in the league in pass defense, allowing a staggering 400 yards per game.

This is going to be a shootout between Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers. And it should finally prove my point – the Lions will win the North because they are the only team playing good on both sides of the ball.

Pick: Packers

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts: I can’t even go into this. I miss Peyton Manning. I miss the dominance of the Colts. Most of all, I miss a team that legitimately scares Patriot fans into submission. I can’t go on…what? I have one more game? Okay. I’ll go on.

Pick: Steelers

Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys: The Dallas Cowboys should be 0-2. They gave away their game against the Jets in Week 1 and somehow squeaked out a win in overtime against the 49ers last week. The Redskins are terri…oh, I’m sorry…this just in. The Redskins are 2-0. They’ve beaten the Giants and Cardinals. They’re 11th in total offensive yards gained and 11th in total yards allowed on defense. No…seriously. They are. Rex Grossman (if I had an editor, he would have to double check this next sentence several times) is playing inspired football and this grizzly group of veterans looks like they could actually string together a few wins. Starting here

Pick: Redskins

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September 20, 2011 · 7:16 pm

NFL Week 2 Wrap-Up

Detroit Lions 48 – Kansas City Chiefs 3

The Lions (2-0) have beaten two teams that contended for and made the playoffs last season. It’s definitely time for people to recognize them as a contender for the NFC North title. Matt Stafford has been healthy and he’s been hooking up the Calvin Johnson really well so far. The other young guys on this team, especially Jahvid Best, have looked great early.  The Chiefs (0-2) look a lot like the team we thought they were going to be last year. There’s not a lot of depth on the Chiefs and they just don’t look ready to contend again, even in a weak AFC West.

Buffalo Bills 38 – Oakland Raiders 35

The Bills (2-0) have put up 79 points in their first two games. That’s not a typo. The real test for Ryan Fitzpatrick and company will come at home in Week 3 against the New England Patriots. The question, obviously, is if the running back combination of Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller can keep averaging 190 yards per game, and if Steve Johnson and David Nelson can keep catching the ball as much as they have been.

The Raiders (1-1) beat a bad Denver Broncos team and lost to a surprising Bills team. Nothing too surprising here. Darren McFadden finally brings some solid running to the backfield. If the Raiders could only draft based on something outside of 40-yard dash times, they might have something here.  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24 – Minnesota Vikings 20

The Buccaneers (1-1) get their first win, and Josh Freeman appears to be settling in nicely again this season. He threw for 243 yards on 22/31 and 1 TD and 1 INT. If the Bucs can continue to build on their run game, this could be a team to watch coming out of the South. The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints haven’t looked indestructible.

The Vikings (0-2) have not played considerably well in the first two weeks, but somehow managed to lost by a combined 11 points in their first two games. If Donovan McNabb can step up his game and get some more of his receivers involved, it should push this team to at least an 8-8 record. If he keeps playing like a player on his way out, it might not be long till we see Christian Ponder.

Saints 30 – Chicago Bears 13

Drew Brees is quietly looking like his old self – he hasn’t thrown a pick through his first two games after throwing 22 last season. However, if the Saints (1-1) want to be a dominant team, they are going to have to fix their run game. I don’t know what Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas need to do, but they aren’t exactly lighting things up for anyone.

The Bears (1-1) lose a week after beating a Falcons team that people don’t think will be better than the Saints. They have the same problem as the Saints. Matt Forte is a very good running back and if they don’t get him more involved (26 carries, 117 yards, 0 TD through 2 weeks), Jay Cutler and company could have a long season.

Tennessee Titans 26 – Baltimore Ravens 13

I’m not sure if there was some hangover for the Ravens (1-1) big Week 1 victory or if Matt Hasslebeck might actually still have some arm left in him, but the Titans (1-1) looked decent and the Ravens did not. If Hasselbeck can continue to throw the ball even half as good as he has in the first two weeks, all the Titans will need is a boost from Chris Johnson. He got paid, and now he’s averaging 2.2 yards/carry. Uh oh.

Cleveland Browns 27 – Indianapolis Colts 19

I think it’s safe to say that Peyton Manning means a lot to the Colts (0-2), but there is no excuse for how poorly this defense is playing. The Browns (1-1) have a lot of young talent, and look to be bringing things together, but it’s still pretty early, and I don’t expect that it will continue.

