NFL 2008-2009 Pregame Talk/News

[Paelos]

Training camp starts in 2 weeks. Here are some questions I have about this coming season:

Which team will finish with the best record in each conference?
Which team will be the most over-rated going into the season?
Which team will be the biggest surprise this season?
Who has the best defensive setup in the league?
Who has the best offensive power in the league?
Which player/coach is most likely to have a scandal start this season?

I think the Cowboys will finish with the best record because they have kept most of their skill players and they have exactly the same dominant offensive line that they had last year. The question mark will be if Romo can keep his head in the game, and if Jerry Jones can stay out of the way.

It's hard to pick against the Patriots finishing best in the AFC, because they have Tom Brady, the best O-line in the NFL, and they cheat.

The Giants are the obvious pick to be the most overrated team in the league because they fluked their way into a Superbowl win. I fully expect them to get reamed this season in epic fashion.

The biggest surprise team will be the Falcons. After time away from Vick and putting together a better, more experienced defensive core, I think they have the potential to be a .500 or better team.

Defensively, I like the Packers, and Offensively I like the Chargers.

The best scandal will revolve around Bellichek again. The guy is dirty and it's just a matter of time until something else pops up to get him kicked out of the NFL.

[Stewie]

Which team will finish with the best record in each conference?
NE, Cleveland, Jacksonville, SD, Dallas, Det, TB, Arizona

Which team will be the most over-rated going into the season?
I think GB is going to have a tough time matching last years performance (I could be completly wrong here cause on paper they are pretty solid. this is just a hunch based on their sched and division)

Which team will be the biggest surprise this season?
Im biased here but i honestly believe the dolphins will surprise and be around a .500 team. Last year they had better than 1-15 talent but had the worst coaching I wave witnessed in a long long time (this includes game time coaching and practice)

Who has the best defensive setup in the league? not even going to venture a guess here, these are always tough to call and there is always a few teams that step up and a few that step back and no one seems to be able to call these correctly - see last years great browns and craptastic saints.

Who has the best offensive power in the league? see above

Which player/coach is most likely to have a scandal start this season?
Yeah id agree with bellicheck, maybe supplying his players with roids?

[tazelbain]

Still way too early for me.

[Paelos]

Still way too early for me.

But, but, but TRAINING CAMP! WOOOOOO!

[JWIV]

Still way too early for me.

But, but, but TRAINING CAMP! WOOOOOO!

I had enough excitement with the firing of Billick and Harbaugh coming in and kicking prima dona ass.  No more canceling practice because of rain and other stupid shit.  But I can't say shit for this year until Harbaugh decides if he's going to rush Flaco into the league, give Smith a chance, or sign up for a full season of Boller Ball. 

[cmlancas]

Surprise team this year is the Denver Broncos. They have a solid backfield, a great receiving core, a good secondary, and a decent quarterback.

If they can go 2-2 with Marshall out, they could be a force.

[MrHat]

Surprise team this year is the Denver Broncos. They have a solid backfield, a great receiving core, a good secondary, and a decent quarterback.

If they can go 2-2 with Marshall out, they could be a force.

SSSSSHHHHHHHHH you'll jinx them.

[Paelos]

The Packers are apparently offering Farve $20M to stay at home and never come back.

Wow, that's just unreal.

[HaemishM]

The Packers are apparently offering Farve $20M to stay at home and never come back.

Wow, that's just unreal.

I.... fuck. That's got to be the most retarded fucking thing I've heard since he decided he wanted to come out of retirement.

Just FUCKING TRADE HIM. Get a first-rounder out of the deal and move the fuck on. Let him go embarrass himself in Tampa or New York, and come back and have a rapproachment in 2 or 3 years when he's replaced the kneecaps that are going to get knocked the fuck off behind shitty O-Lines. Pissing away $20M for him to not play is STUPID. If he gave a fuck about the money or needed it, he would have just not retired.

[Paelos]

If they trade him, he's going to somewhere in the NFC North. It would be like Troy Aikman coming out the year after his retirement and playing for the Redskins.

[HaemishM]

Now see, THAT would piss me off. I'd rather the Packers sign him and bench his ass than trade him to the Vikes or Bears. Fuck that. If he wants to hold out and not report to training camp because he won't start, oh well. Just play back his comments about Javon Walker from a few years back.

[Rasix]

Just FUCKING TRADE HIM. Get a first-rounder out of the deal and move the fuck on.

Not to pick nits here, but you'd never get a first rounder for him.  Probably a 3rd or 4th rounder and maybe if someone really needs him a 2nd rounder.  I'd put money on the 2nd rounder though, that seems to be the going rate for "get the fuck out of here", but I wouldn't put it past the Pack to be desperate enough to take something lower.

[Trippy]

Just FUCKING TRADE HIM. Get a first-rounder out of the deal and move the fuck on.

Not to pick nits here, but you'd never get a first rounder for him.  Probably a 3rd or 4th rounder and maybe if someone really needs him a 2nd rounder.  I'd put money on the 2nd rounder though, that seems to be the going rate for "get the fuck out of here", but I wouldn't put it past the Pack to be desperate enough to take something lower.