NY Jets 32 – Jacksonville Jaguars 3

The Jets (2-0) are either playing good defense, or Luke McCown is really bad….or both; definitely the second one. I do know that Mark Sanchez is going to have to play better football if the Jets want to compete with the one man show named Tom Brady that’s partying in their division right now…no, seriously. Have you seen this guy this season!? What lockout!?

Pittsburgh Steelers 24 – Seattle Seahawks 0

The only two things you need to know about this game – the Seahawks (0-2) only ran the ball 13 times and the Steelers (1-1) look really pissed that they got embarrassed in Week 1. That leads me to two more thoughts. First, the Seahawks need to run the ball, duh. Second, anyone who plays the Steelers in the near future, should probably bring extra ice.

Washington Redskins 22 – Arizona Cardinals 21

Are the Redskins really 2-0? I can’t bring myself to write anything.

Green Bay Packers 30 – Carolina Panthers 23

We could discuss the defending Super Bowl Champs lighting up the scoreboard (and allowing a whopping 476 yards per game on defense!), but I’d rather talk about Cam Newton. His stat line (seriously) is 52/83, 854 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT…that’s on pace for (and yes, I know he won’t keep it up) 416/644, 6832 yards, 24 TD. What’s that Mel Kiper? No, I think he’ll be able to hang at the next level. Thanks for your opinion, though. (Cue Tim Tebow praying to get out of Denver!)

Dallas Cowboys 27 – San Francisco 49ers 24 (OT)

I can’t bring myself to say anything nice about Tony Romo and his “heroic” effort to come back with a rib injury. He cracked one rib, he’s making a ton of money. He’ll live. One more note – Alex Smith might actually have figured this whole NFL thing out…but we’ll see.

Patriots 35 – San Diego Chargers 21

Speaking of QBs having great seasons – have you seen Brady’s stats so far? He’s on pace to throw for like a million and a half yards. He’s pretty good. If they can get this running game off the ground (so to speak), I’m not sure we won’t see another 18-0 run to the Super Bowl. Oh…and the Chargers don’t look half bad either.

Houston Texans 23 – Miami Dolphins 13

Matt Schaub is pretty good. Andre Johnson is very good. Arian Foster is good, oh and so is Ben Tate. The Texans might have finally figured out this whole defense things too. The AFC South goes through Houston.

You think the Dolphins regret that Reggie Bush decision? I bet they do. They’re 0-2 and I think the current regime, along with Chad Henne might be playing their last season in Miami. Write that down, it’s true.

Broncos 24 – Cincinnati Bengals 22

Kyle Orton is having a good season thus far, and Willis McGahee is running like he still has something in the tank. The Broncos might be better than I originally thought, but they aren’t going to be worth spending 500 words on here…so I won’t.

I do want to talk about Andy Dalton and AJ Green. Dalton has a 105 QB RAT with 413 yards and 3 TD and no INT. This kid might be the real deal. I’m a big fan of proven winners coming into the NFL and doing it at this level. I think that the Dalton/Green combo should prove a good basis for a hopeful future in Cincy.

Falcons 35 – Philadelphia Eagles 31

If Michael Vick hadn’t gotten hurt, this game probably would have ended with the Eagles getting the victory. Too bad that’s not how it happened – now Vick is out indefinitely with a concussion, the Falcons and Eagles are both 1-1 and the “Dream Team” looks to be in some serious trouble…and it’s early in the season. Gross.

NY Giants 28 – St. Louis Rams 16

Did the Rams miss Steven Jackson or did they miss Steven Jackson? With him in this game, it would have been a completely different game. The Rams would have been able to control the clock, Sam Bradford wouldn’t have had to throw 46 passes, and the Giants would have been on their heels. But, as we all know, that’s not how it happened. And now the Rams are 0-2 and the Giants are 1-1. So the cookie crumbles.

Later this week (tomorrow?), I will be posting by NFL Week 3 Preview. Stay tuned!

Questions, comments, have a better idea? Email me (outsidepressureblog@gmai.com) or comment below.

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September 12, 2011 · 10:37 pm

NFL Week 1 Wrap-Up

Here is my wrap-up of all the action in the NFL this week – minus the Monday night games. As I’ve mentioned, Internet is hard to come by, and I wanted to make sure I got this up while I was online!

New Orleans Saints @ Green Bay Packers: Saint 34 – Packers 42

There was no Super Bowl Hangover for the Packers here. They got off to a hot start and the offense of the Saints couldn’t keep up; although, they got close before Clay Matthews stopped rookie Mark Ingram on the goal line as time expired. Both Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers looked great in their first games, throwing for 419 yards and three touchdowns and 312 yards and three touchdowns, respectively. Both teams running games left something to be desired and will need to be more productive as the season wears on. Both teams showed they have what it takes to be competitive this seaons.

Philadelphia Eagles @ St. Louis Rams: Eagles 31 – Rams 13

The Eagles came out relatively flat, with some errant throws from their new $100 million man, Michael Vick. Then Steven Jackson ripped off a 47 yard touchdown run to make it an early 7-0 lead for the home team and made it look as though it was going to be an interesting game – unfortunately for the Rams, he injured his leg on the play. The Rams continued to run the ball well, but with the Eagles new trio of CB, Sam Bradford was unable to complete any long passes.

Vick was relatively effective in the game, but only completed 48% of his passes – his lowest number as an Eagle. LeSean McCoy looked great out of the backfield, and DeSean Jackson made a good case for his new contract. As an Eagles fan, I would like to see Vick get Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek more involved in the passing game. Overall, the Eagles appeared dominant in their opener, but they need to clean up a few aspects of their game – namely the run defense.

Atlanta Falcons @ Chicago Bears: Falcons 12 – Bears 30

Raise your hand if you had the Bears winning this game? No? I didn’t think so. Matt Ryan threw the ball well, although he couldn’t find the end zone. It didn’t matter – the Bears had everything working (I’m looking at you Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers, Jay Cutler, and Matt Forte) and looked like a team that could compete with the Packers for the NFC North title. If they can keep this up, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did just that.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns: Bengals 27 – Browns 17

Cincy can’t seem to catch a break in the QB department. Andy Dalton was injured during the game, and somehow, the Bengals beat the lowly Browns in the opener. Cedric Benson may have had something to do with that, running for 121 yards on 25 carries for a TD. The Browns were disorganized under their new regime, and should get things cleaned up for next week – if they do, they should be optimistic about Colt McCoy’s 213 yard, two TD day.

Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs: Bills 41 – Chiefs 7

This just goes to show that no one knows what their talking about in the preseason. I, among many others, believed the Bills would be in the running for the top draft choice this season – if this game was any indication, we were wrong. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 208 yards and four TD and Fred Jackson added 112 yards on 20 carries. Fitzpatrick’s day might be attributed to Eric Berry injuring his knee in the first quarter – but I don’t think it would have made a difference. The Bills didn’t do a whole lot right and nothing went right for the Chiefs. As Chiefs defensive tackle Kelly Gregg put it, “When things started going bad, they just went bad. Landslide.”

Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Lions 27 – Buccaneers 20

The Lions came into this season with lofty expectations after building up their defensive line and finally having a healthy Matthew Stafford, who threw for 305 yards and three TD.  The surprising story line of this game was the non-existent run game of the Bucs – Josh Freeman led all rushers with 26 yards. If the Bucs have hopes to repeat their 10-6 season and have a shot at a playoff spot, this is not the way to go about it.

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars: Titans 14 – Jaguars 16

After their stunning release of David Garrard, I didn’t think the Jaguars had a chance to beat anyone – even the Titans. I was surprised. Maurice Jones-Drew looked good in his debut after knee surgery and the Jaguars defense kept them in the game and eventually, helped them win it. But – I’ve said it a million times before – this is a QB-driven league, and while Luke McCown managed the game well, he only threw for 175 yards and no TD. I don’t expect it to be good enough over a 17 week season. You don’t get to play the Titans 16 times.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens: Steelers 7 – Ravens 35

Yeah – I wrote that the Ravens probably won’t be as good this season and that the Steelers should beat them – handily. Well, I’ve been wrong before and it’s the beauty of writing about this game. The Ravens defense looked inspired, forcing seven turnovers. Joe Flacco looks like he might be ready to take the next step, throwing for 224 yards and three touchdowns, and nothing went wrong for the Ravens. It was a big game, but only one in a long season.

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans: Colts 7 – Texans 34

The Colts without Peyton Manning look lost. They couldn’t get anything going. That wasn’t the most worrisome part of the game though. It was that backup running back Ben Tate was able to rush for 116 yards. The Colts have never been known for their defense, but if they play like this the rest of the way, it won’t matter when Manning comes back.