I agree. Jason Taylor being traded for a second round pick is telling.

[HaemishM]

Fuck it then, take a second-rounder from someone not in the divison, or sign his ass and bench him. If he plays for the Vikings or Bears this year... /sadf

[Montague]

Surprise team this year is the Denver Broncos. They have a solid backfield, a great receiving core, a good secondary, and a decent quarterback.

If they can go 2-2 with Marshall out, they could be a force.

Just as long as Selvin Young rushes for 2000 yards and 30 TD's. 

[Rasix]

Favre back.

What that all boils down to is Brett not taking the pay off, the Packers being unlikely to get anything for him in trade because no on really has to offer anything in the spot the Packers are in, a release being out of the question, and Aaron Rodgers holding a clip board for another year.  I don't know how a team will end up after going through something like this and Rodger's career is destroyed if this plays out like I'm assuming it will.

[Paelos]

This may go down as Farve poisoning every bit of goodwill and class he's built up over the years as an NFL quarterback.

He's slowly slipping into jackass territory the further this goes, in my eyes.

[HaemishM]

This may go down as Farve poisoning every bit of goodwill and class he's built up over the years as an NFL quarterback.

He's slowly slipping into jackass territory the further this goes, in my eyes.

Yes.

The only thing the organization can do is start Rodgers. Start him. Make Brett hold the clipboard and bitch about it. Even if Favre played another two years, Rodgers has to get some starts or he is never going to get them as a Packer. He's got to be the future of the organization and Brett needs to get used to that. I wouldn't want to be in either situation, but I'd hope that were I in the situation, I'd handle it with a bit more class than Favre has shown. Rodgers has been mature through all this.

[Trippy]

The Jets? WTF?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080807/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_brett_favre

[Rasix]

Yah.  The coverage was nauseating.  Mark Schlereth wants to have Brett's love child. I don't think ESPN knows how to function during football season without Favre.

He's got some burners on that team. The line might be better this year but still a bit more porous than he's used to.   I'm not sure I see them as a playoff team even with Brett.

[stray]

The Cowboys are being set up as something else this year. Even got their own series on HBO now.

To which I say, we're probably cursed. I'm a superstitious man. 

[Trippy]

Details of the trade agreement:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/08/07/favre.jets/index.html?eref=T1

The Jets were willing to give up a 1st Round pick if by some miracle they make it to the Super Bowl while the Bucs weren't willing to give more than a 2nd Round pick. In all likelihood, though, the Jets will only have to give up a 2nd or 3rd round pick.

[HaemishM]

I like the Jets trade better than the Bucs trade. At least the Pack won't have to play Brett.

But you know, after a season playing on that shitty Meadowlands turf and getting dogfucked by untouched defensive linemen, I think Brett's going to wish he wasn't so goddamn pissy with the Packers.

[WayAbvPar]

Fuck. I chose the GB game instead of the NYJ game last night when we were divvying up our season tickets. This screws my resale value should I choose to do so, although there are still so many Packer fans around I shouldn't have any trouble gouging the shit out of someone.

[Nebu]

If you look at it from the owner's perspective, does GB even need to care?  They will pack their stadium regardless of who is at QB, they already have their tv contracts for the year, and only stand to lose potential playoff revenue.  I think this whole thing makes the GB ownership look like rigid asses that don't care about their fanbase, but we don't know all sides of the issue. 

As for the rest, I don't think that Brett is going to have a year like he did last year regardless of who picks him up.  He has an entire system to learn and likely won't get the same type of OL support. 

[HaemishM]

If you look at it from the owner's perspective, does GB even need to care?  They will pack their stadium regardless of who is at QB, they already have their tv contracts for the year, and only stand to lose potential playoff revenue.  I think this whole thing makes the GB ownership look like rigid asses that don't care about their fanbase, but we don't know all sides of the issue. 

Well, thinking about it from the owner's perspective, they drafted their QB of the future 3 years ago. He's played all of 1 real game in that time. How many more years can Brett play at a decent starter's level? 1? 2? 3 maybe if the team around him is excellent? Chances of him playing out of his mind again aren't that great. And every year he starts is another year their QB of the future rots on the vine. Most of the times I'd be on the side of the player, but this time I'm not. Maybe if Favre hadn't retired, I'd be more sympathetic... it isn't like the organization hasn't let him take a few months to decide before. But really, the organization has to look at things 3-5 years down the road, when it's a sure bet Favre will not be there no matter how much he wants to play.

Plus, they save $12 million in salary cap money. I don't expect them to use it, but it's there if they do.

[Nebu]

In case I was unclear, I am on the side of the owners this time as well.  They have little to gain by having Brett play another year.  I do wish they'd trade him to Minnesota though... mostly because I'm a vikings fan and the thought of Adrian and Brett in the same backfield makes me giddy.  I know it won't happen, but I like the thought. 