Carolina Panthers @ Arizona Cardinals: Panthers 21 – Cardinals 28

Patrick Peterson made up for some sloppy play at CB and returned a punt 89 yards for the go-ahead score. Frankly, who cares. For those out there who said Cam Newton wouldn’t be a successful NFL QB, take a look at this stat line  – 422 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. He’s the only QB to throw for more than 400 yards in his rookie debut. Kevin Kolb also made some noise in his debut, throwing for more than 300 yards, along with an impressive day from Beanie Wells. Both of these teams have bright futures.

Minnesota Vikings @ San Diego Chargers: Vikings 17 – Chargers 24

I was going to try to recap this game – and rather than write a paragraph that you don’t want to read, I’ll say this. The Chargers escaped late, narrowly escaping an inevitable slow start again and the Vikings couldn’t get anything going.

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers: Seahawks 17 – 49ers 33

I once wrote that I though Alex Smith still stood a chance at being a good NFL QB. Looks like I wasn’t completely wrong. He got some help from Ted Ginn Jr., who ran a kickoff and punt back for a touchdown within a one minute span. Jim Harbaugh got another win over Pete Carrol and looks like he has the 49ers on the right track in a weak NFC West.

New York Giants @ Washington Redskins: Giants 14 – Redskins 28

Rex Grossman outdueled Eli Manning. No, seriously. The Giants are short-handed because of the injuries that plagued them during the preseason and just got beat by the Redskins – who had four sacks after finishing 31st in the NFL in that category last season. I don’t expect that Grossman will continue to look this good when he faces a healthy secondary, but for at least one week, he’s got a win.

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets: Cowboys 24 – Jets 27

I, unfortunately, did not get an opportunity to watch this game, but I watched the highlights. I’m not sure if the Jets underperformed for most of the game or if the Cowboys over performed for it most of it. I think the truly better team came out on top here. That being said, if the Cowboys and Jets can fix their little problems (I’m looking at you Jason Witten, Cowboys Specials Teams, and you Shonne Greene), these teams could be legitimate contenders in their respective conferences.

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September 7, 2011 · 1:56 pm

NFL Power Rankings – Week 1

I will be posting NFL Power Rankings on a weekly basis. The jury is a one-man vote, and here are my thoughts. The records for Week 1 will be the record the team finished with in 2010.

Rank (LW)

Team

Record

Comment

1

 

Green Bay Packers

10-6

 The defending Super Bowl Champs have to start at one. They didn’t do anything this offseason to make them fall.

2

Pittsburgh Steelers

12-4

 A loss to the Packers in the Super Bowl was tough, their defense is aging, and Ben Roethlisberger could have it best season. For now, number two.

3

New England Patriots

14-2

 Believed by some to be AFCs best team. Their defense will have to prove it against the pass.

4

New Orleans Saints

11-5

 I like Drew Brees to have a great bounce-back season after looking dull last year. It starts at Lambeau Field in Week 1.

5

Philadelphia Eagles

10-6

 The Eagles will start a new offensive line and they must keep Michael Vick healthy in order to have a huge season.

6

Atlanta Falcons

13-3

 A great regular season last year that flopped because of the lack of…well, Julio Jones. I like the Falcons to make some noise.

7

San Diego Chargers

9-7

 I think that Phillip Rivers could throw for 5,000 yards with his WR back and healthy. No slow start this season.

8

New York Jets

11-5

 If Plaxico Burress works out, this might be a tough team to beat en route to its third straight AFC Title Game.

9

Baltimore Ravens

12-4

 A tough first game against Pittsburgh should tell me where to rank this team next week.

10

Indianapolis Colts

10-6

 Peyton Manning will miss week 1 – how many more after that?

11

Houston Texans

6-10

 I think Matt Schaub is underrated. I think this defense will make strides with Wade Phillips at the helm. Will it be enough in the South?

12

Dallas Cowboys

6-10

 A healthy Tony Romo and the addition of Rob Ryan to the defense could make Dallas much scarier than the 12th best team.

13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10-6

 The new expectations may be too much to ask them to repeat last season’s performance. This team is built to win for the long term.

14

Chicago Bears

11-5

 I have no idea how good Jay Cutler is. This team could bounce around the Power Rankings for the first few weeks.

15

Detroit Lions

6-10

 A D-line built to stop the run and get to the passer should take some pressure off of Matt Stafford, if he can stay healthy.

16

St. Louis Rams

7-9

 The West sucks. If the Rams did enough to help Sam Bradford on offense and if Steven Jackson can stay healthy, they might be good enough to win it.

17

New York Giants

10-6

 The Giants missed on a lot of big name players this offseason and I don’t foresee a repeat of 10-6 in a strong NFC East.

18

Kansas City Chiefs

10-6

 We’ve seen it about a million times – breakout season followed by a down year.

19

Minnesota Vikings

6-10

 Same problem here as with the Bears – which Donovan McNabb did the Vikings get?

20

Arizona Cardinals

5-11

 Same problem a third time – how good is Kevin Kolb?

21

Tennessee Titans

6-10

 Matt Hasselback is getting old and he won’t have enough help to make this a memorable season in Tennessee.

22

Cleveland Browns

5-11

 Colt McCoy should have another great season in a West Coast Offense that he’s become comfortable in, but he doesn’t have enough help yet.

23

Washington Redskins

6-10

 By the end of the season, the ‘Skins might be praying to win the Andrew Luck contest.

24

Miami Dolphins

7-9

 Chad Henne is under a ton of pressure to perform well early. He better hope he can.

25

Oakland Raiders

8-8

 New coach, new scheme, same Al Davis.

26

Denver Broncos

4-12

 I like Kyle Orton and John Elway running their respective shows. I’m not convinced the rest of the organization is in line.

27

San Francisco 49ers

6-10

 Alex Smith has been in the league for seven years now. Are they really still letting him start?

28

Seattle Seahawks

7-9

 Tarvaris Jackson? I’ll take whoever the Seahawks are playing for my picks, until he proves me wrong.

29

Buffalo Bills

4-12

 They lost Lee Evans and don’t have much more help on offense. This could get ugly quick.

30

Carolina Panthers

2-14

 I’m excited for Cam Newton in the NFL. He’ll need more help in the next few years, but I think he’s going to be great.

31

Jacksonville Jaguars

8-8

 Who releases their best QB five days before the opener? Jacksonville.

32

Cincinnati Bengals

4-12

 Is there a bigger mess in football right now outside of Cincy?

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· 1:05 pm

Breakout Players to Watch in 2011

I’ll be the first to admit that these types of articles are commonplace in today’s sports blogosphere and I won’t be surprised if my list looks exactly like someone else’s. That’s what happens when there are a million lists. Anyway, here’s my list of potential breakout players for 2011. All statistics come from pro-football-reference.com.

Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams QB – 2010 stats: 354-590 (60.0%), 3512 yards, 18 TD, 15 INT (2.5% INT%), 76.5 RAT, 34 Sacks (5.4% Sack%).

I like Sam Bradford – a lot. I like him even more because his competition in the NFC West for “Best QB in the division is Alex Smith, Tarvaris Jackson, and Kevin Kolb. His INT% of 2.5 brought St. Louis in at 12th best in the league, .5% better than the league average and the best in the NFC West. I expect his interception rate to go down slightly, his yards to improve (remember who his receivers were last year? No one does.) and for his touchdowns to go up. The “Sophomore Slump” hasn’t been a curse in recent years for young QBs and I don’t expect Bradford to see one here.

Prediction: 380-600 (66.3%), 4100 yards, 25 TD, 12 INT (2% INT%), 30 sacks.

Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys RB – 2010 stats: 185 attempts, 800 yards, 1 TD, 4.3 Y/A, 48 receptions, 450 yards, 1 TD, 2 fumbles

Jones appears to be the undisputed number one RB for the Cowboys this season. I don’t expect any competition from Tashard Choice for a ton of carries. If Jones stays healthy, he has the speed and talent (not to mention system) to be a 1300 yard rusher and likely compete for the rushing title. The only thing stopping him will be the extra toll of about 100-150 extra carries. If he averages 23-25 touches a game he’s nearly double his work load.

Predictions: 350 attempts, 1330 yards, 11 TD, 3.8 Y/A, 55 receptions, 600 yards, 2 TD

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons WR – 2010 stats (@ Alabama): 78 receptions, 1133 yards, 7 TD

I know the stats for first round receivers aren’t all that inspiring, however – If Jones can spread the field the way that analysts are predicting, I don’t think it will open up the field for Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez as much as it will make him Matt Ryan’s number one target. Teams are going to have to pay attention to White and Jones, but they’ll still throw their best cover man at White. That should leave Jones on less qualified CBs and with ample opportunity to make the big plays and win the ROY award.