[HaemishM]

Fuck, no. I'd rather they send Tonya Harding after his ass than let him play for the Vikings.

[Nebu]

J-E-T-S,  Jets Jets Jets

Just too weird to internalize at the moment.  The thought of Brett in a Jets uniform is making my mind wonky.

EDIT: My memory isn't great, but does this mean that Brett is playing for a coach that's younger than he is?  Damn.

[Evildrider]

In case I was unclear, I am on the side of the owners this time as well.  They have little to gain by having Brett play another year.  I do wish they'd trade him to Minnesota though... mostly because I'm a vikings fan and the thought of Adrian and Brett in the same backfield makes me giddy.  I know it won't happen, but I like the thought. 

Yep, I'm a Vikings fan as well.. I was hoping big time that they'd get Favre.

[stray]

While Favre should have just quit like he said he would, he does have some game left. As long as he stays in the same state as last year, where he adjusted to more pocket passing (and didn't try to be "Brett Favre"), he can still contribute in a good way.

[Draegan]

Training camp starts in 2 weeks. Here are some questions I have about this coming season:

Which team will finish with the best record in each conference?
Which team will be the most over-rated going into the season?
Which team will be the biggest surprise this season?
Who has the best defensive setup in the league?
Who has the best offensive power in the league?
Which player/coach is most likely to have a scandal start this season?

I think the Cowboys will finish with the best record because they have kept most of their skill players and they have exactly the same dominant offensive line that they had last year. The question mark will be if Romo can keep his head in the game, and if Jerry Jones can stay out of the way.

It's hard to pick against the Patriots finishing best in the AFC, because they have Tom Brady, the best O-line in the NFL, and they cheat.

The Giants are the obvious pick to be the most overrated team in the league because they fluked their way into a Superbowl win. I fully expect them to get reamed this season in epic fashion.

The biggest surprise team will be the Falcons. After time away from Vick and putting together a better, more experienced defensive core, I think they have the potential to be a .500 or better team.

Defensively, I like the Packers, and Offensively I like the Chargers.

The best scandal will revolve around Bellichek again. The guy is dirty and it's just a matter of time until something else pops up to get him kicked out of the NFL.

To win each conference:
Cowboys, Vikings, Seahawks, Carolina
Patriots, Browns, Chargers, Colts

Most over-rated?  Dallas.  They will still win, but they will be over hyped.  Maybe they can win a playoff game this decade.

Biggest surprise?  Vikings with the playoffs.  Also Miami maybe hitting .500.

Best Defense:  Vikings/Jaguars
Best Offense:  Saints/Pats

Scandal?  Who knows, who cares.

--

Being a Giants fan, you comment about the Giants is silly.  We didn't "fluke" our way to a Superbowl win.  I think we earned it fair and square.  You don't fluke 4 straghit road playoffs wins in a row.  Not in the NFL.  I also think they're just as able to make the playoffs again.  They've made the playoffs 3 straight years in a row, only other teams to do that are the Colts, Pats, and Seattle. 

The Patriots don't have the best o-line in pro football, at least not definitively.  Tom Brady is just that good of a QB that he can get rid of it fast enough.  They're one of the best olines, but in my opinion, not the best.

Falcon's ceiling is .500 I think.  I still say they are a 5-6 win team. 

[stray]

I don't think the Giants are a fluke. They just really start clicking and kicked up the juice once the playoffs began. Pisses me off when teams that are somewhat mediocre during the season do that, but it happens.

[Paelos]

I don't mean the Giants didn't earn it. You can still earn it and be a fluke team. The Bucs in 2002-03 are a good example. They went 12-4 and win the Super Bowl, then can't even finish better than 3rd in their division in the next two seasons. In the past few years they've been knocked out in the wildcard games when they made it to the playoffs. They were a fluke. They aren't going to win the Super Bowl again anytime soon.

The Giants are the same story in my book. They were 16th in total offense last season. The only saving grace they had was a good running game with Jacobs & Ward, and their defense was strong enough to hold on in the playoffs. I don't think they are a dynasty or a dominant squad. I don't think they can win the NFC East. I don't think for a second they will repeat as champions, and I don't really even give them much of a chance at making the playoffs.

Strahan is gone, and that's more of a blow as a leader than a player. Three of their defensive starters are gone, including a linebacker. Eli's numbers aren't that impressive, either. He's had some good runs against the shittier NFC teams last year, but against solid competition he wasn't the main offensive force. A lot of the Giant's gameplan relied on the run, which they still have, and defense, where they now have a problem. Hell, the Eagles have the same problem. It's either all on Westbrook playing well, or they are screwed.

[Draegan]

The Giants have made the playoffs 3 years in a row.  That's only tied by the Colts, Pats and the Seahawks.  Losing Mitchell and Wilson really arn't losses at all.  Biggest hurt is Strahan in the running game.

I think the Giants will take a playoff spot, most likely a Wildcard. Name 6 teams in the NFC better than the Giants.  Do I think they will repeat? No.  But I wholeheartedly think they will make it back to the dance.