Predictions: 65 receptions, 800 yards, 8 TD

Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles TE – 2010 stats: 42 receptions, 511 yards, 4 TD

I don’t know if you can call this a breakout season, because Celek has been good in the past. However, last season, he was doing a lot of pass and run protection and not running a ton of routes – which I found odd due to the level of talent he showed in previous seasons. For example, his 2009 line: 76 receptions, 971 yards, 8 TD. Celek is heavy in the talent area and hopefully Michal Vick can find a way to get him more involved in the pass game. That should be easy, considering the lack of preseason work with Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson.

Prediction: 55 receptions, 650 yards, 5 TD

There are also some players you may be interested in watching. I don’t necessarily think these players are poised for breakout or comeback seasons, but most of them will be carrying their respective teams’ hopes on their shoulders.

Donovan McNabb, Minnesota Vikings QB – As I’ve mentioned before, I think McNabb feels like he has something to prove in Minnesota. We’ve seen this before – elite players who aren’t quite at the same level of their prime who think they can still play at that level. Before crucifying McNabb for his season in Washington, I’ll admit that he wasn’t in the best situation. I don’t blame the downfall there on him, I blame it on the organization. McNabb could have a breakout season if he can figure out how to get the receivers involved; however, without Sidney Rice in town, he might have a harder time at it.

Kevin Kolb, Arizona Cardinals QB – Kolb was brilliant in a few of his starts in Philadelphia. In a few others he was borderline average. The Cardinals are hoping that they got the brilliant version when they made the trade to acquire Kolb and sign him to a lucrative contract. When throwing to Larry Fitzgerald, it’s easy to look good. If Kolb can spread the ball around to other players, he’ll have a good year. I don’t expect his total yards to be through the roof, but with a decent run game, he should produce decent TD numbers and he doesn’t throw a lot of interceptions.

Nnamdi Asomugha, Philadelphia Eagles CB – For years in Oakland, Asomugha never had to worry about being threatened. He was avoided in games and never faced much adversity. In Philadelphia he’ll have Asante Samuel on the other side and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the slot. Quarterbacks are going to be forced to throw it at one of them, and Asomugha might be their first target.

Like it? Love it? Better idea? Email me: outsidepressureblog@gmail.com or comment below.

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September 6, 2011 · 7:54 pm

Jacksonville Jaguars Release David Garrard

News broke today that the Jacksonville Jaguars (soon to be L.A. Jaguars, stay tuned.) decided to release their starting quarterback, David Garrard. You read that right…five days before their opener against the Tennessee Titans. I can’t begin to explain their decision. I guess they’re confident that Luck McCown can carry them until they see that rookie Blaine Gabbert is ready to become the face of the franchise. Absolutely terrible move for Jacksonville who had a seasoned veteran, capable of teaching Gabbert the ropes throughout his rookie season. If this was the beginning of 2012, I would understand the move, but to do it five days before the first week, is incomprehensible. The move means that the Jags were likely trying to trade Garrard and couldn’t find any takers.

Before I blow a gasket, we’ll move on. Where does Garrard land? If the Jags were shopping him and couldn’t find an interested team (unless they were asking too much – likely), that means that Garrard will likely be signed by a team in need of a veteran presence and a good backup. I don’t think that the San Francisco 49ers are a feasible option because they seem set to go with Alex Smith until Colin Kaepernick is prepared to take over. That leaves several teams that might be interested: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, and the Miami Dolphins. The favorite in that group would have to be the Dolphins. They only have two quarterbacks on their roster, and the organization doesn’t seem committed to Chad Henne under center.

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· 1:43 pm

NFL Week 1 Preview

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers: The Saints and Packers are both looking for a Super Bowl run this season. Drew Brees organized and funded workouts during the lockout, the addition of Mark Ingram should solidify the run game. Aaron Rodgers is one of the best QBs in the league and has Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley healthy. Both offenses should be potent this season, but whether both teams can get off to a quick start will be the difference. I like Brees’ offseason workouts and I think it will make the difference here with New Orleans winning.

Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears: The Falcons addition of Julio Jones should give Matt Ryan the tools he needs to take the next step; should spread the field for Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez while opening up running lanes for Michael Turner. The Bears appear, to me, to be a team in transition. The defense should be good, but not as great as in recent years, and I don’t think they’ll be good enough to win the NFC North or this game.

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns: Does anyone care about the winner of this game? I know I don’t. I want to watch Andy Dalton and A.J. Green and see if they can use their natural talent to mesh together quickly. I want to see if Colt McCoy can continue to grow in Cleveland’s West Coast scheme. Neither of these teams will make a lot of noise this season, but the talent on these teams is very possibly the future of the NFL. Stay tuned.

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs were a surprise 10-6 team last season, winning the AFC West. Too bad for them, Matt Cassel is probably going to miss the first week with a rib injury. Fortunately for them, the first game is against the Bills and Tyler Palko should be good enough to beat the Bills. For the Bills, it’s the first loss in a journey to landing Andrew Luck next April.

Philadelphia Eagles at St. Louis Rams: As an Eagles fan, you can expect this prediction to be a little bias. Before I get bias, I’ll say this, Sam Bradford is a great QB and should do great things this year. I’ve seen a lot of people saying they expect the Eagles to implode under the pressure. I don’t see it happening, and I expect DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Michael Vick to not miss a step. Eagles should win a close game here, but they’ll still win.

Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Lions have the best defensive line in the league, which should take away the run game from most teams. The Buccaneers were 10-6 last season and missed the playoffs. I don’t expect them to have as good a record this season, and I expect Josh Freeman to take a step back this season with added pressure to perform. Who’s going to win the game? I have no idea – but in the long run, no one will care either.

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars: The Matt Hasselback era starts in Tennessee. Too bad for him, he isn’t exactly playing on the most talented team in the league. David Garrard looks to be the starter for the Jaguars right now, and reports from around the league look different about the Jaguars. If Garrard and Maurice Jones-Drew can perform well, they might have a chance at a Peyton Manning-less AFC South to start the season.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens: I love a good rivalry. The Steelers and Ravens always play a rough, low-scoring, physical game. The Ravens promise to unleash Joe Flacco this season and allow him to use his big arm to go downfield more often. With the addition of Lee Evans, I can imagine that will be fun to watch. I expect the same type of physical game here. I don’t know who wins this game, because it’s always too close to call.

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans: Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are perhaps the best combination in the league. Schaub could throw for 5,000 yards this season if the rest of the receivers can step up their game. Manning won’t be playing in this game according to reports out of Indy and they’ll have to rely on Kerry Collins to run an offense that he’s had about two weeks to learn. If this game was being playing in Indy, I might think the Colts would have a better chance, but it’s being played in Houston and the Texans should get an early jump on their first playoff run.

New York Giants at Washington Redskins: Can Eli Manning turn off his turnovers? Do the Giants have receivers that are good enough to compete. What? They’re playing the Redskins this week? Oh, then they’ll win this game easily. Moving on.

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers: Tarvaris Jackson is the starter for the Seahawks. They’ve added a few other pieces, but they’re still not a very good team. So how about the 49ers? They have a new coach, new system, and the same old Alex Smith playing QB. The NFC West is a crapshoot…again.

Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers: The Donovan McNabb era starts in Minnesota. As I mentioned in my preseason QB rankings, I think McNabb has a lot to prove. He’s back in an offense more suited for his talents, and I think he’ll do well in Minnesota. Too bad for him, his first real game is against the Chargers. I like the Chargers to avoid a slow start and get a win in the first week this season.

Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals: Two new QB eras start in this game – Kevin Kolb and Cam Newton both look to get their first wins in their new towns. The Panthers and Cardinals both have decent running games that should take the pressure of these two guys. I expect this will be a quick game because of all that running we’re going to see. I also expect the Cardinals to get an early win because I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to throw to Larry Fitzgerald.

Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets: Tony Romo is back and healthy. The Cowboys defense is poised for a great season under Rob Ryan. The Jets added Plaxico Burress to help Mark Sanchez develop into more than a game manger under center. This should be a fun game with the Ryan brothers facing off and two very talented teams looking for an early statement win…which the Jets will get in an emotional 9/11 remembrance game.

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins: Tom Brady, Chad Ochocinco, Wes Welker, BenJarvus Green-Ellis are talented position players who should give the Patriots a shot at being a very potent offense again. That defense isn’t half bad, either. Chad Henne is in a weird position in Miami. He feels unwanted there, but he can silence all his critics with some early connections to Brandon Marshall and some early magic with Reggie Bush. Oh, my prediction…that’s not going to happen right now. New England should win this game easily.

Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos: Is anyone outside of Oakland and Denver going to watch this game? I’m not. The Broncos aren’t very good. The Raiders will stay bad as long as the corpse of Al Davis is running the team. This should look a lot like a bad college football game. There are no winners.

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